Best Value 35mm film SLR cameras

In today's video, I list 5 great 35mm film SLR cameras which you can still find for decent prices!

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►CHAPTER MARKERS
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Nikon
02:06 - Pentax
02:38 - Canon
03:10 - Minolta
04:15 - Olympus
05:08 - Sponsor
06:00 - Conclusion

#35mmfilm #filmcamera

[sputumtube]

When I was 20 years old in 1980, I bought my first SLR which was the Ricoh KR10 (after learning the basics with a Zorki 4). I couldn't afford the Nikon/Canon equivalents. As time passed, I bought all manner of exotics including the heavy Nikon F4s. Now I'm 62 years old, I decided to re-visit my early choices and recently bought a Ricoh KR10, KR5 and KR10 Super. All of these are cheap and accept the wonderful Pentax K-mount lenses. And at the end of the day, it's the lens that makes the photograph, not the camera.

[tomislavmiletic_]

My daughter bought me an Olympus OM1n for birthday last year, as a replacement for my failing OM2s (which has been repaired recently), and I'm enjoying it ever since.
With that being said, my dad's Minolta srT 303b (201 in the US) still works, without any CLE, for the last 45 years or so...

[blainegauvin]

Definitely consider the Nikon FA... this was Nikon's first ever matrix metering camera that in my opinion is a hidden gem. It was sold as an amateur model as a tryout for the new metering system that soon became the industry standard for professional cameras. Straight out of the box I learned to rely on it and although being an electronic camera became my favorite...cheers.

[Sam-dnjk]

My OM-1 will need to be peeled from my dead body I love it so much.

[datfly]

My first SLR was a Pentax K1000 bought brand new in the early 1990s. Great camera, and would also recommend any K-series film Pentax SLR (such as the KM, K2, etc). which often have more features than the K1000. Pentax lenses are also great value for the money, and are plentiful.

[LucyLumen]

Congrats on the awesome sponsor hash! Also great video with such good well rounded advice and info for the community. You are a one stop shop for reliable info and well presented content Hashem. Excited for 2023 and to see what else you will do. 🙋🏻‍♀️👍🏻📸🎞️

[Christian_from_Copenhagen]

I love the OM-1, the most beautiful camera ever made in my opinion, but I use the OM-2n more often. Aperture priority is super useful and the advance lever feels quite a bit smoother, too.

If I had to get another SLR, though, I'd definitely go for a black Nikon FE. Super cool piece of kit, and the advance lever also being the on/off-switch is a clever feature. The ISO can also go to 3200, whereas the OM's stop at 1600, meaning you can't push three stops while using aperture priority.

[deadWu]

I'm using a Petri TTL. This thing is built like a tank... It uses M42 lens, so widely available options out there in the wild. Petri was a brand that couldn't compete with the other known brands, they filed for bankruptcy in an age where autofocus options were getting really popular.

[Hawaii]

Those who are not familiar with the Olympus OM-1 and Minolta SRT cameras have a built in exposure meter however, the mercury battery (PX625) that they used are no longer available. There are silver-oxide batteries and battery hacks however, the power is not the same as the PX625 battery and can affect the accuracy of the light meter. If you do not want to deal with finding a battery for the camera meter (who doesn't like adventures?) I recommend getting a camera that uses currently available batteries for the light meter. The Canon A-series and some of the other brands listed, need a battery to operate. Do your research for the correct battery for the camera that you are going to use and buy a spare battery. Some cameras have a power switch, when left on, will drain the battery when the switch is left on. This is just one of the many considerations when using a film camera. It's part of the adventure.

[jordanjoestar]

Have 2 Olympus OM1, 1 Olympus OM2(G) and a 1962 Olympus Auto Eye II.

The Zuiko lenses rival literally anything on the market. Yes, Leica included.

[GONZOFAM]

I shoot the OM-1 and my daughter uses a SRT-102. LOVE them.

[kribomon]

I'm biased and love the Nikon system, reliable, love the meter readout, and plenty of lens choices out there and availability.

I owned the OM1 and it's a beautiful camera, with a very nice viewfinder and deceptively compact, love the shutter sound

[analogshooter]

Best value SLR is for me is almost any Canon EOS analog camera, as i own a lot of EF glass that i still use for digital cameras. Zooms 11-24, 16-35, 24-70, 70-200 and 150-600 mm and 28, 35, 40, 50, 85 and 100mm prime lenses. As long as the camera have manual and aperture mode is's just the light tight box i need for taking pictures with all the glass i allready have. If the camera has good metering and autofocus that's just icing on the cake 😄. There are several good bodys to choose from in the EOS line. I have both EOS 1V and 30V (also known as Elan 7NE).

[garylangley]

I worked in a camera store for a few years, and one camera that I liked was the Ricoh KR series. They have a metal Copal Square shutter like a lot of Nikon cameras. These are very rugged, and I like them as a choice over fabric shutters like Canon and Olympus. The Ricoh uses Pentax K mount lenses of which there seem to be an infinite supply. The KR-5 is about like the Pentax K-1000. These Ricoh cameras are now DIRT CHEAP! I just looked at ebay and saw many KR series cameras for sale, often with a lens or two, for under $60 US. My friend just sold his KR-5 that he bought the early 1980's. He used it when he was a newspaper reporter, and later when he published a journal for a company. It still worked fine when he sold it, and he never had it repaired. Sears cameras of the era were Ricoh cameras that were rebadged for Sears.

[doozledumbler]

I'd recommend some old Contax/Yashica SLRs, only because you get access to the Carl Zeiss lenses. The 139Q has a tiny body, small enough to be pocketable, and has a huge, clear viewfinder. You can get them from about 100-300. Not many are mechanical only though, apart from the S2/S2b, which are too expensive now.

[clarhettcoalfield]

Great segment Hashem on friendly choices for rock solid SLR performers, a key note - typically when getting a starter kit and the accompanying lenses, it be a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and sometimes a 105 or 135mm. Each of the brands you recommended have a great selection with those specific lens choices. I do want to recommend 1 highly overlooked and underrated camera to your bunch, the Minolta XE-7 (north America) or as its known in (Asia and Australia) the XE, and in (Europe) as the XE-1. A real remarkable achievement with a ton of great features, which was sort of a joint venture with Leica, the only issue with the XE-7 to be concerned with is the Prism - in which Minolta used an adhesive to attach the hold down clip. Unfortunately that adhesive over time will degrade the silvering on the prism in that one area, and a visible series of black dots will appear as the bottom end of the prism, which might interfere with your line of sight, it is how ever very easy to repair.

[donovanchin]

Haven’t checked your channel for a while been sidetracked on other things. Great video and congrats on the Urth sponsorship.

[nelsonm.]

I have an Nikon FE2 and a Nikon FE, I bought the FE for a second camera and now I am using almost everytime my FE. I much prefer this camera with its, almost pancake, 50mm kit lens. I also have the Minolta SRT-101 the only bad thing I can say about this camera is the battery, the 1.35 Volt original battery make it tricky in 2022 to get a battery for this camera or a precise reading for the lightmeter and for that I still prefer my Nikon FE.

[beameup]

I got a Pentax SP Spotmatic from Japan Oct. 2024 and it looks brand new. This was also my first SLR in 1969 when it sold as the Honeywell Spotmatic in the U.S.

[GabrielGGabGattringer]

I found a OM-2n back in August at a flea market in Austria. But: it needs to be serviced. There's only 1 online shop in Europe which sells OM-2n light seals for example. But at least I've paid 50% of the price of a serviced OM-2n (~260-300€).