My daughter signed up for a film photography class at her high school. The first day of class we found out?

Question

that she needs to have a camera with a manual-adjust lens (not auto focus). Those puppies are expensive! We don't have the $ to buy one and we don't know anyone from whom we can borrow one. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer 1

Those puppies are not that expensive. You can get a good 35mm SLR, with lens, for about $125-150 from a variety of sources. You can get an OM1 or OM2, Canon A-1, AE-1, AE-1 program, Pentax K1000, or any of a variety of others for a reasonable price and they are built better than the $1000 digitals that are coming out today. I use the OM models, both of them, and I have had one for 25 years and the others for 30, so they last.

I would suggest that you call www.keh.com on monday and talk to one of the salesmen there. If you are financially distressed, just ask for the biggest bang for the buck in the other cameras like Ricoh (very good), Yashica (very good).

KEH has an enormous selection, it is the largest used camera store in the country. It is in the Atlanta area and if you ask for quick shipment, you will get it. They rate their equipment conservatively, so even if the camera says "bargain," it works well but might not be cosmetically looking brand new.

if you go in the web with that web site, get into the 35mm cameras and look at Canon, Olympus, and the other brands and see what they have.

If you can get a straight 50mm lens, you will be OK.

Your teacher will understand that all students cannot afford the newest camera and to tell the truth, the newer 35mm slrs are junk compared to the tanks that were made in the 80s and before.

New stuff:
I have recently gotten the new catalog from KEH and a good deal can be had. I would suggest that buy the OM1 Olympus Camera for $133. I have three of these and they are incredible. They are bit smaller than other SLRs of the era making it easier for a small handed girl to handle. They are TANKS. The originally came out in 1967 and people are still hunting for them now. With that, I would get the Tokina 28-85 mm lens, f 3.5-4.5. I would normally recommend Olympus lenses, but they run much more expensive and KEH does not have one that would have the range that this one has. The Tokina is only $79. Both the camera mentioned and the lens are shown in Excellent condition which in KEH terms means almost new, but with a scratch or two that will not do anything to the operation of the camera and the lens.

The quality of the lens is that it will allow your daughter to take pictures of landscapes with the 35mm part of the zoom, go into the 50mm part and there you get basically what the eye will see. The 85mm part of it makes it useful for portraits, so it is a very versatile lens. It also has Macro capacity which means that if you want to sneak up on a flower or a bug, you can do it and get good results.

The camera comes with a "shoe" which probably does not mean much to you. The shoe is where you would attach the flash, if you need one, and this camera does nto indicate that the shoe is "cracked." Most Olympus flash shoes are cracked, not out of abuse, but because the plastic is probably too hard. If the shoe is not cracked, that would indicate to me that the camera saw little use, or if it saw some use, it would have been in the hands of an careful photographer.

The camera has a light meter that is very good and easy to use. It requires a battery, but they are commonly available and last a long time.

I have used Olympus for 40 years and if she likes photography, she can live with this camera for some time. If you keep it, from time to time take it into service to check the shutter speeds and get the foam on the back replaced. I take mine in every 3-4 years and a total clean up today cost $125, but you can't buy a new camera for that. Your camera will come in good operating condition.

Do I work for KEH? No, and I never have. I do, however, buy a lot of stuff from them and have never been dissatisfied. A corresponding Canon A1, an excellent camera also, would sell for $145 or so and a corresponding lens from Canon would be $349 in the Canon brand and they don't seem to have an aftermarket lens that I would buy.

If that is too much, they have a Dakota, a private brand of Ritz and Wolf photo, for $49 in excellent condition, but the aftermarket lenses don't appeal to me. That takes a Pentax K mount lens and they are very common.

All three brands are excellent. I personally like the optics on the Olympus and Pentax, but that is a personal preference.

Sometime you can find cameras at garage sales, and I do that, but I have never bought one that was in a condition to use, they all needed the $125 service, even though I bought the camera for $30 or so. Her teacher would accept that camera, or a Pentax K1000 and they have several of those at different prices.

Answer 2

look in second hand camera shops. I use a second hand Canon T70 and it's mostly manual - the light and shutter speed can be set to auto or manual but the focus is manual only. Of course it's old fashionned film and not digital. When I bought it some 20 years back it cost me the equivalent of 400 US$ for the camera body and 35 - 70 mm adjustable lens. Best camera in the world- or at least it works for me.

bear in mind I'm in Poland, so the prices may be way off. but with more people going digital there should be plenty of good film cameras on the second hand market

Answer 3

Well, to disagree with one persons answer, it is definately not illegal for a public school to require the parents or student to pay for something required by classes. Obviously they have never heard of lab fees, equipment fees, and books that need to be purchased. Now, in some states this may be different, however; most every state I have lived and/or worked in, it is not.

Now to the camera issue. There is typically a list that a student is geven as to the requirements for the course that students are given when they sign up for classes, so chances are your daughter knew about it before hand. I personally would make her drop the course because she tried to pull a fast one on you.

Now, if you decide to let her keep taking the course, you can always ask the instructor if he/she knows of any good second hand stores that sell the camera type that she needs. This would be the best route to go, since if you buy one on EBay or a similar auction site, you run the risk of it not working properly when you get it.

Go to a reputable camera or second hand store, and possibly even pawn shops, and you will probably be able to find what you are looking for at a fraction of the cost. The other option would be to coddle to her more, get a credit card to buy the camera and go into debt for a class that she wanted to take for fun.

Answer 4

Go to Samys or any similar camera specialty store, they have a second hand section usually.

She could start off with a Pentax Honeywell Asahi manual 35mm for about $150 that has all the things she'll require to learn when using a camera.

Digital cameras of the range such as a Pentax K100D would be excellent for her to use they're usually around $500 and it is digital.

There could be a student discount in there, you'll have to ask the camera store.

Set some chores for her around the house, or see whether she can get a job at McDonalds to cover the expense.

The Camera store guys, certainly at my source will be glad to help out.

Answer 5

Try www.samys.com they have good prices and info on their equipment.

You can also try a pawn shop. They'll have old manual film cameras and lenses. She'll only need a 28-75mm zoom lens or at least a fixed 50mm.
Just make sure the mirror inside the camera body isn't scratched, and test to make sure the camera works and the film advance arm works too. Make sure the lens glass isn't scratched on front and back. Go to a camera store to buy a Sky filter. It will keep the lens from getting scratched when she shoots with it.

Answer 6

Besides Ebay, I'd suggest posting on your local Craigslist, or asking friends and family. Many photographers have well-cared-for older cameras sitting at home because they've upgraded. You can post a 'wanted' ad on Craigslist, or ask parents of your daughter's high school friends.

I know that I've got more than a few film SLRs lying around the house and have passed a couple along to my daughters and friends.

It doesn't hurt to ask around.

I hope this is helpful for you.

Answer 7

KEH Camera Brokers. I have had good response from them, everything I've bought has been exactly as advertised.

http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx

You can get a Nikon FA for arround $130.00 and a 50mm f/1.8 Series E lens for around $60.00.

Answer 8

Did you ask the instructor if there is one you can borrow for the class?

Answer 9

That happened to my sister. She bought a used one on Ebay.

Answer 10

Join your local freecycle group and see if anyone is willing to give one away (freecycle.org) check on craigslist and eBay as well.