Top Ten 35mm SLRs of 2021
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Wherein I give my thoughts as to the top ten list recently published by Kamerastore: kameratori.fi/top-10-35mm-slr...
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Just a plug for Brian's book on Nikons: excellent resource and a steal at $3 - and yes, I bought my copy, no connection to the author! 👍
Yes, I would’ve wanted to see Minolta on the list. I have several SRT models, as well as the XE-7 which I believe enjoyed a Leica collaboration. I agree about the X series electronics problem. Minolta as a budget option is good as it’s one of the easiest lens systems to adapt to mirrorless.
Video @ 9:12 "I've never owned an Olympus system" - Well Brian, you really ought to get one. - My favorite is the solid OM2n; these are amazing bargains with THE LARGEST prism viewing with a true WOW factor ! - Same for my Pentax favorite bargains; the Pentax ME Super & MX. Again, solid cameras with AMAZING Wow factor viewfinders. Nothing compares to these when it comes to the VIEW (and I own over 200 cameras).👀
Everything you said about Minolta srT series is true. I still have my dad's srT 303b which is still goring strong, without any CLE or any maintenance ever done to it. Back in the day nor my dad nor me liked to use it too much because of lenses, course almost all of them, (older Rokkor models) had quite strong greenish tint, and we both where quite slide film nerds. If you use those cameras with a black & white film, or if you are using Minolta lenses on a digital body where you can correct white balance, you are good to go.
Now with all that being said, this year my daughter had bought me an Olympus OM-1n for my birthday so I could use my OM lens collection, and I couldn't be happier with it, it's a simple yet wonderful little machine...
I have a Nikkormat FT2 that I bought as a college freshman in 1975. Been in storage but well preserved and looks and performs like the day I bought it. Went through one of the large mail order New York camera stores that were advertised in the camera magazines back in the day and paid with a money order.
Thanks Brian and keep ‘em coming in 2022!
Awesome video! Nice to see my cameras made the list.
I just bought your book on - what a great write up. Thank you.
Very useful video. My cameras made the list ( all Nikon ). I am trying to buy your Nikon camera book. Thanks again for all your great efforts. RS. Canada
Your reviews are really great. US citizens are sooooooo lucky, getting this gear so cheap. What you pay $100-200 for I would have to pay out up $500 or more.
If you want to go with Nikon on a strict budget, you cannot beat his recommendation of the Nikkormat, particularly the FT2 and FT3. They are preferred because they use available batteries for the meter. I used an FT2 for years. It still looks fine and works well. As I modified my lens collection for AI mount/metering, it fell out of use. Last year or so, I picked up a minty FT3 (AI metering) with a mint 50mm 2.0 for about $100, just to retro use my newer lenses.
I’m looking $300-400 in my country for one.
I have 4 Nikomats. Superb.
I’ve possessed almost 5 FM2, a FE, a FE2, a FA, a F801s and the only one I kept and still use is the F4 simply the best film camera I’ve ever got, even If The FM2 is the most classy camera ever done. In fact I will certainly buy a FM2/T….
The list should have been top 10 most popular cameras because that’s the list they made.
Great video Brian and so well explain. Nikon F and FM series are the best cameras. Is a shame that Canon cameras are so fragile with exception of the FTb. About the Olympus OM1 in my opinion is the best compact SLR and the viewfinder is massive compare to others. Also would like to mention two cameras, the underrated Nikon N90s and Nikon N8008. I own 4 of this and these cameras are build to last. They are electronics but very reliable with with a very accurate Matrix light meter. People go for the F100 and skip this wonderful two cameras. There plastic surfaces suffer from turning sticky, but that is fix with a rubbing alcohol.
My only autofocus film camera is an F100. I had an F80 years ago and liked it. The 1990s autofocus 35mm SLRs are indeed dirt cheap and very capable.
Yet another informative and entertaining video 👏 keep up the good work. Those of his who got into this hobby recently, appreciate the time and effort expended to give us some insights into the exciting world of old cameras.
As an aside, I will be visiting Tel Aviv next week. Any recommendations ? Any hidden gems in the city I should look for with photography in mind? A film store di should check out?
Thank you in advance.
You can buy film in Tel Aviv at Jugend Photo & Video at 28 Yitzhak Sde and Interphoto at 22 Allenby Street. Interphoto also develops and scans. You can also visit the legendary Yitzhak at 7 Allenby, Israel's most trusted analog camera repairman.
@@BriansPhotoShow Thank you 😀
I completely agree with your recommendations regarding the M42 system, the Canon T70, and the Konica and Minolta systems. I especially agree when you suggest avoiding Minolta's X/XG series. I own an XG1 that died midway as I was testing the first roll, and *three* X-700's all with failed electronics. I had bought an X-700 after hearing many effusive recommendations, and while I do like its ergonomics and advanced features… yeah, I only managed to shoot one full 36-exposure roll with one of the X-700's I've had. On the other hand, my Minolta SRT-101 keeps working 15 years after acquiring it from a guy who told me the camera fell from a moving car while it was in his possession! The Canon T70 is reliable, lightweight, takes a couple of AA batteries that will last you for several rolls, and its results are at times indistinguishable from its bigger sister, the T90 (which I also own and love). Cheers, and a very Happy 2022!
I will say the X700’s capacitors aren’t difficult at all for an electrical novice to replace with solid state caps that will never leak again.
I just recently got my first Konica. It's the Autoreflex that has the halfframe switch. I haven't developed any film from it yet, but from a usability standpoint, it's great. Enjoying it very much and switching between full and halfframe offers a lot of creative opportunities. Plus a roll goes a long way😁
That half frame switch is really a unique feature of that camera. Welcome to the Autoreflex club!
@@BriansPhotoShow thanks! Konica seems to march to the beat of their own drum. I have the 57mm 1.4 for it and just ordered the 35mm f2.8 (closes to f22) last night (wasn't able to find the f2 version). Looking forward to having something slightly wider for the halfframe and 35mm is my favourite focal range as well
I'm with you on M42 and Konica
Additional factors like resale value, spare parts as well as system availability of lenses and accessories are also very important
For these attributes Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Leica are the best I have found
I have the Minolta XG-370 camera and can whole heartedly recommend it. They still operate quite well and the photos with the 50mm MD 1.7 are quite sharp
My Nikkormat was well traveled and used including riding in a pocket in the fairing on my Motorcycle. Grandson now using it as I now have an F and F2.
I also missed Konica and Minolta on the Kamerastore list. They both have some great glass, and can often be found cheap. Newer XG cameras if in good condition at a reasonable price, is not a bad alternative. SRTs are very solid, as you say.
The Nikons are all good cameras, the FE2 is no better than A series Canons though, pretty useless if the electronics fail. This said, I have never had any issues with my A series Canons. It is a common mixup though, that AE-1 and AE-1 program is the same camera, no wonder given the names. The shutter speed dial and iso dial are improved, the program features interchangeable focus screens, but most importantly, the program's viewfinder is excellent, making focusing in low light conditions much more accurate. As far as I know, A series Canons are made of metal, tops and bottoms of plastic with a thin layer of metal on the outside. T series are made of plastic. What should be on the list is of course F-1. EF is also a very solid alternative, and works without a battery. Pentax MX is a better alternative to the often overprised K1000. The MX is as compact as the OM-1 too.
A bit late to the "party" here, but better late than never.
Currently, I'm waiting on the delivery of a Nikon F4, because it covers all my requirements for a cheaper professional 35mm SLR - it actually cost me less than an F3 would have cost. I do also have a Nikomat EL (and love it).
As far as Canon goes, I'm surprised not to see any EOS cameras on the list. The Canon EOS 300v to give an example is a really good starter. It requires batteries, but Canon really had nailed exposure on film when this model came out. For en SLR with automatic film winder, it is a quiet camera, in fact I use it for things like street photography, and no one ever hears it in places like a busy street or a market place. And as a bonus, the EOS SLR range uses Canons EF-mount (Canons AF cameras and lenses) , which also works on Canon DSLR cameras - with an adapter, you can even use it on their mirrorless RF-mount cameras - in a way, it's to Canon, what the F-mount is to Nikon - except it hasn't been around as long as the F-mount.
I do agree with you on the Canon T-70 - it's a cheap way in to FD lenses. It has both aperture priority, shutter priority and manual mode, and it uses AA batteries, so you will never have difficulties finding replacement batteries.
My first SLR cameras were bought at an online auction as one (bargain) lot years ago. The lot was made up of a Minolta XG-M (including a 50mm lens and a zoom lens), a Canon T-70 (including a 28mm lens and a 50mm lens + a zoom lens, that I forget the focal lengths of) and a Canon EOS 300 (including the kit-lens). Nothing very special, though that Minolta XG-M is a beauty.
My Pentax K1000 focus scrren went bad so I bought an FTB based off your recommendation.
In the Nikon section I would have sneaked in the FM. As you know Brian it takes pre-Ai as well as AI, I.5v batteries and is fully mechanical. Probably half the price of a FM2(n) as well.
The K1000 was my first 'real' camera back in the day. Some regard it as overrated but it served me well and never let me down, and I think I only replaced the battery once in eight or nine years of use.
You are of course correct about the FM and I would have mentioned it but I try to keep these videos brief. Regarding the K1000, I don't think it's overrated, just overpriced in today's market.
Brian..you based your video based on kamerastore list. I was looking for your list. I guess that would have been better and honest review for new shooter.
Always enjoy your videos, I recently bought a minolta mc rokkor 58mm 1.2 lens for cheap and was wondering if you have any feedback on this lens?
As always I look forward to your next video. God bless.
I had a Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 years ago. It had the smoothest bokeh of any 50 to 58mm lens I had ever shot. I don't know if the f/1.2 version is based on the same optical formula or not.
@@BriansPhotoShow thanks for your courteous response, God bless
IMO the A-1 gets way too much praise. It has a confusing interface and is prone to failure.
Thanks for taking the time to give your own thoughts in a video and not just a comment [reply] 📷👍
I agree price of Pentax K1000 being too high. But Pentax K-mount system is quite affordable to getting into. It's probably second most affordable system after m42. There are lots of lenses made by different manufacturers beside Pentax. And Pentax lenses aren't too expensive either compared to other Japanese big brands. And then there's cheap but good k-mount slr cameras made by Cosina, Chinon and Ricoh.
Good points. Personally, I prefer M42 over K-mount for a budget system. I just think those old metal clunkers were built a bit better than the plastic bodies which had become common by the late 70s. I also like the option of Soviet and East German optics in addition to the wide variety of Japanese lenses.
This List is the reason why I have a ton of Minolta SRT, X-700 and Maxxum Bodies because people are dumb since they think they are not good cameras and I picked them up either free or very cheap and they shoot just as good as any of the camera on this list! Canon A1 and AE-1 have a lot of electrical shutter problems!
I'm done with the small Nikons I have 2 FM's, 2 FE and a nice FA I recently purchased. Of all these cameras only one FM and a FE are usable. The FA (love matrix metering) lasted two rolls before the shutter died. Most of these cameras I bought three years ago because I wanted the lens that came with it. You could pick up a FM or FE for $50 or less so it made no sense to repair them. I will repair the FA and hope it holds to getter. The small cameras that have held together are my two OM-1's and OM-2S. One of the OM-1's has to be double stroked like an early M3 but still works. The Olympus cameras haven't shot up in price as much as other cameras like Nikon. the only things I don't like about the OM's is having the shutter selector at the back of the lens. Also it's easy to forget you left the meter on and kill the battery. . I'm thinking of getting an F6 just so I can get something newer that Nikon will service and parts are readily available. I'm surprised the Canon A-1 is still so high on the list it's common knowledge that their meters are dying and not repairable.
I have an F2 that i love and two nikkormat FTN cameras (one in black and one in silver) and people do not seem to give them the time of day and they hold up so well against the F2. the truth of the matter is that most people do not need such feature rich cameras for what they do with them when they could spend less on a solid camera with the basics. sold my AE-1 it was a disapointment especialy in terms of build quality to my nikons, nikkormats, pentax and chinon cameras. awesome vid by the way keep up the good work.
I have an FTN which I'm repairing at the moment, and an FT3 which is an absolute joy to use! The meter is weird in that it points down for over exposure, and the speed selection takes some getting used to, but it's a fantastic camera!
@@TheHatMusic I love my FTN they look so nice and I really like the shutter speed on the lens collar I find it much more ergonomic than most shutter speed dials
@@MrRoosterfoot Aye, agreed! My one gripe about the FTN is the ISO selector being so hard to move. It's a moot point on mine as the meter is dead, but if I do ever manage to repair the meter, I think I'll need to do some work on it.
@@TheHatMusic yeah it is a right pain to move I thought it was just on mine until I got my second one and it was the same, I also find my mirror lockup is quite stiff on both cameras easy to put down hard to put up
@@MrRoosterfoot This is where the FT3 wins out for me. The ISO selector is lockable by pulling out a little tab on the edge of the shutter speed selector... lever? lump? Handle... whatever you'd call it, that little frob. With that held out, the ISO selector moves freely.
Though prices for nikon FM2 went up over the years. I still see no better alternative. Compact Mechanical Camera with 1/4000 shutter speed, 1/200 (1/250) flash sync. If I should pick one 35mm film camera it will be still FM2 I guess.
One hidden gem of 35mm cameras is Canon. EOS 33 (Elan 7). Own teo of them and it us despite eletronic. Is reliable compact, with many nice features and acces to EF mount. It is also relatively "new" and they could be found for cheap.
Yes, I agree that the FM2 is close to perfection for a 35mm SLR. As to Canon autofocus, I've never used one, so I'll take your word for it.
I use a K mount Petri gx1 /Cosina CT1a with Rikenon 50mm f2 and a p Rikenon 28mm 2.8. Great results. Small, light and takes Lr44 batteries.
Top ten is nothing more than the top ten sales from their website. I want a top ten with comparison and why they made it on the list
M42 gear is solid but what a pain changing lenses! I guess that's why they are so cheap.
Pentax LX?
That's the most sophisticated SLR ever made in Pentax K mount. It's difficult to find one in good condition today.
Mentioned on the list is the FE2 and the FM2, but not the FA. That's understandable as they were never as popular as the other two. But really, the FA is what the FE2 was supposed to be... Why I like the FA is that it's not a big deal to adapt it to use G series lenses. When you see some nice chrome exposed with this combination you'll think you had died and gone to heaven.
I noticed you mentioned the Canon T70 but didn't mention the infinately better T90. It's one of the cameras I had in the 90's that I wish I hadn't sold.
T90s are rare and expensive. T70s are common and cheap.
I like this list, because it means that some of my favorite 35mm SLR cameras will probably stay affordable (hint: dive deeper in Canons, Nikons and Pentaxs product line of the 1980s). Lots of overrated hipster and photography student cameras on this list, but to each his own of course. The only camera of this list which I would recommend is the Nikon F3, but it's not cheap anymore, for good reasons.
Good video as always, unfortunately, wrong. People buy lenses, not cameras. Reason why Nikon (especially Nikon), Canon and Pentax are on top is their line of lenses which is with or without adapter can be used with digital cameras.
M42 lens sell like crazy (especially Takumar 50), which leaves a lot of bodies without a lens.
Minolta X series even worse, their lens can be used with Sony cameras without any adapters, and bodies go directly into a trash bin.
If people buy K1000, AE1, F/FMs is only because it's easier to resell them later. Sad truth.
What? No Miranda? Lol
Yeah, and no Topcon either. Go figure, right?
@@BriansPhotoShow "no Topcon either" - Gosh Brian, I hope you're just kidding (Yes, Miranda's are poor at best). The Topcon Super RE & Super D are superb ! - Even the US Navy chose them. Plus, I as a camera technician choose it as the finest & SMOOTHEST film transport of ALL time ! - Google "Topcon is King !" 👀
the x-700 is awesome, but those minolta lenses, are just horrible and disgusting