Those cheap film cameras are so much fun! I once managed to buy a hardly used Cosina CT-1A with a 50mm f2 lens for just €5. One of my most used shooters now. I think you are giving a great message here Kenneth!
I agree Kenneth. The Canon EOS 300 is another good example. I picked one up for £30 (UKP) but that was with an extra £10 donation to the charity selling it. It has reliable autofocus (only 7 AF points, but how many do you need?). It’ll accept any Canon EF lens and it has manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and program mode along with a selection of modes dedicated to landscape, portraiture and a few more. As for build quality - well, it’s not even good quality plastic, but it’s light and it works. Put a little standard zoom on it it (28-80mm) and it’s perfectly usable and what else do you need a camera to do?. If you’re prepared to use something that’s lower build quality and not ‘hip’ there are great bargains out there.
Just a month ago I bought a Nikon F5 at a pawn shop. The guy behind the counter blurted out "...that's not digital...!" when I asked about it. No telling how many people recoiled from that camera with that 'warning'. I told the guy, "...yep, not digital...but the best 35mm film camera you could buy...is the price negotiable?" Some would argue about being the best, but that camera came home with me - and it had what turns out to be a pretty darn nice lens attached. A Nikkor 70-210 f4 that I wouldn't ever bought back in the day. But the camera, and the lens, are awesome. Just as awesome as they were in 1995. By the way, tried a roll of Ultrafine Finesse 100 through that F5. Came away with the best picture of my son in law ever. And his two pups. Well done on the $10 Nikon. Looking forward to seeing the output. Cheers!
I too have a Photo Story - The other day Ito a online camera store as I was looking for Used Nikkor Lenses, and went and bought 2 Nikon Nikkor lenses, a AF 35mm~105mm Nikkor, and a 35mm~105mm Nikkor AI-S lens. As I paid $30.00 for Each lens, One for my Digital Nikon & Fuji, and the other to my Film Nikon as the camera store rated at the conditions of the lens as I bought them at the FAIR Condition. as it said that might have Slight HAZE, So when I got them last Monday I looked through the optics with a LED flashlight, as both lens DID not Have No HAZE they were both clean and clear As I place them both on the Digital Nikon, and look through the LCD screen, and then view the shot on my MAC, as the both lenses PASS the sharpness, and clarity test as the colors were still vibrant. So Not bad in buying these lenses for $60.00 total, as I looked again at the web site that they had the same lenses but in the Mint or Excellent Category as they were much higher in what I paid - I was just lucky. Thank You Ken
Amazing that film cameras are still a thing. Think of all the "full frame" cameras you can get on the cheap. Just add film! I still have Olympus bodies OM-2n, 2S, 4T. The OM-3 mechanical commands a high price on ebay. I tried shooting film but just don't have the patience.
Great find. A man after my own heart!!!. I love working a deal. It is soooo much fun! I recently bought a Yashica Electro TL SLR for $7.50 at a thrift store. It was near mint but was missing the battery cover. However, it had a F1.4 50mm. I took it to the local Camera store and traded for 135mm Schneider enlarging lens for my 4x5 enlarger, which they had listed for $89. The camera store listed the Yashica lens only for the same price as the enlarging lens. I am sure they sold the camera body separately for a good amount. We all walked away happy!
Can't go wrong with a F80/N80. I've been shooting with them as a great all-around hiking/travelling camera. One thing - the plastic hooks/latches on the door are prone to break (just like the F100). Best way to try to prevent this is to hold the unlock latch open when you shut it, then once shut let go of the latch (not unlike holding open the release button when putting a back on a V-Series Hasselblad). Have fun with it!
@Jeremy Mudd I have both an F100 and a small handful of F80s. I reckon that you have to make sure the door latch is opened all the way so it locks in the open position, then shut the back gently, which releases the latch. If you look closely you'll see a shoulder just above the lower hook on the door. This presses against a release when you close the door. I have one F80 with broken latches (I bought it knowing that, with the intention of using it for spares.) One of my unstarted projects is fabricate replacement hooks from 2 mm aluminium (you can tell from the spelling that I'm not USAian! 🙂). It'll be interesting to see if it works. Edit: I should have said that I agree that the F80 is a great little camera. Mostly paired with a 50 mm f/1.8 D, I get some good images.
@@veivoli Well, yes and no. The latch does indeed lock "open", but the plastic door lock hook shoulder still has to push against the catch to cause the system to close. This is added stress to the (probably) brittle plastic hooks. Holding it more "open" like I stated before helps. If you look inside while you hold the latch all the way hope you can see this move out of the way. I hope that makes sense. Thanks.
It's funny how big a difference geography makes. In Denmark an F80 is gonna cost around $60 - $100. I have an F50 myself, that I got as part of a camera / lens lot a while ago. It's my smallest, lightest Nikon SLR, but the sounds of the film advance in particular is no joy. If I wanna go with a small and light SLR with automatic film advance, I pick up one of my Canon Rebels every time. It's about the same price range (at least the first one I got years ago was), the same size, even lighter, I have a 40mm pancake lens making it the smallest kit in my bag and it sounds so much better (almost silent in comparison), than the Nikon F50. But, I will put a test roll through the Nikon F50 some day - probably when out shooting landscapes, where the noise of the camera doesn't matter.
It’s a great camera. Full stop. For AF lenses this is just about the best. Even give F6 a run, in pure abundance and fun factor. Get two. One for colour and one for black and white. Or five. Why not‽ The F100 is heavier, probably has more reliability issues and uses more batteries. The features offered by the F100 is something people today don’t use with AF lenses. Super fast snap focus is unnecessary, when merely fast is plenty good. Even the low light focusing ability is easily mitigated with a flash with IR pilot light. The rust, the aqua line shapes and especially the matte plastic silver colour is like skunk to most people today. I personally prefer them in black. The rust you can loosen with a few dabs of vinegar on a cotten swap. Don’t let it wick into the body though.
The value is in Nikon glass. I have a Nikon EM I bought for £5. I have a F75. All works with all my af Nikon lenses. Lightweight and plastic. It's OK. The pain is the film winds out and counts down so all the numbering is wrong. Oh and the cost of batteries.
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Those cheap film cameras are so much fun! I once managed to buy a hardly used Cosina CT-1A with a 50mm f2 lens for just €5. One of my most used shooters now. I think you are giving a great message here Kenneth!
I agree Kenneth. The Canon EOS 300 is another good example. I picked one up for £30 (UKP) but that was with an extra £10 donation to the charity selling it. It has reliable autofocus (only 7 AF points, but how many do you need?). It’ll accept any Canon EF lens and it has manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and program mode along with a selection of modes dedicated to landscape, portraiture and a few more. As for build quality - well, it’s not even good quality plastic, but it’s light and it works. Put a little standard zoom on it it (28-80mm) and it’s perfectly usable and what else do you need a camera to do?. If you’re prepared to use something that’s lower build quality and not ‘hip’ there are great bargains out there.
Nice story. I continue to enjoy your posts. Thanks
Just a month ago I bought a Nikon F5 at a pawn shop. The guy behind the counter blurted out "...that's not digital...!" when I asked about it. No telling how many people recoiled from that camera with that 'warning'. I told the guy, "...yep, not digital...but the best 35mm film camera you could buy...is the price negotiable?" Some would argue about being the best, but that camera came home with me - and it had what turns out to be a pretty darn nice lens attached. A Nikkor 70-210 f4 that I wouldn't ever bought back in the day. But the camera, and the lens, are awesome. Just as awesome as they were in 1995. By the way, tried a roll of Ultrafine Finesse 100 through that F5. Came away with the best picture of my son in law ever. And his two pups. Well done on the $10 Nikon. Looking forward to seeing the output. Cheers!
Great camera. You got to know more than the dealer though!
I bought a little Olympus OM20 for $20 with 50mm F1.8 at yard sale. All of it in darn new condition. I have shot maybe 5 rolls through it and love it.
I too have a Photo Story - The other day Ito a online camera store as I was looking for Used Nikkor Lenses, and went and bought 2 Nikon Nikkor lenses, a AF 35mm~105mm Nikkor, and a 35mm~105mm Nikkor AI-S lens. As I paid $30.00 for Each lens, One for my Digital Nikon & Fuji, and the other to my Film Nikon as the camera store rated at the conditions of the lens as I bought them at the FAIR Condition. as it said that might have Slight HAZE, So when I got them last Monday I looked through the optics with a LED flashlight, as both lens DID not Have No HAZE they were both clean and clear As I place them both on the Digital Nikon, and look through the LCD screen, and then view the shot on my MAC, as the both lenses PASS the sharpness, and clarity test as the colors were still vibrant. So Not bad in buying these lenses for $60.00 total, as I looked again at the web site that they had the same lenses but in the Mint or Excellent Category as they were much higher in what I paid - I was just lucky. Thank You Ken
Amazing that film cameras are still a thing. Think of all the "full frame" cameras you can get on the cheap. Just add film! I still have Olympus bodies OM-2n, 2S, 4T. The OM-3 mechanical commands a high price on ebay. I tried shooting film but just don't have the patience.
Great find. A man after my own heart!!!. I love working a deal. It is soooo much fun! I recently bought a Yashica Electro TL SLR for $7.50 at a thrift store. It was near mint but was missing the battery cover. However, it had a F1.4 50mm. I took it to the local Camera store and traded for 135mm Schneider enlarging lens for my 4x5 enlarger, which they had listed for $89. The camera store listed the Yashica lens only for the same price as the enlarging lens. I am sure they sold the camera body separately for a good amount. We all walked away happy!
That is so cool. Great find! It really shows that it is in fact easy to pick up a good little film camera on the cheap! Congrats!
I got a Praktica MTL3 FOR £8 and a Praktica BC1 with a prinz flash for £10
Both came with lenses
Post vintage slrs are often cheap, and a great alternative to the pricey point and shoots from the same period.
Can't go wrong with a F80/N80. I've been shooting with them as a great all-around hiking/travelling camera. One thing - the plastic hooks/latches on the door are prone to break (just like the F100). Best way to try to prevent this is to hold the unlock latch open when you shut it, then once shut let go of the latch (not unlike holding open the release button when putting a back on a V-Series Hasselblad). Have fun with it!
@Jeremy Mudd I have both an F100 and a small handful of F80s. I reckon that you have to make sure the door latch is opened all the way so it locks in the open position, then shut the back gently, which releases the latch. If you look closely you'll see a shoulder just above the lower hook on the door. This presses against a release when you close the door.
I have one F80 with broken latches (I bought it knowing that, with the intention of using it for spares.) One of my unstarted projects is fabricate replacement hooks from 2 mm aluminium (you can tell from the spelling that I'm not USAian! 🙂). It'll be interesting to see if it works.
Edit: I should have said that I agree that the F80 is a great little camera. Mostly paired with a 50 mm f/1.8 D, I get some good images.
@@veivoli Well, yes and no. The latch does indeed lock "open", but the plastic door lock hook shoulder still has to push against the catch to cause the system to close. This is added stress to the (probably) brittle plastic hooks. Holding it more "open" like I stated before helps. If you look inside while you hold the latch all the way hope you can see this move out of the way. I hope that makes sense. Thanks.
It's funny how big a difference geography makes.
In Denmark an F80 is gonna cost around $60 - $100.
I have an F50 myself, that I got as part of a camera / lens lot a while ago. It's my smallest, lightest Nikon SLR, but the sounds of the film advance in particular is no joy.
If I wanna go with a small and light SLR with automatic film advance, I pick up one of my Canon Rebels every time. It's about the same price range (at least the first one I got years ago was), the same size, even lighter, I have a 40mm pancake lens making it the smallest kit in my bag and it sounds so much better (almost silent in comparison), than the Nikon F50.
But, I will put a test roll through the Nikon F50 some day - probably when out shooting landscapes, where the noise of the camera doesn't matter.
My Nikon journey began in 2001 with an N80, just before the DSLR revolution got going.
Nikkor 24mm F2.8 ...Good choice
It’s a great camera.
Full stop.
For AF lenses this is just about the best.
Even give F6 a run, in pure abundance and fun factor.
Get two. One for colour and one for black and white. Or five. Why not‽
The F100 is heavier, probably has more reliability issues and uses more batteries.
The features offered by the F100 is something people today don’t use with AF lenses.
Super fast snap focus is unnecessary, when merely fast is plenty good.
Even the low light focusing ability is easily mitigated with a flash with IR pilot light.
The rust, the aqua line shapes and especially the matte plastic silver colour is like skunk to most people today.
I personally prefer them in black.
The rust you can loosen with a few dabs of vinegar on a cotten swap. Don’t let it wick into the body though.
The value is in Nikon glass. I have a Nikon EM I bought for £5.
I have a F75. All works with all my af Nikon lenses. Lightweight and plastic. It's OK.
The pain is the film winds out and counts down so all the numbering is wrong. Oh and the cost of batteries.
It's definitely a fun find ... I love under $50 cameras, there are millions out there ... I just can't buy them all!!!
Show us some photos. Did I miss something?