kindnesssucks asked: what film cameras do you recommend for beginners into film cameras?
I literally get this question EVERY DAY at the camera store I teach at and my answer never changes:
35mm-
1. Pentax K100 (the thing is a TANK!!! Completely idiot-proof and 100% analogue)
2. Nikon FE (Nikon’s “F” mount hasn’t changed since the original Nikon F so if you have a Nikon digital camera, you can use your film lenses on your digital camera. Leica, to my knowledge, is the only other company that can say this for their 35mm/digital cameras)
3. Nikon F3 (Really, it’s just a joy to shoot- once you pick it up, you’ll be hooked)
4. Canon A-1 / AE-1 (My first and still one of my favorite cameras. Even if you’re completely new to cameras, it’s controls feel familiar and simple)
Medium Format-
1. Yashica-mat (The “poor man’s Rollei” with a remarkably sharp lens- a great intro into 6x6 photography)
2. Rolleiflex 3.5 (It’s a Rollei! Small and bulletproof. If you haven’t heard of Vivian Maier, Google her and you’ll see why I recommend this or any Rollei to my students. Hell, I love the Rollei so much that I have THREE of em!)
