200 Photographers Shared The Best Motion picture Cameras for Beginners: Hither's the Results

Almost daily I get a message on my Instagram from someone interested in ownership their first motion-picture show photographic camera, and asking me what is the best film photographic camera for a beginner? Information technology's an important question and ane can oftentimes become overwhelmed with the flurry of responses posting in an avid moving picture photography forum or facebook group. I take my own opinions to the question, but I decided to scrub the analog forums and assemble some actual information near the best film camera for beginners so you don't take to.

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"Nigh want to know the actual best camera specifically, but thats like asking someone - what is the best watch? "

Keep in heed this is not a list compiled by an intern for a pop culture website the morn after a sure glory revealed their Contax T2 on a late night talk show. I loaded upwards a fresh spreadsheet, hit the forums, and documented over 300 photographic camera mentions from 200 unlike photographers who answered the question - What is the best film camera for beginners? There are several means to wait at the data nigh the all-time film cameras for beginners, nearly want to know the actual all-time camera specifically, but thats like asking someone - what is the best watch?

"Okay.. well you want to tell time, but anything else? Practise you desire one large or modest? Mechanical or Quartz? Do you care about the make, want to see the engagement, moon stage, or simply simply tell the fourth dimension?" You come across it's not and then uncomplicated. Well if you really insist.. my data shows these are the best film cameras for beginners:

  1. Pentax K1000

  2. Olympus OM-1

  3. Nikon FM2

  4. Canon AE-one Program

  5. Minolta SR-T 101

  6. Minolta X-700

  7. Nikon F3

  8. Nikon F2

  9. Nikon FM

  10. Olympus OM-x

  11. Canon AE-1

  12. Catechism A-i

Stay with me, as I said in that location are a few ways to look at the information. Considering in that location are over 25,000 different movie cameras to cull from, I call back it's all-time to take a step dorsum and expect at the cumulative reputation of a photographic camera series. So below y'all volition find the best pic cameras for beginners ranked past cameras series, led past the almost pop model among that serial.

Best Film Cameras for Beginners
Ranked By Series

Nikon FM2

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& Nikon FM, Nikon FE, Nikon FE2

the Nikon FM/FE Series

The near commonly recommended best picture camera for beginners within the most recommended photographic camera series was the Nikon FM2. Additionally the Nikon FM, Atomic number 26, & FE2 cameras were highly recommended making the Nikon FM/Iron series the nearly suggested film cameras for beginners. When the data showed the the Nikon FM2 highly ranked for beginners I was a bit surprised. What surprised me was that I know this camera every bit an first-class camera for professionals. Both are true indeed, the Nikon FM2 was built to terminal, and with one of the longest production runs in camera history (19 Years) there are plenty of them out there to buy. Side note, think about that for a minute, a xix year product run, that'southward how relevant and capable this camera was. It would be the equivalent of Apple non releasing the iPhone 2 until 2026, or the iPhone X being produced until 2036.

The Nikon FM2 is around the second most expensive camera on this list, I call back the FM2 being one of the most mentioned best film camera for beginners spawns from the thought that it's capable of not only being your first camera, but also your last. A truthful piece of work of fine art that will last a lifetime. I one time heard a story near a guy riding solo on a motorbike trip through Europe, one day his wheel broke downwardly and he used his Nikon FM2 every bit a hammer and smacked something back into place that needed a adept smacking. He rode onward with a working bike and a working photographic camera.

My Recommendation:

My personal recommendation betwixt these cameras is the Nikon FM. With the all-mechanical shutter of the Nikon FM your photographic camera will always work even if your batteries [for the meter] do not. The FM2 is a little better a camera with some significant upgrades such as a 1/4000th of a 2d pinnacle shutter speed, merely you don't demand this, particularly if yous are a beginner. Stick to the Nikon FM for one-half the price.

Olympus OM-ane

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& Olympus OM-ii, Olympus OM-10

The Olympus OM Serial

Tied for first identify with Nikon was the Olympus OM Series, with the Olympus OM-one being the model mentioned the well-nigh as the best film photographic camera for beginners. The Olympus OM-ane was touted as compact and lightweight upon its release in 1972, a fourth dimension when heavy and bulky SLRs were standard. Mr. Yoshihisa Maitani led the pattern team for the OM-ane and he took big inspiration form the Leica Yard series of rangefinders. In fact with a minor lens on the Olympus OM-1 the size is comparable to a Leica M3 setup, a true innovation in meaty SLR pattern. Today the OM-i remains 1 of the smallest SLR cameras always made, similar in size to the Pentax MV and Nikon EM.

The OM-ane has a built-in meter operated by batteries to tell you lot what settings are required for proper exposure. The mechanics of the photographic camera themselves are mechanical meaning it will operate at all shutter speeds without a bombardment. One thing Olympus is known for is its large selection of lenses and their compactness. The OM 100mm f2.8 is the smallest SLR 100mm lens that I have always seen. Buy this camera with an OM Thousand.ZUIKO 50mm f1.8 and a ringlet of film and you are set to start shooting. This will be a capable setup for years.

My Recommendation:

I agree with the recommendation of the Olympus OM-1 but if you lot desire to outset shooting with more assistance, get for the OM-two which has automatic shutter speed (if you set it), so you just cull the discontinuity, focus, and shoot. And if yous can't afford around 100+ USD get for the Olympus OM-x, it'south a cheaper model at virtually half the cost and will still requite you great results of course.

Catechism AE-1 Program

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& Canon AE-1, Catechism A-1, Canon AT-ane

The Canon A Series

The Canon AE-1 Programme is one of the most well known film camera models of all fourth dimension. It received the most mentions of all-time film cameras for beginners within the highly suggested Canon A serial. Other cameras making the list were its predecessor the Canon AE-i, and the Canon A-one and Canon AT-1, all highly capable and affordable for your first picture show camera purchase. The highlight feature of the Catechism AE-i Programme was the "program". Program mode enabled full exposure automation, merely focus and shoot. The aperture and shutter speed are chosen automatically, which was a huge leap forrard in camera applied science at the time.

My Recommendation:

Personally I similar the looks at the Canon AT-one. And the lack of any automated features makes it a good manner to dive into photography and forcefulness yourself to acquire the basic principles of exposure. If yous desire 1 of these Canons every bit your kickoff camera and aren't set to go caput first, attempt the automation of the AE-1 Plan, or the fifty-fifty more automated Canon A-1.

Nikon F3

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& Nikon F2, Nikon F

The Nikon F Camera Series

True Nikon analog fans will drool at the sight of your Nikon F3! It is another wonderful pic photographic camera that will concluding a lifetime should yous not drop information technology off any cliffs. I'm surprised information technology was mentioned every bit often as it was with an average cost of over 200 USD. Then once more some offset-timers are dropping big bucks for premium compact cult cameras like the Contax T2 at over 700 USD. Also highly recommended in this series was the Nikon F and Nikon F2. Nikon has ane of the largest selection of transmission focus lenses among whatever make and information technology will be easy for yous to find the lens yous desire at a decent price as you refine your skills.

My Recommendation:

I propose the Nikon F, information technology has a design language akin to the Nikon South rangefinder line and I notice the interchangeable finders a nice feature. The finder without a flash mount on top is particularly attractive!

Pentax K1000

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The Pentax K1000 was the single virtually mentioned model for the best film cameras for beginners, suggested by about 1 in x photographers. 1 in x doesn't audio like much, but keep in listen people could have suggested whatever camera model from over 25,000 unlike options and 10% of them said the aforementioned thing. The reason it's fifth on the list is because I ranked these past photographic camera series or model family. The Pentax K1000 was the only model mentioned from its series and compared to the cumulative mentions of other camera series, this came 5th. Again all of these are amid the best film cameras for beginners, whatever one on the listing tin can work for you.

My recommendation:

At that place are many other cameras that offer the same benefits of the Pentax K1000 for a little less or fifty-fifty one-half the price. Likewise the Pentax K1000 is among the largest cameras on this list if size means anything to you lot. I observe the Pentax MX much more attractive. I wouldn't suggest paying the popularity-revenue enhancement on the K1000. Pick some other one from the list. Of course if you detect a good deal or are gifted one of these, take information technology, information technology volition be an splendid photographic camera for your first.

Minolta X-700

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& Minolta Ten-300, Minolta 10-500

The Minolta X Series

Truthfully the budget Minolta Ten series of cameras is the only series on this listing that I practice not take any personal experience with, I've just used the summit-of-the-line Minolta XD-11. In doing research for this article information technology was very credible that in that location are a lot Minolta X fans out at that place and for good reason. With the selection of full exposure automation in a good looking camera for 30 to 100 USD (ofttimes with a lens), you can't go wrong with this equally your beginning time purchase. The nearly mentioned in this series was the Minolta X-700, followed by the Minolta X-300 and Minolta X-500. Another benefit of Minolta information technology that of has i of the most affordable pancake lenses, the Rokkor-X 45mm f/ii. Pancake lenses for SLRs are typically 40 or 45mm at f/ii.8, and this one has a slight advantage at f/2. You could buy x or twenty of the Minolta Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 pancakes lenses for the same price as one Olympus OM 40mm f/ii pancake. If you want a small kit that allows y'all to acquire the basics or shoot automatically and at an affordable price the Minolta X line is a good pick.

My Recommendation:

Any of these will do, though the Minolta X-700 seems to be the well-nigh available.

Minolta SR-T 101

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The Minolta SR-T Series

The Minolta SR-T 101 was first produced in 1966 and continued for a decade with slight variations. It'southward one of those cameras you could call a tank, a fleck brutalist in design and built-to-terminal. The Minolta SR-T 101 has everything you demand to expose a picture and not much else. The body has a congenital-in meter and shutter speed selector at its forefront, with a subtle cocky timer and depth of field preview button. There were diverse mentions beyond the SR-T line with the SR-T 101 beingness the most common. This is one of those cameras that you are probable to find at any flea market or grandmas cranium, and it has got that truthful retro-look if that'southward what you're later on.

My Recommendation:

It's a fiddling big for my gustatory modality! I prefer the pattern and size of SLR cameras first introduced between 1972 and 1980. But if you similar it, the manual controls are great for a beginner ready to learn.

Pentax MX

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& Pentax ME

The Pentax Grand Series

Last on the list is Pentax. Pentax brand cameras were really the second most mentioned make by over 200 photographers in suggesting the best motion-picture show cameras for beginners. The mentions of Pentax series cameras ranged widely between the Pentax M, K, P, and Spotmatic series, putting the spread of statistics all throughout the brand, with Pentax 1000 serial making the bottom of the list still nonetheless in the top 6. This means that in general Pentax is a neat make of film cameras for beginners.

I was happy to see the Pentax MX on the list as it is one of my favorite SLRs of all fourth dimension, right behind the Pentax LX at my most favored. The Pentax MX is the smallest camera on this list and is among the average price of around 100 USD. Information technology has some nice features that are not oftentimes establish on affordable cameras such as a depth of field preview button and shutter lock. Second most mentioned of the M line was the Pentax ME, a very similar photographic camera with an Discontinuity Priority only mode. The Pentax MX is fully mechanical minus the expected battery-powered meter, and can be shot in nearly any temperate and operate on all speeds without any batteries.

The meter inside is specially useful every bit it tin can exist used in the night. It has a set of 5 LEDs vertically aligned with three colors. A unmarried centered green calorie-free for perfect exposure, two yellow lights for one stop nether or ane stop over exposed, and 2 ruby-red lights for 2 or more than stops over or under exposed. Many cameras such every bit cameras from the 1970s and earlier operate on a match needle type exposure which can unremarkably not exist seen in the dark - making it unfortunately useless in while shooting in those conditions.

My recommendation:

If you're serious about learning the fundamentals of photography become the all-manual Pentax MX (much ameliorate than the K1000 in my opinion), if y'all want a camera with some automation get for the Pentax ME.

Gear up to Buy Your First Film Camera?

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Honorable Mentions:

  • Canon FTb

  • Yashica FX-3 Super

  • Nikon Nikkormat FT

  • Pentax Spotmatic

  • Nikon F100

  • Canon AT-1

  • Nikon FG

  • Pentax P30

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If you are an experienced picture show photographer and here out of curiosity, please comment below with any advice for those beginners beginner film photographers reading this article.