I currently own a Nikon F3HP and FM3a that I've yet to put up on Ebay. I was going to but got a job offer out of state, moved, and haven't had time to set up the Ebay ad. If any are interested, just PM me.
Vintage Film Cameras
- Thread starter TimmyBoston
- Start date
I really don't know a darn thing about this stuff. But I am mighty fond of my Canon AE-1P.
-Mo
-Mo
And for good reason, it's one of the great ones.
Have a Pentax k1000 and an old Mamiya but love black and white and my go to is my old Graflex press with a 2.25x3.25 back for 120 rollfilm. Just cant get into the digital medium even though I was a desk top publisher and design graphics guy for over 20 years........something just fun about film!
My father-in-law is an avid camera collector. His home office looks like a camera and film museum.
I love the feel and sound of a film camera. I have an old Minolta X-700 that takes great pictures but most of my camera gear was stolen years ago so I don't use it much anymore. I also have an Exacta that must have been built in the late forties or 1950-51. Talk about a well made German tank. I don't know much about it but you can push a little button and little metal flaps pop up so you can peer down into the viewfinder. Cool.
I love the feel and sound of a film camera. I have an old Minolta X-700 that takes great pictures but most of my camera gear was stolen years ago so I don't use it much anymore. I also have an Exacta that must have been built in the late forties or 1950-51. Talk about a well made German tank. I don't know much about it but you can push a little button and little metal flaps pop up so you can peer down into the viewfinder. Cool.
I don't recommend this as a starter, but man, they're beautiful!
This one is from 1946-'47:
This one is from 1946-'47:
Gosh that's a nice camera.
That looks as though it may be a collector item. In the mid 70s those went for about $100 with the lense. When I went looking for a 3G in 1995 they had become collector items and the body was $700.
Apparently the IIIg is the best of this series. I'm selling the lens hopefully for $250 and hope to hold on to the body and replace the lens. I see the IIIc body on ebay sometimes selling for $150 or less!
To throw in my two cents worth, vintage Nikon film cameras are nice because the old lenses--widely available and inexpensive--are compatible with their new, higher-end digital cameras.
The same is true for Leica lenses, but as always there is the incredible Leica cost premium. Lenses go for 1K to 5K, and the digital M8 body costs 5K.
You can get excellent old Nikon lenses for a couple of hundred each and they will work on the old F-series film cameras as well as on the D-300, which costs less than 2K.
That said, if money were no object, I'd rather carry the more compact and higher quality Leica, in both its film and digital versions.
The same is true for Leica lenses, but as always there is the incredible Leica cost premium. Lenses go for 1K to 5K, and the digital M8 body costs 5K.
You can get excellent old Nikon lenses for a couple of hundred each and they will work on the old F-series film cameras as well as on the D-300, which costs less than 2K.
That said, if money were no object, I'd rather carry the more compact and higher quality Leica, in both its film and digital versions.
The Nikkor 105/2.5 (non-AI) was my favorite before I went to Contax. It's a super lens and was very cheap!
This specific lens is a Summitar 5cm f/2.
I miss the old Nikkors! I just don't think Nikon holds the competition since about the mid-90's.... Nothings quite the same compared to the old metal lenses and the F, F2, and F3! It was oddly fun grinding the AI slot in my 105 to fit the F3, just can't do that sort of thing any more....
I had to go to Contax, though.... Got a great deal on the 85/1.4; the best that Nikkors get is what that 85 gets EVERY shot (super sharp, fast, great contrast)! And then you get to Zeiss/Leica bokeh... that's a treasure in it's own (then you listen to Leica nuts discussing why they have 3 50mm lenses and why one is ABSOLUTELY BETTER with this film but not that subject....but that's a whole different conversation
)
My new plan is a Canon d40 and lens adapter for my Contax 85/1.4 and 50 1.4 (in stop down mode, manual focus, focal length conversion, etc).
I had to go to Contax, though.... Got a great deal on the 85/1.4; the best that Nikkors get is what that 85 gets EVERY shot (super sharp, fast, great contrast)! And then you get to Zeiss/Leica bokeh... that's a treasure in it's own (then you listen to Leica nuts discussing why they have 3 50mm lenses and why one is ABSOLUTELY BETTER with this film but not that subject....but that's a whole different conversation
)My new plan is a Canon d40 and lens adapter for my Contax 85/1.4 and 50 1.4 (in stop down mode, manual focus, focal length conversion, etc).
Tell me about it! I worked at a camera repair shop for 5 years... people brought boxes of stuff regularly and we cleaned, played, repaired, tested, bought, and sold, bought again, sold again..... I can't count how many lenses and cameras I've at least put a roll or two through.
It was great for everything except the wallet! One thing I like about the shaving thing: razors are CHEAP!
It was great for everything except the wallet! One thing I like about the shaving thing: razors are CHEAP!
Correct. It can grow into a Linhof http://www.linhof.com/ or the Mamiya 645 or 67. To do your own lab work you need a Bessler or Omega 4 X 5 with a color head. A color processor is also handy.
I've lusted for a Horseman 2x3 for a LONG time! 
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