Originally posted by monochrome In addition to Phil's excellent guidance above, consider the capital outlay to be:
- Manual Film Camera - $50 - $150
- Mandatory CLA (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust) - $75 shipped
- Lens Buying Addiction - $~ (Infinite)
Consider a getting KM or a KX (my favorite - I have three now) over a K1000. Both have more features and are actually less expensive because they weren't the camera everyone 'started' on.
I was going to suggest the exact same, namely just picking up a KX rather than the K1000. Just as bulletproof, with a few more very useful features making a better camera and yes, less expensive luckily enough. Or pick up an MX - very very similar to the KX, but significantly smaller/lighter. The MX is my personal fav - I have two.
In terms of cost, it really depends how much you're shooting, what type of film you're buying, whether you're making prints, having the lab scan them or doing it yourself, etc. I personally have my local lab process only, and give me the negatives uncut which I scan myself with one of two scanners I now have. A Pakon F135 and a PrimeFilm XE.
Film is a deep well... be careful how far you try to peer inside - you may fall.