Originally posted by ChrisPlatt Regarding quality of various lens manufacturers my advice is don't believe everything you read.
Chris
That is why I got me a cheap yet nice Minolta with a 50 1.4 lens - to see for myself
Originally posted by rt22306 I enjoy my XG-M; I have an XD-11 also (I had it serviced, etc. after getting it; but it's not been put to work yet...soon though!), and am eyeing the XG-9. The Minoltas seem to have been overlooked; prices are low and it seems quite a few -11s are on the market. The XD series (from what I read on The Rokkor Files site) is the more desireable of the two.
Why would you want the XG-9 if you have the XG-M which is supposed to be the best XG camera? Why not get an SRT-102 instead, or an X-700?
Originally posted by builttospill The PZ-1, PZ-1p/Z-1, Z-1p are very good cameras, with some better specs than any modern Pentax DSLR (flash sync speed for example). The downside to these bodies is the battery is expensive and they don't last as long as the batteries powering the meters in older cameras such as the K1000. When I bought my *ist film camera, I made sure to get the grip with it so I can use common AA batteries in it to power the camera instead of the expensive one for the body. Some cameras offer accessories like this, some don't. I don't think there is a AA grip for the PZ-1/Z-1 bodies.
I think it was mentioned on the first page, but if not, older film cameras retain their value very well. Buy a few older cameras and compare. If you don't like one sell it for the price you purchased it. If you like a couple, keep them and use them all. Replace the gear with a metal one in your ZX-M and you'll have a nice camera for years. If you can replace the capacitors in another camera, I'm assuming you're handy enough to pick up the gear and do it yourself too.
The important thing is to pick a camera that meets your needs and feels good in your hands. Do you want manual- or auto-focus? When you say you want a reliable camera, will it come off the shelf for occasional shots at the park, or will you take it on hikes and trips where it will get a few bumps along the way?
Thank you. The PZ-1 has a grip but it's for handling only - no batteries! What was Pentax thinking with that one... I guess they thought it someone can buy a camera as nice and pricey as the PZ-1 was when it came out, they could afford the batteries... and speaking of the PZ-1, there is one on Ebay for a very affordable price, but the description does not say it has been tested and is workin - just that it was taken out of storage and worked previously. I e-mailed the seller and didn't get any answers, so that's it for that one. The specs do look impressive though, and it seems like it could make me sell my digital and spend the money on film instead, and be happier that way!
I might look into the metal gears for the ZX-M if I like it. The battery grip also - I love being able to use AA batteries. Maybe my search for the Pentax film camera will end with a metal-geared ZX-M and a battery grip! I think having two film cameras and one digital is fine, I'm not a collector...
And by reliable I mean something that I can take out every once in a while to the park, as you said, and it won't break down on me while I'm attempting to use it, like the A3000 did - and I know that's a very real risk with some of these 30-40 year old cameras. In another thread I mentioned I gave a chance to a point-and-shoot Ricoh for a couple bucks, because I researched it and it has a nice Tessar-design 38mm 2.8 lens . But that one's dead too, and is just on my work desk for its looks now.
I really baby my stuff so I'm not concerned with how it stands up to abuse, just regular normal use.