[pres589]

I've been thinking about getting a film SLR. I've basically never shot film before; I didn't get very interested in photography until I got a K100D over a decade ago. I feel like my understanding of the controls on film cameras is impacted by this. Here's what I'm wanting, I think;

Rotary knob control of the shutter speed.
Shutter speeds into multiple seconds for long exposure times. 4 seconds max sounds useful.
Ability to control aperture in-body when supported by the lens or for lenses that lack aperture rings.
Ability to set the aperture and have the camera control exposure length per film ISO.
Ability to set the ISO manually (I've read a bit about pushing film to a higher than rated ISO, or when film isn't coded for its ISO)
Split prism focusing screen.
An all-black or nearly all-black body (stealth!)
I think I would prefer a needle to show light metering over the LED's that were often used in Pentax bodies. I'm fine if it has both.

I'm fine with manual focus and sort of expect whatever available option that fits the above to be a manual focus camera.
I'm fine with a Ricoh or Chinon, etc k-mount body. If there's a Pentax body that meets the above, that's great, but it's not a requirement.

Does such a camera exist? Are any of my listed wants going beyond what's reasonable?

[Kevin B123]

The Super A will do much of that, no needle display though and TV is via buttons, but it's there. Love mine

[Adam]

Some of these features are mutually exclusive- i.e. the exposure needle probably wouldn't find its way onto a body that supports electronic aperture communication.

Most film-era Pentax SLRs rely on the aperture ring. A notable exception is the Z series, such as the PZ-1, which also let you set the aperture through e-dials on the body. This camera might be the closest fit for you.

Pentax Z-1 / PZ-1 - Pentax Autofocus Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

Another one of my favorites is the Super Program. It's a lot more basic, but it does offer all 4 exposure modes and still has a nice metallic feel. If you want a black body, there's the Super A (rebadge), though these are usually harder to find in good condition.

Pentax Super A/Super Program - Pentax Manual Focus Film SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

[pres589]

Buttons seem fiddly and it's easier to see at a glance what's going on with a knob.
TV mode is what I'm looking for, where I set an aperture for the lens and the camera does the rest?

Were there non-Pentax k-mount cameras that can electronically communicate with the lens to control aperture of a Pentax lens? I'm thinking of the Ricoh Pin and am not sure if I should even both looking through the non-Pentax offerings. I'd really like to use lenses like the DA 35 f2.4 if possible.

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Last edited by pres589; 02-23-2018 at 09:55 AM.

[murrelet]

Sounds like you're looking at early to mid 1980s era SLRs. For Pentax, the Super Program/A, ME Super, or possibly K2, are candidates. For Nikon: FE, FE2, FM, FM2, FG, FG20. For Minolta: X370, X570, X700. I don't know Canon as well. Obviously, if you already have Pentax glass, then Pentax is the stronger candidate.

But really, don't sweat your first film SLR. You're going to end up with 5 bodies anyway.

[pres589]

Yes, I've already got a number of k-mount lenses. A few have aperture rings but some do not. I'm sticking with k-mount for this.

[johnha]

As mentioned, only the Z-1(p)/PZ-1(p) allow you control the aperture directly from the camera. Cameras supporting Tv (shutter priority) allow you to do the opposite - control the aperture electronically (aperture ring not necessary on the lens) by manipulating the shutter speed from the body (i.e. the body sets the aperture electronically depending on the metered value and the selected shutter speed). Of these, the only manual focus bodies are the Super A/Super Program (metering via LCD panel) and MZ-M (ZX-M in USA) - the latter has a shutter speed dial but is motorised (metering via LCD displays and 'bar graph' in manual.

Given this limited selection, I suggest you drop the requirement for electronic aperture selection (it's too limiting), and look for the body you'd get along with most. K mount lenses are generally cheap & plentiful and using a manual focus lens with aperture ring on a manual focus body generally works better (and is feels much more tactile) than using an AF lens. Many of the mechanical bodies (MX, K1000, KX, KM, K2) go for silly prices on eBay, but most of the rest go for next to nothing (often with lenses).

[pres589]

Yes, I'm wondering if this would be a lot easier if I just dropped the "A" part of this. I could also more easily shop the other makes of bodies and not worry about whether the body and lens combination would actually work or not. It seems like a lot of the Ricoh's and rebadged Ricoh's (Sears, for instance) are available for cheap and seem quite good from what I'm reading. I would lose some functionality of my 35mm DA lens but I've got a pile of other glass with aperture rings already.

Do we have a resident Ricoh film SLR resident, or Chinon, that could chime in?

[LesDMess]

The Pentax LX meets all your requirements except for the ability to control the aperture in-body for lenses that lack aperture rings.



To offset that, it does add TTL flash, interchangeable viewfinders and focusing screens. To completely set it apart from any camera ever made regardless of model, brand, film or digital it can aperture priority autoexpose a scene for as long as it takes or batteries die.

Unlike AF cameras, your ability to capture an image is completely dependent on the viewfinder and focusing screen and the LX will give you more options then any camera ever made to help you get the critical focus you need in any situation. It has options ranging for the largest to the smallest viewfinder magnification.

[pres589]

LX's are kind of costly, no? I guess I should have addressed that in my original post, that I'd like to buy a body for under $100, preferably under $50, as I don't know how much use this will get and don't want to spend much out of the gate if possible.

[LesDMess]

Yes, I'm wondering if this would be a lot easier if I just dropped the "A" part of this. I could also more easily shop the other makes of bodies and not worry about whether the body and lens combination would actually work or not. It seems like a lot of the Ricoh's and rebadged Ricoh's (Sears, for instance) are available for cheap and seem quite good from what I'm reading. I would lose some functionality of my 35mm DA lens but I've got a pile of other glass with aperture rings already.

Do we have a resident Ricoh film SLR resident, or Chinon, that could chime in?

I have the Ricoh XR-7 that meets your requirements too.



It is similar to the ME Super except that it has the conventional controls instead of the buttons.

[pres589]

I've noticed the XR7. Are there any other Ricoh's that you think I should be paying attention to?

[Ontarian50]

The ability to control lenses without aperture rings is certainly a sticking point - as I'm pretty sure any body that does that doesn't have a classic shutter speed dial.

Shutter speed settings longer than one second are overrated. If you are shooting from a tripod, you should be using a cable release. It's no biggie to have the camera on B and just count to four, for four seconds. You're going to be within a 10 percent exposure margin there.

[LesDMess]

LX's are kind of costly, no? I guess I should have addressed that in my original post, that I'd like to buy a body for under $100, preferably under $50, as I don't know how much use this will get and don't want to spend much out of the gate if possible.

It's a used market so prices and conditions can vary considerably.

One of my LX's cost me $100 - body only of unknown condition. It turned out to be perfectly working.

The XR-7 with lens in perfect working condition cost me under $50.

---------- Post added 02-23-18 at 01:51 PM ----------

Shutter speed settings longer than one second are overrated. If you are shooting from a tripod, you should be using a cable release. It's no biggie to have the camera on B and just count to four, for four seconds. You're going to be within a 10 percent exposure margin there.

No doubt we all have different shooting preferences. It so happens that I really enjoy extra long aperture priority shots like this aperture priority on Kodak Ektar 100. It was about 45 minutes.



---------- Post added 02-23-18 at 01:53 PM ----------

I've noticed the XR7. Are there any other Ricoh's that you think I should be paying attention to?

The only other Ricohs I have are older then the XR-7.

[pres589]

I just shot a 4 second or more shot in a bar last night. Being able to set the camera down on something sturdy and let it run out a while, without carrying a remote, is nice. It also seems even more important when I can't just jack the ISO up with the turn of a wheel like I can with a DSLR. It's not an every day thing but why limit myself?