|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-01-2010, 09:51 AM
|
| |
Ok, so this is what I got for my friend:
1. 50mm SMC Pentax F1.7 for ~€41. I currently have one of these and am very happy with it.
2. Pentax KM with one months warranty for €59. While it didn't get a CLA, I'd say it'll do for some time.
So the total is about €115 once shipping is included. I think that's a great setup for starting off, especially when development is free (at the college) and the only thing apart from the above that requires purchasing is the film.
Thanks again for all the advice.
Jason.
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-27-2010, 06:12 AM
|
| |
Thanks ChrisPlatt. I wasn't the winner but there is abover which ends soon and I plan on winning that one for my friend. I got a Pentax 50mm F1.7 in very good condition for less than €50 including delivery so we were happy out with that... I'll update this post with details when I get the KM so people know at least what the average one costs.
Jason.
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-25-2010, 01:59 PM
|
| |
Thanks keyser for more advice and to Tuco (after Eli Wallach's performance perhaps?) and ChrisPlatt for their disambiguation of cheaper camera revisions.
What we've settled on is an KM on Ebay - hope it's OK to post a link for advice about it, if not, I can remove it (I had a look at the posting rules and couldn't find anything contrary): Pentax KM 35mm Film Camera Body WORKING + WARRANTY - eBay (item 170554906317 end time Oct-26-10 13:49:52 PDT). Camera looks solid and shouldn't be too expensive. Anybody any idea as to how much a fair price is? I'm thinking 40USD - 60USD. Gotta get my friend a lens too but that's probably going to be the fun part :)
Thanks, Jason.
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-22-2010, 09:00 AM
|
| |
Thanks again to Tuco, PGillin and RichyX. filmamigo - after reading that, I'm going to have a more indepth look at the other suggestions you've made. I'm off home for the bank holiday weekend (Irish) with no internet connection. Will hope to have settled on something with my friend by the end of next week. And yes RichyX, that's the course in Bally La-Fermot : )
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-21-2010, 01:42 PM
|
| |
I've started watching KM, K1000 and Super ME's on Ebay...
I'll let ye know what we go with in the end... at the moment we're looking at some KM's.
@tonyjayice, ChrisPlatt, thanks for the advice...
@stevebrot - I've used kmp.bdimitrov.de to create a XLS of data for KM, K1000 and the Super ME for comparision - thanks.
@Simian Summit - good advice regarding the bulk film...
@Lowell Goudge - we looked into and discussed the PZ-1 but we concluded that, apart from the price being prohibitive, it's too good a camera for my friend : ) - he needs something simpler and more back to basics, since he has very little photographic experience to date...
Kind regards,
Jason.
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-19-2010, 03:00 PM
|
| |
Hi Tuco,
Thanks for the good advice... I'll be looking in the K1000 as, in addition to what you've typed, I've heard good things about that camera in relation to it being a students first. Probably the hardest part of all this is finding something on Ebay that doesn't need a CLA but that'll be fun too :)
Thanks again and kind regards,
Jason.
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
10-18-2010, 06:46 AM
|
| |
Hi all,
I'm doing some research into a camera system for a friend of mine. He's new to photography and has just started a year's course in cinematography. His course requirements for still photography are film only, no digital (for better or worse). What I'd like to discuss here is the benefits of starting him off with Pentax, instead of say, Nikon or Canon. I hope this is the correct forum to do so as it was a toss up between the Pentax Film and Pentax Digital forums - since he needs to start with film, ergo this forum. The following are some of my own thoughts - perhaps people could discuss them with me... So, if I chose Pentax, I'd plan to start him on a film camera and if he wanted, he could eventually get a DSLR. Note that his budget is very low.
Why I think Pentax is good for my friend are as follows:
- He can use the old Pentax K mount lenses from a Pentax SLR on a Pentax DSLR. If he went with Canon / Nikon, because his budget is low, he couldn't afford to go down Canon EF route (similar for Nikon) with a film and digital SLR as the cost would be prohibitive.
- There's quite a few old and competitively priced Pentax lenses or compatible on Ebay.
- Pentax build quality, especially for DSLRs is great from what I hear.
Things I'm not sure about:
- What Pentax body to get him - I was thinking a P30 but am open to this. Subtle things like the fact that the Pentax P30 only recognises film with speeds up to 1600, so he can't use the light metre with Ilford 3200 for example, unless he has a portable light metre.
- Pentax and video on DSLR's and the future of this. Obviously this is an issue, especially since he's doing cinematography and you've got an episode of House being shot of a 5D Mark2. But then again, money is tight and he could always get a cheapter digital camcorder etc.
- Drawbacks to using old Pentax SLR lenses on the new DSLR system - do they require an adapter for the aperture lever etc? Are there any more subtle implications apart of the obvious - losing AF etc.
- Quality and selection of digital era lenses compared to the competition (Canon/Nikon). This isn't a big deal but I'd like to hear what ye think on this...
Any other advice would be appreciated.
As a side note, I use an old Pentax film camera - P30 with a Canon 30D and am very happy with both.
Thanks and kind regards,
Jason.
|
|
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
10-18-2010, 06:00 AM
|
| |
Photography is a nice thing to pass onto family...
|
|
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
10-17-2010, 03:48 PM
|
| |
Howdy all,
Hailing from the west of Ireland and living in Dublin now with my first Pentax, a P30, given to me by my mother about a year ago. I've been happily using a Canon 30D for nearly 4 1/2 years now but film has caught up with me... Having fun on Ebay collecting a decent set of Pentax primes... Generally use B&W film, ISO 400, for the C41 colour process - very happy with the results... Camera and lenses are great for portability, not much bigger than a rangefinder compared to the DSLR's and then there's the sheer inspiration of working with film. Looking forward to many more years of pleasure with my old school system...
- Surfjungle
|
