Camera for a first-timer

[melek]

A friend of my daughter's needs a film camera for a college course.

I was going to loan her a Pentax K1000, but apparently I sold that last year. It's possible that the camera will be lost or stolen or possibly banged around.

Possible choices:

* 1980s Vivitar K mount
* Pentak KX
* Pentax ME Super
* Nikkormat FT3
* Olympus OM-1

I also was thinking of a little 1970s rangefinder, but I think the course probably requires manual exposure controls. The little Olympus 35 RC would be nice, but it also would require me to teach her how to use a rangefinder. I guess that I'll scrap that idea.

I'm leaning toward the Vivitar with the K mount. It's a decent enough camera, and if/when something happens to it, I really won't care that much.

[Captain Slack]

I'd go with the Vivtar or the ME Super. What lens or lenses is she getting with it?

[jamesmck]

I'd go with the Vivtar or the ME Super. What lens or lenses is she getting with it?

I second that for the ME.

[Julio1fer]

The Vivitar would be a very good choice.

[Philip]

The K-mount camera gives her a good chance to buy other inexpensive lenses that fit. But the OM-1 is a beautifully solid camera. . . .

[Bennybee]

All over the web the K1000 is said to be THE beginner/school camera, but I'm not sure about that. Unless you really want a K bayonet, then maybe yes. I'd go for the Nikkormat because it's big and strong. And if you go for a M42 screw thread mount, I would choose a Praktica MTL5 or MTL50.

[OpenWater]

They all look like good options. I prefer the feel in my hand of my ME Super to the K1000. But the nice part about the K1000 for a beginner is that all of the controls are very obvious and that there are not too many of them. Less is sometimes more. (I've got a couple of extra ones - K1000 - if she would like one - no guarantees on condition.) The KX receives very high reviews on PentaxForums, so that would certainly be an option. And I certainly wouldn't knock most anything made by Nikon or Olympus.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/camerarevie ... ax-kx.html

[BurninFilm]

I don't understand all the hype about the Pentax K1000. Sure, it's a solid and dependable K-mount SLR, but it doesn't even have a DOF preview feature. When learning photography, figuring out how to use DOF properly is very important. Consequently, I don't really think it's the best "starter" 35mm SLR out there.

There are SOOOOO many other good options, no need to get stuck with a camera lacking an incredibly useful feature.

[melek]

So, I ended up providing a Pentax ME Super. I dropped in new seals and batteries.

I found and printed a PDF of the manual.

"How do I insert the batteries and what kind?"

Reply: Use a nickel or quarter and twist to the left. Those are new batteries. You don't need to replace them. Buy silver oxide - not alkaline.

Finally, read the owner's manual that I printed.