Cheap SLRs (eBay)

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DiG

DiG

DiG

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Hi,
I've been looking on eBay and there are lots of really cheap £50 film SLR cameas, I was wondering if these are acually any good? At the moment I've got a Kodak P&S which has nearly no manual features at all and I can't afford to get a 350d just yet
Any advice much appreciated
 
Yeah, you can pick up some real bargains and get a chance to learn about photography. Remember tho' that there is the hidden running cost of buying and processing film. You can minimise this to a certain extent by doing what I did when I was shooting a lot of film; I wouldn't get it printed and would just scan it (obviously you need a scanner then). That way you only get printed what you want etc.
 
I'm a film photographer and picked up a EOS 300 (plastic mount) for £50 from the bay. Although I have always, regretably, had my photos developed and put to CD because I can't afford the outlay for a film scanner :(

It's not a bad camera, although I'm looking to get a better one. At the moment I just use a Minolta 7000, which costed me about £64 to buy two bodies, and another lens (the 7000 body I acquired was going to cost £90 to repair) since I already have glass for it.

If I wasn't so poor, I would have a EOS 30V today and a good set of lenses. All my Canon gear is cheap stuff - plastic mounts, 28-80mm f3.5-f5.6, 80-200 f/4.5-f5.6. I'm looking to replace the lot. To buy a Canon EOS 300 second hand from a camera dealer would cost at least £140 with that 28-80mm lens. I have spent about that amount over the months on those two Canon lenses and the EOS 300.
 
There are some bargains to be had, One point I would offer, is if you want a Digital SLR one day, choose a film SLR who's lenses will work on the DSLR. For example, I have a Nikon F80 film camera, they fetch about £100, are IMHO one the best serious amateur cameras made..... All the lens I had for it now work on my D70. Sorry I'm not up with Canon mounts, so maybe you can do the same with them ???
If your in to Black and White, then processing your own is cheap, then either printing or use film scanning. I still think there is something nice about using film, only having 36 shots can help you think more about the picture before pushing the button. A 1Gig card full of rubbish is no use !!!
 
Thanks, does anyone know which ones are good and which arn't? Its really confusing,

I would want to get a 350D eventually, so which lens do I need?
 
Now the 350D is a fine camera but I think you are going about this in the wrong way. You haven't bought into a system yet and by the sounds of it; you might be a way away from going to a dSLR; so I wouldn't set my end point quite yet.

You would be better perhaps trying out each of the systems available; I might even be tempted to get a Nikon and a Canon and then dump the one I didn't get on with; I doubt you'd make very much of a loss if you did it via the well-known auction site. I might even be tempted to get a Pentax as well....

Until Sony come clear on what they intend to do; I wouldn't try a Minolta. And as for Olympus, there would be no point as the OM range handles completely differently to the 4/3rd range.
 
I have a Canon EOS3000 which is ok, and I may be parting with that soon... I paid £200 for it a few years ago and hardly used it! That particular camera will typically sell for ~£50 depending on condition. There are many other SLRs available for similar money, and there are models by Praktica for ~£30 with a couple of lenses. I have a Praktica BC1 which is a far better camera to use (I found the manual focus really awkward on the Canon) than the EOS 3000, albeit slightly less convenient. I paid £5 for the body from a charity shop (it came with a knackered 50mm lens), and £20 for a 2x Teleconverter, a Sigma 28mm f 2.8 and a 70-210mm f 4.0 (also Sigma) from eBay. This makes the Praktica very flexible.

You can't really go wrong spending that amount on a camera, just so long as you get something in good shape.
 
I am looking to part with my EOS 300 and the rest of my Canon gear too. I want to upgrade to a 30V anyway, so I need the money really! Then I can get myself some fancy Canon stuff, whilst still holding onto my Minolta gear.
 
I have a 350D and want a lens attached to a canon camera on ebay
truthfully I might keep the camera body because I would love to dabble in film, for when I get things right
 
Get a film body as your back-up but also keep it loaded with b&w film; sure you can do b&w via photoshop etc....but I still prefer 'proper' b&w.
 
spell said:
Now the 350D is a fine camera but I think you are going about this in the wrong way. You haven't bought into a system yet and by the sounds of it; you might be a way away from going to a dSLR; so I wouldn't set my end point quite yet.

You would be better perhaps trying out each of the systems available; I might even be tempted to get a Nikon and a Canon and then dump the one I didn't get on with; I doubt you'd make very much of a loss if you did it via the well-known auction site. I might even be tempted to get a Pentax as well....

Until Sony come clear on what they intend to do; I wouldn't try a Minolta. And as for Olympus, there would be no point as the OM range handles completely differently to the 4/3rd range.
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I've had a play with the Nikon DSLR's in shops (pretending I can afford them lol) and liked the size and menus of the 350D more, just suited me better.

For film slr's do I need a special type of film or will normal cheap stuff do? I don't want to go buy a film camera then spend so much on films and processing that I might as well have waited and got a DLSR, thanks for the help guys
 
No it doesn't matter what film you use. Obviously don't buy the nastiest, cheapest stuff you can lay your hands on, but there's no need to spend a fortune on the stuff either. I'm not currently up with info on the best value/performing film, or the best processors, but I'm sure someone will be along to tell you more soon ;)
 
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