Posted by Jeremy (209.112.95.68) on December 31, 2003 at 17:23:06:
In Reply to: Re: Beginner Question posted by John Ayres on December 28, 2003 at 20:34:48:
That is the camera I started with. It is not a 'professional' camera, but that title doesn't really matter. I think I would rather have it than a Nikon FM10, as it has an array of high quality optics that are much less expensive. You will not be competing with all the Nikon afficionados who are buying cheap lenses for their AF SLRS.
The K1000 (or the K1000 SE) is a very durable camera, whether you get the old-school metal-bodied one or the new one with the metal frame, and plastic covers.
I don't think you will really miss the depth-of-feild preview feature, as long as you learn how to read the focusing distance scale on the lens.
There are always K1000 setups for sale on eBay for about $100 with the 50mm f/2 lens. That is the way to go, in my opinion.
Actually, the way to go now is digital, as it doesn't cost any money to make mistakes. A digital camera with manual settings will take you a long way, and won't drive you to the poorhouse to print photos that come out for !@$#. It will cost you more up front, but it will probably save you a ton of money in the long run. You can take your picture and look at it right away on the LCD screen. If it is good, keep it. If not, make room for the next attempt with some factor slightly different.
I just picked up an Olympus C-750 UZ. It is pretty expensive at around $450, but there is not much else to buy. A bigger memory card, a set of Ni-MH batteries and charger, and a simple automatic flash for around $30 and you are all set.
If you really want to learn about 35mm, here are some good ones:
-Pentax K1000
-Nikon FM2 (if you can afford it)
-Minolta X-370 (has an aperture priority mode, and they are not too expensive)
Before you buy any camera though, I would recommend buying a good photography book. One that tells about the relationship between shutter speeds, apertures, and film speeds, for one. I think it would help you decide just how serious you want to get with this new hobby.
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