Best 35mm camera on Reddit

193 reviews from r/AnalogCommunity, r/analog, r/filmphotography and 5 more subreddits

193 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Olympus

4.5

(37)

"I'm selling my olympus 35sp and that's what I started with."

"The Olympus OM-1 is just perfect in every aspect."

"Olympus OM-1 fits the bill, plus you’ll easily be able to adapt any OM lenses."

"Olympus OM-1N or 2N."

"Few are as compact as the Pentax MX, ME/Super or Olympus OM1/OM2."

"I'm voting for Olympus XA or OM1."

"The OM2 is a very light and small camera with a massive large and bright viewfinder."

nikon

4.4

(34)

"Nikon F2. Lifetime camera."

"Nikon Fm or fm2. Really don’t need to say anything else, they are perfect."

"Nikon FM"

"Also Nikon FM2, F3, FM3a for manual focus."

"If you want an old school feel, I highly recommend The Nikon FM-10. No autofocus, and it’s lightweight."

"The screen is sufficiently recessed to be visible when the camera is upside down."

"The Nikon F100 has lots of great features, including good flash sync speed and a very good built-in meter."

"You can see the viewfinder from a little distance, that way it's easier to make contact with your subject."

"If you want cheap and reliably idiot proof get a Nikon F65."

"I can recommend a Nikon Fe."

Canon

4.2

(31)

"A true classic, the AE-1 Program is renowned for its user-friendly design, accurate automatic exposure modes, and sturdy build."

"The Canon A-1 does everything the AE-1P does and more, making it a great choice."

"It works beautifully and is intuitive to use for an old camera."

"Canon A1 is very similar too in case you find one of those."

"The light meter is easy to read and it will teach you the right settings for most situations."

"I’ve gone skiing and climbing with a canon Elan II, even loading it in a storm."

"Built like a tank. Takes cheaper FD mount lenses."

"Canon AE-1"

"I would suggest you try a Canon sureshot a1. It's automatic with built in flash, waterproof... and robust."

"Canon A1 with either a 35mm or 50mm lens."

pentax

4.6

(19)

"Pentax K1000 , fully mechanical but can use 1 battery for the light meter."

"Few are as compact as the Pentax MX, ME/Super or Olympus OM1/OM2."

"It's been my go-to film camera for years - the tactile controls, mechanical operation, and timeless design really appeal to me."

"Pentax K1000 all the way."

"It's small with good features and a lovely, big, bright viewfinder."

"Pentax MX with the SMC Pentax-M 50/1.7 or SMC 55/1.8 is another great setup and excellent value."

"That thing is built like a tank! It's survived many falls. It has everything you need, and nothing more."

"Pentax K1000."

"The Pentax K1000 is a great camera that offers excellent quality pictures."

"The Pentax MX provides a level of control and sharp focus that compact cameras cannot match."

Nikon

4.5

(16)

"Nikon F5 or F100 (F5 is preferred due to the more advanced meter and better sealing)."

"Nikon F90X and AF-Nikkor 50mm F1.8 D"

"Also Nikon FM2, F3, FM3a for manual focus."

"Nikonos series is the obvious answer here."

"FM2 or Fm2n. Full mechanical (only light meter needs battery)..."

"F4-6 are flagships so all the bells and whistles"

"Nikon F6 might be considered the best 35mm film body as it's pretty much a Nikon D200 but with film mechanisms."

"I picked up a Nikon fe2 for 250 a few months ago from a nice fella there."

"Late model plastic auto focus SLRs are the best bargains IMO. Like the Nikon f70, f65, etc."

Minolta

4.4

(15)

"I think the Minolta MAXXUM 9000 fits your needs. Excellent lenses..."

"SRT-101 makes the most sense to me."

"The Minolta SRT series is rock solid and inexpensive."

"My absolute favorite is my Minolta X-700. It is a very capable camera with many quality lenses."

"Minolta SRT series are all fantastic and extremely reliable and durable."

"I owned a Minolta SRT-101 with a 58mm f/1.4 lens and I loved it."

"Minolta Dynax/Maxum 606 classic. Upper-middle shelf camera when it came out..."

"A camera from the Minolta SRT series or a Pentax K1000 or ME Super would work fine."

"If you want portability and it’s a secondary camera what about a folder like a Minolta semi or a Voigtlander perkeo?"

"An RC in good condition is a great thing. Small, light, manual..."

canon

4.1

(7)

"The Canon T90 is amazing and takes normal AA batteries which you can buy anywhere."

"The result is just amazingly good with perfect metering and autofocus."

"My Canon EOS 1V HS is tried and true, damn near weather proof, and has all the functions you'd ever dream of."

"Or maybe the T90 (same lenses), if you like the style."

"The T series also take more common batteries and have auto-wind, but they do look a bit 80s."

"The T70 while less featured, does too and is smaller/lighter."

"The Canon T70 is another model to avoid because of its reliability concerns."

Leica

4.8

(5)

"Leica M4P (paired with external meter, or use your eye if you’re able to) or M5 are good fits."

"Going to second that Leica M5 recommendation. As solid and reliable as it gets."

"If you want a camera that’ll be a workhorse for years the M5 is the way to go."

"A Leica/Minolta CL is pretty small and much cheaper than an M3."

"I witnessed a wedding photographer walk into a shop and buy a Leica M6 because they were shooting a wedding and the couple wanted Leica film cameras."

Rollei

4.0

(4)

"Pretty sturdy camera and incredibly small."

"Could also be fun, but a little different than what you were thinking."

"The Rollei 35 is very sharp and compact, but lacks multiple exposure."

"The Rollie 35 is a great option for portability."

#10

Lomo

4.3

(3)

"Great lens, meter, times from 1/500, costs less than $1000 (even new Lomography units)."

"A Lomo LC-A is a great choice for capturing feelings with grain."

"The Lomo LC-A is a fun compact camera."

#11

Pentax

4.3

(3)

"I have 3 of them in my collection and I love them! Very reliable, every one of them worked without any need for repairs."

"Pentax Espio 140"

"Pentax gear from that era is already very lightweight."

#12

Hasselblad

4.5

(2)

"I love my Hasselblad too. For me besides the shooting experience, it's the results I get with Zeiss glass."

"Just go for medium format, a nice hasselblad or rolleiflex."

#13

Konica

4.5

(2)

"It's water-dust-sand-shockproof."

"Konica Big Mini BM-201"

#14

olympus

4.0

(2)

"Can't go wrong with an OM1n or OM2n. Plenty of decent recommendations here."

"I like all my olympus om cameras, my om1n is my favourite because its all mechanical bar the light meter."

#15

Praktica

4.0

(2)

"A Praktica L , L2 or others within L- series."

"A Praktica/Praktiflex"

#16

unknown

2.5

(2)

"A lot of us old fogies still have our 35mm cameras in the closet gathering dust."

"Waist level finder on 35mm is nothing but a gimmick."

#17

Edixa

5.0

(1)

"I use an Edixa Reflex with a waist level finder and LOVE it!"

#18

SRT

5.0

(1)

"SRT-102, of course..."

#19

Kodak

5.0

(1)

"Never discount the Kodak signet Rangefinders. They're so good."

#20

Contact

4.0

(1)

"Contact g2"

#21

Rolleiflex

4.0

(1)

"Rolleiflex with Rolleikin adapter. then you have a 120 waist level camera once you realize 35 is too small for that type of finder."

#22

Zeiss

4.0

(1)

"Crazy suggestion but the Zeiss Tenax II may be worth a look"

#23

Ricoh

4.0

(1)

"Ricoh FF-9s (I have the clear plastic FF-9sD Limited Edition but the standard FF-9s is much cheaper)"

#24

Retina

4.0

(1)

"Get a retina. The IIIc and IIc are pretty much the same models just one with and one without a light meter."

#25

Agfaphoto

4.0

(1)

"Recommended me the Agfaphoto to begin with, you can't change the aperture or anything, just putt film, shoot, you can use the flash, and that's it, it's reusable and not hard to use."

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