35mm camera

[nathanbarlow]

hi there
Im trying to get some advice on which 35mm film camera to recommend to a friend of mine who is just starting high school photography (yr12 aka form 6).
Price is a BIG factor, so I was thinking recommending an Canon FD camera - fits the requirement of manual, is v cheap and quite a bit more sturdy than cheap EOS cameras. PLus she would be able to buy a few additional lenses later as they go for like $10-20

Question is which FD (or even nikon/pentax/etc equivalent) camera is the cheapest or best-value camera. Manual mode is a must, TTL flash would be a good idea IMO.

[robo git]

From an "easy to get bits for on the cheap" perspective, Canon FD / Pentax K-bayonet or M42 screw / Minolta MC/MD seems to be the trend on TradeMe for easily accessible bits-for-cheap.

Then the advantage of getting a Canon EOS camera is they're almost as cheap as their older relative, and you can get adapters to use FD / M42 / Pentax-K / MC / etc lenses VERY readily, while having the much improved interface of the EOS over the old-skool Canons.

[possum]

I grew up with a Pentax Spotmatic... You grow balls with that stuff, really get ya head around control etc...

xxx Lou