Cameras that Last AND Last AND Last... (35mm bayonette mount SLRs in particular)

On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.

Nikon EM - Light streaking, and, if memory serves, unreliable/"jumpy
needle syndrome" (probably due to some kind of resistor failure?

2nd Nikon EM - Bought over eBay abd sent back because of same problem
as above.

Nikon FG - Ultra bright viewfinder with easy focusing but the lever/
gears? are locked up (no its not a battery problem or a failed circuit
board as is common for this model but the gears are literally
mechanically locked up. Also bought over fleaBay (the lockup happened
a few months after I bought it a couple of years ago so was/is not
returnable).

Canon 630 - I believe it was a faulty shutter stop so the shutter no
longer opens? (its been a few years now).

Maxxum 600si - Totally my fault. It was raining and I didn't protect
it well enough. Rain + electronics = flashing "help" signal. :-( (and
yes I did try removing/reinserting the battery after the camera dried
off/I dried the camera off but with no real luck.*

Contax 167MT - Not on the sill (but still in my camera bag). Same
problem as above but happened in a swimming pool, LOL. Minor water,
not really a full dunking, dried off the electronics came back to life
fine but the shutter itself no longer opens/closes.*

Nikon F3 - Also bought on fleaBay and sent back because it kept on
winding and winding and winding during the exposure (and after it
too?), there was no catch/lock to the shutter lever/wining mechanism,
the exact oppositte problem of my locked up wind lever on my FG. Also
sent back to original owner. It was beat to crappish and cost about
$75-$80 and I'm not sure how long and by whom it was used and abused
before me no how much film went through it, anyway, up till the point
I bought it and tried it out I thought that Nikon F3s were nearly
indestructible (I had two that I had bought new in previous decades,
long since traded in on Leica gear/whatever), boy was I ever
wrong... :-(

My other 35mm SLRs (Pentax ZX-5n and MZ-S) are working fine except for
a slight problem with banding (lighter and darker areas within the
exposure due to shutter variance of speed during the exposure,
probably) in the ZX-5n which has not yet resurfaced since I got a
battery grip FG that runs off of AA batteries (maybe the shutter
problem was a power problem?).

Anyways, I've heard that there is a plastic part that really should be
metal (cutting costs?) that also causes breakdown (the kind of
breakdown I can't remember) in the ZX-5n models so it may be only a
matter of time before my ZX-5n (also bought used on fleaBay) goes too.

Don't care about digital.

Don't care about screw mount cameras.

Don't care about rangefinders or Twin Lens Reflexes.

Just want to know others' experiences with which _35mm SLR bayonette
mount _film_ _ cameras, from any era, that are still reliable after
many years of use and/or abuse. Are there any? AND have you babied
your equip, use it often or beat it to heck and expose more frames
than a feature length motion picture through it?

Yes, film cameras are cheap(ish) to replace, but with older cameras
you never know what they've been though and whether you're going to
get a lemon (something bad/"sucky") or lemonade (something good/fun to
drink, though I prefer apple juice to lemonade ;-)), so if/when I get
another Pentax, Contax, Nikon or whatever, _used_, I would want it to
last a bit longer than just past opening the UPS box I got it in ;-).
Cameras are like milk, but without the expiration date written on the
top of the box so younever no what you're going to get... or for how
long you're going to be able to use it/keep it.

My window sill is pretty well filled up, don't want to add more
"decorations" to the window (or the Christmas tree ;-)) so any
suggestions would be appreciated. Cameras are for using/collecting
light, not collecting star dust.

*Yes, I've learned my lesson with water and will only drink it, bathe
in it, or swim in it from now on, sans camera ;-)

Never had any problems with my Nikon F4 and I know many happy
F5 users. F2 with the simple eye level prism could be a good choice.
The F2's shutter seems to be quite reliable.

I know some will say you should go for a Leica SL2 and some for a
Canon F1, EOS1 and some for a Pentax K1000. Never tried these but have
looked into a Leica SL2 viewfinder and it seems to turn green by age.

Don't look into the Nikon EM, FG...etc.....it is plastic junk.....

skrev i en meddelelse
ps.com...
On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.

Nikon EM - Light streaking, and, if memory serves, unreliable/"jumpy
needle syndrome" (probably due to some kind of resistor failure?

2nd Nikon EM - Bought over eBay abd sent back because of same problem
as above.

Nikon FG - Ultra bright viewfinder with easy focusing but the lever/
gears? are locked up (no its not a battery problem or a failed circuit
board as is common for this model but the gears are literally
mechanically locked up. Also bought over fleaBay (the lockup happened
a few months after I bought it a couple of years ago so was/is not
returnable).

Canon 630 - I believe it was a faulty shutter stop so the shutter no
longer opens? (its been a few years now).

Maxxum 600si - Totally my fault. It was raining and I didn't protect
it well enough. Rain + electronics = flashing "help" signal. :-( (and
yes I did try removing/reinserting the battery after the camera dried
off/I dried the camera off but with no real luck.*

Contax 167MT - Not on the sill (but still in my camera bag). Same
problem as above but happened in a swimming pool, LOL. Minor water,
not really a full dunking, dried off the electronics came back to life
fine but the shutter itself no longer opens/closes.*

Nikon F3 - Also bought on fleaBay and sent back because it kept on
winding and winding and winding during the exposure (and after it
too?), there was no catch/lock to the shutter lever/wining mechanism,
the exact oppositte problem of my locked up wind lever on my FG. Also
sent back to original owner. It was beat to crappish and cost about
$75-$80 and I'm not sure how long and by whom it was used and abused
before me no how much film went through it, anyway, up till the point
I bought it and tried it out I thought that Nikon F3s were nearly
indestructible (I had two that I had bought new in previous decades,
long since traded in on Leica gear/whatever), boy was I ever
wrong... :-(

My other 35mm SLRs (Pentax ZX-5n and MZ-S) are working fine except for
a slight problem with banding (lighter and darker areas within the
exposure due to shutter variance of speed during the exposure,
probably) in the ZX-5n which has not yet resurfaced since I got a
battery grip FG that runs off of AA batteries (maybe the shutter
problem was a power problem?).

Anyways, I've heard that there is a plastic part that really should be
metal (cutting costs?) that also causes breakdown (the kind of
breakdown I can't remember) in the ZX-5n models so it may be only a
matter of time before my ZX-5n (also bought used on fleaBay) goes too.

Don't care about digital.

Don't care about screw mount cameras.

Don't care about rangefinders or Twin Lens Reflexes.

Just want to know others' experiences with which _35mm SLR bayonette
mount _film_ _ cameras, from any era, that are still reliable after
many years of use and/or abuse. Are there any? AND have you babied
your equip, use it often or beat it to heck and expose more frames
than a feature length motion picture through it?

Yes, film cameras are cheap(ish) to replace, but with older cameras
you never know what they've been though and whether you're going to
get a lemon (something bad/"sucky") or lemonade (something good/fun to
drink, though I prefer apple juice to lemonade ;-)), so if/when I get
another Pentax, Contax, Nikon or whatever, _used_, I would want it to
last a bit longer than just past opening the UPS box I got it in ;-).
Cameras are like milk, but without the expiration date written on the
top of the box so younever no what you're going to get... or for how
long you're going to be able to use it/keep it.

My window sill is pretty well filled up, don't want to add more
"decorations" to the window (or the Christmas tree ;-)) so any
suggestions would be appreciated. Cameras are for using/collecting
light, not collecting star dust.

*Yes, I've learned my lesson with water and will only drink it, bathe
in it, or swim in it from now on, sans camera ;-)

wrote:
On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.

Nikon EM - Light streaking, and, if memory serves, unreliable/"jumpy
needle syndrome" (probably due to some kind of resistor failure?

2nd Nikon EM - Bought over eBay abd sent back because of same problem
as above.

Nikon FG - Ultra bright viewfinder with easy focusing but the lever/
gears? are locked up (no its not a battery problem or a failed circuit
board as is common for this model but the gears are literally
mechanically locked up. Also bought over fleaBay (the lockup happened
a few months after I bought it a couple of years ago so was/is not
returnable).

Canon 630 - I believe it was a faulty shutter stop so the shutter no
longer opens? (its been a few years now).

Maxxum 600si - Totally my fault. It was raining and I didn't protect
it well enough. Rain + electronics = flashing "help" signal. :-( (and
yes I did try removing/reinserting the battery after the camera dried
off/I dried the camera off but with no real luck.*

Contax 167MT - Not on the sill (but still in my camera bag). Same
problem as above but happened in a swimming pool, LOL. Minor water,
not really a full dunking, dried off the electronics came back to life
fine but the shutter itself no longer opens/closes.*

Nikon F3 - Also bought on fleaBay and sent back because it kept on
winding and winding and winding during the exposure (and after it
too?), there was no catch/lock to the shutter lever/wining mechanism,
the exact oppositte problem of my locked up wind lever on my FG. Also
sent back to original owner. It was beat to crappish and cost about
$75-$80 and I'm not sure how long and by whom it was used and abused
before me no how much film went through it, anyway, up till the point
I bought it and tried it out I thought that Nikon F3s were nearly
indestructible (I had two that I had bought new in previous decades,
long since traded in on Leica gear/whatever), boy was I ever
wrong... :-(

My other 35mm SLRs (Pentax ZX-5n and MZ-S) are working fine except for
a slight problem with banding (lighter and darker areas within the
exposure due to shutter variance of speed during the exposure,
probably) in the ZX-5n which has not yet resurfaced since I got a
battery grip FG that runs off of AA batteries (maybe the shutter
problem was a power problem?).

Anyways, I've heard that there is a plastic part that really should be
metal (cutting costs?) that also causes breakdown (the kind of
breakdown I can't remember) in the ZX-5n models so it may be only a
matter of time before my ZX-5n (also bought used on fleaBay) goes too.

Don't care about digital.

Don't care about screw mount cameras.

Don't care about rangefinders or Twin Lens Reflexes.

Just want to know others' experiences with which _35mm SLR bayonette
mount _film_ _ cameras, from any era, that are still reliable after
many years of use and/or abuse. Are there any? AND have you babied
your equip, use it often or beat it to heck and expose more frames
than a feature length motion picture through it?

Yes, film cameras are cheap(ish) to replace, but with older cameras
you never know what they've been though and whether you're going to
get a lemon (something bad/"sucky") or lemonade (something good/fun to
drink, though I prefer apple juice to lemonade ;-)), so if/when I get
another Pentax, Contax, Nikon or whatever, _used_, I would want it to
last a bit longer than just past opening the UPS box I got it in ;-).
Cameras are like milk, but without the expiration date written on the
top of the box so younever no what you're going to get... or for how
long you're going to be able to use it/keep it.

My window sill is pretty well filled up, don't want to add more
"decorations" to the window (or the Christmas tree ;-)) so any
suggestions would be appreciated. Cameras are for using/collecting
light, not collecting star dust.

*Yes, I've learned my lesson with water and will only drink it, bathe
in it, or swim in it from now on, sans camera ;-)

Well, I have two Ricoh XR-X´s from 1980´s that suffer from sticky
mirror, I know I should have them serviced but I really have not
bothered. An older (late 1970´s) Ricoh XR-2 works fine and has never
given any trouble. I also have a Pentax MZ-5n that works fine. My oldest
(1976) is a Pentax KX, fully mechanical camera that is built like tank
and works fine. My flagship, so to say, is a Pentax PZ-1p (middle
1990´s?) that also works fine.

Väinö Louekari

Some camera experiences:

My Minolta X-700 is still ticking and I go through about 25 rolls/year,
but after a couple severe drops onto concrete, some of the LEDs in the
viewfinder are no longer functioning. I just bought another one on
Craigslist for $25 because it was too good of a deal to pass up. Good
cameras, but I wouldn't consider them something that will last forever.

I have a Minolta SRT-101 that is bulletproof. Handed down from my
dad. Never failed since he bought it in 1969 (but CLRed once). However
due to sentimental value, I'm no longer using it for everyday shooting.
That said, over the years, I've picked up another SRT-101 and SRT-202 on
FleaBay. One works perfectly after lightly lubricating one sticky
mirror return gear...the other needs meter recalibration when I have time
to tackle this project. As much as I love these bricks, the X-700 cameras
are just lighter and easier to use. However I keep these around because I
know that they will last forever whereas I expect my two X-700s to
eventually fail in the electronics department.

Before acquiring my first X-700, I bought a Minolta XD-5 on FleaBaby that
failed after a couple months. Electronics shot. Not fixable. I won't go
near the XD series due to widespread electronics failures of the hIC
circuit.

My mother's Canon Elan II flaked out after a couple years of light use.

I think if you get a nice mechnical workhorse that isn't beat up, and get
the thing serviced by a competent repair shop, I don't see why it wouldn't
hold up to heavy use and last a long time. I think the big problem is
that people knowledgeable about mechnanical cameras will eventually
disappear. But thats why I acquired a couple SRT cameras to try and learn
some of this myself. Cheap cameras with lots of online documentation on
how to fix common problems.

Of course my 35mm shooting really is dwindling...

--Mike


On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:57:53 -0700, contaxman wrote:

On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.

Nikon EM - Light streaking, and, if memory serves, unreliable/"jumpy
needle syndrome" (probably due to some kind of resistor failure?

2nd Nikon EM - Bought over eBay abd sent back because of same problem
as above.

Nikon FG - Ultra bright viewfinder with easy focusing but the lever/
gears? are locked up (no its not a battery problem or a failed circuit
board as is common for this model but the gears are literally
mechanically locked up. Also bought over fleaBay (the lockup happened
a few months after I bought it a couple of years ago so was/is not
returnable).

Canon 630 - I believe it was a faulty shutter stop so the shutter no
longer opens? (its been a few years now).

Maxxum 600si - Totally my fault. It was raining and I didn't protect
it well enough. Rain + electronics = flashing "help" signal. :-( (and
yes I did try removing/reinserting the battery after the camera dried
off/I dried the camera off but with no real luck.*

Contax 167MT - Not on the sill (but still in my camera bag). Same
problem as above but happened in a swimming pool, LOL. Minor water,
not really a full dunking, dried off the electronics came back to life
fine but the shutter itself no longer opens/closes.*

Nikon F3 - Also bought on fleaBay and sent back because it kept on
winding and winding and winding during the exposure (and after it
too?), there was no catch/lock to the shutter lever/wining mechanism,
the exact oppositte problem of my locked up wind lever on my FG. Also
sent back to original owner. It was beat to crappish and cost about
$75-$80 and I'm not sure how long and by whom it was used and abused
before me no how much film went through it, anyway, up till the point
I bought it and tried it out I thought that Nikon F3s were nearly
indestructible (I had two that I had bought new in previous decades,
long since traded in on Leica gear/whatever), boy was I ever
wrong... :-(

My other 35mm SLRs (Pentax ZX-5n and MZ-S) are working fine except for
a slight problem with banding (lighter and darker areas within the
exposure due to shutter variance of speed during the exposure,
probably) in the ZX-5n which has not yet resurfaced since I got a
battery grip FG that runs off of AA batteries (maybe the shutter
problem was a power problem?).

Anyways, I've heard that there is a plastic part that really should be
metal (cutting costs?) that also causes breakdown (the kind of
breakdown I can't remember) in the ZX-5n models so it may be only a
matter of time before my ZX-5n (also bought used on fleaBay) goes too.

Don't care about digital.

Don't care about screw mount cameras.

Don't care about rangefinders or Twin Lens Reflexes.

Just want to know others' experiences with which _35mm SLR bayonette
mount _film_ _ cameras, from any era, that are still reliable after
many years of use and/or abuse. Are there any? AND have you babied
your equip, use it often or beat it to heck and expose more frames
than a feature length motion picture through it?

Yes, film cameras are cheap(ish) to replace, but with older cameras
you never know what they've been though and whether you're going to
get a lemon (something bad/"sucky") or lemonade (something good/fun to
drink, though I prefer apple juice to lemonade ;-)), so if/when I get
another Pentax, Contax, Nikon or whatever, _used_, I would want it to
last a bit longer than just past opening the UPS box I got it in ;-).
Cameras are like milk, but without the expiration date written on the
top of the box so younever no what you're going to get... or for how
long you're going to be able to use it/keep it.

My window sill is pretty well filled up, don't want to add more
"decorations" to the window (or the Christmas tree ;-)) so any
suggestions would be appreciated. Cameras are for using/collecting
light, not collecting star dust.

*Yes, I've learned my lesson with water and will only drink it, bathe
in it, or swim in it from now on, sans camera ;-)

wrote in message
ps.com...
On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.


snip

My first camera, back when I was in high school (graduated in '74) was a
Canon FX. I traded one of my father's rifles for it-- dad quit hunting years
before!
At a high school reunion a couple years ago, someone made the comment that I
was always going around the school with "that damn camera". I pulled out
that same "damn camera" and took his picture!

I have since started collecting Canon FX cameras. I am amazed at how much
better condition my old camera is in compared to some of the cameras I've
purchased. Typical problems include film counter not working, mirror locks
up at firing and doesn't return until film is wound, lenses not stopping
down entirely or at all at firing, shutter speeds off particularly at very
fast or very slow speeds.

On Jul 21, 11:53 am, "Ken Hart" wrote:
wrote in message

ps.com...

On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.

snip

My first camera, back when I was in high school (graduated in '74) was a
Canon FX. I traded one of my father's rifles for it-- dad quit hunting years
before!
At a high school reunion a couple years ago, someone made the comment that I
was always going around the school with "that damn camera". I pulled out
that same "damn camera" and took his picture!

I have since started collecting Canon FX cameras. I am amazed at how much
better condition my old camera is in compared to some of the cameras I've
purchased. Typical problems include film counter not working, mirror locks
up at firing and doesn't return until film is wound, lenses not stopping
down entirely or at all at firing, shutter speeds off particularly at very
fast or very slow speeds.

Thanks ALL, for your comments so far, I really appreciate it. Keep 'em
coming!*

I went for the F3 because it was the lightest/smallest of the pro
Nikon series and had aperture priority. The F4 is big beautiful (in a
rugged sort of way) and quite heavy. I have used it and after awhile
of portable shooting I need a third arm just to prop up one of my
other arms ;-). The reason I went with the EM, FG and F3 were that
they were smaller (relative to other Nikons) Nikon cameras that took
my excelent Series E 50/1.8 (I know, its not multi-coated but
_excellently_ sharp wide open and with pleasing complex bokeh (it
tends to blur out backgrounds/background details with more"fuzziness"
than other 50s of similar wide open aperture).

By the way, I failed to mention that my first pre-owned Nikon EM's
light streaking was due to shutter problems, _not_ from the camera
back/etc.

I have held/most likely fired off Minolta SRTs and they are like large
well built mechanical bricks but the only lenses I still have (or
want) are left over AF lenses for the Maxxum series so, though I
appreciate their ruggedness, the MD (or before) MF lenses are not on
my used shopping list. Most likely I will shop around for used bodies
of the lenses I already own/plant to use - Pentax, Contax (AE and MM)
andNikon and possibly, if I ever get the urge again, Maxxum bodies.

I am familiar with the Canon EF, not the FX. Was the FX Canon's manual
exposure/mechanical camera that took breech mount lenses? Glad yours
is still working for you :-).

Thanks again ALL and keep those comments and experiences coming :-)*

*It's Deja Vu all over again again.

Regards,

Lewis (and CSNY)

wrote in message ps.com...


I used to shoot a canon F1n (later model starting in the 80's) and it is a seriously solid
piece_a_nugget! Completely professional level of hardware. There only leedle discrep-
ency... the F1n's shutter is rated at 100,000 shots compared to the Nikon F3's 150,000
shots, and is made of titanium foil curtain of horizontal travel like the old cloth type. No
mirror lock up because of a very high-end shock absorption system for the mirror...

I shot hyper close macro of antique US stamps, 50 1.4 reversed onto a 80-200 two touch
zoom, totaly sharp as my chisels, with which a doctor could operate. This camera takes
a common silver 6 volt battery.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...ypage =search

And the old 70's SSC (Canon's own "super spectra coatings") breachlock lenses are the
same quality, glass and sharpness equal to the best German, yet great color depth and
perfect contrast.

http://photography.search.ebay.com/S...nsifQQsbrsrtZd

Owner's manual pdf: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/canon/c.../canon_f-1.htm


....hope this helps and good luck in your hunt,

--
})))* Giant_Alex
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

I am familiar with the Canon EF, not the FX. Was the FX Canon's manual
exposure/mechanical camera that took breech mount lenses? Glad yours
is still working for you :-).


Breechlock and FD mounts are the same, they work differently on the lens.
AAvK

AAvK wrote:
I am familiar with the Canon EF, not the FX. Was the FX Canon's manual
exposure/mechanical camera that took breech mount lenses? Glad yours
is still working for you :-).


Breechlock and FD mounts are the same, they work differently on the lens.
AAvK

Yes, I know. Also some people thought the breechlock mount lenses were
more rugged/less likely to fal off than the latter FD mount. Though I
did have a plastic piece of sh*t 35-70 FD from the '80s (on a T70)
whose _front_ part of the lens fell off, not the back/mount.
Fortunately I was able to snap/screw it back on again.

Ok, I'll rephrase that...

Was the FX Canon's manual exposure/mechanical camera _from the
breechlock mount era_ that took breech mount lenses?

On Jul 21, 4:57 am, wrote:
On my window sill, as "decorations", like fallen soldiers, sit the
conked out, worn out, shells of camera bodies from the late '70s
through the late '90s. All met an untimely demise for different
reasons. Some were "pre-owned" and others I bought new. Some died from
a built-in fault(s) common that brand's model, and some simply wore
out before their time. With the price of film cameras so extremely low
these days, all are uneconomical to repair vs. buying a "new" used
camera.

Nikon EM - Light streaking, and, if memory serves, unreliable/"jumpy
needle syndrome" (probably due to some kind of resistor failure?

2nd Nikon EM - Bought over eBay abd sent back because of same problem
as above.

Nikon FG - Ultra bright viewfinder with easy focusing but the lever/
gears? are locked up (no its not a battery problem or a failed circuit
board as is common for this model but the gears are literally
mechanically locked up. Also bought over fleaBay (the lockup happened
a few months after I bought it a couple of years ago so was/is not
returnable).

Canon 630 - I believe it was a faulty shutter stop so the shutter no
longer opens? (its been a few years now).

Maxxum 600si - Totally my fault. It was raining and I didn't protect
it well enough. Rain + electronics = flashing "help" signal. :-( (and
yes I did try removing/reinserting the battery after the camera dried
off/I dried the camera off but with no real luck.*

Contax 167MT - Not on the sill (but still in my camera bag). Same
problem as above but happened in a swimming pool, LOL. Minor water,
not really a full dunking, dried off the electronics came back to life
fine but the shutter itself no longer opens/closes.*

Nikon F3 - Also bought on fleaBay and sent back because it kept on
winding and winding and winding during the exposure (and after it
too?), there was no catch/lock to the shutter lever/wining mechanism,
the exact oppositte problem of my locked up wind lever on my FG. Also
sent back to original owner. It was beat to crappish and cost about
$75-$80 and I'm not sure how long and by whom it was used and abused
before me no how much film went through it, anyway, up till the point
I bought it and tried it out I thought that Nikon F3s were nearly
indestructible (I had two that I had bought new in previous decades,
long since traded in on Leica gear/whatever), boy was I ever
wrong... :-(

My other 35mm SLRs (Pentax ZX-5n and MZ-S) are working fine except for
a slight problem with banding (lighter and darker areas within the
exposure due to shutter variance of speed during the exposure,
probably) in the ZX-5n which has not yet resurfaced since I got a
battery grip FG that runs off of AA batteries (maybe the shutter
problem was a power problem?).

Anyways, I've heard that there is a plastic part that really should be
metal (cutting costs?) that also causes breakdown (the kind of
breakdown I can't remember) in the ZX-5n models so it may be only a
matter of time before my ZX-5n (also bought used on fleaBay) goes too.

Don't care about digital.

Don't care about screw mount cameras.

Don't care about rangefinders or Twin Lens Reflexes.

Just want to know others' experiences with which _35mm SLR bayonette
mount _film_ _ cameras, from any era, that are still reliable after
many years of use and/or abuse. Are there any? AND have you babied
your equip, use it often or beat it to heck and expose more frames
than a feature length motion picture through it?

Yes, film cameras are cheap(ish) to replace, but with older cameras
you never know what they've been though and whether you're going to
get a lemon (something bad/"sucky") or lemonade (something good/fun to
drink, though I prefer apple juice to lemonade ;-)), so if/when I get
another Pentax, Contax, Nikon or whatever, _used_, I would want it to
last a bit longer than just past opening the UPS box I got it in ;-).
Cameras are like milk, but without the expiration date written on the
top of the box so younever no what you're going to get... or for how
long you're going to be able to use it/keep it.

My window sill is pretty well filled up, don't want to add more
"decorations" to the window (or the Christmas tree ;-)) so any
suggestions would be appreciated. Cameras are for using/collecting
light, not collecting star dust.

*Yes, I've learned my lesson with water and will only drink it, bathe
in it, or swim in it from now on, sans camera ;-)


My very first camera was a Minolta XG1. That camera was taken all
over wherever I went. A small camera that was well built. It never
failed me. I still have it, and it still works perfectly though I
never use it. It's more of a sentimental piece than anything else.
http://www.photoethnography.com/Clas...html~mainFrame
Helen