Good 35mm Vintage Cameras?
I'm looking for a vintage camera, one that takes 35mm film, preferably under £100. Also I like the look and aesthetics of the Nikon F range, does any of them take 35mm, thanks in advance.
Uh… Nikon F series are 35mm. Check Ebay. I personally like the F3.
All Nikon SLRs use 35mm film.
You may be able to find a good used Nikon F4 (maybe the best since it can use both legacy Nikkor AI manual focus lenses as well as any current Nikkor lenses) for just a little above your £100 budget.
The Nikon F2 is a purely mechanical 35 mm camera and may be another good option for you
More on the F2
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf2/htmls/index.htm
More on the F4
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf4/htmls/index.htm
Olympus Om-1
Pentax K-1000
Canon AE-1
Nikon FM2. Purely mechanical camera (less expensive version of F2)
this was taken just around your neighborhood.
Nikon FM2 is a good budget model, the F4 is a pro model & more expensive (over your budget most likely). Either would be ideal. Both take 35mm film.
Consider also Olympus & Canon.
One that does not appear to have been fully answered here yet.
1--Do not buy from eBay or other non-camera retailer. Only buy vintage cameras from quality used camera shops who warranty their items and preferably service them also. KEH.com is a great company in the States for this but you may want to order within your own country.
2--All Nikon SLR's and Rangefinders take standard 35mm film so you have many options.
3--The Nikon F range is the professional line and is more firepower than many people need but they are indeed nice cameras. The cheapest and most popular of the F series is the F3. The original F is a little difficult to use in "normal" operation and the F2 can be more costly than the F3 but has many more viewfinder/meter options. Anything newer than the F3 is overly complicated for someone new to 35mm photography in my opinion and has far more options than are necessary.
4--I suggest looking to the FM series or Nikkormats. The FM series are cheaper than the F series, particularly the original FM of the late 1970's which is a perfect student camera. Nikkormats such as the FTn an FT2 are even cheaper but have similar build quality to the F series. They are a little bit more quirky though. So if you want a more standard style camera, the FM is perfect. The FM2n is even nicer but more costly. But if you want something that shows its vintage hip more and is more fun to use, the Nikkormat FTn or FT2 are what I'd recommend.
5--Start out with a 50mm lens, not a zoom, this will help you understand things like Depth of Field more rapidly. All the cameras I've recommended take AI (auto indexing lenses) and the Nikkormats and F2 also take Pre-AI lenses which are cheaper. Pre-AI lenses can be used on the FM and F3 but it slows down the process for metering so I do not recommend using these cameras with Pre-AI lenses.
6--Be sure to buy and read a basic 35mm photography guide so you are learning to take photos properly and not just muddling about as new shooters often do!
Enjoy your classic Nikon and the thrill of 35mm photography!
METAL AND MANUAL! FILM FOREVER!
Nikon F-series, FM and FE cameras always fetch a price premium, and with all honesty it's not worth the extra money unless you're collecting.
In terms of aesthetics, all of the 1960s and 1970s SLR cameras look and feel more or less the same.
Personally I'd go for an Olympus OM2/OM2n (they come in silver or black, I prefer black but most "cool kids" like the chrome look), they're good quality (not quite Nikon tough) and they're not exceptionally expensive, and reasonably common.
If you want to spend less money, consider something East German, typical communist strength, with German precision. Anything from the Pentacon factory will be good). You could also look at a Pentax K1000, or Canon's A-series (the AE-1/AE-1 Program is a good choice), also because of the abandonment of the FD mount Canon's professional SLR from the 1970/80's, the F-1/F-1n are both a lot less expensive, and bring Nikon F-like quality to the game.