Vivitar 3800n versus Nikon n60 35mm?

I'm currently using the vivitar 3800n in my photography class but at times I find it inconvenient to have to pull away and crank the lever to advance the film. It messes up any attempt at bracketing near perfectly. My class is black and white photography class and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on which of the two cameras is better. I was debating buying my own Nikon n60 which seem to be fairly cheap, or borrowing the one from school which has restrictions on the length of time it can be out which can be inconvenient if i don't finish shooting a whole roll of film.

I have read that the nikon n60 doesn't have light metering available in manual mode which sounded worrisome but after seeing quite a few photos on deviantart taken with a nikon n60, it doesn't appear to be a problem. I'm not sure if they were shot in auto or manual mode though.

If you're concerned about having a light meter that works in manual mode, you might want to look at the N65 instead. I believe it goes for around the same prices as the N60, if not slightly cheaper. You should not see a significant difference in quality between the two bodies.

Those models are also known as the F60 and F65 in other parts of the world. You may find them at lower prices under those names. If you choose the N65, you might find it worthwhile to pick up the MB-17 AA battery grip. It takes 4 AA batteries, which are much less expensive than the CR2's it was designed to take.

Have you tried using a tripod while attempting to bracket shots? I find mine invaluable for the times when I need my camera to remain perfectly still for a shot or three.

I think you're a bit confused about the manual film advance. If you are shooting with your right eye, as most do, you shouldn't have a problem advancing the film with your eye still at the finder. But even if you do, buying a camera with built-in motor drive is not going to change how easily you can bracket. Auto advance will still take a moment to advance and you will still need to reset the exposure before doing so. If you want to bracket a scene and keep perfect composition, you should be using a tripod, Simply buying a camera that advances more quickly is not going to change anything.

You also seem to be confused about metering. Any problem that is going to occur from the camera not having metering in manual mode is not going to result in people posting photos that look any different. The problem is going to be that it is harder and slower to use manual mode instead of auto exposure. So most people with these cameras are going to use auto exposure. And you're not supposed to be using auto exposure for photography class because that defeats the point of learning basic manual photography.

If you really want to get another body with auto advance, I would suggest buying a Pentax MZ series camera (because the lenses will be compatible with your Vivitar. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to buy into another lens system at the stage in photographer where you're at. Pentax made many, very nice and affordable manual focus lenses such as the 50mm 1.7 SMC-M.

But if you really want to get into Nikon I would suggest buying a body that you can grow with, to which you can attach a motor drive when you want to use one, such as the Nikon FM, FE, FM2n or FE2. You can use an MD-11 or MD-12 motordrive on these cameras simply by screwing them into the bottom of the camera. Or you can remove it when you don't want that function. These cameras are built much better than the n60 and will last longer. They also cost more, and you'll have to buy the drive and lens too, but if you're going to buy a second camera, in a new lens system, it may as well be an actual upgrade, right?

Or you could just hold onto the Vivitar and buy a tripod, since having one will help you bracket and hold the same composition.

Last option though, go ahead and buy the n60. But expect to eventually get annoyed that you don't have metering in manual mode, that the camera has no resale value and you'll probably want to get something nicer later (if it doesn't break!)

Whatever you choose to buy, I highly recommend buying from KEH.com or PennCamera.com.