[Alex1994]

If you want to be a total purist and want some serious quality and versatility (bang for your buck) get a used 35mm film SLR. Bear with me on this one: 200-300 pounds buys you a LOT of film camera: hang around ffordes photographic or eBay for some bargains (LCE is also good). You can get an Olympus OM (damn good SLR) for 80 pounds, working order and 50mm Zuiko kit lens. Then shop around for more lenses that take your fancy: 28mm, 35mm and loads and loads of telephotos-all by the legendary Zuiko. Nikon Fs, Canon A-1s, Minolta XEs and Pentax Spotmatics are also popular and fine, rugged cameras.

Older manual film cameras are what I am using to educate myself in the finer points of exposure, focus, depth of field, composition etc. It's a far more 'hands on' way of learning--a learner today will find themselves pressing a button and nothing more. With a good old manual SLR you will really, truly see what you are photographing, how a photograph comes to be; you know the shutter speed, you can modify it, along with the aperture with easy-to-reach and read controls. What's more, this manual approach means that when you get a decent shot (which you certainly will) you'll feel a lot prouder.

Don't be afraid about getting an antique that doesn't work: back in the day cameras were built to last, and it wasn't unusual to find robust metal construction on cheap compacts from the USSR, let alone a high-end Japanese (or German if you have the money) SLR. The quality on some older cameras really is outstanding; to this day the f stops on my 30 pound Yashica rangefinder click into place with an air of precision and the focussing ring turns with unerring smoothness.


'Grumpy old man rant mode off'

Alex