Collecting and Using Classic 35mm SLRs
by:Bill Smith
Still a film shooter and your autofocus SLR is not providing the thrills it used to or you are a digital shooter who wants to try another format? A manual focus Single Lens Reflex camera with some prime lenses can provide a new challenge for a reasonable cost.
A really brief History
The 35mm SLR as we know it was invented by the German Firm Exacta in 1936. By and large along with the Zeiss Conteflex, it was the only firm offering this technology up to mid to late 1950’s. With the entrance of Japanese Camera and optical companies like Asahi Pentax with the Model S, Minolta SR-2 and in 1959 with Nippon Kogaku with the legendary Nikon F in 1959 the industry changed forever.
Early 35mm SLRs came without built in meters. Until the mid 1960’s, accessory meters clipped on top of the prism. The great leap forward came with the introduction of the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic and the Topcon Super D in 1964 offering through the lens metering for the first time.
The 1970’s saw the introduction of electronic shutters and aperture priority cameras like the Olympus OM-2, Canon AE-1, Minolta XE-7 and the Nikon FE. Further leaps in technology came with Minolta XD-11 with not only aperture priority but also shutter priority and the OM-2n with “off the film” metering.
The 1980’s saw the introduction of more use of plastics in the body and lens construction plus the introduction of spot metering in the Olympus OM-3 and OM-4.
So, What Should I Buy?
This is a loaded question because there is no one correct answer. For about $600 you can buy a whole system ready to go. I am going to recommend a few cameras to look at:
Nikon FM (2), Nikon FE (2) Nikon F, Nikon F2, and the Nikkormat FTn
Canon F1, FT QL, the AE1 and AE1 Program
Minolta SRT 101, SRT 202, XE-7 and XD-11
Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F, K1000, KX, MX
Olympus OM-1n, OM-2n
Bear in mind some models from Canon and Nikon (F1 and F respectively) can fall into the collectable category depending on the serial number and configuration thus commanding a premium. If you find a Nikon F at a garage sale with a serial number starting with 640, just grab it.
The Nikon Nikkor F mount lenses made in the late 1970’s onwards and Pentax Takumar K mount lenses can be used on Nikon and Pentax DSLRs. There will be some differences in the focal length due the sensor. Olympus lenses can be used on the E-Volt 4/3 system with and adapter. So some old lens systems are orphans (Canon FD and the Minolta MC/MD mounts) and others can be used on your DSLR, pays to do research.
What if I find a cool camera in the Wild?
There are bargains out there to be had at garage/estate sales, camera shows, pawn shops or from relatives, what you want to make sure you are getting something that can be restored.
What to look for on the lens:
The condition of the front and rear elements, are there any scratches, dust and the real concern fungus which does permanent damage to the glass.
Oil the aperture blades. The best condition is the blades to be dry; oil will slow down the action. Cleaning oil off the blades is an expensive fix it might be easier and cheaper to replace than repair depending on the lens.
What to look for with the camera body:
Corrosion on the exterior and interior of the camera body.
Check the battery compartment, does it have any corrosion? Are there any batteries in the camera (Canon AE-1, Nikon FE, Minolta XE-7 and XD-11 need batteries to function)
Fire off the shutter to see if all the speeds work.
Open the back, continue firing the shutter to see if it is working properly
Inspect the rear seals, they will be on the grooves along the top and bottom and both ends of the body, if gummy they have to be replaced.
Look through the viewfinder does the prism need cleaning, are the mirrors in good shape, not de-silvering.
Take the lens off the body. Is the mirror clean, is the mirror foam intact (or still present)
My brother found a Minolta XE-7 with a 50mm prime lens at a garage sale for $25 (a lot of camera for little money), the camera however needed some work. Most cameras 15 years or older will require what’s called a Clean Align and Lubrication (CLA) They go for on average about $120 if no parts require replacing, if the camera has no built in meter, it is cheaper at about $80-90.
A camera tech when performing a CLA on the camera will tear it apart, clean the parts, lubricate all moving pieces, adjust the shutter, test the meter and recalibrate to accept silver oxide batteries (mercury oxide batteries are banned in North America and the EU) and replace the light seals. After this process, you don’t have to worry about it for 15 years.
Why do some cameras cost a lot of money?
Some cameras command a premium on the used market, as mentioned earlier and I was not kidding about the Nikon F with the 640 serial number at the Garage sale. Some cases early serial numbers in a production run fetch a price far higher than later examples for example the 31st Nikon F ever made will fetch a price around $20,000 US while a mid period model can be found for about $200 US. There have been limited runs of Cameras with special features made for a specific market, i.e. the Nikon F3P (Press) for photojournalists. Some brands have a storied history like the German Brand Leica and take quality control seriously and have a lower production run. Some cameras were sales failures when they were introduced onto the market.
Shooting and collecting Classic 35mm SLRs is fun and cheaper than owning a vintage Porsche. With come careful research you can find a really nice camera with a lot of life left in it and they are great conversation starters.
Bill Smith ( Oakville, Ontario, Canada)
Bill's work on Flickr
References
Early ASAHI-PENTAX Collection and History
Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page
All photographs on this page by MIR