this was my first film camera and i picked it after doing a ton of research specifically because it's loud and heavy and i wanted something that felt old school, but it's also just the right amount of automatic with aperture and shutter priority. these are famously reliable with a big backlog of really cheap and great quality lenses to choose from. bodies w/lenses are easily found way less than $200. my favorite part is the focusing screen--it is the brightest, clearest, most completely idiotproof manual focusing i've ever used in a camera. there's also a little indicator that tells you when you've loaded the film correctly and tells you how far through the camera it is so you don't have to worry about screwing it up! also, if you get your settings really wrong, if you're in one of the auto modes the camera will override you and pick the closest suitable setting to hopefully rescue the picture. the xd11, xd-7, and xd-s are all the same camera with different names for regions--i got the xd-s just because it has a diopter and i have glasses, but the others are cheaper and easier to find.
Itโll run you ~$100 but I love this point and shoot, and it doesnโt require batteries! But film is expensive. Iโd recommend sticking to Kentmere B&W. Digital is 100% cheaper but I donโt have good inexpensive suggestions. I go all in on the highend ๐ You could always try to find my first ever camera: the Kodak MC3
- TINY
- ONE BUTTON
(LITERALLY CANT FUCK IT UP)
- NO BATTERIES
limitations: 100 & 400 iso film only, infinity focusโanything closer than 5ft will be blurry.
If you want more flexibility, I recommend the Olympus XA4. Wider lens, zone focusing (with macro). Requires a battery tho.
Make sure to get the flash with either model.
