Inexpensive Canon film body for long exposures

[mwgrice]

Anyone out there have any recommendations for an inexpensive Canon film body? I'm thinking of getting one for long exposures. I think the K2 and the T2 are relatively new and cheap, and it looks like they'd accept my 24-70mm f/2.8L.

[jdryan3]

I have an old Canon Rebel G (not Ti or 2000) that takes all my EF lenses, including the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS. It is the predecessor to the K2. K2 is only $134 @ B+H. If you want to go less expensive, you may have to go to e-bay or the used section of your local camera store.

[pathfinder]

Not sure what your criteria for inexpensive is, nor how important a film body is to you.

The Canon EOS 3 is an excellent film body and you can probably find them used rather reasonable. They are excellent with great AF.

[mwgrice]

Under $200 is what I would consider inexpensive. This is a good start, thanks.

[Justiceiro]

If you are doing super long film exposures, do you necessarily need a canon body?

More and more, if I decide to go through the extra effort of using film, I find 35mm a bit unsatisfying. You can pick up some quality medium format gear for a nice price.

My personal experience is with Pentacons and Flexarets. I currently use a pentacon 6 TL with an 80mm Carl Zeiss Jena. You can pick one up on ebay for, likely, around $150-$250 dollars.

The advantages are that the CZ glass is often very good, I use a pentacon 6/canon adaptor to mount some of my glass to my 20d body- I did this a lot more with my 300mm before I got the 70-300 IS. Once you develop a medium format neg you will find it hard to go back.
There are also disadvantages.

The 300mm lens weighs a lot. The whole Camera can be tough to carry around. A flexaret or other TLR, however, isn't so bad.


Frame spacing is an issue of you aren't very gentle with the film advance lever. (again, this is an issue peculiar to the pentacon 6).


If you are doing primarily wide angle shots, I really would consider a rolleicord, or a Yashica MAT, or something like that. Very easy to use- no film advance problems, good glass, and economical. If I wad doing it again, knowing what I know now, I would probably go this route. The fact is, that a MF SLR just isn't worth the weight to me anymore- although I am now emotionally attached to my Penti, because we've travelled some interesting roads together.

http://justiceiro.smugmug.com/photos/52233336-M.jpg

Couldn't possibly sell it, even for a sexier model.

Here are a few shots that I took with my medium format, from scanned negs (the actual photos are better quality:

http://justiceiro.smugmug.com/photos/74734827-M.jpg

http://justiceiro.smugmug.com/photos/74734844-M.jpg

Here's a few digital shots I took using the lenses with adaptors:

Orestogor 300mm
http://justiceiro.smugmug.com/photos/64396084-M.jpg

http://justiceiro.smugmug.com/photos/64396085-M.jpg

CZ JEna 80mm

http://justiceiro.smugmug.com/photos/54249487-M.jpg


My Flexaret was stolen a few years ago, but the meopta glass was comparable.

Anyway, jsut my $0.02

[mwgrice]

It wouldn't have to be a Canon body--I was just thinking that a Canon body would be reasonably cheap and I wouldn't need to buy any more lenses.

The funny thing is that my wife just found an old Nikon EM in the basement. My dad bought it for me in high school, and I had completely forgotten about it. ("You can be pretty oblivious sometimes," my wife says.)

I guess I'll find out if it still works tomorrow. If I remember correctly, I had some mechanical problems with it when I was just of college.

The nice thing about this particular camera is that apparently you can run it in bulb mode without the battery. So as long as the shutter works I can still give it a try.

[surly]

The nice thing about this particular camera is that apparently you can run it in bulb mode without the battery. So as long as the shutter works I can still give it a try.

Good catch. Newer Canons will eat your batteries if you go for thos looong night shots

[gus]

Ebay is full of AE-1's. (http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2 F&fkr=1&from=R8&satitle=AE-1&category0=) I have one & whilst its 25 years old its still a great body.

[ian408]

What type of long exposure are you contemplating?

I've seen 12hour exposures from 1dsMkII bodies (star trails) and
Nikon digital bodies. I'm certain additional post processing, like
noise ninja, was done.

[Crismateski]

Anyone out there have any recommendations for an inexpensive Canon film body? I'm thinking of getting one for long exposures. I think the K2 and the T2 are relatively new and cheap, and it looks like they'd accept my 24-70mm f/2.8L.


I had the elen 7e, and loved it. I have seen them going on ebay for about $100