Any old 35mm film camera fans here? Advice on buying a used Canon

[scottmandue]

Feeling nostalgic and pulled out ye old Canon T90 to take on vacation last week, much to my disappointment ye old T90 has ceased to function (batteries were clean everything looks good but will not fire up).
I'm thinking probably cheaper to just buy another old 35mm body that my Canon FD lens will work with.
Looking on eBay I see I can get a T50 for around $30-$40, I would love to pick up another T90 body but those are more like $70-$90 and obviously this is just a silly antique camera fetish I have and I don't want to throw a lot of money at it... however I do have a collection of lens I would like to keep and use.
Started with a Canon FTd, moved to a AE-1, then the T90 served me well for over a decade.

There are some other interesting options, for instance a few F-1's on eBay.

Anyone have any ideas/recommendations on a good old Canon film body?

Yeah, yeah, I know... Film is dead! What are you nuts?!? Can't you just take pictures with your phone like everyone else?!?

Just humor the old man with the camera in his hand...

BTW I shot our vacation pictures with my medium format Yashica mat... some things never die.

[flatbutt]

I know nothing of Canon but still have my Nikon F2 and F2S. Just can't get film processed easily anywhere here and forget getting a contact sheet done.

[LWJ]

There is a strong film resurgence in Portland. I get it.

[Scott Douglas]

You might take a look at this thread:

Best built mechanical SLR? - Rangefinderforum.com

...to see which Canon's are mentioned.
If it were me, I'd spend the money I would have spent on film and developing on a Sony body and get an E mount to Canon adapter. I can afford to take a lot more digital pictures than I can film these days.

[Scott Douglas]

You could always try Craigslist too, then you could see/feel/hold the camera prior to purchase.
I found this one with a quick search in the OC section:

Vintage CANON ft SLR film camera & accessories

Seems to be what you're looking for.

Or, for a few more $$'s here's an AE-1...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pho/5466238067.html

Or go whole hog and get the F-1....

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pho/5504985407.html

Here ya go, a T-50!

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pho/5507992667.html

and to make your wife happy, the budget T-50

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pho/5443601514.html

or you could step up to the T-70 and still keep her happy...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pho/5443638914.html

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Started with a Canon FTd, moved to a AE-1,

Same here. I've still got the AE-1 and sometimes look at it with a sense of loss. I loved that camera and thought of it as a forever camera. Having moved to the dark side and having a multitude of digital cameras, my photography certainly has improved and got easier.

[Scott Douglas]

This guy is looking for someone just like you Scott...

Minolta, Canon, Nikon

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I know nothing of Canon but still have my Nikon F2 and F2S. Just can't get film processed easily anywhere here and forget getting a contact sheet done.

We still have 'one hour' film shops here... heck walmart and Target will process your 35mm stuff around here.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

or you could step up to the T-70 and still keep her happy...

CANON T70 35mm SLR Camera Body

Had a T70 picked out on eBay for $36!

Bit of a drive but worth it... I will drag a lens and some batteries with me.

Thanks!

[masraum]

My dad had an AE-1 when I was 9 or 10. I never got to use it, but after our house was robbed, it was replaced with an AE-1 Program. I did get to use that, but only in Program mode. I loved that camera, and I think I brought it home after he died. I have my first camera which was an EOS 630. My daughter took a photography class about 5-8 years ago that required film cameras. She took my old 630 to a shop, had it cleaned up and checked out and used it for the class. I have an EOS Rebel XT (first digital camera) and an EOS 60D. We took a vacation to the Amazon river several years ago. 99.99% of the photos that I took were from a small boat that was carrying about 8-9 people in fairly dark conditions, mostly with a 100-400mm zoom lens. I am very glad that I had a digital camera. I took about 7500 photos over 2 weeks. Of those 7500, about 1500 turned out in a way that I'm happy with whether because the shot was out of focus or I only got the tail of the bird that had been there or I had the settings off (I used all Av or Tv on the trip) and over or under exposed. I can't imagine if I had been using film. I'd have needed an extra suitcase just for film.

Still, it would be pretty cool to still shoot some black and white and develop it at home, which is something that I've never done.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by masraum

Still, it would be pretty cool to still shoot some black and white and develop it at home, which is something that I've never done.

I started out at a teen when I stumbled across an old enlarger in my parents garage and a few books on photography. The equipment was very old and crude plus I was mostly faking it but somehow managed to teach myself and get some prints.

Dang you... now I'm looking at EOS 630's! I will have to look up to see if they will take my old FD lens.

Edit: No, doesn't look like the EOS takes FD lens... going to check out the pawn shop on Sunday, hard to beat a $20 camera.

[Scott Douglas]

Be sure to call ahead and make sure they're open Scott, and that they still have the camera. Might save yourself a trip if you do.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Be sure to call ahead and make sure they're open Scott, and that they still have the camera. Might save yourself a trip if you do.

Yeah, it is an hour drive for me... just called and the T70 is still there and they are open Sunday.

[strath44]

Canon T90 - fear not!

The Canon T90 has a known fault through age and lack of use, due to an internal battery going. If you have a google you will find out about it, yours can be repaired and if its a clean example it would be worth fixing rather than getting another with the same fault! Unfortunately the internal battery isn't a simple swap out it needs stripping down, there are a few guides with work arounds you could try to revive it first!

My first job at 16 was in a camera shop, I bought an A1 then a T90 with my pay both of which I sold and longed for many other cameras.

Now for very little money I pick up the odd camera on ebay that I couldn't affoard back in the day including; a nikon f90x, nikon f100, nikon fm2n, some rollei's, a canon t90, a canon ae1, a canon a1 and the list goes on......They cost nothing because nobody wants them and the make my office a tad more interesting!

[strath44]

not the best video but you get the idea!

http://youtu.be/XAmskR_ncFg

[Cajundaddy]

Had an FTb, AE-1, and EOS Elan with a drawer full of lenses. Lotta great shots over the years but just can't imagine going back to 35mm format at this point.

Find or fix your T series and have fun!

[Bill Douglas]

Ha, I traveled with a backpack around Africa and Europe with a FTb. People teased me about it's size and weight. To win the debate I said "Hell, I use it to bang tent pegs in." LOL.

[Arizona_928]

Next item on the list is enlarger, and all the processing equipment.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

Next item on the list is enlarger, and all the processing equipment.

Don't forget to recover the silver! (if B&W)

[Scott Douglas]

Scott- How did the T70 turn out?