Film cameras from the 1970s and 1980s are old enough that every copy has a history, and the copy you get
matters more than the model you pick. A well-kept AE-1 Program beats a neglected FM2. The ranking
assumes a working copy of each. Most of this page is about telling a working copy from one that only
looks like it.
All six are scored on the tech axes, with durability carrying the most weight.
Value is judged against today’s used prices, and usability includes what happens when the battery dies
or the right one isn’t sold anymore. The method is on how we rank.
No shutter count, so ask for a video
Film bodies keep no count of their shots. The nearest substitute is a short video of the shutter firing
at 1 second, 1/60, and the top speed. A slow speed that hangs, or a top speed that sounds no different
from 1/60, means the shutter needs service.
Three more checks are worth a photo each. Point the camera from a bright window to a dark corner and the
meter needle or LEDs should move. Take the battery cover off and look for green or white crust from an
old cell that leaked. Open the back and look at the foam light seals. Sticky or crumbling foam is a cheap
fix, but it tells you nobody has serviced the camera.
Reading the listing, not just the photos
“For parts or not working” is eBay’s own condition for broken gear, and these sell that way for a
reason. “Untested” and “as-is” usually mean the same thing in film cameras. Either the seller
tried it and it failed, or they never tried. Price either one as a body that needs repair.
“CLA’d”, short for clean, lubricate, adjust, is the opposite signal. A listing that names the shop
and the date is worth paying for, especially on a mechanical body (more in the FAQ below).
Japanese export sellers supply a large share of the best-looking listings. Buyers who use them often say
the grades run high. “Near Mint” and “Exc+5” tell you less than the flaws list and the viewfinder photo.
eBay’s Money Back Guarantee protects you if the camera doesn’t match the listing. But a listing that
discloses a fault is, by eBay’s definition, accurate.
Search terms worth adding
- body only when you already have lenses, or w/ 50mm for a starter kit that often costs barely more.
- CLA, serviced, or new seals to bring the work already done to the top.
- tested with film to find sellers who shot a roll rather than only firing it empty.
- -parts -repair -untested to clear out the gambles.
The order, in pairs
The two Nikons lead on performance and on durability that repair shops vouch for. The FM2 is the safer
buy, because nothing electronic stands between you and an exposure. The FE2 is easier to shoot day to day.
Both cost more than anything else here, and their value scores show it.
The OM-1 and K1000 are both mechanical and both durable. The OM-1 wins on design and loses ground to its
meter’s battery problem. The K1000 is tougher but plainer, and its fame has pushed the price above what
its features justify.
The AE-1 Program and X-700 are the easiest cameras here for a beginner, thanks to program mode. Both sit
at the bottom for the same reason: a well-known fault and heavy dependence on a battery.
Which body for which roll
A first film camera. The AE-1 Program if you’d like the camera to handle exposure at first. The K1000
if the point is learning exposure yourself.
Travel and cold weather. The OM-1 is the smallest body to carry. The FM2 keeps shooting when cold
batteries quit.
Lenses you’ll use on digital later. Nikon F lenses mount on Nikon’s Z bodies with Nikon’s own adapter.
FD, OM, and MD lenses need a simple third-party adapter for a used mirrorless body,
which is often how these lenses earn their keep.
What film costs you
Every roll costs money to buy and develop, and neither cost is going down. If interchangeable lenses and
manual control are what draw you, a mirrorless body gives you both. A film camera earns its place when
the slow pace and the look of the negatives are the point.
Questions people ask
- How can I tell if a used film camera has light leaks?
- Open the back and look at the foam strips in the grooves along the edges and around the hinge. If they're sticky, crumbling, or missing, light can leak onto the film, showing up as orange or red streaks on the negatives. Replacement kits are inexpensive and the job takes an evening with a toothpick and solvent. On cameras with prism foam, like the OM-1, that piece matters more, because degraded foam can damage the prism.
- What does fungus or haze in a viewfinder or lens look like?
- Fungus looks like thin branching threads or spider webs inside the glass, best seen by shining a flashlight through it. Haze is a uniform cloudy film that lowers contrast. Light haze in a viewfinder is cosmetic, but fungus in a lens tends to spread and can etch the coatings. Ask the seller for flashlight photos through the lens, and pass on any listing that shows threads.
- Do these cameras still need batteries, and are they easy to find?
- All six use a battery for the meter. The FM2, OM-1, and K1000 fire at every shutter speed without one. The FE2 falls back to a mechanical 1/250 and Bulb, and the X-700 to a single mechanical setting at 1/1000. The AE-1 Program doesn't fire at all without power. The Nikons, Pentax, and Minolta take common SR44 or LR44 cells, the Canon a 6-volt 4LR44, and the OM-1 was designed for a banned mercury cell that now needs a substitute.
- Is a CLA worth it on a camera that already works?
- A CLA (clean, lubricate, adjust) is a full service by a repair technician. On a camera that has sat unused for decades, old lubricant can gum up shutter timing, so a body that works today may drift tomorrow. Listings that mention a recent CLA cost more and are usually worth the difference, especially on mechanical bodies like the FM2 and OM-1 that respond well to service.
- What lens should I start with?
- A 50mm prime from the same maker: the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI-S, Canon FD 50mm f/1.8, Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7, Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, or Minolta MD 50mm f/1.7. These were the standard kit lenses, so they are plentiful, sharp, and cheap. Kit listings that bundle one with the body often cost little more than the body alone.