What would you choose for a first camera?
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about choosing a first film SLR.
And very often people recommend classic “legendary” cameras like Canon AE-1, Pentax K1000, Nikon F2, etc.
Sure, they look cool and have that vintage charm. But most of them are 40–50 years old at this point. Fully manual operation combined with age-related issues and quirks can easily ruin the experience for beginners.
On the other hand, some people suggest more modern autofocus cameras like Canon EOS film cameras, Nikon F801 / Nikon F80, Minolta Dynax series, etc.
They may feel more “plastic”, but they’re much newer, more reliable, and way more predictable.
Personally, I’ve been leaning toward the latter. A relatively modern AF SLR is just so much easier to live with compared to older fully mechanical bodies. And often cheaper too.
What would you choose for a first camera?