After warning you about some SLR lameness you ought to avoid, a couple months ago I ran a post about desirable 35mm classics with manual exposure controls.
Today we’re back for the autoexposure models. Again, this isn’t some list of “the ultimate” in 35mm SLRs. These are just some decent, compact, accessible models that offer a solid value today. Click on any camera for a closer look.
Because camera meters can be fooled by backlight or contrasting surroundings, enthusiast shooters always wants the option to set exposure manually, based on their own judgement and experience.
But negative films have forgiving latitude in most routine situations. Autoexposure metering usually works just fine—letting you quickly grab the shot without a lot of fumbling. And here in 2015, even if the original exposure isn’t 100% perfect you can often work miracles afterwards using a scanner & image-editing software.
Adjusting the f-stop is what allows you to refine which areas of your photo are sharp versus blurred. So I’m pretty violently opposed to “program” or shutter-priority autoexposure, where the camera wants to take that control away from you.
All the models listed below use aperture-priority autoexposure (with manual override possible). Each has a viewfinder display to tell you what shutter speed the camera will use if you click the shutter, varying as you move from shadow to light.
Model name: Olympus OM-2N
Introduced: 1979
Why it’s great: For quite a few years this model was my own camera-technology sweet spot: a small and rather minimalist SLR, but one with impressive aperture-priority autoexposure. Once the shutter opens, the meter cells actually measure off the film: They’re accurate for anything from a 2-minute time exposure to instantly throttling the output of Olympus flashes (one or several). By a smidge, an OM-2 offers the largest viewfinder image of the whole group here. Olympus made many sweet OM-series lenses (like a 24/2.8 and an 85/2.0) all harmonizing with the compact and elegant styling of the body itself.
Versions & cousins: The perfectly-usable 1975 OM-2 only got a minor revision for the the later “N” version. Both 2’s bring autoexposure to the classic OM-1, without altering its groundbreakingly svelte size. Olympus also made cheaper “two digit” OMs, with the OM-20 (aka OM-G) being the pick of the bunch—although at today’s prices, your savings might only be $20 or so. I’m not a big fan of the later OM-2 S/Program, which can be prone to flaky electronics.
Quirks & quibbles: No aperture display in the viewfinder; and the shutter-speed scale curiously retracts out of sight when using manual metering. Battery-dependent shutter. The separable hot shoe is weak and prone to cracking, but removing it definitely improves the lines of the camera. Considering their premium price when new, Olympus SLRs are good values today; but bargains on the more desirable lenses are rare. OM-2 bodies eschew the weight-saving plastic used by many brands; so for good or ill, an OM-2N is actually heavier than most of the other models shown here.
Model name: Minolta XG 9
Introduced: 1979
Why it’s great: If you’re able to score one of Minolta’s classic (and sought-after) XD-series models, by all means go crazy. But there’s often less interest in the XG line, since truthfully most of them were cost-cutting exercises with serious compromises. But if you can overlook the metalized-plastic top panel, the XG 9 is actually a thoroughly pleasant camera. It adds back important features like a stopdown button for depth-of-field preview, a brighter focusing screen, and a “periscope” aperture readout in the viewfinder. This model’s viewfinder is especially nice for us left-eyed shooters: The LED meter readout is to the right, and the aperture-display peepsight is below the groundglass image. Thus I never need to strain an eyeball in an awkward direction to see all the information. The body styling is a bit vanilla, but the XG 9 earns points for light weight and reasonable size.
Versions & cousins: Outside North America this model was called the XG-S. Avoid mixing it up with all the other XG-something models, which are rather less desirable despite very similar appearances. Remember: “number nine”!
Quirks & quibbles: The unbelievable head-slapper common to all XG models is that when you switch to manual shutter speeds, the light meter completely turns off. WTF? You can sort of fake around this by starting on the “A” setting and making a mental note of the camera’s selected shutter speed; then flip over to the manual speed setting of your choice. The shutter does need good batteries to operate. Minolta’s best Rokkor lenses have maintained a high resale value; but fortunately the MD mount was also popular with third-party lensmakers.
Model name: Canon T60
Introduced: 1990
Why it’s great: The late introduction date should be your clue there’s something anomalous about this one. By this point Canon was plowing all their efforts into autofocus cameras; and so they needed Cosina to build one remaining FD-lensmount model to keep in the lineup. It’s undeniably a bare-bones, battery-dependent, plastic-feeling model. (By quite a noticeable margin, it’s the lightest camera here.) But for a smallish, aperture-priority SLR that lets you attach all those bargain-priced FD lenses, it’s still a reasonable option. And the molded body grips and satin rubber texture actually make its ergonomics pretty appealing.
Versions & cousins: People who trash-talk the T60 as “not a real Canon” have a point; but it’s based on a well tested electronic-shutter platform which also sold as the Nikon FE-10, Cosina C2, Revue SC5 Auto, etc.
Quirks & quibbles: When you switch over to manual shutter control, the viewfinder LEDs become rather distracting. No exposure compensation dial (besides faking the ISO setting). No aperture viewfinder readout or depth-of-field preview. Some questions have been raised about the long-term reliability of this model.
Model name: Pentax ME Super
Introduced: 1979
Why it’s great: The ME Super is one of the smallest SLRs ever made for the 24 x 36 mm film format. But it’s right up with the best in having a big, bright viewfinder image. It offers rather attractive styling, lets you take advantage of deals on K-mount lenses, and has a nice LED display for its aperture-priority auto mode. That’s probably how you’ll want to leave it set, since its manual-exposure option with “elevator” pushbuttons is a bit clunky—yet in a pinch it’s there and usable.
Versions & cousins: The “non Super” Pentax ME is autoexposure only, but also tiny and agreeable. Avoid the stripped-down Pentax MV which was sold in the same era as the Super.
Quirks & quibbles: As soon as you engage exposure compensation or manual shutter speeds, you’ll be distracted by frantic blinking LEDs in the viewfinder. There’s no stopdown lever to check depth of field. If the batteries get weak and the viewfinder LEDs go dark, you need to be alert: If you continue to shoot, the shutter may sound normal, but its curtains won’t actually open to expose the film. (There is one mechanical 1/125 sec. shutter speed you can use as a backup.)
Model name: Nikon FE2
Introduced: 1983
Why it’s great: I’ve mentioned before that I don’t know Nikon gear especially well—there’s too much of a price premium compared to other brands. But checking out a friend’s FE2 , I effused over its shutter specs (1/4000 to 8 seconds!) and remarkably sensible meter-needle display. My friend went a few more years not really using the camera, and eventually he just gave it to me. Crikey—thanks, Sean! This model’s engineering is really quite impressive, and it’s even reasonably compact. If you’re drawn to Nikon SLRs for some reason (e.g. you own one of their DSLRs) this is definitely a camera to consider.
Versions & cousins: The FG-20 is a more entry-level autoexposure model that sometimes sells cheaply. Any of the Nikon FM-series SLRs are workhorse manual/mechanical models, but they’ve maintained a higher resale value.
Quirks & quibbles: The electronically-timed shutter needs a healthy battery to function (although there is a 1/250th sec. mechanical fallback speed). The design goes a little crazy with safety interlocks (the light meter is disabled until the frame counter reads 1!), so consulting the manual is strongly advised. Ergonomically the body is not the easiest one to get a comfortable grip on. It’s also the heaviest camera of the bunch here—it weighs 50% more than the Canon T60.
This is hardly an exhaustive list of all the decent autoexposure SLRs ever made. Deciding between them might be driven more by your lens options: which mount type will let you collect the focal lengths you want, at a price that matches your budget? But any of the cameras shown above would be a totally worthwhile place to start.