easy to use and very well constructed. Great features

Too Heavy for a hiking camera. FD lenses are not available new anymore

In my mind probably the standard for all SLR cameras today. My brother and dad both have AE-1's and we have take literally thousands of fine photos with them. A great camera.

Customer Service

Very good

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Vivitar V4000,V1000,Yashica MG 1

Inexpensive camera with a good range of shutter speeds. Has TTL metering. Solid and reliable. Parts are plentiful and inexpensive if needed. Many different lenses available.

Somewhat heavy by today's standards. Almost all of them have the "squeal" of the mirror lockup

This is an excellent camera for anyone shooting 35mm! I have two of them and would recommend it to anyone.

Customer Service

not needed

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I borrowed this camera from my father for a photography class I took in college. It took by far better quality photos than other more expensive cameras. A couple of people in the same class asked if they could borrow it. My photography teacher told me to never let it go and so I didn't even return it to my father....I gave him my automatic camera in exchange.

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Easy to use
Very good for beginners

Rewinding can be a pain in the pyjamas.

The camera is a good one to start with for one can learn the very basics of photography with it. However, I feel that once a person gets better, the AE-1 will become inadequate. Beyond this, the AE-1 is an excellent camera, recommemded to all.

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Nikon FM2

One word, simplicity. there is a huge aray of lenses, which can be purchased dirt cheap. The meter, while primitive, is wonderful for general purpose shooting yet can be ignored completely for more advanced users..decent meter and excellent for use with flashes

No AF, but who needs it, unless your shooting sports. I shoot models mainly, and outdoor shots so AF isnt a huge factor for me. the meter is difficult to read during night shooting but once again if you know your camera well enough, its not a big deal.

Great Great Great student camera, as well as for beginners and professional figure or outdoor photographers. one of my photography teachers said it all when he told me "never let that thing go"

Customer Service

I had a problem with the shutter, the curtain would stick half way across the rail. 5 minutes in the shop and it was fixed, there is a whole world of technicians who love to work on these things. as well as replacement parts everywhere.

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* Very easy to use and learn on.
* Strong body.
* Very dependable. There are a lot of AE-1 bodies functioning perfectly despite 20+ years of use.
* Smooth film advance/rewind.
* Shutter priority AE and full manual.
* Manual controls means it has some abilities which are "features" on modern cameras, like ISO override.
* Battery lasts a long time.
* Can use used (i.e. low cost) FD lenses.
* Easy to see viewfinder.

* Lacks many modern features, like AF, more AE modes, multiple metering modes, auto film transport (but you can add a motor drive).
* Metering fooled in tricky situations.
* I found the body some what difficult to hold until I added a motor drive.
* Cannot use modern EF lenses.

This is a classic Canon body and a joy to learn on. I borrowed one for several months before deciding to spend the money to jump into photography. I really enjoyed it. There were only two issues which made me spend more money for a modern EOS camera: AF (focusing can cause you to lose fleeting shots) and more precise metering. The AE-1's metering is OK, but it's fooled by tricky situations.

If you don't mind mostly manual operation and shopping for used FD lenses, this camera is great.

Customer Service

Not needed.

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Inexpensive,
Easy to use
fun
Takes high quality pictures

Program AE mode doesn't seem to work real well for me (this is the AE-1 Program model) but I am learning and prefer manual anyway so that is not a big deal.
The meter can be fooled in dificult situations but you can easily compensate manually.

I have had this camera for about a month now and I love it. It is my first SLR. Although I would have prefered to get one of the new Auto everything cameras, I am glad I did not. I have learned a lot from using this camera. It takes great pictures and you can find excellent used lenses for much less than an equivalent autofocus lens. The pictures I am taking now are 100% better than with the P&S I had. This is the perfect camera for the beginning photographer who wants to really learn how to use an SLR Camera. You can outfit this camera with lots of high quality lenses for less than the cost of an autofocus camera body.

Customer Service

It is pretty easy to find someone to work on these.

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Great Camera easy to use and great to learn on.

somewhat heavy expecailly with a zoom which can make it a bit akward.

I was given this Camera by my dad after he used it more than 20 years ago for about a year and a half and I took it out and started wiinning contest right away a great camera and great for learners

Customer Service

none for more than 20 years

Easy to use and maintain

cold weather can be a problem.I lost operation due to battery failure on a trip to Kodiak, Alaska

Always carry extra batteries, without them the camera will not work.

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heavy easy to use?
cheap viivtra has compatible lnese I have this vivitar macro 100

batteries.
I have used it for two yeras and now my dental photos are some clear and some dark.. I am using the same protocol

happy with my camera the first two years now I am a little concerned because of the darker slides

Customer Service

just once for cleaning it. ohwever the problem with my slides still makes me sick

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