Completed & Upcoming FILM Camera Reviews

The film cameras in my personal collection are listed below by manufacturer and year of introduction. One of my principal goals for this website is to publish detailed reviews of all of these cameras. A new year’s resolution for 2024 is to write at least one review per month, beginning with the remaining Nikon and Leica cameras. If I stick to this plan (and do not add to my collection) I should be able to complete my reflections on both of these brands by the end of the year. (Too late! See all Minolta cameras, Nikon EM, Leica R3, and Leica R8.)

Please send corrections to nathan.d.jones@gmail.com

CanoN

Canon AE-1 (1976)

Leica

Leicaflex SL2 (1974)

Leica R3 (1976) – Version 1.0 (November 3rd, 2024)

Leica R7 (1992) – Version 1.0.1 (April 25th, 2024)

Leica R8 (1996)

Mamiya

Mamiya RB67 ProSD (1990)

Minolta

Minolta XE-1 (1974) – Version 1.0.2 (November 4th, 2024)

Minolta XE-5 (1974) – Version 1.0.4 (November 3rd, 2024)

Minolta XD (1977)

Minolta Maxxum 9 (1998)

Nikon

As you may be able to tell from the number of cameras listed in this section, I am primarily a Nikon shooter (in 135 format) thanks to the influence of my father. My preferred bodies are indicated by an asterisk. Two of these, the FA and the FM3A, offer aperture-priority automatic exposure, which is my default shooting mode when it is available. Although the more modern cameras, particularly the F100 and F6, are technically much more capable (principally—for me—in that they feature fast and reliable auto-focusing), I am not drawn to using them as frequently as I am the older bodies. The FM2N is my all-time favourite and most used camera. I bought mine, used, from Adorama in 2009, and have run hundreds of rolls through it in all kinds of conditions. The camera is rock-solid and has not given me a moment’s trouble in almost 15 years. Here I am, holding it.

Nikkormat FTN (1967)

Nikkormat FT3 (1977)

Nikon FE (1978)

Nikon EM (1979) – The story of a camera (ongoing)

Nikon F3 (1980)

Nikon FE2 (1983)

Nikon FA (1983) *

Nikon FM2N (1984) * – Version 1.0.2 (June 4th, 2024)

Nikon F100 (1999) – Version 1.0.3 (April 2nd, 2024)

Nikon F80 (2000) – Version 1.0.2 (October 10th, 2023)

Nikon F65 (2001) – Version 1.0.3 (October 10th, 2023)

Nikon FM3A (2001) *

Nikon F6 (2004)

Olympus

Olympus OM10 (1979)

Pentax

Pentax KX (1975)

Pentax K2 (1975)

Rolleiflex

Rolleiflex Automat Model 3 / Automat Rolleiflex Model 3 / Automatic Rolleiflex (type 4) (1949)

Rolleiflex 3.5A / Automat Rolleiflex Model 4 / Rolleiflex MX (type 1) (1953)

Rolleiflex 3.5B / Rolleiflex 3.5 MX-EVS / 3.5 Rolleiflex MX-EVS (type 1) (1954)

Rolleiflex 2.8F (1960)

Rollei 35 (1966)

Rolleiflex 6006, Model 1 (1984)

Rolleiflex 6006, Model 2 (1989)

Rolleiflex 6008i