Best Film Cameras — Canon, Pentax, Olympus & More

Let’s kick off our list of best film cameras with the best used and affordable 35mm cameras. One of the most widely circulated cameras and most well-known is the Canon AE-1. The classic camera was first introduced in 1976. It immediately became a hit with both consumers looking to make photography a hobby and professionals needing reliable cameras.

The build is rigid and sturdy despite having plastic parts making buying the used cameras cheaper. Its electronically controlled shutter makes shutter priority shooting easy for beginner photographers. 

The Nikon F2 was a bookend to Nikon’s production of all mechanical cameras. Like most fully mechanical cameras, the camera shoots only in manual mode. With a high shutter speed of 1/2000 and a detachable motordrive, the camera is a great buy for anyone looking to truly understand the tool of the craft.

Sticking with Nikon cameras, let’s look at the Nikon FM2. The camera is called a workhorse by many because of its notoriously long life. It’s simple build of a mechanical shutter, lack of a battery, and high shutter speed of 1/4000 makes it a great camera for any scenario. 

It’s reliability and ease of use has made it a popular camera among photojournalists, travelers, and professional photographers alike. 

Made for the photographer who values a user-friendly design, the Canon A2 and A2E are versatile and built with quality. It’s most appealing function is an eye-controlled autofocus.

The A2 and A2E is the film grandfather to the Canon 5D series.

With specs such as a top shutter speed of 1/8000, decent built-in flash, and 16 adjustable custom features, the Canon is a solid film camera with digital-like functionality. A must-have for any avid photographer.

One of the most retro film cameras on this list is undoubtedly the Canon Canonet QL17. Originally released in 1965, the QL17 is as compact as it is retro. The camera is able to operate at shutter speed priority and boasts an EE (Electric Eye) feature and viewfinder.

The QL in QL17 stands for “Quick Loading” referring to the camera’s ability to quickly load film in the back of the camera. 

Made to compete with the next couple Leicas on our list, the Contax G1/G2 is a Japanese-made, electronic, high end range finder. The fully titanium-clad camera arguably has some of the best lenses to choose from.

The Zeiss lenses designed for the G1/G2 hold their ground against the best of Leica lenses. The Contax G2 is a revision of the G1 that improves upon the viewfinder and autofocus of the first edition. So why buy the G1 when the G2 is essentially a better version of the same camera?

The G1 is friendlier on the wallet.

It would be outrageous to create a list of the best film cameras without mentioning one Leica, so we’ll cap off our list with two. Price aside, photographers cannot deny the brilliance of the Leica M-A. The sleek, yet functional design is minimalist in the best way possible. 

With a focus on the fundamentals, the Leica M-A is manual in aperture, shutter speed, and focus. Despite it’s seductive design and build, it’s eye-popping price has made it a controversial piece of equipment. Some say it is grossly overpriced capitalizing on the nostalgic consumer, while others claim you get what you pay for. 

Last, but not least, is the Leica M6 TTL. The rarity of the Leica M6 TTL is due to the fact that only 3,130 of them were produced. TTL stands for “Through the lens” light metering which makes for incredibly accurate shooting and beautiful film photographs. 

The Leica M6 is arguably the most sought out camera by professional photographers who shoot film. They are undoubtedly one of the most durable cameras on this list which is also a reason it’s retained so much of its value over time. While not as outrageously expensive as the M-A, the M6 still boasts a hefty price tag that many argue is worth every penny.