cheap but good small film camera that doesn't eat batteries

[wmmk]

hi all!
i'll be spending 2 weeks at Isle Royale national park this summer, and would love to take lots of photos. i'll have a 40+ pound pack, so there won't be much room for my K100D or even N8008. i have a feeling that a film camera will be able to take more shots per battery. anyway, this won't be a one time use camera, but it will probably only be needed 5-10 times a year. anyway, i wouldn't like to pay more than $100, and I want this camera to be as small as possible. any manual controls would be icing on the cake!

 

[tibbon]

i'd pick up a pentax K-1000. They can even work without batteries (simply no metering). Nothing fancy, but it works and is a solid camera.

 

[ChrisA]

hi all!
i'll be spending 2 weeks at Isle Royale national park this summer, and would love to take lots of photos. i'll have a 40+ pound pack, so there won't be much room for my K100D or even N8008. i have a feeling that a film camera will be able to take more shots per battery. anyway, this won't be a one time use camera, but it will probably only be needed 5-10 times a year. anyway, i wouldn't like to pay more than $100, and I want this camera to be as small as possible. any manual controls would be icing on the cake!

If the goal is to shoot a lot I would imagin film is going to take a bit more space than your camera. If you limit yourself to one 36 exposure roll per day that is 14 rolls. That is a brick larger than your 8008 body. (I have an 8008, it's a great camera) The N8008 takes AAA bateries and will shoot many rolls of film on one set. four sets of AAA would be more then enough (even in Winter) and could be shared with a AAA size flashlight.

I might consider taking my 24-50mm AF lens and my 85mm f/1.8 and I would also take a macro lens and I would take a tripod if wildflowers would be out. Yes I've done a lot of backpacking. and I've ownd an SRL of one type of another from about age 13. (in the 1970's) I have taken SRLs on every backpacking trip.

I'm sure I could make my D50 work for a 2 week trip. The battery is good for about 1,000 frames. I'd take maybe two and a few SD cards. but I have some film bodies going back to the F2

A mechanical camera is more robust. You say you have an 8008. Then you must have some Nikon lenses. So buy a new FM10 body. They sell for about $200. They will work without any battery if you know the sunny-16 rule. Film has better image quality than digital, you just might get hooked. I'd bring the FM10, and the above lenses. the FM10 weighs less then 1 pound.

Then just buy a brick of Velvia and have it all scanned when you get home

 

[ChrisA]

... i wouldn't like to pay more than $100, and I want this camera to be as small as possible. any manual controls would be icing on the cake!

Missed this part. Take the 8008. It fits the above description perectly

 

[compuwar]

hi all!
i'll be spending 2 weeks at Isle Royale national park this summer, and would love to take lots of photos. i'll have a 40+ pound pack, so there won't be much room for my K100D or even N8008. i have a feeling that a film camera will be able to take more shots per battery. anyway, this won't be a one time use camera, but it will probably only be needed 5-10 times a year. anyway, i wouldn't like to pay more than $100, and I want this camera to be as small as possible. any manual controls would be icing on the cake!

Have you considered a solar charger and any P&S that's easy on batteries?

Otherwise, perhaps this link is useful:

http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/rangfndr.html

 

[Buschmaster]

i'd pick up a pentax K-1000. They can even work without batteries (simply no metering). Nothing fancy, but it works and is a solid camera.

And has a K-mount

Fits pretty dang well if you ask me!