📷cheap manual slrs that still shoot beautifully
f/8 and be there, minus the battery anxiety. all of these turn up under $150 if you're patient
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1
Pentax K1000
the one everyone tells you to start with, and there's a reason. meter needs a battery, shutter doesn't care either way
2
Olympus OM-1
smaller than you'd expect, full mechanical, viewfinder feels like a rangefinder
3
Nikon FM2
priciest one on this list if you find it under $150 at all, but 1/4000 with zero battery required
4
Pentax MX
nobody puts this next to the K1000 but it's the better body, tiny, bright viewfinder. $40 at an estate sale, busted seal, grain sold me
5
Yashica FX-3
cheapest real option here, mechanical shutter, meter needs a battery like the rest. plasticky but it just works
6
Ricoh KR-5
7
Minolta X-700
not fully mechanical if we're being honest, dies without a battery except one backup speed. still shoots gorgeous frames while it's alive
8
Canon AE-1
everyone's first camera and it will NOT fire without a battery, dead cell = paperweight. skip it if no-battery is the whole point for you
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