Which film SLR to learn on?

Hi,

I currently use a small digital camera, and have recently became more interested in photography, after using flickr....

I would like to gain a better understanding of all of the different settings and how they interact with each other.

Would I be right in thinking, that using a film SLR would be a good idea?? If so, what Camera + Lense/s would you recommend, preferably not too much money (i.e. 2nd hand from ebay).

Thanks for your help,

Ucayman

Pentax K1000 is the least expensive readily available Film SLR you can find, probably.

The Nikon FM/FM2 series of manual film cameras is also excellent, but a maybe bit more expensive/harder to find. Of course in this new digital era, all film cameras are a lot cheaper than before.

Check with a camera shop or find photographers selling off old gear, so you be sure they're in good working condition.

Don't worry about brand-name if you're just getting a camera to learn on. Most of the high-end digital SLRs from Nikon & Canon use newer AF (auto-focus) lenses that you wouldn't purchase for your manual camera anyway. Just get a camera body with a 50mm lens- those are fast enough for you to experiment with low-light photography.

For a zoom, maybe an inexpensive 28-135... That covers most focal lengths, from wide-angle to mild telephoto. But I'd save that money and put off buying a zoom until later, when you finally get a digital SLR. Right now the Nikon D50 is the best buy (most bang for the buck) DSLR at around $600. The Canon Digital Rebel XT costs a little more, and other Canon models are great choices near the $1000 mark. Nikon's D200 is the best camera at the high end, but it's $2000 (yikes)