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Anonymous
Hey, /p/.
My friend is looking for a basic 35mm camera with detachable lens. He lives in Los Angeles, California. What price ranges can he expect? And where can he get one?
>> Anonymous
Honestly your question is way too broad to answer specifically. You're just gonna be disappointed if you want a realistic answer so here it is.

1. Excluding larger formats just about most basic SLR type cameras ARE 35mm with detachable lens. Try again.

2. LA's a big city. I don't think he'll have a problem.

3. Truthfully answering I could say your price range is anywhere between "free" and "your soul" depending on who and what you deal with since you the answer to your first question is too broad.

4. He should preferably get a camera in L.A. duh...
>> Anonymous
>>35988
thanks for the reply :)
>> Max Archer !7sI2pFDUS.
What does he want, in terms of features? Something completely manual, with no AF or auto-exposure, or a modern AF, AE, camera? Either way, used is going to be the major option, as very little is available new, these days, unless he wants to spend a few grand on a Leica or similar.

I'd highly recommend Simon's Camera, in Hollywood. It's on Highland, just north of Santa Monica Boulevard. I bought an F100, used, from them a while back. Turned out the camera was defective, it was missing the pressure plate, which should have been on the inside of the "back". Took it into Simon's, they took a look at it, and immediately replaced the back with a new one, no charge out of pocket or anything. Great dealer overall.
>> Max Archer !7sI2pFDUS.
>>36002
Ah, a bit of an addition, about lenses, and which camera to get. It's hard to go wrong with Nikon, when buying 35mm, especially if on a budget. Older bodies (FM, FE, etc) are plentiful, if a manual model is desired, and are built like tanks, so they're actually more common than their Canon contemporaries. I wouldn't recommend Pentax or any brand other than Nikon or Canon, as most accessories and lenses are out of production. Nikon, by far, has the most backwards compatibility, so a large portion of modern lenses will work on classic bodies.

If he does end up buying a body from Simon, tell him to ask them if they've got anything appropriate, the staff is knowledgable and is unlikely to try to sell him anything he doesn't have a use for. I also advise him to go a block south, to Calumet, if he ends up with Nikon, and to there pick up Nikon's excellent 50mm 1.8 lens, which should be under $100, brand new. (Simon's may have the same lens available used, but it may be an earlier model, without the AF and AE compatibility of the newer models, whereas a brand-new one will work with any Nikon since at least the FM/FE models.)