What to look for when buying a manual film camera?

Before you make any manual camera purchase, shop around. You can view different manual cameras online by typing "manual cameras" into your Web browser and doing a search. See Resources below for a great Web site that has links to many different manual cameras. Read user reviews for different cameras. This will give you an idea of what others thought about different cameras. You can find such information as how easy the camera is to use, whether it's durable, whether it's worth the cost and how good the photos are. Once you do some tentative research online and have found some manual cameras you might like, head to the camera store, where you can learn much more about which camera is right for you. When choosing a manual camera, consider its weight and if it is easy to hold while you take shots. If the camera is too light, it is hard to get a good grip. Hold different cameras to test this out. Next, you'll want a camera that is light enough to be transported around and not so heavy that it's not easily portable. Find a camera that you can learn to use without much help from the sales associate or the instructions. Test the functions by seeing if you can find the manual settings on the camera easily and can use them without many problems. Consider what other features you want. For instance, if you want to take far away pictures, you want to look at the lens that comes with the camera and the options of lenses you can purchase. You might want a camera that switches back and forth between auto and manual settings. Make sure the camera you choose has this ability. Consider your budget. Some manual cameras can be incredibly expensive, as many of them are made for professional use. You can ask the sales associate to help you find cameras that are not as expensive, but still are easy to use and of good quality. If you have a larger budget, you can purchase a top of the line manual camera.

Manual is where you set the shutter speed and lens opening. You mention you need a film camera so it is entirely possible to get a camera with a built-in meter or metering system and still be able to set the lens opening (f/stop) & shutter speed manually. How ever the situation is this. Most small cities do not have camera stores any more. I hope you city does as this will "possibly" be the only place you will be able to find a used 35mm camera that has manual settings. The basic features should be a range of shutter speeds from "B" "T" 1 second, 1/2 sec.,1/25th sec. 1/50th sec. 1/100 or 1/125th sec., 1/200th or 1/250th sec and 1/500th second. Lens openings should run like this f/22. f/16, f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4, f/3.5 could even be f/2.8, or f/2.0, or f/1.8 depending on the camera. Try to get a rapid film advance if possible. Stay away from Argus c-3. If you can find a Yashica, Minolta, they made excellent film cameras in the 50's & 60's at reasonable prices. I wish you would have named your city, I might have been able to recommend a place that handles used cameras.