Analog SLRs as Cheap Full-Frame DSLR Alternatives

It’s been a while since we’ve shared some DigitalRev tomfoolery, but the most recent question posed by Kai and his buddies is an interesting one: given how expensive “entry-level” full-frame DSLRs are, would a dirt cheap 35mm SLR be a realistic alternative?

The three cameras up for debate are the Nikon F65, Canon A2e (EOS 5), and Minolta Maxxum 7000. The age range represented runs from the ’80s all the way into the 2000s, with each camera offering its own interesting feature set.

The Nikon, although it was the newest, offered a simple, stripped down experience; the Minolta, although it was the oldest, used an impressive touch-sensitive shutter button complete with shutter-speed alarm; and the Canon EOS 5 came with an AF system that used your eye to pick the focus point.

If that last one sounds familiar, that’s because (rumor has it) Sony is looking to introduce a similar feature sometime soon — hopefully it’s not as finicky than Kai’s Canon.

We won’t spoil the results for you, but the pictures turned out well, the conclusions they came to were justified, and, as usual, the humor didn’t hurt.