The 35mm single-lens reflex is the most versatile camera format in the history of photography. You compose through the lens, so what you see is what you get, with no parallax error and no guessing where the frame edges fall, and you can swap glass from ultra-wide to super-telephoto on the same body to shoot landscapes, portraits, sports and macro all with one camera. From fully manual mechanical classics to automated wonders, there is an SLR for every shooter and every budget. Here are the best bodies from each major maker, grouped by system so you can quickly find the one that fits your hands, your style and your wallet.

What makes a great SLR

The important qualities are a bright, accurate viewfinder, a reliable meter, a good lens system and a body that suits your hands and your style. A mechanical shutter works without batteries and is easy to service; an electronic one enables aperture-priority and program modes. Neither is better — it depends on whether you value independence or automation. Above all, buy into a system with plentiful, affordable lenses, because the glass matters more than the body.

Nikon — the professional's choice

Nikon built the SLRs that defined photojournalism. The Nikon FM2 is the enthusiast's dream: fully mechanical, tough as nails, with a 1/4000 top speed and 1/250 flash sync. The FE2 adds smooth aperture-priority automation. For pros, the Nikon F3 is a legend — robust, reliable and still a joy. The F-mount takes decades of superb manual Nikkor lenses, and the whole system holds its value. If you want one camera for life, a Nikon is hard to beat.

Canon — automation pioneers

Canon led the charge into electronic automation. The Canon AE-1 and AE-1 Program put affordable, semi-automatic SLR shooting in millions of hands. The Canon A-1 added full program, shutter- and aperture-priority in one advanced body. At the top sits the Canon F-1, a rugged professional workhorse. Canon FD lenses are plentiful and among the best-value optics in film, so a Canon system is easy and cheap to build out.

Pentax — simple and superb

Pentax made some of the most loved SLRs ever. The K1000 is the eternal student camera: fully manual, indestructible and cheap. The compact MX is a mechanical jewel with a huge, bright finder, while the ME Super offers aperture-priority in a tiny body. The earlier screw-mount Spotmatic is a beautiful, all-mechanical classic. Pentax K-mount and M42 lenses are excellent and inexpensive.

Olympus — small is beautiful

The Olympus OM system proved an SLR could be tiny without compromise. The OM-1 is a mechanical marvel with possibly the brightest viewfinder ever put in a 35mm SLR. The OM-2 pioneered off-the-film metering for accurate automatic exposure, and the later OM-4 offered advanced multi-spot metering. Zuiko lenses are compact and gorgeous. If you want pro capability in a small, light package, this is the system.

Minolta and Contax — underrated gems

The Minolta X-700 is one of the best-value SLRs ever, with a brilliant viewfinder, program mode and cheap, excellent Rokkor glass. The earlier all-mechanical SRT series is tough and rewarding. For the ultimate in optics, the Contax RTS and Aria use Carl Zeiss lenses that are simply spectacular, at prices well below Leica.

How to choose in one line

  • Buy once, keep forever: Nikon FM2 or F3.
  • Automation on a budget: Canon AE-1 Program or Minolta X-700.
  • Learn manual cheaply: Pentax K1000 or Spotmatic.
  • Small and light: Olympus OM-1.
  • Best glass for the money: Contax with Zeiss lenses.

The body is only half the story — a serviced meter, an accurate shutter and clean glass make the difference between frustration and joy. Every 35mm SLR at Boston Camera is inspected, tested and paired with clean lenses so it is ready to shoot from the moment you load a roll.

Building a lens kit

The joy of an SLR is the glass, and the smart way to build a kit is to start with a fast 50mm standard lens — an f/1.8 or f/1.4 that comes cheap with most bodies and is sharp, bright and versatile. From there, most photographers add a 28mm or 35mm wide angle for landscapes, interiors and environmental portraits, and an 85mm to 135mm short telephoto for portraits and detail. Those three focal lengths cover the vast majority of situations. Because Nikon, Canon FD, Pentax K, Olympus OM and Minolta lenses were all made in enormous numbers, a full three-lens kit costs surprisingly little today, and the older manual optics are often optically superb.

Buying tips for a used SLR

An SLR has more to check than a compact. Confirm the meter tracks accurately across bright and dim scenes, fire every shutter speed and listen for the slow speeds hanging or the fast speeds capping unevenly, and check that the focusing screen and mirror are clean and the mirror foam has not disintegrated. Look through each lens for fungus, haze and oil on the aperture blades, and make sure the aperture snaps shut crisply. On electronic bodies, replace the battery and confirm the automation responds. A serviced SLR with these boxes ticked will give you decades of reliable use, which is exactly why these cameras remain the backbone of film photography. Unlike delicate electronic compacts, a well-kept mechanical SLR can almost always be repaired when something wears out, so the body you choose today can genuinely be a lifetime camera passed down rather than thrown away.