These days, you could mean a couple of different things by "manual camera". There is the manual camera of the Spotmatic, KM, KX and MX type, which has to totally set by the user. Or you could just mean manual focus and be happy to have auto exposure modes of various types.

The manual cameras that will be most useful will probably be the bayonet fit lens types, all of which appear regularly on eBay at excitingly low prices: KM, KX and MX have DOF preview. K1000 doesn't and has no self timer either.

If you extend this to mean only manual focusing but have auto exposure, then the choice is massive, from the K2, ME series, LX, A series, P series....

If you mention some more specific requirements, we can try to narrow down the choice!

All you can do is press the catch on the baseplate to release the transport mechanism, see if you can complete the winding stroke, rewind the film and try again. Try firing the shutter and winding on with no film in, and then try reloading. If it still doesn't work, then you have a fault that needs proper attention.

You can't load the film if you can't wind on, so here goes with loading instructions:

Hold the cassette in the film chamber, pull the film across and insert the leader firmly between the white "magic needles". Wind on, release the shutter first if needs be.

Repeat the sequence of releasing the shutter and winding on until the full width of film engages the sprockets of the mechanism. Make sure the film is flat across the gate and the cassette is inserted properly.

When you are satisfied, close the back and make two more exposures. Then you should be ready to take pictures. To make sure, tighten the rewind crank clockwise to take up any slack in the film, and make sure the rewind crank rotates when you wind on.

The shutter should be set on 100X during the loading process, and put back to AUTO when you are ready to start taking pictures. To operate the shutter you will need batteries to be in the camera.

It's long winded to describe, but with a little practice it's a very quick and easy process!

This might be incredibly obvious, but you need to release the shutter between each wind on action. If you were on AUTO and had the lens cap on, this would result in very long shutter speeds and it might seem as though things were not operating properly. Set the shutter dial to 100X whilst loading the film to solve this.

This thread started out as a discussion re the *istDS, but the mention of out of guarantee cameras prompts me to mention that we also seem to be discussing the *istD.

It could get very confusing if we are all talking about two cameras as if they were the same!

A lot of good points there.

I have to say again that using the appropriate lenses I have not had any problems.

Using M series or earlier lenses changes the metering pattern, and it is different, but well within paramaters.

I suspect there are a few people who do not really understand the purpose and meaning of the histogram!

As regards metering, if the DSLRs over-exposed that would really be a problem with burnt out highlights, so if there is any error I think it is in the right direction. However, using the appropriate lenses I have not detected any exposure error. It is only older lenses that seem to be under-exposing.

Whatever the exact details, we may be on to something here!

Further investigation seems to show that there is, relatively speaking, less exposure given when using M series lenses. Whether this is 1.5 stops I wouldn't like to say, but the histogram definitely shifts to the darker end. However, images still perk up nicely after a levels adjustment and at least we don't get burnt out highlights.

What lenses were being used?

I have to say that I have no exposure problem with my *istDS - all the exposures have been spot on, as has the AWB. So I don't think it can be a firmware problem.