If you have some Canon EF lenses then you should probably think about Canon EOS film cameras. I am using the 1V-HS right now which is a camera 10 years old in design but still in production. The 1V is like every 1 series camera as Canon's flagship.


The most practical I would say is the EOS 3, it's out of production but it has almost every feature of the 1V. You can find a used EOS 3 in probably like new shape for less than $300 easily.


The Elan 7N bodies were introduced in 2004 but out of production now. It's a very capable film SLR for less than $100 mint used.


Frankly speaking, if you're looking for better manual experience, I think Nikon's got the place. Try some classic F2 or F3 or even a modern FM10. The Canon AE1 is also a good manual body, but it requires FD lenses which are not easily adaptable to EF at all. The Canon F1 is also a classic FD mount SLR, but hard to find in good shape (once the camera is in nice condition people will probably keep it just for show).


Ben