I’ve owned a handful of both film and digital cameras over the years. The two film cameras I still own that I’ve used the most are a Canonet QL-17 GIII and a Nikon S3.
Often called a poor man’s Leica, the Canonet is quite simple. It has a quiet leaf shutter and this version has a fast 40mm f1.7 fixed lens. You can use the surprisingly accurate meter (requires a battery) and shoot in shutter priority, or shoot manual. The focus throw is short and has an easy to use tab. I really like this camera and it has never let me down.
The Nikon S3 is fully mechanical (no meter), accepts a variety of lenses and is a noticeable step up in build quality over the Canonet. The S3 I have is a very early version. Serial numbers started at 6300000 and mine is 6300041. It has a quiet cloth shutter and a wonderful precision mechanical feel overall. The film advance is weighty and smooth. The focus throw is long, favoring accuracy over speed. The full size finder has fixed frame lines at 35, 50 and 105 and I have lenses for each.
Scott Symes 