The class is black and white photography only, so for now, that's all I can comment on. Most of the other students have new Canon Rebels or other Canons and I swear I'm getting better prints! We use only 400 speed film on 8x10 prints and develop our own film. I've been using only Kodak T-Max 36exp so far, but would like to try Ilford HP5 next for their nice grey mixing. Also, we are using only available light. The clarity and focus on my prints is phenomenal! The detail is very precise. The exposure meter calls it pretty good for the most part, but you have to learn when and when not to use the setting it's suggesting. Mostly to adjust for extreme lights and darks, but that's not a camera function, it's something you just learn how to adjust for.

Luckily, for me, this is a completely idiot proof camera. You load the film, set the film speed, then let it tell you how to set your aperture and shutter. If you're new to manual cameras, I highly suggest taking a course of some kind anyway. You learn the settings and depth of field stuff etc.

The lens gives you a wide range for a beginner. The 28mm almost ensures the entire shot will be in focus. If you go to the zoom distances, the depth of field range gives you a great effect. The split-field focus wasn't as intimidating as I was told it would be. It works pretty slick, just line up the line, what's so hard about that! All my photos have been in focus. No problem.

This is definitely not a waste of money for what you get!