Miranda might not be the first name people think of when they think of old film SLRs. But they made some mighty capable cameras, and lenses that had some delightful qualities. I picked up a Miranda Sensorex II a couple years ago and put it through its paces. Mine had a shutter fault, unfortunately. You’ll see it all in my updated review here.
As a kid, I could not afford any of the SLRs you write about here when they were new, but I do recall looking at the Miranda ads in Modern Photography and I think they were somewhat affordable. Almost to the point of pondering…”how many lawns would I have to mow? How many driveways would I have to shovel?”
I’ve had that very same lawns/walks conversation with myself!