Talking about cheap gear... I mean, cheaper... (Advice required...)

[Juan Valdenebro]

I started thinking -not to risk my CV 28 3.5- I could buy a cheap FSU 35mm or 28mm lens for my Barnack, like the Orion-15, but anyway I don't want my Barnack to be stolen either... 🙂 So, as no LTM lenses are as cheap as cheap cameras, now I think I should get a cheap camera: one that costs no more than 2 digits... 🙂 I own several cameras that would do the job very well, but I don't want to lose them...

The fact is I need a “dangerous places” two-camera set for Colombia... I use one camera for shades and another one for sun... Obviously, they'll be stolen sooner or later... I decided to use my XA for the shades shots, but I need another camera for direct sun, and this sunny one is the advice I'm asking for...

About lens' focal length: it will be prefocused at 6-8 feet, always, so, as I need great DOF, it must be a 28 or 35, because by 40, it becomes a bit harder... (DOF & narrow angle too: sometimes I'll shoot without seeing through camera if it's strictly necessary...)

About lens' speed: I will use f/8-f/11 exclusively.

About shutter speed: around 1/250 exclusively.

Camera must be black and small.

So, I came to think there might be real cheap cameras that can take decent photographs because all I need is a scale focus camera with a very slow lens... As I'll use it just for direct sun with the same settings always, I need no meter, no RF, almost nothing... Getting another XA is an option, but if I can get a mechanical camera instead, I'd prefer it because in this case I don't really need any electronics... But maybe there are (were) really cheap electronic cameras (Sears, etc...) that fit all this... Even those plastic (light!) cameras having just a few focusing positions, bad lenses and limited shutters... I guess those bad lenses, at f/8-f/11, are good enough for street and 400 ISO film's grain with a handheld camera... I guess I definitely think they're the best ones for being stolen and bought again...

In general, this is it: “Which are the cheapest, maybe simplest small back cameras of any kind, with slow 28/35 lenses for prefocus use on direct sun with identical settings always?”

Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[GaryLH]

How about xa4 or retina 1 or 2. Keh has the retinas for under 120 if bargain grade.

Cheapest maybe something like a scale focus konica.

Gary
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-Co...-Outfits?s=1&bcode=ER&ccode=1&cc=79282&r=WG&f

Ps just double checked a retina 2a for 65.

 

[David Murphy]

The J-12 35mm F2.8 in Leica thread mount is usually less than 100 USD - not a bad lens for the money too. Sometimes they can be found for as little as $50 or so. They are even cheaper in Contax/Kiev mount.

 

[GaryLH]

My bad I forgot u wanted a 28 or 35. That leaves the xa4 which is 28mm.

Gary

 

[konicaman]

The J-12 would also be my choice. They are usually rather sharp and the chance of getting a good user is high. The 28mm Orion-15 I would say is a no go; they are not really that sharp and the contrast is very low. And a Zorki, KIEV or FED can always be painted black 😉

 

[kzphoto]

I picked up a Fuji Tiara from here in.. July? maybe june. Anyway, it was about $120 with shipping from Japan.

Sharp as heck lens, and you won't miss your 28/3.5 at all!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

How about a Nikon L35 AF or Canon AF 35ML. Both of those can be found sometimes for $5 USD each but definitely less than $100. You could probably get 3 or 4 mint examples of one of those models for less than $100. Both have excellent 35mm lenses and fantastic active AF that is very very accurate.

There were later, more advanced versions of both of these cameras too. All pretty cheap. Then you get into the Fujis and Minoltas which had their own excellent fixed point and shoots.

If you were willing to go past $100 USD, there are a lot of fantastic Nikonos IV-A cameras out there with excellent 35mm f/2.8 lenses on them. There is also a 28mm available but it may be underwater only. The Nikonos are small, black, have interchangeable lenses, almost silent, waterproof, indestructible. I wish I took one with me to Iraq. Would have been lovely to have and I wouldn't have had to CLA 2 Leica M bodies. The cost of the Nikonos is as much as the cost of a CLA on a Leica.

Actually, I have an old selenium metered Olympus XA1 with 35mm f/4 lens. It's a hyperfocal fixed lens camera but it is a durable little tank. Just point and click. That camera was either free or I got it for a dollar. You could get 30 of them and not care at all about them being stolen. The film is a different matter though.

Good luck!
Phil Forrest

 

[rxmd]

About lens' focal length: it will be prefocused at 6-8 feet, always, so, as I need great DOF, it must be a 28 or 35, because by 40, it becomes a bit harder... (DOF & narrow angle too: sometimes I'll shoot without seeing through camera if it's strictly necessary...)

If 35mm are OK, just get another XA already and be done with it. It's not going to get smaller, or better, or probably cheaper for that matter.

You could fiddle around with Zorkis and Jupiter-12s, but the J-12 sucks in direct light and you don't need interchangeable lenses anyway.

 

[dct]

What I was told a few days ago from a mate who visited Columbia several time is the fact, you have really to fear if you carry around a typical DSLR, modern mirror less or digital P&S. What is very unintresting for the sake of the immediate deal value is film gear. Maybe apart from the red dot ones.

He was several times there with his Minolta X700 SLR equipment and had no related problems. In return he already "lost" two digital P&S in the past three years...

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Thank you all for your help!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[haempe]

Revue 400S.
Often dirt-cheap on the bay. Size of a CL. 38mm/2.8 lens (the 400SE has a 40/1.7 IIRC).
Maybe you need new light seals.

 

[LAWRIE]

I have a Nikon L35 AW which has the added advantage of being waterproof to about three meters. Incredibly sharp- auto focus. Might be worth looking at. (My friend picked up one recently on Ebay for fifty dollars).

Regards,

Lawrie.

 

[Coldkennels]

Are you really dead set against a 40mm lens? Because the Olympus Trip 35 would be my option in that kind of setting: cheap enough to not worry about, selenium meter (no batteries), click-stopped focus ring and automatic exposure (to cope with any variance in lighting).

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Are you really dead set against a 40mm lens? Because the Olympus Trip 35 would be my option in that kind of setting: cheap enough to not worry about, selenium meter (no batteries), click-stopped focus ring and automatic exposure (to cope with any variance in lighting).

Hi,

I'd really like to find something like the Trip (no batteries, small, easy to make it shoot at 1/200 always on direct sun...) but with a wider lens: 35 would be better, and 32 or 28 would be superb... A 40 has less DOF especially because I need it for close to camera situations (1-5 meters: never infinity) and also because many times I can't take the camera to eye level... It's a shame lots of those cameras have 45, 40 and 38mm lenses... Yet I hope I can find an option with a 35 or -would be great!- a bit wider lens... Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

By the way, although AF can be used sometimes (I use a Hexar AF a lot) for these places I prefer scale focus: I want to be able to shoot with close subjects placed far from the center of the frame... If AF decides infinity, I'm lost even stopped-down...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Mablo]

Yashica 35 CCN comes with a 35mm lens but it's battery operated.

 

[batterytypehah!]

Ricoh R1 with dead LCD. Mine was $20 from KEH.

30mm/3.5 in normal mode, 24mm/who knows in panorama. You can disable the panorama mask to give you 24mm on full frame (with vignetting).

The finder isn't great and without the LCD framelines, you have to guess, but I think it would work fine for your purposes.

 

[NickTrop]

How about a Nikon L35 AF or Canon AF 35ML.

+1 Cheap azz point-n-shooter w/ a 28mm fixed lens. Many have great IQ, light, portable. Stolen? Broken? Who cares? They're a dime a dozen - almost literally. IQ ranges from decent (fixed lens) to "almost-shocking-how-good-it-is". As far as focus, don't they all have focus lock with one autopoint, dead center? Focus, lock focus, and then frame however you like.

Otherwise, if you insist on scale focus (and I really don't know why...) get one of the scale focus Olympus XA cameras...

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

That's a very nice camera, Mablo... Maybe a bit noticeable, though... Colors on the lens, etc... But it's one of the options I'm considering as few cameras go to 35... I'm trying to find one that's a bit slower (smaller)...

To XA4 users:

Can I use 400 ISO DX film rolls and manually set ISO to 1600 avoiding the DX reader?

And:

Being a macro lens (or kind of) can I consider it has the same DOF as common 28's?

If both answers are yes, I could use my XA for sun, and get an XA4 for shades/overcast and enjoy one more f-stop of DOF/speed for lowish light...

Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Steve M.]

You might want to look at this thread Juan

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111142

I got a lot of good recommendations, and found what I wanted for under $25. Haven't received the camera yet, but since it's essentially a rebadged Konica C35, of which I've owned more than a few, I know what it will do operationally and photographically (it's too early for these $100 words. What I mean is, it's a fun camera to shoot and should have excellent IQ).