50mm point and shoot...

George Bonanno

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Anyone know of a 50mm point and shoot film camera ? Currently I'm using an Olympus Infinity Stylus Zoom DLX at the 50mm FL but the lens has a bit to be desired, especially wide open.
 
Yea, was thinking. What's all this jazz about people making cameras (say X100) with 35mm lenses (equivalent) I want 50mm damnit!
 
Not small but...Contax G2 with 2/45mm Planar (that combination is worth getting anyways) or the Hexar AF (which I never used). I use the Contax T3 a lot and LOVE the lens but struggle with the 35mm too - a T3 with 50mm Sonnar would be stellar. There are 38/40mm options - T2 (38mm), Leica Minilux (40mm), etc., but the gap to 50mm is still large.

Alternatively - Contax TVS III and shoot it at 50mm.
 
There are some P&S's with wide-to-normal zooms or dual-focus lenses. Fuji Zoom Date F2.8 (aka Silvi), Konica Z-up 28W, Fuji DL Super Mini Zoom, Fuji DL500.
 
Not small but...Contax G2 with 2/45mm Planar (that combination is worth getting anyways).
Sure is!

For an actual fixed-lens P&S, however, I'm not sure of anyone who does or did anything like 50mm. Mostly they seem to aim for 35mm or wider, I presume on the principle that P&S cameras get used, as much as or more so than anthing else, for shooting friends and family in circumstances like "across a restaurant table" or scenics as in "a view in Venice", where 35mm might be too narrow rather than too wide.

Perhaps not your cup of tea, but probably bread and butter for people making P&S cameras.

I may not be much for extremes: my widest P&S is an Oly mju-II (aka Stylus Epic) at 35mm and my narrowest is a Contax T2 at 38mm. (Not counting my G2, with 28, 45 and 90 - but that doesn't really count as a P&S, unless it counts as the best P&S ever.) My small non-P&S fixed-lens inventory runs to an Oly XA or XA-2 at 35mm, or a Konica Auto-S3 at 38mm. Hmmm...

Perhaps there's a theme here...

...Mike
 
I think a modern 50mm film compact is one of the great 'missing links' in the spectrum of camera delights we have to call upon. Yes, there are the compact zoomers with their 28-56mm (or similar lenses), but none are faster than 5.6 at the long end. The 40mm of the Leica Minilux and CM cameras is actually an outlier to the telephoto end.

There is the dual range LEICA AF-C1 with its 40/2.8-80/5.6 combo, but there isn't the choice of 50mm in between! And of course there are plenty of fixed focal length rangefinders that go out to 45mm...but they are not point n shoot.

I think Mike's theory on the use of these P&S cameras is spot on. A couple of other thoughts: 1) the AF would have to be a lot more accurate and hence sophisticated for a 50/2.8 than for a 28/2.8, which may be a challenge whilst keeping costs down, 2) the Japanese market (where most of these cameras are designed, and used) has a more wideangle taste than the West, generally speaking.

I would welcome such a hypothetical camera. I think the 28mm/50mm combo cannot be beaten for utility, and I very much like the idea of my full shooting gear being a compact in my left jacket pocket (GR1s), a compact in my right jacket pocket (Fujifilm SuperDuper Pro 50mm compact), and as much film as will fit in my breast pocket. :)
 
All the Zeiss Ikon Contessa(mat)s have 50mm Tessar lenses, which are razor-sharp, although maybe not wide open. Another one (with a 44mm lens) would be the Kodak Signet 35. I have a couple of the former, and the latter, and they are wonderful for light-weight travel...
 
Another to consider is the Canon Sure Shot Zoom 60 (38~60mm zoom), which is a pretty good performer that can be found for pennies. But like bgtc mentioned, there are dozens of dual focal length compacts that are 55mm at the narrow end.
 
I too was wondering about this as i do have the contax g2 with the 45 f2, but i was curious if anyone made a compact with built in flash and a sharp prime 50....i can always dream...
 
This all depends on what you consider a P&S! I have excellent results with either my Yashica MG-1 or Yashsica GSN and GS models. Not exactly capable of fitting into your shirt or jean pockets, but they produce beautifully sharp prints with the 45MM either
F2.8 or F1.7 lenses. I've been shooting them since the early 1970's when living in Sasebo, Japan and usually carry one or the other when I'm in Russia or Ukraine.
 
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