besk
Well-known
I have a N5005, 2 N70's, and 4 N75's. All bought cheap.
The MB18 for the N75's cost almost as much as 2 of my N75's.
The MB18 for the N75's cost almost as much as 2 of my N75's.
Solinar
Analog Preferred
Cameras, Analog Film Cameras and Electronics
Cameras, Analog Film Cameras and Electronics
I did a just for grins Google search for a set of 3 Hoya 52mm filters. Amazon has them listed under "Electronics". Priced at $36.24, shipped.
That tells you in which pigeon hole niche places a photographic apparatus.
Twenty years ago, I remember rebelling against the AF 35mm SLR cameras being praised in this thread. Myself and some others pointed out that some fixed-lens 35mm rangefinders could be had for $25 or less and were able to yield mighty fine images. Compared to the asking price of plastik fantastic SLR they were a bargain.
Fast forward to the future and present - the situation is reversed with regards to costs. I now see Canonets that look like someone has within the last decade replaced their light seals and maybe in recent memory ran a roll of film through them have an asking price of $125 to $150.
What I mostly see are Canonets and whatever fixed-lens 35mm rangefinders with an asking prices that are nearly as high, but with rotted light seals and the statement there was no battery available to test the camera, don't know how the camera works, etc.
So, I ask y'all - was that a proper Saturday morning rant?
Cameras, Analog Film Cameras and Electronics
I did a just for grins Google search for a set of 3 Hoya 52mm filters. Amazon has them listed under "Electronics". Priced at $36.24, shipped.
That tells you in which pigeon hole niche places a photographic apparatus.
Twenty years ago, I remember rebelling against the AF 35mm SLR cameras being praised in this thread. Myself and some others pointed out that some fixed-lens 35mm rangefinders could be had for $25 or less and were able to yield mighty fine images. Compared to the asking price of plastik fantastic SLR they were a bargain.
Fast forward to the future and present - the situation is reversed with regards to costs. I now see Canonets that look like someone has within the last decade replaced their light seals and maybe in recent memory ran a roll of film through them have an asking price of $125 to $150.
What I mostly see are Canonets and whatever fixed-lens 35mm rangefinders with an asking prices that are nearly as high, but with rotted light seals and the statement there was no battery available to test the camera, don't know how the camera works, etc.
So, I ask y'all - was that a proper Saturday morning rant?
Huss
Veteran
So, I ask y'all - was that a proper Saturday morning rant?
I think you jjust praised the plastic fantastic slrs that you can now get for the price of a pack of gum.
css9450
Veteran
james.liam
Well-known
Don't remind me.... I paid $1000 for my N90S in 1996.
...and that $1000 invested at the time in Apple stock....
David Hughes
David Hughes
Interesting that no one has mentioned the Olympus SLR's that were bridge cameras and released in the late 90's. They are called iS and some number in this country, eg Olympus iS-3000.
I think they have some very good lenses on them and everything you could want in one nice package. Looking at prices on ebay I can see, with the usual proviso, that they ae dirt cheap for the spec.
Here's a little about them:-
https://photojottings.com/tag/olympus-is-series/
https://esif.world-traveller.org/om-sif/is-series/is-series.htm
Regards, David
I think they have some very good lenses on them and everything you could want in one nice package. Looking at prices on ebay I can see, with the usual proviso, that they ae dirt cheap for the spec.
Here's a little about them:-
https://photojottings.com/tag/olympus-is-series/
https://esif.world-traveller.org/om-sif/is-series/is-series.htm
Regards, David
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
1, I do not live in Birmingham and not many RFF visitors and users do; so I think my point is valid. I would be a very happy bunny if I could buy all the film and batteries I like/need locally at a reasonably price during our normal shopping trips to town but I can't and I don't see that as a minority view/experience.
2, I don't get frightened either by batteries and electronics, I've spent most of my working life involved with them from the late 50'd or early 60's. In the 70's I was working in 6 storey buildings that had back up 50v batteries to run almost everything but the lifts day and night. And as for what passed as computers in those days...
But newcomers to film read these posts and it seems unfair not to give them the whole picture* and let them decide for themselves. OTOH, they could learn the hard way as I did with my Contax and Leica R5...
Regards, David
* Looking at ebay from time to time I get annoyed by the way things are described to trap the unwary. Looking at many adverts for nicely specified cameras by Leica, Contax, CZ, Minolta and so on with decent prime, zoom and macro lenses I often feel sorry for the buyers who will soon discover that APS is no longer made and so the cameras are really display pieces unless a miracle happens. I hope that is a good example of giving - or not giving - the whole picture.
Archlich
Well-known
I was gifted an IS camera which had been shelved for years because I wasn't into photography back then. Years later I picked it up and identified it as a IS-100. It had zero manual control and really was just a big point&shoot with a prism and a couple of scene settings built in. Not too much fun to use since you have to wrestle with the automation for almost everything...guess the "advanced" IS-1000/2000/3000 would be another story.
This thread made me pick up two Nikon F80 in addition to the F6, Pentax MZ-3 and EOS 5 I already own. Wonderfully light and (surprisingly) solid cameras! Very versatile with the current G lenses. Full range of control similar to the later 2-digit Nikon D cameras, without the menus to get in your way. It also feels strangely nice when I inquired a seller about whether I could use an eyepiece on the Nikon D100/ Fuji S2 but in reality it would be for the F80 (and yes it fits). The only grip is although you could customize the "lock" button on the back, back-button focus seems impossible.
I'm waiting for a split screen to arrive to see if I can use the CV 40/2 (a AI-P lens with contacts) comfortably on the camera.
Ste_S
Well-known
Custom setting 11 option 4, no ?
That Nikon didn't produce an AF pancake is one of my few gripes. I keep a Canon EOS 300x body just to use with the 40mm f2.8 stm pancake.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Yes, completely different. There's manuals all over the www to look at and see just what a nice package the serious ones were. Look here, f'instance:-
http://www.cameramanuals.org/olympus_pdf/olympus_is-3dlx.pdf
Regards, David
gnuyork
Well-known
I still have my EOS Elan IIe that was my first purchase in college. It's been almost 20 years since I have used it, should probably give it a whirl again, but like somebody else mentioned, I prefer the 70s mechanical SLRs. My first ever camera used was my dad's Minolta SRT 201, which he gave to me a few years back, and friend gave me her husband's AE1 as well...
This pastg winter I acquired around 30 or so old cameras from the 50s through the 80s, some 35mm, some 120, and a few were movie cameras (Bolex), so I now have plenty of choices along with my M6 and Rolleiflex staples.
This pastg winter I acquired around 30 or so old cameras from the 50s through the 80s, some 35mm, some 120, and a few were movie cameras (Bolex), so I now have plenty of choices along with my M6 and Rolleiflex staples.
Ste_S
Well-known
Second F65 arrived today... and it's also get the reluctant autofocus problem. Not so much of a problem this time around though- payed £75 for the body, 28-80 G and 70-300 G. Lenses themselves are worth the money so the F65 will go on ebay as spares/repair
twvancamp
Thom
This thread got me interested in these bodies. Had a n90s for a while, but hadn't used any other late era SLRs. The n90 is wonderful but on the heavy side for me. The n80 is an incredible camera. If it metered my manual lenses I don't think I could ask for more. After messing with these and a few others I think I'm keeping the much maligned n70: feels great in the hand, meters AI lenses, and the controls aren't that bad once you get going.