Date back camera?

[mooge]

Hey guys,

I've been thinking of getting a point and shoot camera for that colour negative and flash and date back look. It's a nostalgia thing I guess.

My criteria are:

1. Cheap (<$50)
2. Responsive (or responsive ish - unresponsive digital cameras is partially why I got into shooting film... this is back in the mid 2000s)
3. Not garbage
4. Preferably AA or some other common battery powered
5. Reasonably compact

So, do you know of any cameras that sort of tick those boxes?


(Or does anyone have a Canon data back A or similar that they'd sell to me for cheap so I can cut it up and stick it on my Leica?)

thanks,
Eugene

 

[B-9]

I can take a look in my P&S bin... so many piled in there. Shoot me a PM we will find something.

 

[Fauxtographer]

Hey Eugene,

Same here...I have several in my camera bin. If you are still looking, PM me and I’d be glad to take a look. I’m picking up test rolls from 4 cameras I picked up at the thrift shop the other day as well and all had date backs, and mostly meet your criteria. 😉

 

[dave lackey]

Hands down favorite... Nikon N80/F80

All of that and more with interchangeable lenses.🙂

$25

Want smaller? B9 probably has what you want!🙂

 

[AlexBG]

MJU i fits the bill

 

[Doug]

Pentax MZ-3 has a date back, or at least the option of one. Pretty low pricing for this nice camera these days I expect...

 

[Hannes]

Note that many old data backs can display dates after 2000. Databack for OM1 fails displaying current dates. Nikon F801, F90x can.

 

[David Hughes]

Has anyone used a date back twice, meaning after the first roll through it?

Just asking as I can remember one that would print the date, etc, on the back of the print somehow and that spoilt it for all the others.

Regards, David

 

[ForestCap]

Hey guys,

I've been thinking of getting a point and shoot camera for that colour negative and flash and date back look. It's a nostalgia thing I guess.

My criteria are:

1. Cheap (<$50)
2. Responsive (or responsive ish - unresponsive digital cameras is partially why I got into shooting film... this is back in the mid 2000s)
3. Not garbage
4. Preferably AA or some other common battery powered
5. Reasonably compact

So, do you know of any cameras that sort of tick those boxes?


(Or does anyone have a Canon data back A or similar that they'd sell to me for cheap so I can cut it up and stick it on my Leica?)

thanks,
Eugene

check this
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163578

It ticks 1,2,3,4 at least. It's not a pants pocket camera so it might not tick 5.
The AF is instant as you half press the shutter button like most of those good PS cameras. But this camera shoots faster with almost zero shutter delay since the lens is sitting farther from the film already (thx to its bulkiness) so it does not need to extend out unlike Mju1 or Mju2.

 

[FalseDigital]

I recommend a Minolta Pico a.k.a Minolta Riva Mini

It's got a built in data back and is rumored to have the same lens as a Leica Mini.

Here's a shot I took with mine on Agfa 400 film (I've got the Minolta Pico version) Sorry, I didn't have the data back enabled on this shot tho.

 

[FalseDigital]

OR

I also recommend the Fujifilm TateYoko (a.k.a Auto-8QD)
They can be had really cheap and the lens is quite sharp. Also, the TateYoko Version has a little mechanism in the camera that "senses" when you're shooting in portrait or landscape mode and will print the date on it either vertically or horizontally. This one has a really powerful flash and no shutter delay, really great for snaps. Also, it takes 2 AA batteries, so easy to power.

Here's a couple shots I've taken with this camera. HP5+ developed in HC-110 at home.
Again, I didn't have the data back enabled tho. Sorry about that!

 

[Fauxtographer]

check this
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163578

It ticks 1,2,3,4 at least. It's not a pants pocket camera so it might not tick 5.
The AF is instant as you half press the shutter button like most of those good PS cameras. But this camera shoots faster with almost zero shutter delay since the lens is sitting farther from the film already (thx to its bulkiness) so it does not need to extend out unlike Mju1 or Mju2.

Just FYI, even these are going for upwards of $100 or more these days on eBay. People have gotten wind that they are the grandfathers of the exalted Yashica T4/T5. It's crazy. 😕

 

[ForestCap]

Just FYI, even these are going for upwards of $100 or more these days on eBay. People have gotten wind that they are the grandfathers of the exalted Yashica T4/T5. It's crazy. 😕

Ye it's crazy. I was lucky and bought mine on Swedish "eBay" for $24. T3 and on models are sold here for crazy prices too.

 

[dmr]

Not to be a total snot here, and each to his or her own, as if all of us like the same things we would have a boring world, but ...

I just don't "get it" why someone who loves photography would use this! In my not so humble opinion, that date in the corner ruins the shot! Is it maybe "retro cool" lo-fi or something? "Dated and tacky" (pun not intended) would be the way I would describe it.

(Yeah I know, b*tch b*tch b*tch!) 🙂

 

[JoeLopez]

Not to be a total snot here, and each to his or her own, as if all of us like the same things we would have a boring world, but ...

I just don't "get it" why someone who loves photography would use this! In my not so humble opinion, that date in the corner ruins the shot! Is it maybe "retro cool" lo-fi or something? "Dated and tacky" (pun not intended) would be the way I would describe it.

(Yeah I know, b*tch b*tch b*tch!) 🙂

Fortunately, you don't need to 'get' it 🙂

Why can't the guy seek a camera to take the type of pictures HE want's to take?

 

[ForestCap]

Not to be a total snot here, and each to his or her own, as if all of us like the same things we would have a boring world, but ...

I just don't "get it" why someone who loves photography would use this! In my not so humble opinion, that date in the corner ruins the shot! Is it maybe "retro cool" lo-fi or something? "Dated and tacky" (pun not intended) would be the way I would describe it.

(Yeah I know, b*tch b*tch b*tch!) 🙂

Nostalgia for me. The date prints reminds me the travel photos my mom took with some unknown P&S camera. I also like the 80s and 90s culturally.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I think the problem with your criteria is going to be the batteries; assuming AA's are the aim then most of the cameras will have been made in the 70's or 80's and that means the dates won't- probably - run up to this century.

A few might but my guess is that the almighty CR2 and CR123A will be the battery they are designed around. To find a date range with a bit of life left in it suggests these:-

Fuji Tiara - expensive...
Konica Lexio 70W
Leica C3 - expensive and large
Minolta Zoom 110
Nikon Zoom 90AF
Olympus µ-II Zoom 80 (Wide DLX)
Olympus µ[mju:]-V and
Pentax ESPIO 928M.

The next problem is that I don't know if date versions of them are made and I can't even be sure of them being as modern as I think. But there's Google and so on...

OTOH, I've owned and used all of them and like them all but that's not the same as you liking them and finding a good one cheaply.

Regards, David

PS (Edit after three attempts.) The interesting thing, based on looking at dates in my database, is that they seemed to stop making 35mm P&S's for a while to turn out APS then went back in 1999 or so to 35mm film. I can't find anything made after 2003 that you are likely to pick up cheaply.

 

[mooge]

I just don't "get it" why someone who loves photography would use this!

Nostalgia for me. The date prints reminds me the travel photos my mom took with some unknown P&S camera. I also like the 80s and 90s culturally.

Yeah, exactly that - nostalgia. And continuity. I photograph stuff that I want to remember, and sometimes it's useful to have the date to go with the negative or print - I write the date on all of my instant photos. But mostly nostalgia.



FalseDigital - that looks awesome, and the TateYoko seems to tick all of the boxes (except price...?). I really dig your zine by the way.


Thanks for the suggestions and comments, all!