Favorite Underappreciated Under Priced Cameras?

[zuiko85]

Just came from a camera show/swap/flea market type event. I've always shot the OM system for a long time now and there were probably twenty or thirty OM-1 and 1n bodies there, none priced over $25! Several were from $12 to $15 and working according to my quick look. I was sad I didn't need any more bodies.

 

[lxmike]

I nearly voted for the Pentax Mx but at the end of the day you can pick up Minolta x-700 with a 50mm Rokkor for around £50 on the bay

 

[JP Owens]

Yes, Roger, hard to even give away an FT-2. I always liked them, though, keeping a couple around even when I was shooting F's. If I remember correctly, Herbert Keppler was a fan of Nikkormats back in the day.

 

[Jake Mongey]

Honestly in terms of rangefinders i would have to say the canon 7. Okay it isnt that cheap but honestly in terms of bang for buck it is amazing. Unfortunately it was competing against the leica m3 which was its downfall but it has more features than a leica m3 and has a 'normal' loading method.

 

[Dogman]

The orphaned Olympus Evolt system. I can understand why it didn't catch on but, really, what great lenses and camera features throughout the system. I've pretty much retired mine now but I still marvel at the photos I've done with those Zuikos. Camera bodies and lenses have been available for cheap but the supply may be drying up.

 

[Daryl J.]

Ilford's Black and White disposable camera.
The results should not be that good for $10 new.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

Konica C35

Nice, tiny and simple with a lovely lens, and it cost me $5... 🙂

 

[Spavinaw]

Another vote for Nikkormat. Get the model with features you like. They're all cheap.

 

[farlymac]

Yashica FX-2. It's pretty basic, like a Nikkormat, but you can shoot some Carl Zeiss glass with it!

PF

 

[WJJ3]

my vote, after about 7 years of casual use, goes to the Pentax 645n. These cameras are underappreciated and underpriced. You will be hard pressed to look through a better finder. Although the eyepoint is not stellar, everything else about this finder is. Want to actually evaluate depth of field and subject separation on the focusing screen? This is a functional SLR. Also, I think one would struggle to find a better arrangement of controls and functions. The lenses are top notch, and the dual portrait-landscape tripod mounting is super handy.

I give my SRT 101 the runner up. While I don't think these are particularly underappreciated, they are vastly undervalued. I paid a premium ￥10,000 for my pristine black paint body and feel like it was a bargain. Compare it to a popular camera like any of Nikons FM or FEs and you will find it head and shoulders above in terms of build and materials. A high watermark for Minolta.

Honorable mention goes to my Olympus Pen S sporting the Zuiko 3cm. In contrast to the SRT these cameras are not undervalued, as clean, good functioning copies still fetch a respectable price, but they are definitely underappreciated as functional shooters. 80 frames a roll with a no-nonsense, ultra compact form factor. The finder and brightlines are brilliant, and the short lens offers enough depth of field to not feel hindered by the lack of rangefinder focusing. Further, the half frames from this camera leave nothing to be desired in terms of image quality for the snap-shot style of shooting this camera excells at.

 

[Peter de Waal]

Fujica ST605n. Small at 133w x 86h x 45d mm, 565g. Takes any and all M42 lenses and ordinary 1.55v SR44 silver cell batteries (2). With a 50mm lens they have 95% coverage of full frame at 0.96x magnification, so you can shoot them with both eyes open. Viewfinder shows analogue meter needle on right, shutter speed selected on left. Stop-down/meter switch is the chrome button under your index finger. Normally about $20 used. I take mine everywhere with a 50 Zebra Pancolar.

 

[filmtwit]

Mamaya M645, nice inexpensive work horse of a medium format camera.
I picked up mine used about 8 years ago for $300.

Some of various Fuji-texas-Leica's have come down quite a bit in price, while plasticie, the lenses are stunningly good.

 

[mcfingon]

Dear Stephen,

Quirky. yes. Great, not so sure: see http://rogerandfrances.eu/photography/basics-1-camera

Cheers,

R.

Your experience with the Zeiss 35mm SLR cameras accords with mine Roger. Zeiss seemed to unerringly make every wrong move they could possibly make to end up with a camera that had none of the advantages of an SLR. One good point: the Tessar lens on the one I have, when it will work, is really good. Zeiss missed the chance to make the pre-war Contax II into a good solid SLR, which is what Nikon did.

 

[Tom A]

My choice would be the Nikon F. Over 1 million made, tough as nails, huge selection of lenses, simple to fix. So, the Photomic doesn't work, just shoot sunny f16 instead - or if you are lucky, find one with the prism finder. Mint camera are pricey, good users are cheap.

 

[charjohncarter]

I wouldn't put it in the cheap class (I paid in the $250 range), but the BessaR that I bought from Stephan is my most under-appreciated camera. It has a good meter, synced to 125, a great viewfinder and rangefinder, small enough to take anywhere, uses LTM lenses and I have a Pentax extension tube and LTM to Pentax screw mount adapter that allow my to use my Pentax Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5 and a Zenitar 16mm with scale focus. I think I bought it in 2007 and have used it every month since then.

Untitled by John Carter, on Flickr

 

[Peter de Waal]

PrakticaMat. Large at 152h x 100h x 48d mm, 690g. Takes PX625 1.35v battery. With a 50mm lens they have 94% coverage of full frame at 0.92x magnification. Bright viewfinder shows analogue meter needle on right. The stop-down/meter actuating system is switched by that big black button under your right index finger. This is the BEST M42 design ever as it takes no pressure to operate thanks to a very high leverage ratio. The camera's high mass is better for large lenses or slow exposures. Normally comes with an 1.8-50mm Oreston, occasionally a Pancolar or Tessar. I like using mine with 135 Sonnar and Orestor's plus a 4-300 Sonnar from the 1950's that also fits the Panflex system for a Contax RF.
Normally dried lube in shutter brgs. is main fault slowing shutter down. The film gate unscrews from open film chamber allowing direct access to shutter spindles for cleaning/relubing.

 

[lynnb]

The Pentax MZ-5/ZX-5. A dirt cheap (I paid $5) and capable KAF-2 mount SLR with Aperture, Shutter, Manual and Program modes. Takes 2x CR2 3V batteries. Very small and lightweight, similar to an OM1, but plasticky. Takes a huge range of manual or auto Pentax/Takumar lenses. Quiet. Shutter 30sec to 1/2000. The only problem is battery-dependency and the flash pop-up spring often breaks.

Edit: forgot about the ME Super, if you prefer a more traditional camera - better built and great vf.

 

[Spanik]

In medium format that has to be the Mamiya C330 for me. A TLR that has is solid, dependable, easy to load, can do everything from wide(ish) angle to short tele and macro.

In 24x36 my vote goes to the Praktica MTL-3. Very basic but very forgiving and with the M42 mount you have a choice of lenses that just covers anything.

 

[zozur]

Smena 8M. Camera.

+1
- Cheap - under 10$
- times from B to 1/250s
- no battery, lightmeter or rangefinder
- very light
- Metal and glass lens
- not bad lens
- easy to operate

Not really underrated though; just underpriced. Anyone want to buy a couple? It's hardly worth the effort of selling 'em.

Cheers,

R.

Really Nikkormats are so cheap? Unfortunately not here.

All the best
Zbigniew

 

[Prest_400]

my vote, after about 7 years of casual use, goes to the Pentax 645n. These cameras are underappreciated and underpriced. You will be hard pressed to look through a better finder. Although the eyepoint is not stellar, everything else about this finder is. Want to actually evaluate depth of field and subject separation on the focusing screen? This is a functional SLR. Also, I think one would struggle to find a better arrangement of controls and functions. The lenses are top notch, and the dual portrait-landscape tripod mounting is super handy.

Mamaya M645, nice inexpensive work horse of a medium format camera.
I picked up mine used about 8 years ago for $300.

Some of various Fuji-texas-Leica's have come down quite a bit in price, while plasticie, the lenses are stunningly good.

645 SLR systems are quite cheap, except some modern iterations and the hyped Contax 645.
The Pentax 645 still didn't creep up heavily in price, back when Rockwell reviewed it (09?) and deemed it as the MF bargain of the time. Then there was the MF DSLR 645 which shares lenses but it seems that it has not affected that much.

I've seen Bronicas and Mamiyas 645 quite cheap.

The Fuji Texas Leicas are rather overlooked and older models (mkIII can be) can be found quite cheap. Large neg, low price. Unfairly compared to the Mamiya 7 and often getting a bad rap for the size (should compare to the Pentax 67) and clingy shutter sound. I'm seeing a lot of interest in the P67 series with the 105mm and I think prices are higher nowadays.