Film p&s for a beginner

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anerjee

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My wife really likes the color and feel of the film pics I have been getting with my Olympus XA.

She wants a point-and-shoot to carry in her handbag. I have promised to take care of the processing and scanning etc.

I'd like to say she is a beginner, but she's a far better photographer than me. Just not interested in the technical aspects of photography at all.

So it has to have auto-focus and auto-exposure. Some manual controls would be nice though -- she does have a intuitive sense of when to over-ride the camera's choice.

Anything close to the XA in size would be very good.

Suggestions are most welcome!
 
I've used a few Olympus Stylus cameras in the past and the lens/image quality is excellent, and so very easy to use...just open the sliding shell and shoot.
 
Try a Minolta Freedom Escort. It's a variant of the Leica Mini II, and a much better camera/lens than the Stylus Epic imo, except the Epic's finder is nicer. The Leica/Minolta has a permanent filter to 'protect' the glass, so it needs to be kept in a case when carried around, The Epic wins there, too. I thought there was someone selling a Leica Mini in the classifieds but now I can't find it.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4624361

A nice pic, not mine.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58828893@N06/5408761490/

You might also look at the Canon Sure Shot Sleek/Canon Prima Mini II though the corners are pretty soft sometimes.
 
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I absolutely dont recommend the Olympus Mju:2. Its really slow and almost never nails the focus. The lens is NOT sharp, almost all images gets a soft unfocused look to them, even those with flash - which should get sharper because of smaller aperture, but they dont get sharper.

I would recommend the Olympus Xa2 instead. Quite cheap, and with zone focus its only your own fault if the images is not in focus, not the cameras.
 
Olympus XA2 - the point & shoot I turned to when I wanted something simple and foolproof for my parents. Same size and layout as your XA, with automatic exposure, and no need to focus, aside from setting focus to near, normal range, or far (camera defaults to normal range after each shot). A foolproof & great little shooter, and also tremendously cheap.
 
Unless it really, really needs to be autofocus, I second the XA2 suggestion. What I like best about the XA2, is the absence of autofocus.. Typically on a simple P&S, the autofocus is its Achilles heel; causing long delays between pressing the shutter button and the actual exposure. With the XA2, exposure is instant.
 
How about the contax T2/T3?

I read a lot about them. How is the size compared to the XA? Auto-focus? They are more expensive for sure, but I might get one if I can play with it as well.
 
Women could appreciate colrful Konica C35 EF3. Get couple of them, and she will have choice which one to use, depending on mood. Lens is first class.
 
AF / AE

Budget - Olympus Stylus / MJU

Midrange - Yashica T4 / Super

High-end - Contax T3 / Minolta TC-1 / Leica CM / Hexar AF / Ricoh GR1 series

MF / AE

Budget - Olympus XA2 / Yashica Electro 35 MC

Midrange - Olympus XA4 / Yashica Electro 35 CCN / Canon QL17 / Konica Auto S2/S3 / Olympus 35 SP

High-end - Minolta CLE / Leica CL

I'm sure I've missed a few but those are what comes to my mind. If you say she has a good eye and is an accomplished photographer, I'd go for something with a bit more control than just a straightforward AF/AE p&s.

Encourage her to use manual focus! Get something with manual settings too! Get her a Linhof! :p
 
Olympus Stylus Epic.

This shot is from a Stylus Epic and Fuji Pro400H film. Not artwork, but sharp and pleasing (I think so, anyway :)

5541229316_2b70c6baf8_z.jpg
 
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