Inexpensive 35mm lens P&S options?

38 rather than 35mm, but cheap, widely available and obviously keeping well over the course of time: Konica C35 series.

Oh, I see, point-and-shoot! Nikon L35AF, for starters. But by the early AF age, 35mm had grown the new normal, so it would be harder to find a non-35mm one. And there are not that many AF compacts that ebay-sell above $50 either.
 
It is impossible to beat the Olympus Mju-II / Stylus Epic.

Sharp 35mm f2.8 prime lens and the fastest and most foolproof autofocus you will find in any camera at any price. It has a built in flash, a spot meter and a multi segment light meter. It can do slides. It is very small and very sturdy, with its dust and splashproof clamshell design.

You can regulalry find it for a few bucks at flea markets and thrift shops. I usally smile. And buy them.

When my first one died, I actually wrote a eulology for it on my blog:

http://lookupinwonder.blogspot.nl/s...d-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=8


Lowlands 2011 - roll 6 by Ronald_H, on Flickr
 
Pretty much all of them outside of a few cult favorites, I think.

Aside from the Konicas and Canons mentioned above, my favorites include the Nikon AF600 (Lite Touch), as well as the L35AF series, and the Pentax PC35 and IQZoom/Espio cameras. But realistically, you can expect good results from most of the AF compacts that you can find for a dollar or two at thrift stores, flea markets, or garage sales. I am quite fond of the Samsung cameras that I often buy at bargain prices. These cameras are cheap enough to take a chance on an off brand, like Chinon, or Vivitar, or even Sears. Buy whatever you can find locally and put a roll through it. Chances are that it won't suck.

If I were to spend as much as $50 on a compact camera (which I have not yet, at this point) and was in too much of a hurry to wait for a bargain, I would probably go for a nice Olympus Stylus Epic or maybe a nice Leica Mini Zoom, but the cheap part of me will always reach for that sub-$5 thrift store cutie.

Here you can find sample photos from dozens of 35mm compacts, some that you might have heard of, but many that you have not:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/collections/72157625428641704/
 
You could do worse than get a Mju-II/Stylus-Epic, but unfortunately it has reached cult status. Inexpensive ones are getting hard to find. That doesn't apply to its predecessor, the Mju-I/Inifnity-Stylus. If you can get your paws on either of them for a fair price, you're a winner.

Which of the Mju-I or Mju-II is better is open to debate. The Mju-II has the faster lens, longer shutter speeds, and the spot metering option, the Mju-I has the far better viewfinder and, as far as I can judge, faster AF. As to reliability, the extreme miniaturisation of the Mju-II makes the film transport prone to breaking; I've had a couple, and they went bust after ca. 40 rolls. If you do get a Mju-II, stick with 24 exposure film, so the film advance/rewind doesn't have to work too hard.
 
Hi,

There's thousands of sub USD5 camera out there, just waiting for a good home and a little appreciation. I'd never pay more than the price of a cup of coffee for one.

The Olympus XA2 is overshadowed by the XA and, in turn overshadows the basic (primitive) yet usable XA1. The mju-II overshadows the mju-I but I like them both. The mju-I is called the Infinity Stylus in the USA. And sometimes both the XA and mju-II go cheaply, after all they are old film cameras..

Then there's the Olympus AF-1, the AF-1 mini and so on. Konica A4 is brilliant and the Minolta AF-S is also overlooked.

And the Leica mini's half brother the Panasonic C-625 and Minolta Riva mini (or Freedom Escort) punch above their price level. Plus the Yashica T3 and Minitec Super and so on. Try also the Samsung AF Slim, Minox 35 ML and Konica C35 AF

No point in paying 50 or so when there are so many and so cheap...

Regards, David

PS Sorry Yashica Minitec is 33mm.
 
Pentax PC35AF-M. I got two of 'em (one PC35AF-M and a PC35AF-M SE), have hardly shot them at all but I understand theyre supposed to be amongst the best made.
 
+3 for the Olympus Stylus Epic (or Mju). They are definitely in your budget range. I sold one here last year for that.
 
Greyscale is right, I've tried many of them. What shocks me about these Japanese P&S cameras is how excellent the lenses are. If you are careful you can really hit a home run. Presently, I still have my Olympus Stylus Infinity from the late 80s (I think). But I've also used or had a Konica Maxi (again I think that is the name), a Canon AF something or other (the worst of the lot), a great Pentax that was lost, etc. You can find them on the Goodwill Shopping site for nothing, or ask friends if they have any old cameras. In the last 8 years, I have had over 25 cameras given to me.
 
I really love the Olympus AF-10 Super from 1991. Still working like a charm, operates on AAA batteries and the smooth design lets it slip in my jeans backpockets. Having heard many good things about all of the Olympus AF (US: Infinity) series, I think any single camera out of this series will be a good deal.
 
Above all else, don't pay over the odds for an Olympus mju as there's a press release about them somewhere on the www saying how many million of them were made. Just wait and a good one will turn up. They are cheap and easy to use. Running a film through to check will cost a lot more than the camera but don't let that put you off.

That probably applies to the XA1, 2 and 3's as well.

And asking for a develop and scan to CD will save your money at the test roll stage.

Regards, David
 
My absolute favourite it the Nikon L35AF but they don't come up very often.
Have you ever considered the Olympus AF-1 Mini? It has the same lens as the mju-1. The only differences are the fewer AF-steps minimum focusing distance and slower top speed. It is smaller than mju-1. Practical photography gave it a "best buy" status.
Olympus+af-1mini.JPG

Google around for pics.
 
All of the above are good. There's also the Ricoh FF9 (35mm, f3.5), which has some programme modes that you might find useful - multiple exposure, 3 (I think) shots in row, landscape, portrait, night etc.

If you're planning to shoot B&W film and want to use filters, then choices are limited. The Nikon L35AF and AF3 (but not the L35AF2) have 46mm filter threads. I was given an old L35AF and was very impressed with the results and have just acquired the AF3. But compared to the Oly mju ii, the Nikon's are bulky. No bigger than the early Canon Sureshots, mind you.

Try the d2 gallery - http://www.d2gallery.com/index.php - for a round up of many good P&S cameras (plus compact rangefinders, of course)
 
Hi,

A minor point but important is to do a bit of research about batteries and their prices.

The Olympus XA1 and the Trip 35 are in the "no batteries required" class but others take odd or expensive ones like the AF-1's CR-P2 and the Yashica T3 takes a 2CR5. The Minolta AF-S just needs 2 AAA's and others take the LR44 or SR44's.

Oddly enough a Nikon digital camera takes either a 2CR5 or a fancy Nikon rechargeable. The handbook suggests they are the same size but others say differently. Anyway, I'll throw that into the forum as it may sort things out for people like me who'd like a rechargeable 2CR5 battery. And sit down when looking at prices on ebay! Luckily there's cheaper unbranded ones but I know nothing of them.

Another second thought is to look for a P&S with a +1 or +2 EV button or setting; 'though that's easily sorted out on the XA1and XA2 by playing with the film speed. On the XA1 use 400ASA and switch to the other setting for 100ASA for +2 EV...

Regards, David
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom