Inexpensive 35mm lens P&S options?

[GarageBoy]

Thanks guys
I worry about the XA1 because of the selenium meter (There's a box of cameras with dead selenium meters that my dad bought over the years)

Also, scale focus vs AF?
Thanks

 

[David Hughes]

Thanks guys
I worry about the XA1 because of the selenium meter (There's a box of cameras with dead selenium meters that my dad bought over the years)

Also, scale focus vs AF?
Thanks

Hi,

Well a decent P&S with AF etc is a nice thing to have and use and they can turn out decent to excellent pictures. (Even better on a tripod.) Zone or scale focus are more hit or miss but you can learn and most of them work as long as you don't use slow film and then fire away at the widest aperture. Or you could buy a range-finder and stick it in the cold shoe...

XA1's cells are - like any other makers' - a problem in that the acid test is a film test but they are dirt cheap and there's lots of good ones out there: point being that the sliding cover keeps the light off the cell and that's what slowly kills them. It is, however, a very basic camera. No focusing, no way of knowing the exposure given and so on but many of us like the challenge of using them.

Use 400ASA film and turn it back to 100 for backlit shots and you'll be surprised. Plus you can leave the flash at home, if you hate flash and messing about to switch it off. And no batteries required, which eliminates another P&S problem...

In my little world an Olympus XA1 and a roll of film would cost less than a cup of coffee. Developing and a one hour lab's scan to CD makes it two cups so...

Regards, David

 

[Norkusa]

I just shot a roll with the Nikon AF600/Lite Touch and was really surprised at how good it was. Contrasty lens and great colors. I think I may like it more than my μ[mju:]-II and Yashica T4.

The AF600 seems to be ignored by many P&S enthusiasts too, so you can still pick it up for cheap.

 

[GarageBoy]

Hmm, the PC35AF and the AF-C are interesting
I do worry about reliability as I got a DOA Olympus XA

 

[whitecat]

Try a Nikon L35AF. Cheap, autofocus, and a superb lens. A real sleeper.

 

[GaryLH]

I remember there seemed to have been an almost cult like following for the Yashica T series and the olympus mju series. A couple of guys I knew back in the late 80s (I think it was), were fans of the Yashica.

I never had either camera.

Gary

 

[trip-xa]

Nikon Lite touch is good, but is 28mm/3.5, at least the one I have is.

I like XA and XA2 (trying to unload an XA2 on apug right now for about the price you mention). I love all these little cameras, but feel wedded to my Ricoh GR1v when I am pointing and shooting.

 

[Ranchu]

The Minolta Freedom Escort/Riva Mini is a Leica Mini, it's a good camera. You could probably get a Fuji DL Super Mini Zoom for that, not the sharpest thing but good color and rendering. And controls.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Leica made several versions called the mini, mini II and mini III and a version of the mini III with "Titan" added to the name for reasons that escape me. Plus there's the minilux wirh its 40mm lens.

You can search for and find the mini's for under USD 50 with a bit of luck.

I prefer the mini III although the lens is 32mm, but it has CW'd metering and an infinity lock, plus a +2 EV ability.

The Minolta Freedom Escort (USA) or Riva mini (Europe) and the Panasonic C-625AF look to me as though they came off the same production line as the Leica mini:

FWIW, I'd call the Minolta and Panasonic a variation somewhere between the Leica mini and mini II.

Regards, David

 

[tycho]

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.

I have the SE version. If you're going to get a Pentax get the M - the first model, it is better in my opinion. It has a manual wind that keeps the camera quiet, the SE has a loud motor. I believe that the lenses are the same quality. The M is hard to find for a good price.

 

[Greyscale]

I have the SE version. If you're going to get a Pentax get the M - the first model, it is better in my opinion. It has a manual wind that keeps the camera quiet, the SE has a loud motor. I believe that the lenses are the same quality. The M is hard to find for a good price.

There is an accessory motor drive made for the non-motorized version, but I fail to see the point of it.

 

[Gregoyle]

An advantage of the mju-ii/Stylus Epic is the sliding hard shell. It allows you to carry it easily in your back pocket without having to worry about crushing the camera when you sit on it. It's very sturdy!

The lens is also very nice for its size.