Introducing Myself, And Qs About Canon P

[jyl]

Hi, I want to introduce myself. I'm from the SF Bay Area and just stumbled on this forum. I only have two (working) rangefinders, a Rollei 35S and a Canon P / 50mm.

I am trying to learn about my Canon P and find some more accessories for it. I was thinking about a wide-angle (like a 20mm) and a portrait (like a 100mm), and a lightmeter for the shoe. I bought the camera on a whim, at a used camera store in Tokyo, and didn't think to buy more lenses at the time. I have no idea if I should use Canon lenses or for other-brand lenses.

I am also trying to pick a rugged and not-to-expensive rangefinder for hiking, fishing, etc. I was thinking about an Olympus XA, but have not yet seen one "in the flesh". The Rollei 35S would seem appropriate but I'd hate to drop it in the water.

Mostly, I'm just looking for a place to hang out and pick up info and ideas about rangefinder cameras. Thanks for having this forum!

 

[JohnM]

The XA would be perfect for hiking, fishing and whatever else. The lens is sharp and the clamshell design and compact profile make it perfect for slipping into pockets.

I use a zone focus XA2 whenever I'm heading somewhere that's likely to cause a camera to meet a violent end - kayaking, etc. They're not as sharp as the XA and the lens is slower, but they're so cheap and practical that I can't resist them. (A one-time use Kodak disposable is around $9 - you can pick up an XA2 for that and be able to use it for however long you can go without doing it in.)

 

[Rich Silfver]

Welcome. Happy to see another SF Bay area resident here (and 'blad user) 🙂

The Olympus XA is a great choice for something you want to carry around all the time - and take with you when you go fishing.

You may also want to look at the Yashica T4. Awesome zeiss lens in it!

If you're taking it with you where water may splash the Yashica T4 Super D - Waterproof - may be an ideal option.

Here's one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4789&item=3831999088&rd=1

It's a point and shoot but it's waterproof - and a great lens 🙂

Welcome again.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

jyl,
Welcome to the forum, you've come to the right place for RF users.

Todd

 

[back alley]

greetings and welcome to the forum.

in a couple of weeks i will join the ranks of the canon p users and i must say that i'm just so damn excited about it!
the p uses screw mount lens and except for the ones that have large rear ends you are good to go with most. you can use cv lenses, canon, nikon, even leica glass along with a raft of russian lenses also.
the p has framelines for only 35/50/100 lenses so you will need a seperate viewfinder for any wider or longer lenses.
there are seveal sites that have some good info.
i'll track them down and post later.

joe

 

[rover]

When it rains it pours. Welcome jyl. This week we are having a boom of Canon RF cameras joining our members, your's is the newest.

You can cruise ebay and the local shops for used, and highly thought of, Canon lenses and the assesories. Or, as Joe says, if you would like to try some new lenses, the Voigtlander line offers modern optical design at a reasonable cost (compared to Leica). Have you found the Cameraquest site yet? Lots of info....

Here are some links.

http://www.cameraquest.com/canonp.htm
http://www.cameraquest.com/crflen.htm
http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm
http://www.cameraquest.com/voivcmet.htm
http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtacc.htm

 

[GeneW]

The XA is a good used option -- bought mine in 1978 and it's still running well.

A modern option is the Olympus Stylus Epic. Weather-proofed, very small, lighter than even the XA, very sharp 35mm 2.8 lens (sharper than the XA) and even built-in flash. They sell new in the US for around $89. Small and light enough to tuck into a pants pocket and take everywhere.

Gene

 

[former member]

I will beaddong to this galler, but the old Canon 100mm F4 is in there. The lens ran under $100 with finder and case. The Nikkor was more expensive, but is F2. It is sharper and fasterr, under $300.

Shots from the Canon 100mm F4, Nikkor 85mm F2, and Elmar 9cm F4

 

[taffer]

And another Canon P comes to the RFF 🙂 Welcome John !

The XA, together with the Olympus RC is one of those things I could never acomplish, it should made a great carry everywhere camera.

BTW I saw a minty Serenar 85 1.9 going for $150 yesterday. The real truth however is that I don't see myself using anything beyond 50mm...

 

[jyl]

Well, I dropped by a photo swap meet and picked up a very nice XA w/ A11 flash for $60. Gee, these things are affordable. Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I've had two Olympus Styluses (Styli?). The problem was that my eye has a hard time finding the tiny viewfinder - I end up staring at black plastic too often. The XA's larger viewfinder lines up naturally for me. I also like more exposure and focus control than the Stylus provides.

 

[GeneW]

Well, I dropped by a photo swap meet and picked up a very nice XA w/ A11 flash for $60.

Perfect! You'll enjoy it -- it's an amazing little cam. Know what you mean about mis-connecting with the Stylus viewfinder. Had mine with me today and did that several times 🙂 But the Stylus is great when you're carrying lots of stuff and need to shoot with one hand ...

Gene