Looking for a light 35mm SLR

[RObert Budding]

Contax T2/T3 for fixed lens. Contax Aria for interchangeable lens. Can't beat Olympus.

The prices for Contax p&s cameras are insane. and they are not SLRs, so the T2/T3 are pretty much the last thing that I'd recommend.

 

[farlymac]

Well, since the OP has made his selection, I thought now would be a good time to show my lightest 35mm SLR...the Continental TXL!



P1080781_2 Continental TXL Profile by P F McFarland, on Flickr


And a sample photo that has been massaged a little bit.



002_2_4 Ghent Grace Brethren Church by P F McFarland, on Flickr


You can still buy these brand new as the Great Wall PF1. The design started life as a Fujica, changing manufacturers (and names) a half dozen times.


PF

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

I just spent a week traveling with my family and carried my Nikon FE with a 35mm f/2.0 AI-S lens. At 870g for the combo, you start to feel the weight at the end of the day, even carried at the bottom of a backpack.

My Olympus OM-1 is much lighter than the FE, but the only lens I have for that system is a 50mm f/1.4, which is not a great deal smaller or lighter than my 50mm Nikon and Pentax lenses.

Although my Pentax bodies (Spotmatic and K1000) are slightly heavier even than the FE, I find the lighter weight lenses make them easier to carry all day. I have a 35mm f/3.5 Super Takumar that only weighs, I think, 152 grams. That is a cracking lens and is a dream to carry all day. The K1000 with its 50mm f/2.0 also seems less burdensome that the Nikon with the heavy f/1.4 lens.

Pentax made a K-mount version of the 35mm f/3.5 that would pair very well with an MX or ME Super for a lightweight, easy-to-carry combo.

 

[xavyr]

Very light weight & excellent features? Second the Nikon N75 & N80. Cheap, decent zooms a-plenty. Boom.

 

[valdas]

EOS 300 and 40 2.8 pancake.

Well, I liked the idea. I used to have EOS 50, but I sold all my AF film cameras (I only have now Hexar AF and Contax G2 as AF) so it felt a bit nostalgic to have this function loaded cheap AF SLR. And I went shopping and today I bought used EOS 300 (for the price of next to nothing) - the batteries cost more to power it, but on the plus side - there was still a film inside (on frame 10). All I need now is used 40/2.8.

 

[Peter de Waal]

Huss, I've been using, fixing and collecting cameras for 47 years. That list was drawn up long ago. <cut&paste>
Still have all of those bodies and optics too...
Peter

 

[Jeremy Z]

Pfred - Did you find a nice Rollei 35 yet? I was going to recommend that you stick with your original idea and get one, esp. if you're going to mostly need something around 40 mm focal length.

I just sold my User Grade Rollei B 35 on ebay for around $130. It weighs about half as much as the original design, but its guts aren't as nice. I'm mostly referring to the winding train, as the Triotar lens is quite nice. They seem to fetch about as much as the original design, so if the original isn't too heavy, get that one instaed.

Even a small film SLR like an Olympus OM or Pentax MX is quite large and thick, compared to a Rollei 35, and they will not make better photos at 40 mm.

As for your hip bag idea, that is a good one, and the Rollei 35 will fit right in there!

 

[Jeremy Z]

Another idea, in case you want options, would be a first generation point & shoot camera.

The first generation from the big Japanese companies had excellent lenses: 4 or 5 element 35-40 mm, f/2.8 or 3.5.

I have a Minolta Freedom II with a razor sharp 35/3.5 lens that I would let you have for a song. It lacks a provision for focus lock, but I found the DoF sufficient that it didn't matter at all. It's bigger than a Rollei 35, but a lot lighter, and the lens is just as sharp.

Others to consider: Nikon "One Touch" L35AF, L35AF2 or -3, Nikon "Lite-Touch", Canon "Sure Shot" AF35M or -M2.

 

[mpaniagua]

+1 on Olympus OM1. Light body and light lens.

Marcelo

 

[Huss]

Even a small film SLR like an Olympus OM or Pentax MX is quite large and thick, compared to a Rollei 35, and they will not make better photos at 40 mm.

Of course they will make better photos! They will be able to nail focus each and every time at any distance at any aperture. As well as having much better and more sensitive meters. And the 40mm pancake lens that Pentax offers is superb.

 

[narsuitus]

When I want a smaller and lighter body than my Nikon F4 SLR, I use a Pentax ME.


Pentax ME & Nikon F4 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Relatively small and lightweight

Voigtlander Bessaflex TM
Voigtlander 40mm f2 Ultron Aspherical SL (M42 mount) lens
Side grip for Bessa rangefinder fits perfect

Dome type metal lens hood

Old school simplicity - switch up for TTL metering

All the best,
Mike

 

[Pfreddee]

Smaug, I traded for a pristine Rollei 35SE, and I'm running the first roll of film through it. I read a posting about Rollei 35's and dents. It seems everyone (almost) in that thread owns/owned one with dents. Mine has a tiny bit of brassing on the lower left rear of the case. Other than that, it looks like it came from the factory. I'll take a couple of digital snaps of it and then try to post them on this thread.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

 

[Huss]

Teeny SLR w awesome lens.

 

[farlymac]

Smaug, I traded for a pristine Rollei 35SE, and I'm running the first roll of film through it. I read a posting about Rollei 35's and dents. It seems everyone (almost) in that thread owns/owned one with dents. Mine has a tiny bit of brassing on the lower left rear of the case. Other than that, it looks like it came from the factory. I'll take a couple of digital snaps of it and then try to post them on this thread.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

Bubbles in paint, too. Doesn't hurt the operation though.



PF

 

[gavinlg]

My vote would be an either a Nikon FM or FE body (depending on preference of mechanical or AE) with either the nikkor 45mm f2.8P lens (Tessar) or the Voigtlander 40mm f2 ultron,

OR

a Yashica F-X3 super with a Contax Zeiss 45mm f2.8 pancake.


The Minolta X bodies are lovely to use but unreliable with their capacitor issues, and the Olympus OM bodies are gorgeous but have viewfinder rot issues that affect most of them.

 

[Jeremy Z]

Guys, he decided to go with a Rollei 35.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Teeny SLR w awesome lens.

Huss, Man that's sweet & you're right...tiny & killer lenses ....& reliable. almost gives me camera acquisition syndrome...

 

[Jeremy Z]

Well, since the OP has made his selection, I thought now would be a good time to show my lightest 35mm SLR...the Continental TXL!



P1080781_2 Continental TXL Profile by P F McFarland, on Flickr



You can still buy these brand new as the Great Wall PF1. The design started life as a Fujica, changing manufacturers (and names) a half dozen times.

GOD is that an ugly camera! I give you props for being open-minded, and the image is pretty good. They advertise it as a Holga alternative, but the image looks too good to be Holga. 😕

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

I just spent a week traveling with my family and carried my Nikon FE with a 35mm f/2.0 AI-S lens. At 870g for the combo, you start to feel the weight at the end of the day, even carried at the bottom of a backpack.

My Olympus OM-1 is much lighter than the FE, but the only lens I have for that system is a 50mm f/1.4, which is not a great deal smaller or lighter than my 50mm Nikon and Pentax lenses.

Although my Pentax bodies (Spotmatic and K1000) are slightly heavier even than the FE, I find the lighter weight lenses make them easier to carry all day. I have a 35mm f/3.5 Super Takumar that only weighs, I think, 152 grams. That is a cracking lens and is a dream to carry all day. The K1000 with its 50mm f/2.0 also seems less burdensome that the Nikon with the heavy f/1.4 lens.

Pentax made a K-mount version of the 35mm f/3.5 that would pair very well with an MX or ME Super for a lightweight, easy-to-carry combo.

You should try pairing your FE with a Series E 50 or 35 next time. That will lighten your load and you won't be giving up much on the lens side of things either.