My Take on Different FLRFs I've had

[Jeremy Z]

Canonet QL17 GIII (9/10)
+ Top Quality Construction
+ Very nice lens (8/10)
+ Ingenious film loading
+ Battery check
+ Light meter behind filter threads
+ Auto parallax compensating frame lines
+ Just the right size: Big enough for a good grip, small enough to be compact
- Film advance mechanism isn't as satisfying as some; feels just a bit cheap
- Aperture ring is a bit hard to get to w/o scraping fingers on self-timer & ISO setting
- Manual exposure is not metered

Yashica GS (7.5/10)
+ Top Quality Construction
+ Nice lens, but not multicoated (watch for flare!) (7/10)
+ Big enough to fill the hands.
+ Ultra smooth controls
+ Top deck exposure LEDs combined with pre-focusing can make for great grab shots
+ Unprecedented range of slow shutter speeds; possibly the ultimate low light camera
+ Quietest. shutter. ever. (tied with the XA)
- Cold shoe (later models have hot shoe)
- Long throw for shutter release, but only light pressure needed. (The shutter release doesn't need to move internal mechanics around like most other FLRs)
- Aperture priorty only
- Huge size, bigger than most manual SLRs
- Slightly cheap-feeling film advance, esp. compared to Olympus
+/- Looks cheap & old

Olympus 35SP (8.5/10)
+ Fast Zuiko lens is ultra-sharp. Slightly better than Yashica & Canonet, above (9.5/10)
+ Awesome mechanical feel all-around. Film advance, shutter release, etc. Olympus didn't miss a beat on this one.
+ Metered manual, but it's slow to use
+ Spot meter
+ Lens controls are stepped; different diameters, so they don't interfere with each other
+ Was introduced before the OM System, so Olympus gave it due engineering respect.
- Loud shutter for a leaf shutter RF
- Oddball EV exposure meter
- Pricey for a clean, 100% functional used one
- A bit on the heavy side

Olympus 35RC (9/10)
+ Sharp 40mm f/2.8 Zuiko lens (7.5/10)
+ As compact as possible without sacrificing good handling qualities
+ Conventionally-located controls (shutter speed has a top-deck dial)
+ Shutter speed & aperture are BOTH shown in the finder!
+ Sweet ratcheting film advance
- 1/15s minimum shutter speed (+ B)
- Limited light meter performance in low light
- Lens is only an f/2.8 at max
- Focusing feels a bit cheap & plasticky compared to the bigger FLRFs

Olympus XA (8/10)
+ The 35mm Zuiko lens is fabulous. Focal length is perfect, modern coatings give excellent contrast compared to older FLRFs, and it is an f/2.8 in an f/3.5 size package. (8.5/10)
+ Although it is small & looks like a P&S, it has good construction & doesn't feel cheap.
+ The electromagnetic shutter release is a stroke of genius that didn't catch on. No other camera is as shake-free when tripping the shutter as this one.
+ Electronic self-timer. Eat your heart out, Rollei 35
+ Clamshell design is another Olympus stroke of genius; It protects the lens, both sides of the finder, the focusing mechanism... it is often imitated
+ Quietest. Shutter. Ever. (tied with the Yashica GS)
- Film advance via the wheel takes 2-3 strokes; not usually a problem, but worth mentioning
- Aperture priority only, but +1.5 stop exposure compensation switch means this isn't a deal-killer

Rollei 35 (9/10)
+ Small package, but still very rugged
+ Fully mechanical & manual
+ Oozes character
+ Excellent Zeiss-designed lenses; Tessar is over 100 years old and still excellent (8.5/10)
+ Nothing else like it
+ Fantastic viewfinder; better than others twice its size & price. Stays out of your nose's way (except B35 and C35s)
- Using flash is awkward, camera must be inverted
- Controls aren't where you expect them to be, until you get used to it
- Getting expensive on the used market (good ones are $180 +)


If anyone brings up any points that it seems I've missed, I'll gladly add them.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Yashica GS has cold shoe for flash instead of hot shoe like the GSN. On my examples of the Yashicas the shuttter release seems to have a very long travel time before it releases. The shutter is quiet, but the film advance has a very loud "clunk". ISO upper limit may be 500 or 1000 depending upon year of manufacture.

I think Canon ISO upper limit is 800. The Canon has an exposure lock on "A" that prevents shutter release in low light or very bright light. It uses odd ball 48mm filters and hoods.

The Rollei 35 shutter release is hard for me to find with my finger when I am not looking, I want to push the lens release button instead. I added a mini soft release to make it easier for my finger to find the shutter release. I like to palm the Rollei and shoot from the hip with it.

Wayne