Newbie looking for a (relatively) affordable and durable point & shoot with decent IQ

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newjerseysurf

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Newbie looking for a (relatively) affordable and durable point & shoot with decent IQ

hi all, complete beginner in regards to film (but not photography) looking for a point and shoot.

the Olympus mju ii (stylus epic) and XA series are atop my list but i can't stomach paying the prices most people are asking.

i also have these on my search list:

  • Olympus mju i (infinity stylus)
  • Olympus infinity mini
  • Olympus LT-1
  • Canon Autoboy
  • Canon Sureshot Max
  • Minolta Riva Mini
  • Nikon L35AF
  • Canon AF35ML
  • Olympus AF-10

am i missing any models? anything i should know about any of them?

would love to find something for ~$50 or cheaper.

thanks!
 
Just scour eBay and your local thrift stores. Buy a bunch but set a reasonable cap, like $10.
I love shooting with old point and shoots but would never pay outrageous prices. Not too long ago I found a Nikon L35AF2 for $6 at a goodwill.
I recently bought two Pentax PC35AF cameras for less than $20 including shipping. One was dead, the other needed a tiny bit of work but is a fantastic little shooter. It's manual wind too, so no loud motor to die.
Don't limit yourself to the fast lens AF35ML when the f/2.8 version is very good as well.
I have two Pentax IQZoom cameras I will give away to anyone who wants them. Decent lenses too.
Don't discount the Ricohs, Konicas, Sears and other "cheap" brands. Just because they are marques that no longer are around doesn't mean they didn't make good gear.
Good cameras for good prices are out there, for sure. If you find a Pentax Espio Mini, send it to me. It is pure garbage 😉
Phil Forrest
 
Hi,


The problem with all these cameras is that you don't know what state they are in when you buy. Most will be 20 to 25 years old and some in your list could be older.

Batteries can leak and be attacking the camera where you can't see it, especially if the leakage was cleaned on the surface.

Plastic wears and fails and there's few willing to tackle the repair without a supply of parts.

Electronics fail and that's that because no one will touch them.

For reliability you want an old fashioned metal and glass mechanical and completely manual camera.

The alternative is to pay very little for them and accept that they might be U/S when you buy them and test them with film. And they can fail after that perfect first roll of film, btw. Or go to a dealer and pay through the nose.

There's one or two cameras with cult status and specialised technicians willing to tackle them or sell you one with a guarantee. You could try looking* for one of them; the Olympus Trip 35 and XA range come to mind immediately.

What you have to look for, imo, are a case, instructions and a lens cap with the camera but no dead battery in it and no corrosion in the battery compartment. Some come with a half used vintage film and they can be a pain to remove from auto everything cameras.

One other point, do some research about battery prices and types (search on mercury) as some can cost a lot more than your bargain camera and be a waste of money if the camera turns out to be a dud..

Regards, David


* You'll have to locate and haunt all the charity shops for miles around you to find them but they are out there; I bought a very nice Olympus and a neat Konica recently for two pounds each...
 
Last edited:
Point and shoots are great cameras. I have been a regular user of the Olympus Stylus Epic / [mju:]-II for many years (currently on my 4th one). All the points David makes are good ones, and I agree with you about asking prices for them these days: hard to stomach.


David also makes a good point about old metal and glass cameras. On that note one that I like is the OLYMPUS-PEN. The PEN S in particular is a really nice camera, and with some looking should be availible in your budget. There is a lot to like about these little gems, like their great Zuiko lenses, great finder with good eye relief and easy framing, they are repairable, and there is something kind of intangible about shooting with them. A tiny scale focus camera that gets 80 frames a roll is good fun out on a walk around town!


39859810873_29a3af3249_c.jpg
 
Thanks all for the helpful replies. I already got more responses than I thought I would.

I recently nabbed this for well under my budget but it’s obviously not a p&s but could be a good intro to film:

JQko72B.jpg


Is there a list of repairable cameras that take AA or AAA?
 
newjerseysurf said:
hi all, complete beginner in regards to film (but not photography) looking for a point and shoot.

the Olympus mju ii (stylus epic) and XA series are atop my list but i can't stomach paying the prices most people are asking.

i also have these on my search list:

  • Olympus mju i (infinity stylus)
  • Olympus infinity mini
  • Olympus LT-1
  • Canon Autoboy
  • Canon Sureshot Max
  • Minolta Riva Mini
  • Nikon L35AF
  • Canon AF35ML
  • Olympus AF-10
Click to expand...

I'd add the Olympus XA2 or XA3 to the list. Great little point and shoots that you zone focus. Cheaper than the XA and faster to shoot.

The L35AF is a good camera, kind of bulky but a very nice lens. I have a couple but only one fully works. Flash is bad on one of them and another (waterproof version) something is wrong with the exposure system as it won't fire.

The Canon Sureshot P&S with the 38mm f2.8 lens are usually crazy cheap. The lens is really nice on them though it flares somewhat easily.

Shawn
 
newjerseysurf said:
I recently nabbed this for well under my budget but it’s obviously not a p&s but could be a good intro to film (picture of Yashica GSN)
Click to expand...

Congratulations, the GSN has a fine lens! If you want something more compact, there's lots of good suggestions above, and I'll second the strategy of scouring charity shops - I've found MjuII's for $5 that way...
 
A few of the Samsung P&S cameras had Schneider lenses. I saw one for $.99 at a local goodwill but passed because the batteries were left inside, swollen and corroded. Probably saw a dunk in water. If it weren't for those batteries, I would have grabbed it and not been sad if it didnt work at all. Not at that price.
Phil Forrest
 
lynnb said:
Congratulations, the GSN has a fine lens! If you want something more compact, there's lots of good suggestions above, and I'll second the strategy of scouring charity shops - I've found MjuII's for $5 that way...
Click to expand...

That’s awesome. Charity shops such as Goodwill? Mine typically have pure junk.
 
wjlapier said:
Yes, .95 ( less than $1 USD ). And it works. This was found in a St Vincent DePaul store. I was there looking at records with my daughter.




Click to expand...

That was a lucky break for sure! I sold mine a few months ago for $50.
I think they are going for more than that now.
 
newjerseysurf said:
That’s awesome. Charity shops such as Goodwill? Mine typically have pure junk.
Click to expand...

I was checking those stores where I'm and have scored some, but just a few over years.
Try Craigslist and Kjij.

If P&S is for size requirements... Any working P&S will do
It doesn't have to be an item with internet/forum status attached.
If you want to learn about film, Canonikon plastic SLR with kit lens is better tool to learn and could be allocated locally for 50$. Canon needs special batteries, but some Nikon SLR are using AA, if I'm not mistaken.
 
To add to what KoFe said, if you want a bona fide SLR, many of the best cameras ever made (with a light meter) only need a few little 1.5v button cells. A 1/3N is what I use in all of my film cameras aside from the motorized P&S and the weird little Pentax I mentioned earlier. These days, the market is really weird and a full featured SLR can often go for the same price or less, than a used P&S like many mentioned in this thread. For ~$50 USD you could get a working Spotmatic with a 50mm lens and you'd be set.
I noticed your forum name. If you're near Philly, let us know and a few of us probably have some cameras you can play around with. I know I can only use one at a time, really, and right now with grad school in full swing I barely have time to take a photo of anything more than one of my cats.

Phil Forrest
 
Just before Christmas I sold about six of the type of point and shoot you are looking for.
Wish I would have known. I also sold a Spotmatic SPII with a Vivitar 28mm f2.8. All were within your price range. You might take a look at the classified section over at PHOTRIO.
That is where I sold them all. Never know what you'll find there. Less risk than evil_bay.
 
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