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

[Ko.Fe.]

curious which ones you grabbed for $20?

also i had thought the XA2 was at least "somewhat" durable - whatever that means. and i didn't read much about the AF600 being particularly fragile.

right now, it appears i am 2/3 and if the Pentax is fixable then i get the added enjoyment of a little project. :dance:

Xa2 has least electronics. It is most durable. It will works until main exposure meter in the shutter will quit, by taking only long exposure. All XA quit eventually. Good source for 35 mm VF. Put it on LTM camera with Jupiter-12. It makes small kit. This will work for many years, between CLA.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

To answer the question "why buy unknown or broken cameras?" Well in case you want to learn camera repair, It's a lot cheaper and safer than starting out on your black paint Leica M2r or the Contax your great uncle gave you that his friend Bob left behind on the boat instead of being used on the beaches of Normandy. (Pardon that artistic license there.)
It's a cheap way to learn camera repair.
Another thing is that if you want to find a point and shoot camera that has a specific set of features like fixed lens, f/3.5 or faster aperture, flash control, your options for buying a known working one are next to zero. These have become cult cameras for a reason. Good lenses, small size, manual winding, etc. Just try finding a guaranteed working PC35AF or AF600 for less than $75. As of last night, they don't exist.
But... If you take a chance and spend a couple cups of coffee worth in cash, you might get a gem. You may and probably will get a camera with a single fault that either prevents operation mechanically or simply forces an auto shutdown. These issues are usually easily solved and with a small amount of skill and a bigger amount of self confidence, you can make them work again.
Phil Forrest

 

[Ko.Fe.]

From my practical, not theoretical experience...

I was buying cheap untested cameras, fixing them and selling for more. To afford this Normandy Leica a.k.a M4-2.

But those were cameras free of electronics. Those are repairable. Cameras with electronics, which you are calling as cult&gem are most of the time not repairable.
Even if they are, it is the nightmare due to tiny size of components.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

But buying for less than $20 the risk is low and failure isn't that bad. Eventually, you get more winners than losers.
Phil Forrest

 

[David Hughes]

But buying for less than $20 the risk is low and failure isn't that bad. Eventually, you get more winners than losers.
Phil Forrest

Exactly, and there are firms out there who will happily repair them and send them back as good as new. They are overshadowed by the XA (RF) and the XA3 and XA4 and so sell for next to nothing. I've paid from a UK pound upwards and only once (when I found one mint in it's case in its box etc, etc) paid as much as two cups of coffee would cost. Over the years they've averaged three pounds and so I've been happy to give one or two away...

What's usually expensive is the manual for the camera and, even rarer, the flash.

Regards, David