whitecat
Lone Range(find)er
I have an EE 3 and it is a simple point and shoot. Nothing to set or focus. I wonder if there are other half frame cameras like this?
Thanls
Thanls
Olympus Pen Question
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Retrotech68
Established
Yes, quite a few. Yashica, for instance, produced quite a bunch of half-frame models like that, the Mimy being one that springs to mind. It is a simple, honest camera with average build quality. To be honest, I prefer the Olympus Pen viewfinder series to it, but that's just a matter of personal taste. My favourite Yashica half-frames are the Rapide, a strange and quirky design from 1961, and the Half 17 and its 32/f1.7 lens.
Yashica also made the rather unique Samurai series of cameras in the late Eighties, but those have no relation whatsoever to their earlier designs and must rank among the last half-frames built by any manufacturer.
Canon also produced their own share of zone focus, half-frame cameras like the unusual Dial 35 or the Demis.
whitecat
Lone Range(find)er
Thanks for that info. I forgot to mention I have a Demi also. Very nice little package.
kuzano
Veteran
Once intrigued...
Once intrigued...
Tons of them....
I was intrigued in this direction at one time. I discovered the web site:
http://www.subclub.org/shop/halframe.htm
I was drawn to some of the more capable Canon Demi's, and some models made for Bell & Howell.
There are even some very interesting FSU sub-frame cameras.
Check the site out.
I had a few in various manufacturers, and the most contemporary Autofocus half frame I actually owned and used a lot was the Yashica Samurai 3.0. The majority of half or sub frame cameras used the standard 35mm cassette, and shot 2 images to a frame.
There was a full frame Konica camera, that had a switch on top to make it half frame. SLR using SLR lenses. It was the Konica Auto-Reflex. Note the hypenated Auto-Reflex, as this was the beginning of an extended line of Autoreflex models. Only the first (hyphenated) model could be switched over to 18x24 frame spacing. This model shows up just occasionally on eBay. It has no further model designation than Auto-Reflex. Use the very high quality Konica Hexanon lenses.
Leica also made a half frame camera.
Don't overlook the 110 format, which was in fact nearly the exact size of half frame. Film and processing was still available last time I looked and I had a lot of fun with the diminutive Pentax Auto110 which was and actual SLR with a nice range of fixed aperture lenses. You could carry a complete Pentax Auto110, camera, power winder, flash, 3-5 lenses, caps, and filters in a custom case for a going price now of $75 to $150. the case was about 12x15x3 inches. See them often on eBay.
Once intrigued...
Tons of them....
I was intrigued in this direction at one time. I discovered the web site:
http://www.subclub.org/shop/halframe.htm
I was drawn to some of the more capable Canon Demi's, and some models made for Bell & Howell.
There are even some very interesting FSU sub-frame cameras.
Check the site out.
I had a few in various manufacturers, and the most contemporary Autofocus half frame I actually owned and used a lot was the Yashica Samurai 3.0. The majority of half or sub frame cameras used the standard 35mm cassette, and shot 2 images to a frame.
There was a full frame Konica camera, that had a switch on top to make it half frame. SLR using SLR lenses. It was the Konica Auto-Reflex. Note the hypenated Auto-Reflex, as this was the beginning of an extended line of Autoreflex models. Only the first (hyphenated) model could be switched over to 18x24 frame spacing. This model shows up just occasionally on eBay. It has no further model designation than Auto-Reflex. Use the very high quality Konica Hexanon lenses.
Leica also made a half frame camera.
Don't overlook the 110 format, which was in fact nearly the exact size of half frame. Film and processing was still available last time I looked and I had a lot of fun with the diminutive Pentax Auto110 which was and actual SLR with a nice range of fixed aperture lenses. You could carry a complete Pentax Auto110, camera, power winder, flash, 3-5 lenses, caps, and filters in a custom case for a going price now of $75 to $150. the case was about 12x15x3 inches. See them often on eBay.
Retrotech68
Established
Great! Thanks, I had almost forgotten that old site. It contains useful information and also a long list of cameras. Also forgot to mention the Fujica half-frame cameras. These were quite nice too, and comparable to the already mentioned Yashicas and Canon.
The Konica Auto-Reflex that can be switched between full and half-frame is a serious camera, well above average in what regards build quality and with great Hexanon lenses to go with as you pointed out, but unfortunately prices for specimens in good cosmetic and mechanical condition are on the rise, at least judging from what can be seen in the big auction site. Nevertheless, I've noticed that prices tend to be lower in the US than in Europe, where (esp. in Germany and Austria) some dealers are asking crazy prices. On the other hand, it isn't a very common camera, so I guess relative rarity must partially explain such tendency. A nice black one is now on sale for 800 euro!
Alex
The Konica Auto-Reflex that can be switched between full and half-frame is a serious camera, well above average in what regards build quality and with great Hexanon lenses to go with as you pointed out, but unfortunately prices for specimens in good cosmetic and mechanical condition are on the rise, at least judging from what can be seen in the big auction site. Nevertheless, I've noticed that prices tend to be lower in the US than in Europe, where (esp. in Germany and Austria) some dealers are asking crazy prices. On the other hand, it isn't a very common camera, so I guess relative rarity must partially explain such tendency. A nice black one is now on sale for 800 euro!
Alex
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