Olympus Trip 35: a very good camera? Or exist some better?

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AlchimistaDigitale

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Hi to all,

i'm evaluating a Olympus Trip 35 all CLA at 60 euro.

My question is, at this price, there is some other camera that compete with the Trip 35?

I'm searching a small camera, for "street" photo of the people, and my requirement is that the camera have SUPERB lens, comparable to SLR and a small size.

Thanks
 
The Trip 35 is a very simple camera with a decent lens.
I think 60 euro is too much for it. They are very very common and don't have many mechanical faults. I've picked one up for $25 or so in working condition.

Unfortunately the Trip 35 doesn't offer much in terms of control. It has two shutter speeds and controls exposure via a selenium meter and aperture.

I think an Olympus XA2 would be a superior choice, an XA would be even better, but those prices are climbing. Sometimes you can get an Olympus 35 RC for a deal too. All those cameras have great Zuiko lenses.
 
The Trip is a great camera for what it is, but if you can manage to find a Olympus 35 RC for that money, it will give you more possibilities.

There is no stepless focusing with the Olympus Trip, just different zones. You have no direct control over aperture and shutter speed. Finally, there is no telling how long the selenium cells on a Trip will last.
That said, there are heaps and bounds of great pictures taken with the Trip 35.

In your case, I would repeat advice from a different thread that you started: get yourself a SLR (mirror reflex camera) like Olympus OM-1, Pentax KX, Spotmatic, K 1000, MX , .... Nikon FM etc. etc. and learn how aperture, shutter speed, film and focus work.
 
AlchimistaDigitale said:
Alternative with "superb" lens for a point and shot?

P.S: Ljos thanks for your suggestion, but i'm know how a camera "work" :)
Click to expand...

My sincere apologies then!

Well, if a superb lens is high on your list, how about the Rollei 35? Either f 2.8 40mm Sonnar or f3.5 40 Tessar lens, both highly respected. Depending on where you live, a Rollei 35 T with Tessar lens can be found for 60 USD, with a bit of patience.

Great engineering, solid but small cameras.

Greetings, Ljós
 
Ljós said:
My sincere apologies then!

Well, if a superb lens is high on your list, how about the Rollei 35? Either f 2.8 40mm Sonnar or f3.5 40 Tessar lens, both highly respected. Depending on where you live, a Rollei 35 T with Tessar lens can be found for 60 USD, with a bit of patience.

Great engineering, solid but small cameras.

Greetings, Ljós
Click to expand...

Oooh, good pick. It's a bit of a stretch for a Sonnar, but a Tessar is doable. If you forego a working meter, the budget works for a Sonnar.
 
AlchimistaDigitale said:
Hi to all,

i'm evaluating a Olympus Trip 35 all CLA at 60 euro.

My question is, at this price, there is some other camera that compete with the Trip 35?

I'm searching a small camera, for "street" photo of the people, and my requirement is that the camera have SUPERB lens, comparable to SLR and a small size.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Not sure this is a great camera for street, given the alternatives others here have mentioned.

Is 60 euros worth it? Well there are these folks (I have no association) that have been around a while and sell re-furbished trips (with novel skins!). They are in the ball park of 60 euros.

http://www.tripman.co.uk/

There is a whole enthusiast thing about the trips too. Does it have a silver or black shutter release, for example? And folks also document the serial numbers for scarcity. As well as the manufacture date on the film pressure plate.

The lens is 40mm. The camera has no battery but uses instead a solar-powered selenium light meter. Make sure it is working. Similarly, there is a red-flag issue to check for. Discussed here before, I just noticed:
(http://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/13061/9356.html?1178825160)

I like the trip. I have one. I don't use it often. -- martin
 
Some indicate that the XA2 has a better lens respect to the Trip, do you confirm?

I have found in alternative a mju, good?

In conclusion, my reference is the Rollei 35, the olympus that i have indicated can battle with the rollei?
 
AlchimistaDigitale said:
Some indicate that the XA2 has a better lens respect to the Trip, do you confirm?

I have found in alternative a mju, good?

In conclusion, my reference is the Rollei 35, the olympus that i have indicated can battle with the rollei?
Click to expand...

XA2 and Trip: better or not? They are different. One is 35mm, the other 40mm. Neither will give you precise focus, so it is hard to really compare. Then there are other factors: the Trip has a metal body, is more solid. Probably easier to handhold and get sharper pictures with. I think you are trying too much to find the "magic bullet" by comparing specs, you will have to handle one of these cameras and see whether they work for you.
Any of these cameras, XA2, Trip, Rollei 35 etc. is capable of very good pictures, the lenses are good enough.

The Olympus mju (old version has a 3.5 35mm, the newer (and more expensive a 2.8 35mm) are autofocus cameras, truly point and shoot. Also great cameras. You have to decide how much automation you want. Rollei 35 has least automation, Olympus mju the most.

Try, loan, buy and sell... hands-on experience is necessary with these cameras.

Greetings, Ljós
 
The lens of the Trip is better than the XA2 imo, and I like the shutter release button much better on the Trip. But the XA2 is the fastest and most stealthy camera I've ever used. I like the finders on both. Eventually you'll have had both, most likely. There aren't any perfect cameras, but there are many good cameras.
 
Getting obsessed with search of better lens is straight way down the GAS town away from photography trip.

If one is happy with automatic camera, there's nothing wrong with it, though. Be it Trip, XA2 or modern digital - they all are made to take pictures and are capable to take pictures.

In some sense it is better to spend more (little more than one feels comfortable but still can afford to spend) and use that camera than drift from one affordable camera to another. That if we speak photography. I we speak gear then for sure get Trip, get RC, get XA, XA2 and XA4, get many other cameras and come tell how much you like them because they really are nice, cute, amazing and fascinating objects and most of us here will understand you.
 
While the trip is a cult camera I can't help but think it's a bit overrated. The dubious selenium meter, zone focussing, and all auto controls don't really inspire too much confidence in me. Also if sharpness is important to you then you should choose a camera that can focus accurately.

The Mju is a nice camera that I do love - tiny, light, tough, reasonably quick, weather resistant, but also completely automatic and I've had issues with focus accuracy which keeps it in the drawer. Steer clear of the zoom versions since they flare like hell.

Otherwise it really seems that you've really paid no attention to any of the advice everyone has already given you.
 
It's probably a bit overwhelming, nongfuspring. At least it's not the finder magnification and tint guy tweaking out again.
 
That Oly is a nice camera. What I don't like is that it takes way too long to get 72 exposures on a 36 exp roll done and that half frames do not scan well as the frame size is too small for the low end scanners.
Other than that is another one of those cute Oly cameras. Find one for a lot less because the hype might soon go away leaving you with sorrow for the money spent.
 
The Trip is great for what it is made for: a simple, cheap camera for taking "everyday pictures" it is built like a tank and even after so many years it is still working. $60 is way too much, you get them for €10 to €20.
I got one that is broken, the blocking in low light does not work. As a result you can take great pictures in low light situations. Anybody can use it.
I had 3 xa's, but they all broke down in a way soon after starting using it, beside that it has a miniscule finder and is much harder to use than the Trip.
So it's great as long as you don't expect Leica quality.
Frank
 
Nikos72 said:
That Oly is a nice camera. What I don't like is that it takes way too long to get 72 exposures on a 36 exp roll done and that half frames do not scan well as the frame size is too small for the low end scanners.
Other than that is another one of those cute Oly cameras. Find one for a lot less because the hype might soon go away leaving you with sorrow for the money spent.
Click to expand...

Ah, Nikos72, I think you are mixing this up with the Olympus PEN F - they were indeed half-frame, with 72 exposures per roll of film.
The cameras discussed so far (I think, maybe I missed something?) are small in physical size, but full-frame ;-)
Holy Maitani is our witness, it is beginning to get confusing... :)
 
Merlijn53 said:
I had 3 xa's, but they all broke down in a way soon after starting using it, beside that it has a miniscule finder and is much harder to use than the Trip.
So it's great as long as you don't expect Leica quality.
Frank
Click to expand...

In my case - I have had to repair the XA twice since I've owned it - but I get your point, both on the build and viewfinder versus the Trip 35.

For 60 euros, I would think that the O.P. could move up the rangefinder sibling of the Trip 35 - which would be the Oly 35RC. Like the Trip 35, it's a small camera. The shutter preferred auto mode of the 35RC is not difficult to figure out and because it's a coupled-rangefinder camera, you'll get better focusing.
 
I have the Trip, XA, and several Mjus - fixed and zoom lens versions. Happiest street shooting with the XA, as it's aperture-priority automatic.

Then I borrowed a friend's Rollei 35 S 2.8 Tessar - it's got a better lens IMO, and just as easy to use (Zone focus, set exposure manually). I'd recommend the Rollei, but I think you'd still be happy with an XA.
 
I've had some very nice results with my Olympus Trip and would disagree with previous comments that it's not great street camera. Once you have got used to the zone focusing, it's very fast to use (especially loaded with 400 iso film & good DoF) and very quiet.

€60 is a bit steep, however for a pristine condition with new light seals, it may be worth it?

Some examples...
Appearing Rooms by Christian Poulton, on Flickr

Hungerford Bridge by Christian Poulton, on Flickr

The Lion & Unicorn by Christian Poulton, on Flickr
 
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