P&S with certain specs required ??

[hamish_gill]

i have been looking for a camera that i can take out and about with me in the evenings pub etc that im not to fussed if it gets a bit tatty

it needs to be a 35mm film camera

i would like it to be p and s so i dont have to worry about anything but framing

i would like it to be able to work with 3200 iso or at least 1600

and i would like it to have a 2.8 lens no wider than 30mm and no longer than 50mm

the main contender so far is the nikon L35af but its limited to 1000iso and the flash automatic pops up when there is not enough light, a feature im not keen on

am i looking for the impossible?

 

[Mark Wood]

Sounds like a good case for the Olympus Mju-ii (although I can'r remember its high iso limit).

 

[hamish_gill]

ah now that does look like the sorta thing i might be after.. water resistant too!
must just find iso specs

antone know of anything with an even faster lens?

size isnt really an issue as my missis has a large handbag......

 

[Mark Wood]

Just checked and the high iso limit for the Mju ii ("Stylus Epic" in the US) is 3200. You can turn off the flash completely and it even has spot metering.

If autofocus isn't a concern, then the Minox series (e.g. 35-GT) might fit the bill although they need a separate flash gun.

 

[Mark Wood]

You'd probably have to go for something like the (now very!) old Canon AF35ML to get anything faster than f2.8. (From what I remember, that was something like a 40 mm lens at f1.9 I'm happy to be corrected!)

 

[hamish_gill]

i would love a minox 35 gt-s or gt-x
the rest of them have lower iso settings
i have a gt and it would be great if it wasnt for the 800iso

 

[camera.bear]

You'd probably have to go for something like the (now very!) old Canon AF35ML to get anything faster than f2.8. (From what I remember, that was something like a 40 mm lens at f1.9 I'm happy to be corrected!)

Mark,

No need to be corrected. The AF35ML / Super Sure Shot does have a 40mm f/1.9 lens and it is very good. The ISO on the later models goes up to 1000.

http://www.wayneyoungphoto.com/supersureshot.html

 

[mcgrattan]

The Rollei AFM35/Fuji Klasse S would fit the bill. Not necessarily that cheap -- although I paid under £100 for mine.

I've also taken really good low light shots using the Mju-II and spot metering with Delta 3200.

 

[rbiemer]

The Epic/Mju II ought to fulfill your specs pretty well. As mentioned it can use 3200 film and you can turn the flash off. But, you have to turn the flash off every time you turn the camera on; its default setting is auto flash. And the ISO setting is dependent on the DX coding of your film. I think the camera sets 25 if the film isn't DX coded. It might default to 50, I cant remember.
Dunno if you can still get them but there once were DX labels you could buy to either re-rate your film or to use on reloadable cassettes so your camera would know what film you were using. I have seen on line somewhere info about DX coding and what sequence of blocks to use for which speed.
The Pentax UC-1 has almost identical specs as the Epic/Mju II, though possibly not as fast a lens, and has some what different flash settings. And is a bit bigger and much more rectangular. I tend to use the UC-1 more because it is easier to hold and use one handed.
Rob

 

[hamish_gill]

that fuji looks like rather nice but i have just read a few articles about it and it looks as though it might not be to easy to get hold of

so mju ii looks the best option so far

any more that anyone can recomend?

 

[Kevin]

Do NOT get a Leica Minilux.

 

[steamer]

Contax T2?

 

[mbisc]

If (high) image quality is a concern ;-), price is not a concern and if the maximum aperture of f2.8 isn't a problem, then you should definitely look at a Contex T-3...

 

[camera.bear]

the main contender so far is the nikon L35af but its limited to 1000iso and the flash automatic pops up when there is not enough light, a feature im not keen on

One thing that can be done with the L35AF is to hold the flash down when shooting in low-light were the camera wants to use flash. The flash will not fire and there are no ill effects to the camera.

Another Nikon point and shoot to consider may be the AF600 / Lite Touch. It have a 28mm f/3.5 lens and goes to ISO 1000 as well. It allows the flash to be turned off and comes in a panoramic model.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerabear/sets/72157616795592707/

 

[dacaccia]

Leica CM (non zoom)

 

[Mark Wood]

i would love a minox 35 gt-s or gt-x
the rest of them have lower iso settings
i have a gt and it would be great if it wasnt for the 800iso

Interesting - my 35 GT has film speeds up to 1600.

A ridiculous suggestion along similar lines would be a Kiev 35A. I've just put a Provia 100F through mine and been shocked by 36 perfectly exposed, remarkably sharp (easily as sharp as the Minox but with less flare) transparencies with even frame spacing and...wait for it...no light leaks!! It's ISO 800 maximum only though I'm afraid and I guess I was just lucky to find one that works! Not a serious option really.

 

[hamish_gill]

35 gt with iso 1600 .. i feel cheated
i guess mine must be an older one

 

[iamzip]

I'll second the Rollei AFM35 / Fuji Klasse - Very nice cameras, f/2.6, I think it's a 38mm? I think the Rolleis are less expensive than the Fujis, I got mine for about $150 USD. I'm also surprised no one has mentioned the Fuji Natura, newer models have an f/2.8 lens and go for a little less than $300 USD on eBay, or you can check Megaperls. The original version had an f/1.9! If you really want a challenge, try finding a Fujifilm zoom-date 2.8, which has (surprise) an f/2.8 lens. I think it is basically the predecessor to the Natura. I have never seen one for sale.

 

[mcgrattan]

re: the Rollei AFM/Fuji:

Yes, it's a 38mm f2.6. Apparently it's a tessar design with an aspherical element and very good multi-coating. I shot this entire set with mine (including some very low light and night shots): http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcg_photo/sets/72157612348971745/

re: Minox/Kiev 35A

Those are scale focus, no? That's really hard to do in low light and at wide apertures. I certainly would want either a rangefinder or decent autofocus for the sort of use the OP wants.

 

[Kevin]

You wrote p&s but did not say anything about size, so perhaps you should consider the Hexar AF with its spectacular 35mm 2.0 lens and quiet leaf shutter.