Plastic Fantastics

Jack Conrad

Jack Conrad

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Digging around my seemingly endless boxes of film cameras I've found at junk stores and garage sales over the past few years, I
dug out these little beasts. Funny how they all seem to have developed a sort of cult following, but I just can't get enthused enough to load them with film to take out and shoot. My bad.
I guess I enjoy the hunt more than I enjoy shooting.

Anyway, if anyone here is interested, I just put them up on eBay
as a 7 camera lot. Hope I'm not breaking any rules here.



DSCF4117 by jackcb, on Flickr
 
I picked up a Nikon L35AF dirt cheap on eBay a few years ago, and it is amazing - worth way more than I paid for it. I am occasionally tempted by some of the other similar cameras including some in your lot. Then I load up the Nikon, and on developing the roll the GAS passes. ;-)

Good luck with the sale!

Cheers,
Rob
 
I never understood the fascination w/ these things either Jack. Maybe people liked them because they were small and light, and not many people would know you got a shot off w/ them? The phone has replaced all that these days. I don't like digital, but I do have one of those phones, and they're like Swiss army knives. If anyone ever comes out w/ a 35mm smart phone, I'm in!
 
Steve, I still don't even have a smart phone. I feel like if I get one, it'll suck me into some sort of technological time continuum and I won't be able to get back to the 50's, where I'm more comfortable. Give me an old classic tlr or folder, or RF, or some such where its heavy, slow, mechanical and understandable. Love that vintage aesthetic.
 
A Rangefinder forum member invented a 35mm viewfinder that uses Canon Owl parts.
I bought a new-never-used Owl for $5 + $9 to ship.
There must be millions of perfectly usable point n shoot cameras out there. Seems a shame but who cares?
 
The only one I've had was the XA2, it was ok, lasted about 2 years then started to develop the habit of intermittent shutter release, I'd have to try several times to release the shutter. Don't know what happened, probably tossed it in the free box at a photo show.
 
Humbugsters !
Are you all the same lot that won't get into a Toyota Prius Taxi rather waiting for an old Yellow Crown Victoria to come pic you up? :p

Current silly price surge aside.....These little cameras are still potent image makers.
Pretty sure I'm not the only one around here who uses one. (actually I use 3 of the 7 you have posted and have owned all of them at some point).

Mju2 poked out the window of my truck in traffic.
mju2 2 by Adnan, on Flickr
 
Steve M. said:
I never understood the fascination w/ these things either Jack.
Click to expand...

Well, before digital... these AF cameras were a semi-affordable way to get decent quality in a pocket camera in semi-auto or auto-everything mode. I would imagine for the film crowd who isn't into digital... it is exactly the same reason why they are popular today. If you try to go a step above these... to something like a Contax T2 or T3... you are paying big dollars now (even more than when they were released). Something like the XA is popular because it is very cool to have a pocket rangefinder for less than $100. On a site like this, who could not get that!? I don't even use film anymore and I want one again.

I owned an Leica M6 in the 90s... but I also had a Contax T2, a Yashica T4, and a Leica Minilux... times were good!
 
Olympus Stylus Infinity is a great camera. You can open it and shot it with one hand. It fits in a dress shirt pocket, and you can shoot it from the hip if you are a spy. It also has an excellent lens (with a very slight vignette). I've had mine from new and still take it to events or traveling. Here it is in Ireland:

Untitled by John Carter, on Flickr
 
Nice little gathering of beasts you have there, the only one I have tried is the XA and it produced some very good images but was ultimately sold as it's too small for my rather large hands. I have considered a Nikon a few times but they sell for silly money so I passed, sellers want more for them than I paid for my OM4T.
How is the auction going?
 
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jsrockit said:
I would have spent the time to list them individually... you would get more cash for sure.
Click to expand...

Let the potential buyer get the nuggets.

I for one hate splitting stuff up and dealing with several boxes of stuff at the PO. One box of tiny plastic cameras sounds fine to me.
 
f16sunshine said:
Humbugsters !
Are you all the same lot that won't get into a Toyota Prius Taxi rather waiting for an old Yellow Crown Victoria to come pic you up? :p

Current silly price surge aside.....These little cameras are still potent image makers.
Pretty sure I'm not the only one around here who uses one. (actually I use 3 of the 7 you have posted and have owned all of them at some point).

Mju2 poked out the window of my truck in traffic.
mju2 2 by Adnan, on Flickr
Click to expand...
They are plastic, they do not move me. I am not a photographer. I only like jewel like, all mechanical cameras precisely because they are Jewel Like All Mechanical Cameras. They make nice sounds and feel hefty in the hands, the controls move with purpose (and detents, oh how I love a great detent, with just the right resistance and feel). They need no battery to operate and my favorites have no battery at all. It's snobbery I'll admit.......but....I...can't....help....myself.
 
I had a similar, if slughtly larger, herd. When sold, it paid for CL with 40/2 Summicron and 50/2 rigid Summicron. I enjoy those a lot more. ;)
 
It’s a seller’s market right now! You could probably get $800+ selling individually... not sure what you’ll get as a lot.
 
happy said:
It’s a seller’s market right now! You could probably get $800+ selling individually... not sure what you’ll get as a lot.
Click to expand...

Don't know either, but I just got a question from someone. It reads:

"this is really not a question at all but i just wanted to say how utterly amazed when I saw all seven of these cameras in the same photo on my explore page! I hope this bid gets a lot of attention considering the serious amount of time and effort you probably spent on these legends!" :)

 
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