point and shoot camera suggestions

msbarnes

msbarnes

Well-known
Local time
8:03 AM
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
841
Location
NY, NY
View My Gallery
I'm looking for an easy to use and fast to shoot point and shoot film camera for street photography.

What I want is something that is relatively compact, AE, quiet, and semi-wide/wide: 28mm-35mm. Film only.

My immediate thinking is Ricoh GR1/v/s and that is the more likeley choice because it seems to be designed for this specific reason but I'm wondering how the Contax T3 and Nikon 35/28Ti's compare in operation (I don't care about optics...I'm sure they are all excellent). What I am most attracted to in the Ricoh is the snap focus mode. Can one prefocus with the Contax and Nikon? Are they just as fast to shoot with? any other cameras that I'm missing? I don't like the Olympus cameras (Epics and Xa's).
 
There are of course hundreds of cameras, especially with 35mm lenses, but it looks as if you're considering a high end/luxury compact. In this class of camera the Leica Minilux comes to my mind (has a 40mm lens, though) and the Minolta TC-1 (28mm, very expensive). The cheaper ones i like are the konica big mini and the nikon af600 aka lite touch (no prefocus on these except infinity setting).
 
I heard of the TC-1 but it is way too expensive. The T3 is probably too expensive too. I'm thinking ~$300, $400 tops but preferably less. I'd for sure be willing to spend less but the cheaper cameras seem to display too much shutter lag and/or are too bulky/loud. The best inexpensive cameras from my limited experience are Olympus but they just don't quite fit my requirements. Althought completely different from these, I'm thinking of getting a Hexar AF because I miss that camera (who doesn't?). I'll into the Nikon AF600 and Konica Big Mini though, thanks.
 
Hi, go for the contax t3...it cannot be challenged...🙂

It´s fast enough, it´s danm small, pocket shirt size, 35/2.8 fun to use still a lot of bokeh to squeeze out of, lot´s a of customizable options like leaving a part of teh film out, this one i found to be so helpful whrn changing rolls for different iso.
The AF is fast and precise, speeds up to 1/1200...it can use filters...simple to use...it´s just awesome!!!
 
Nikon AF 600/Lite Touch AF

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/sets/72157632801816856/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/sets/72157626853917519/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/sets/72157626830641701/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/sets/72157626793024221/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/sets/72157626776632243/

I have tried dozens of point and shoot compacts, and I don't think that you will find better value in a fixed-lens wide angle compact than this little beauty, but feel free to browse through all of these examples from all that I have tried so far:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/collections/72157625428641704/
 
i've been carrying around a canon telemax circa 1991 when i want something that fits in my pocket, and when i want other people to be able to take pictures as well as me. it's loud and kind of slow, but there are 3 flash options (regular, red eye reduction, and off) and it has a nice zoom lens (i believe it's 37-70). i know you're more in the market for a "luxury" p&s, but the IQ is awesome, and you can get one of these things for like $5. at 37, the lens is pretty impressive without flash. i'm kind of embarrassed at how good the pictures are sometimes, although it performs far, far better in black and white. here's my only example, shot on tri-x:

little nate by scottkessler, on Flickr
 
msbarnes said:
I'm looking for an easy to use and fast to shoot point and shoot film camera for street photography.

What I want is something that is relatively compact, AE, quiet, and semi-wide/wide: 28mm-35mm. Film only.

My immediate thinking is Ricoh GR1/v/s and that is the more likeley choice because it seems to be designed for this specific reason but I'm wondering how the Contax T3 and Nikon 35/28Ti's compare in operation (I don't care about optics...I'm sure they are all excellent). What I am most attracted to in the Ricoh is the snap focus mode. Can one prefocus with the Contax and Nikon? Are they just as fast to shoot with? any other cameras that I'm missing? I don't like the Olympus cameras (Epics and Xa's).
Click to expand...

Over the years I owned and used Minox 35EL, Rollei 35, Rollei 35S, Minox 35GT-E, Ricoh GR1, Leica Minilux, Contax T2, Contax Tvs, Nikon 35Ti, and Petri 35 cameras in the "small, great lens, street shooting" genre.

My favorites were/are the Rollei 35S, Minox 35GT-E, and Ricoh GR1 (still have the Minox and the Rollei). The Rollei is a manual exposure camera so that's out by your specs, but the Minox 35GT-E and the Ricoh GR1 are both great choices depending on whether you want a 35mm or 28mm lens, and manual or AF focusing.

I did not get along with the Nikon 35Ti very well. It has so much shutter lag I found it very difficult to predict and use effectively.

G
 
Using a Leica Mini 3 as an always-with-me-camera. Among 4 or 5 (?) different flashsettings ya can preset the focus for infinity. Lens is 1/3,2 32mm.
 
Consider the original Fuji Klasse or the Rollei AFM [basically the same camera]. You can manually preset the focus on those [there's a dial that you can set to autofocus, or from 0.4m - infinity in 10 increments]. So if you want to zone focus, or set the camera to the hyperfocal length for a given aperture, you can.

I have the Rollei version, and it never lets me down. Near perfect metering/exposures, and sharp shots, every time. Perhaps not quite up there with the Hexar AF for final quality, but pretty close.
 
To point and shoot,i use my ricoh 500g camera and sometime i use it whit expired films
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    31.5 KB · Views: 0
I've researched this a bit and for the same purpose. If you can afford it, I think the GR1 is the right tool for the job. The Olympus XA is a good alternative. Inconspicuous, and fast/easy to use.
 
I love my fujifilm super mini,

It has a 28mm 3.5 fujinon lens, snap modes, and turns on with a handy sliding shell. Super compact and I love how small and easy to use it is. I got I for 70$ and these things are hard to find but very worth it.

I sold my ricoh gr1s because the super mini did it all (except without manual control for the flash and the lens being one step slower.) for cheaper.
 


I use the Nikon 28Ti, a very beat up GR1s and the T3. The nikon is the biggest and noisiest of the three, the Ricoh is nearly silent, and the T3 falls in between. No big differences between the RIcoh & Nikon lens, the Contax is longer, sharper and contrastier.

The Nikon and Contax also have a manual mode for distance, and focus is quick on all these little gems.

The T3 is the only really pocketable camera, tho the Ricoh is close, as it is the thinnest. For comparison in size the T3 is about the size of a pack of filtered cigarettes, a little longer and a little thicker and the Ricoh about the size of a pack of 100's. The Nikon is a bit heavier than the T3, which is a fair bit heavier than the GR1s.

I had the Fujifilm Super Mini Zoom, that was pretty nice but I had grit collect under the sliding door while carrying it in a pocket and it never really recovered. The lens was almost the equal of the Contax TVs, which cannot compare to any of the above three cameras in prints larger than 4x6.
 
^eagle^ said:
Can u add some picture taken with your fujifilm?
Click to expand...

with some horrible scans from canonscan 9000f

IMG_0035a_zps69cad479.jpg


IMG_0008a_zpsfc387df5.jpg


IMG_0002a_zps60aeeb87.jpg
 
A nice alternative from the ones mentioned, I would suggest checking out the Olympus Stylus Epic aka Mju-ll.
It's a 35mm f2.8 compact film camera.
Very cheap too. Avg £10-£40.
It doesn't have as much functions like the GR compacts but for the price, you can't complain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Peter_S
Contax TVS III - current experience?
Replies
2
Views
452
Peter_S
Peter_S
mackigator
Cheap point and shoot camera for kid going to summer camp
2 3 4
Replies
62
Views
11K
Ray Kilby
Ray Kilby
S
Suggestions / advice for new camera
2 3
Replies
45
Views
2K
silvershadelynx
S
J
  • Article Article
What exactly is a point & shoot camera? Glad you asked!The Kodak of 1888 may have been the first, and even Leica got into the act!
Replies
17
Views
1K
Mos6502
Mos6502
lxforrest
A DIY retro digital camera project - Blog #3 Prototype V -1
Replies
3
Views
364
lxforrest
lxforrest
Back
Top Bottom