Greyscale
Veteran
A good, working Konica Auto S2 or S1.6 would be a fine place to start. None of these old cameras should be expected to be overly reliable without some maintenance, the Yashicas, while having exceptional optics, seem more prone to mechanical and electrical problems then most. At least with the Konica, many of the necessary repairs can be of the DIY variety, even for the neophyte. Such maintenance can be done on many of the others, for certain, but may require a higher degree of expertise, the Canonets, in particular, are not very user-friendly when it comes to simple DIY repair. If you want a camera that is almost bulletproof and may survive long after the human race has perished, give some thought to the quirky, yet beautiful, Kodak Signet 35, which may have been hewn by magic dwarves out of a solid block of aluminum. All of the Olympus cameras have exceptional build quality, and I am shocked to be the first to mention the Olympus XA.
Tpaul
Newbie
Thanks to all of you! After doing a lot of research and giving some thought to what I'll actually use and enjoy, I'm actively looking for a Yashica Electro 35 CC or CCN in good condition. I know it's auto but it seems like a cool little camera with an interesting lens.
There are a few on Ebay, but the cheap ones seem to be a crapshoot (no indication of whether the seller knows or cares if the thing works) and the expensive ones are not much better. Any suggestions for other places to look for a good deal?
There are a few on Ebay, but the cheap ones seem to be a crapshoot (no indication of whether the seller knows or cares if the thing works) and the expensive ones are not much better. Any suggestions for other places to look for a good deal?