Recommendations for a 35mm P&S?

xia_ke

xia_ke

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I've been getting a lot more into very long trail/mountain runs and am wanting to find a P&S to take along to capture the sights. My experience with 35mm P&S's is next to nil so I'm hoping the good folks here can steer me in the right direction. Here are the qualities I need, in order:
  1. Compact - I need as small as possible as space is at a premium in my hydration pack.
  2. Lightweight
  3. Weatherproof - This will likely end up getting wet at some point either from rain, sweat, or precipitation from my water bladder. I could put in a zip lock, but the less I have to worry, the better. Also, in the winter it will likely face temps in the teens if not single digits.
  4. Relatively inexpensive - There is a high chance of getting thrashed, so I don't want to take the chance with a high end P&S.
I had been thinking maybe an Olympus mju or XA, but wasn't sure about how they will hold up in the cold. I'd even consider a Holga 35mm, but am uncertain how small they are. Any thoughts?
 
Olympus Stylus Epic

Olympus Stylus Epic

The model with the fixed 35mm focal length lens. Around $90 new, as low as $20 used.

Great, fast lens. Weatherproof. Runs on a 123A cell, which you can keep in your pocket if you are in extreme cold. Small size, few ounces in weight, and soap bar shape helps it to slip into even small pockets. Shape also doesn't have sharp edges, so putting it inside of harsh-weather clothing is still comfortable.

Enjoy.
 
Another vote for the weatherproof Mju/Stylus Epic. The Mju II Zoom 115 Weatherproof gives you a 38-115 zoom lens but it's bigger and weighs more than the fixed lens model. I've found several at charity stores for $5. Can't go wrong.
 
Thanks everyone for chiming in with the recommendations :)

One more quick question. Eric you mentioned taking the battery out to keep in warm in the cold. Is this okay to do mid-roll? Sorry, my only experience with film cameras is with fully manual cameras where a battery is really just for the meter.
 
XA's aren't weatherproof. Canon made underwater camera, AS1 or like, which qualifies.
If 35mm mean format not FOV then I can recommend Konica Offroad, sealed 28mm lens, sealed buttons and film door.
 
btgc said:
XA's aren't weatherproof. Canon made underwater camera, AS1 or like, which qualifies.
If 35mm mean format not FOV then I can recommend Konica Offroad, sealed 28mm lens, sealed buttons and film door.
Click to expand...

Excellent point there, I picked up a Canon Sure Shot A1 recently (http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Canon_Sure_Shot_A-1/Prima_AS-1/Autoboy_D5)

It's not the smallest camera around, (Dimensions & weight: 133x88x56 mm, 385 g (with battery)), but it's VERY weatherproof, drop proof etc it's waterpoof to at least 5m (manual says 5m, user reports say they regularly go deeper), and it's a total hidden gem, with a beautiful sharp lens.

EDIT: I just checked, and it's a 6 element 32mm f3.5, if you can deal with an extra 3mm, it's a wonderful option

Flash etc modes and the power on/off are on a wheel on the front, so you never need to fiddle with buttons if you're wearing gloves, and I'd imagine that the waterproofing/seals would go some way to helping in the cold too.

I grabbed it to eventually get round to trying some stuff underwater (who knows when) but honestly it's so good on land, that I'm going to be using this Fisher Price looking thing WAY more than I originally thought
 
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BlackXList said:
Excellent point there, I picked up a Canon Sure Shot A1 recently (http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Canon_Sure_Shot_A-1/Prima_AS-1/Autoboy_D5)

It's not the smallest camera around, (Dimensions & weight: 133x88x56 mm, 385 g (with battery)), but it's VERY weatherproof, drop proof etc it's waterpoof to at least 5m (manual says 5m, user reports say they regularly go deeper), and it's a total hidden gem, with a beautiful sharp lens.

EDIT: I just checked, and it's a 6 element 32mm f3.5, if you can deal with an extra 3mm, it's a wonderful option

Flash etc modes and the power on/off are on a wheel on the front, so you never need to fiddle with buttons if you're wearing gloves, and I'd imagine that the waterproofing/seals would go some way to helping in the cold too.

I grabbed it to eventually get round to trying some stuff underwater (who knows when) but honestly it's so good on land, that I'm going to be using this Fisher Price looking thing WAY more than I originally thought
Click to expand...
That's right, w a 6-element Canon 32mm f3.5 lens...
one weakness, the locking mechanism(back), it may break!
both of mine broke, I need to tape the back after film loading..

IMG_6255-2 Canon SureShot WP-1/ Canon 32mm f 3.5/ 6-element by TAIPEImetro★中途下車, on Flickr
 
Eric Boe said:
The model with the fixed 35mm focal length lens. Around $90 new, as low as $20 used.

Great, fast lens. Weatherproof. Runs on a 123A cell, which you can keep in your pocket if you are in extreme cold. Small size, few ounces in weight, and soap bar shape helps it to slip into even small pockets. Shape also doesn't have sharp edges, so putting it inside of harsh-weather clothing is still comfortable.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...

Plus 1 for the Oly Stylus Epic/mju-II. I've bought two this year for three bucks each at my local Goodwill
store.
 
the Canon is a pretty good camera but not small, and you have to watch out for the off switch. leave it on at the battery disappears pretty swiftly. i speak from experience.
 
Sorry to keep the field narrow but another vote here for the mju-ii (aka Stylus Epic). I have owned three in my time. Unlike many far more expensive and/or popular and/or capable cameras that have come and gone without too much regret, I just keep coming back to the mju-ii.
 
Keep the camera inside your clothing, don't let it get into the teens or single digits. You'll just temperature cycle it until the lens fogs from condensation residue. Or a quart of blood will drop right out of it.
 
xia_ke said:
... you mentioned taking the battery out to keep in warm in the cold. Is this okay to do mid-roll? Sorry, my only experience with film cameras is with fully manual cameras where a battery is really just for the meter.
Click to expand...
This varies from camera to camera, but I think that most will advance one frame every time that the battery is replaced. Better to just keep the camera in your pocket until you are ready to shoot on cold days. But I have never really had a battery-related cold weather issue with any compact, and I have shot the original Canon Sure-Shot/Autoboy (AF35M) in temperatures as cold as -40 Fahrenheit, using alkaline batteries.
 
I tried my darndest to find an MjuII/Stylus Epic at a thrift store. Went to every thrift store in a major American city a few times over the span of a couple months. I found a few zoom versions, never the 35mm!

I ended up getting one on RFF. Great little camera. My only gripe is that the flash can't power down enough if you use film over ISO 400, so everything gets blown out. If they added a flash that can go lower and the ability to manually set film speed so that I didn't have to take a razor to my cartridges to change the DX coding I would love it.
 
yet another vote for olympus mju:ii/stylus epic! love the spot-metering mode (great for backlit scenes)! cons: very eager on using flash (when i don't follow it's advice i get more often than not blurry shots) and it can miss focus when you don't expect. also, mine tends to underexpose by 2/3 of a stop, so i wouldn't shoot slides with it. but for $30 you get a good fixed lens, weather sealing camera so compact you can carry it everywhere, so i'd go with it.
 
I would check out which P&S is available for a ridiculously low price. There are many excellent P&S cameras on the market. I often use the Minox GT, Olympus EPIC, Contax T2, Olympus XA.
 
The Ricoh FF8-WR is another option for a weather-resistant compact, with a very good 28mm lens. Nikon also made a waterproof version of the L35AF (the model number escapes me), and also offered the fixed-focus AW35 (Sport * Touch). And even though it is not specifically designed to be weather-resistant, I have used my Nikon Lite Touch (AF 600) in the rain quite often.
 
Gregoyle said:
My only gripe is that the flash can't power down enough if you use film over ISO 400, so everything gets blown out.
Click to expand...

In which flash mode you get blown out everything, may I ask?

manual ISO or exp. correction would be nice, I agree there.
 
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