Recommended zoom P&S?

[fidget]

I've used my XA2 and Mju1 & 2 (Stylus & Stylus Epic) fixed 35mm lens cams as regular carry cams for a while and have had good results, particularly on occasions when I may not have had any other cam to hand.
From time to time I wonder if a short zoom model would be of use to keep to hand too or in the glove box.

I don't necessarily need a long zoom, I'm thinking that 60-80mm would be plenty. I would prefer something that goes to around 28mm at the wide end.


I snagged a Canon Sure Shot Classic 120 which has yet to arrive. I believe that this is 38-120mm, so maybe a wide zoom P&S could be unnecessary?

Have you any recommendations to help me blow $20 on such a cam?

Dave.....

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Contax TVS is nice and not too expensive.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Ffordes have some Mju-V's refurbished as new on eBay at about £80 I recall.

 

[fidget]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I must admit that part of the mini-GAS is driven by the ridiculously low prices on Ebay.
These are typically less than £10 and many go unsold. But I expect that the Contax may not be in this group.
I was thinking more of the Canon sure shot range or equivalent Nikon etc...There is such a range of them that your recommendation would be valuable.

 

[IGMeanwell]

Fuji natura Classica I have seen pretty good results with

http://flickr.com/groups/naturaxnatura/

Or even though the Yashica T4 with the 35mm lens is the more popular model, the T4/T5 zooms are very good

none are inexpensive but are very good at what they do

 

[btgc]

I doubt that cult P&S zooms are going by sub£10 prices. Natura and likes are rather us$300 and even more.

I have seen Matt Denton praises....Canon Sure Shot 120 ? His site is currently unavail. While his soup can be not your meal, he seems to be reasonable person in respect to choosing stuff.

I don't have a single P&S zoom, so can't give personal advice.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

Leica Z2X - bought it because once in a lifetime, I wanted to own a red-dot camera and was more than impressed with its IQ.

Cheers,
Uwe

 

[mcgrattan]

I have a Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer (28mm - 70mm zoom). They get pretty decent reviews.

http://www.photographyreview.com/mfr/konica-minolta/point-and-shoot/PRD_83762_3108crx.aspx

It's pretty chunky, and the viewfinder isn't brilliant. But the image quality is surprisingly decent for small prints. The lens seems pretty good -- some distortion when wide open -- slow when at the tele end.

 

[btgc]

I've got praised 28-70 version of that Minolta (Riva in Europe) years ago, but my bad luck - it's switching off intermittently so I can't comment on pictures.

Rear element is heavily coated, and if you get working, it could be nice shooter. I liked also stepped zoom. Just be prepared for tiny viewfinder.

 

[Austintatious]

The key thing in fidgets first post was the cost. $20........ The above mentioned cameras are all well over this amount. The Yashica T4 has a cult following on Epay and they sell for over $150 to $200. Never mind the Contax or the Fuji cost.

Thank you fidget for brining up the Canon 120. After some googleing, it seems that this camera is pretty well thought of. Matt Denton likes it enough to have bought three.
I just picked one up on the bay for $9.99 !

Thanks fidget !

 

[fidget]

Thanks for all your suggestions.
The Sure shot classic does get couple of positive mentions, even on a search in this forum. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
I pulled the trigger on a Canon Z70W on a charity shop e-sale. This is a 28-70mm zoom with surprisingly small apertures, but seems to be typical (I guess that this is due to the wider spec of the zoom). It's also got a spot metering feature, so I snagged it at around $9.
This couple of zoom cams will occupy some of my time over the next few weeks (in-between the 6x4.5 folders!).

 

[camera.bear]

Thanks for all your suggestions.
The Sure shot classic does get couple of positive mentions, even on a search in this forum. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Fidget,

I just did the same research and have a Canon Sure Shot Classic 120 that should be arriving in the mail today. I like the features and specs. The only thing that I am apprehensive about is the smaller max apertures, but I am looking forward to trying it out as well.

 

[fidget]

Fidget,

I just did the same research and have a Canon Sure Shot Classic 120 that should be arriving in the mail today. I like the features and specs. The only thing that I am apprehensive about is the smaller max apertures, but I am looking forward to trying it out as well.

Mine arrived in the last few days, but without batteries. It's a funny thing when the batteries cost more than the camera! but being thrifty got a mail order pair of CR2s for a little less than the camera. It looks nice, could be the car cam for the next year or so.
What do you make of it Austintatious and Wayne?

 

[camera.bear]

I got my Classic 120 in the mail and I am really liking it. Mine came with the batteries in it and it powered right up. I checked it over and it is in good working condition. I tried out the different modes and settings and there seems to be quite a bit of flexibility to cover most shooting situations. I especially like that the camera zooms in to frame the subject in the Portrait mode. I have popped in a roll of Kodak 400 from one of my camera bags and the Classic 120 is traveling with me in the bottom of my CompuDaypack. I will be taking it with me on Saturday to a fantasy festival and hope to get some good images.

 

[Austintatious]

fidget,

I just this afternoon found my 120 on the front door ! I gave it a little light cleaning and loaded some Fuji 400 color print film into it. Should have some results this weekend.
Played with it a bit out of the box. Mine came with batteries 🙂 I wish there was a setting that would keep the flash from popping out at all. I know that it can be switched off. But most of the time I would not want it "out" at all. Is this possible ?

 

[fidget]

Glad to see that you are trying yours out.
As mine came without batteries I had to order some, which came yesterday. I was disappointed to see that the battery cover will not stay in place, seems the spring is very strong and the battery compartment is damaged. I cut a little off the spring and put tape over the cap, now it stays put.

It looks good. I would tend to use it at it's wide setting (38) up to around 70mm, so only a part of it's range. There's a few things to like about it, apart from the ever deployed flash, but I could live with this, or tape the thing down (as it's got tape on the body already).
I might get to run a short film in it today, or based on what I've read about it, take it on holiday this weekend in preference to my Oly Mju2. (OK, maybe also.....cam count 4)
The spot metering and spot focus features had me puzzled until I read the manual carefully. It's easy to read the display symbol as being for both.

 

[Austintatious]

fidget,
I have a few test shots here from the Canon 120, using various settings. I
do need to reprogram the thing to NOT put the date on my images !
Hope your example works well for you. Over all I am pleased with the camera.

 

[muf]

Put the Classic 120 speed dial to the running man and it automatically keeps focus on whatever you point it at. A very useful mode that I've had great success snapping away at moving objects that are changing the distance away from me constantly. e.g sports events or snaps of my kids running about. Always got sharp exposures on that mode.

 

[racoll]

Sounds like you got a good camera, but just FYI, the Canon Sure Shot Z180u is an awesome little camera. It's amazingly small, has most of the same features as the Classic 120 plus a couple more I'd guess, since it's newer (not always a safe bet). One feature I really like is the real-time shutter release setting where the shutter fires when you press it with virtually no delay. It also has predictive AF and a really nice 38-180 lens. The pictures from this camera are fantastic. Prices vary pretty wildly though. I got mine at Goodwill in like-new condition for $15, but I've seen them go for as much as $110 on 'the bay'. You just have to shop around, but if you can get one, it's a pretty awesome little camera.

 

[btgc]

Took a quick look around for Z180u and voila - here is one, listing# 310095883789. Not exactly what I consider cheap, and not exactly what I call "well presented item", though.