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Minolta Hi-Matic G ! Awesome little camera and very nice lens
Simple/Cheap Scale Focus for Everyday Carry
- Thread starter hipsterdufus
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gb hill
Veteran
I don't know what lenses you have for the R2, but if you happen to have the screwmount uncoupled 25/4 the Bessa L is the best choice & the lightest camera to carry for scale focus fun. I love mine, & even when you screw up & forget to set the distance scale it's wide enough that it's usually in focus.
Schlapp
Well-known
Kodak Retinette 1a. Cheap as chips but excellent
ruby.monkey
Veteran
It's just the price of a round of drinks. 🙂
Paul T.
Veteran
IN that case, buy one for a tenner, and buy 4/5 of a round of drinks!
fidget
Lemon magnet
If you don't need pocketable scale focus (for which the XA2/3 would seem to suit well) I agree that the Konica C35V makes a good user. Great lens with good metering and cheap.
If you don't need fast and easy to use (or metering either), then an MF folder makes a wonderful start into MF, some of the 6x4.5 are remarkably small.
If you don't need fast and easy to use (or metering either), then an MF folder makes a wonderful start into MF, some of the 6x4.5 are remarkably small.
Brian Legge
Veteran
Oh, good call on the 6x4.5 cameras. That was one of the surprises for me with the Zenobia, the first folding 6x4.5 camera I used. It was pocketable - given somewhat large pockets.
I taken to carrying it and a XA4 around at times. Wide angle auto 35mm and manual medium format scale focus folding camera in a small packages. 🙂
I taken to carrying it and a XA4 around at times. Wide angle auto 35mm and manual medium format scale focus folding camera in a small packages. 🙂
Harlee
Well-known
Several months ago I purchased a Minolta Hi-Matic S scale focusing 35mm. It's in excellent to mint condition and I am constantly surprised at the very sharp pics it produces. Manual advance and rewind so you can use it in places where you want to be very quiet. It's gone with me into Ukraine twice this year and will most likely go with me again to Ukraine in November. You don't see them too often and so the prices haven't jumped much on Ebay. While it is completely auto exposure, as I said I am really amazed at the quality prints it produces.
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
If you want durable, an Adox Adrette or Wirgin Edinex can't be beat.
My Adrette II has a 50mm Schneider Xenon in-shutter on a collapsible mount. It collapses relatively compact & is incredibly solid. I could probably total a car with that camera & take photos of the damage afterwards.
It's a bit heavier since it's all brass but it has a scale focused Xenon lens which is fantastic.
Aside from that, I'd also recommend an XA2 or maybe you could get lucky & find a Rollei 35 for $15 like I did years ago...
Phil Forrest
My Adrette II has a 50mm Schneider Xenon in-shutter on a collapsible mount. It collapses relatively compact & is incredibly solid. I could probably total a car with that camera & take photos of the damage afterwards.
It's a bit heavier since it's all brass but it has a scale focused Xenon lens which is fantastic.
Aside from that, I'd also recommend an XA2 or maybe you could get lucky & find a Rollei 35 for $15 like I did years ago...
Phil Forrest
David Hughes
David Hughes
An alternative to the Trip 35 is the Yashica 35-ME and for dirt cheap and entirely manual try the Cosmic Symbol, which has a nice lens in it.
The problem is that both the Olympus and Yashica are programmed shutters and the Symbol needs to be turned upside-down to set the shutter speed. Equally the other two need to be turned upside down to use the focus scale as only the zone symbols show at the top.
I'd go for an Olympus XA2/XA3 for an auto exposure zone focuser.
But the real problem is that the manual cameras from the late 60's onwards were either very cheap and cheerful or else expensive and "professional". The non-manual ones were mostly automatic and either zone of range-finder focusing, for obvious reasons they were trying hard to expand their customer base.
Regards, David
The problem is that both the Olympus and Yashica are programmed shutters and the Symbol needs to be turned upside-down to set the shutter speed. Equally the other two need to be turned upside down to use the focus scale as only the zone symbols show at the top.
I'd go for an Olympus XA2/XA3 for an auto exposure zone focuser.
But the real problem is that the manual cameras from the late 60's onwards were either very cheap and cheerful or else expensive and "professional". The non-manual ones were mostly automatic and either zone of range-finder focusing, for obvious reasons they were trying hard to expand their customer base.
Regards, David
Last edited:
hipsterdufus
Photographer?
Alrighty, I went with the Ansco Memar for my choice (same as Agfa Silette). It was the cost of a bar tab (sub $20), so I'm not too worried about whether or not I lose/damage it. I have not yet received it, as it was from the auction site. I will update you all once I get it and shoot some pictures!
MaxElmar
Well-known
A basic Rollei 35 w/tessar is close to this price range and is certainly one of the best of the breed. (I just saw one on KEH for $89)
Rage
Member
I've been carrying a Yashica Elektro 35 MC (that's about half the size of a regular Yashica Elektro) as a point and shoot lately and I really like it. It is light and easy to operate. Nice sharp lens. No variety in shutterspeeds unfortunately but you can't have everything 🙂
Mablo
Well-known
That is a good price given that the camera works OK. I don't think you can find a better everyday carry camera for the price.
SimonSawSunlight
Simon Fabel
just bought an XA2 for my g/f and I thought shooting with it felt fantastic! 🙂
zosta
Member
I think that XA2 is a great choice.
Cheap, great metering, and great lens.
Rollei 35 is more expensive, but if the one hundred (and more) are not a problem... :angel:
This is an example of the XA2 with Neopan 400
Cheap, great metering, and great lens.
Rollei 35 is more expensive, but if the one hundred (and more) are not a problem... :angel:
This is an example of the XA2 with Neopan 400
Stuart John
Well-known
Canonet 28 gives you the rangefinder auto exposure and does not have the inflated prices of the Canonet GIII.
Brian Levy
Established
Cheap, not afraid or no regrets if lost, cheap, throw it ion a bag, cheap and oh yes, cheap. Just hit the local thrift shops. It seems most have a $5 bin loaded with older film cameras from early through late auto everything. On my last trip to one there were a dozen or so offerings and I picked 2 that I thought may be of some interest. The first was a Canon AF35M. I learned after the lens is supposed to be good but its auto everything except the ISO settings. A prime lens of 38mm with a filter screw of 48mm. Runs on AA batteries. At worst a glove box keeper.
The 2nd is a Samsung Maxima 105S. Not much found on the web. Uses a CR123 battery. Zoom from 28mm to 105mm. Again auto everything but this uses the DX coding and there is no way to vary the exposure. But for $5 what the heck. Both have built in defeatable flash.
The Canon is a decent to hold and the controls are well placed. I've not gotten a roll through it yet but as the reviews are decent as to the lens, I suspect it might be a daily carrier. The Samsung sadly is an exercise in poor software programming. I can turn off the flash after hitting the flash button a few times, have a portrait and landscape mode and even a "fuzzy" mode (not sure what it does). BUT, after every shutter trip or turning it off and then on, the setting default back and I have to reset them for the next shot. A pain in the arse as I do not use flash. However, on the plus side it does have a decent diopter adjustment. The feel is not as good to me as the Canon but not bad.
No, neither are up to my Leica by a wide margin but for the price and expecting them to be abused to the point of destruction they are worth it to me. Either should do the trick. I also think with a little gusesswork, and looking there are a lot of these throwaways that are okay users and cheap.
The 2nd is a Samsung Maxima 105S. Not much found on the web. Uses a CR123 battery. Zoom from 28mm to 105mm. Again auto everything but this uses the DX coding and there is no way to vary the exposure. But for $5 what the heck. Both have built in defeatable flash.
The Canon is a decent to hold and the controls are well placed. I've not gotten a roll through it yet but as the reviews are decent as to the lens, I suspect it might be a daily carrier. The Samsung sadly is an exercise in poor software programming. I can turn off the flash after hitting the flash button a few times, have a portrait and landscape mode and even a "fuzzy" mode (not sure what it does). BUT, after every shutter trip or turning it off and then on, the setting default back and I have to reset them for the next shot. A pain in the arse as I do not use flash. However, on the plus side it does have a decent diopter adjustment. The feel is not as good to me as the Canon but not bad.
No, neither are up to my Leica by a wide margin but for the price and expecting them to be abused to the point of destruction they are worth it to me. Either should do the trick. I also think with a little gusesswork, and looking there are a lot of these throwaways that are okay users and cheap.
MatthewThompson
Well-known
Roberto V.
Le surrèalisme, c'est moi
I'll second the Retinette IA, I got one very cheap last weekend, it has a hotshoe so I can use it with my Canon 430EX II. It's not heavy compared to my Zeiss Contaflex which is about the same size. Lever advance also.
The lens is a Schneider-Kreuznach Reomar 45mm f/2.8. Not as good as the Tessar on my Contaflex, but good enough for scale focus.
Here's a quick shot from mine, minutes after I bought it. I'll post more once I develop some rolls, but I ran out of fixer 😱
Untitled by Roberto V., on Flickr
The lens is a Schneider-Kreuznach Reomar 45mm f/2.8. Not as good as the Tessar on my Contaflex, but good enough for scale focus.
Here's a quick shot from mine, minutes after I bought it. I'll post more once I develop some rolls, but I ran out of fixer 😱
Untitled by Roberto V., on Flickr
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