Small, Light, but With a 50mm Lens Recommendations.

[Steve M.]

My Minox 35 experiment didn't work for a lot of reasons, and I already have this relatively small, black GAF Point Five (think Konica C35), but my preferred focal length is 50mm on a RF, Scale Focus, or P&S camera. For SLR's I like a longer focal length.

Any ideas on something that's reasonably priced, has good-to-very good lens IQ, and will allow me some exposure control? If it's heavy or large, no dice. My Minolta SLR works fine for bigger camera needs, and I'd like something that's Konica C35 sized (preferably much smaller). The Contax T cameras are probably just the ticket, but worry me. Way too much investment in an old, complicated electronic camera. P&S, scale focus, makes me no never mind, but need some way to override the camera's settings if it's AE. Fiddling w/ the ISO dial isn't my idea of exposure control either. Rarely have time for that.

 

[monochromejrnl]

Contax T2 (38mm) or Minilux (45mm). AFAIK, nothing compact with a 50mm unfortunately, let alone compact + 50 + exposure control.

I use a Canon S95 for small compact, exposure control and RAW which I find is a suitable replacement for film when making small prints.

 

[Livesteamer]

You might consider the Rollei 35 in it's various forms. Very small, scale focus but with a fine lens. It is 40mm not 50 but a wonderful, small camera. Retina's would work well but the small camera I prefer is a Leica IIIc with 50mm Elmar. Good Luck, Joe

 

[sanmich]

a barnack+elmar 50mm f/3.5
If you shoot outside, and negs, the f/16 rule is really good enough...

 

[semilog]

Go for a 40.

The little Rollei's are great.

CL + any Leica, Minolta, or CV 40. Or a Canonet QL17 (I have one sitting next to my elbow, purchased a week ago for $60 in beautiful shape).

Or a Barnack with a collapsible (Leica or CV) 50.

Or a Nikon EM with the 45 pancake. Or a Pentax MX or ME Super with the 45 pancake. Or an Olympus E-450 with the 25mm (50mm eq) pancake. All tiny.

 

[snausages]

Yashica T4 Zoom? May not satisfy all of the requirements for manual operation, but at least it's not as much of an investment as the Contax T's.

Or, unless you're after big black and white prints, I like the Canon S95 suggestion.

I've traveled happily with a Contax T3 and a Canon S95.

 

[sanmich]

Another nice combo:
a CL with a collapsible summicron

 

[bastian a.]

1. Rollei 35 with Tessar 40/3.5 or Rollei 35S with Sonnar 40/2.8
2. Leica CL + Summicron-C 40/2
3. Pentax MX/ME super + 40/2.8 (pancake) or 50/1.7
4. Leica IIIf + 50/3.5 collapsible

 

[batterytypehah!]

Sounds like a compact SLR would be the ticket, but we already gave you that advice in the Minox thread. I like the Konica TC-X, plasticky and noisy, but black, small, light, fully mechanical, dirt cheap, great lenses. One AAA battery for the meter. Make sure the battery door isn't broken, that's a known weak spot. Otherwise pretty robust, unless you put your finger through the shutter like somebody I know 😱

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Bessa T with J3. Light as a feather, meter, 1/2000. Nice speed and beautiful bokeh... Cheap.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[paulfish4570]

a barnack with collapsible lens is much bigger than what the OP wants. this could be real tough to meet with the 50 FL parameter. some of the larger, older RFs have 45-47mm FLs. a petri 2.8 with 45mm lens would meet the lens requirement but is heavy as a barnack and about as big. i have a konica s III with killer f1.9 47mm lens that isn't very heavy but it ain't pocketable ...

 

[sevo]

The Fuji Silvi is a P&S with a 24-50mm zoom, and IIRC one of the Natura's shared that focal range. No exposure control but in my experience it exposes accurately enough to use Velvia in it.

As far as fixed lens rangefinders go, 38-42mm seem to be the upper limit on compact ones - the odd few longer ones are considerably bigger than a Barnack (clone).

A FSU Barnack clone with collapsible lens would probably be as close as possible to the requirements...

 

[Steve M.]

Yep, a Barnack w/ collapsible Summar is small. Heavy though. LOTS more than I want to spend too, although I certainly understand that it would give me the best IQ (other than a Leica CL w/ a Rokkor 40 or a 50 Summicron). The idea about the Pentax w/ the pancake lens sounds good, but I already have the little GAF w/ Hexanon 38mm lens. Going to a 40mm isn't much difference, and I was not impressed w/ the last Pentax 50 1.7 lenses I used. Nice, but there's a lot more that are better.

Might have run into a wall here, unless I just forget about 50mm capability, which it looks like I'll have to do. Seems foolish for me to buy a rather pricey electronic camera no matter WHO makes it, that much I'm sure of. One day they work, then w/ no warning they don't. I have a hard time throwing a few hundred dollars into the trash.

It's interesting how often the Rollei cameras come up. From what I can tell, the IQ is really, really good. But the ergonomics are what don't work for me. They're heavy as well, you have to pull the lens out and lock it, then adjust your speeds and aperture while the camera is away from your eye. All of which don't make for a quick, candid camera. Too bad about the Minox 35MB because it was just so tiny. It also didn't work correctly, which is what I keep reading about them time and time again.

 

[semilog]

From one of our own, a Rollei 35 treasure trove.