"Throw in the Bag" Film Camera Suggestions?

[giganova]

Hi all --

Similar questions have been asked, but not the same, I believe. I often walk to/from work, through a park, at parties, and wish I had a compact film camera with me. All my film cameras are either too expensive (Leica) or too large (MF) to carry around all day.

Such a camera should be light, somewhat durable, and I prefer a fast 35mm prime lens with decent (but not stellar) image quality. Doesn't need to be a rangefinder. Budget doesn't matter as long as it fits my needs. What do you suggest?

A point & shoot?
A vintage SLR, maybe a Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus, or a Leica R?

Hit me with ideas -- thanks!

 

[madNbad]

Kodak Retina IIa. Or maybe a IIc or IIIc. Load it with film, stick it in your pocket and head out.

 

[shawn]

Olympus XA/XA2/XA3, Rollei 35s, Nikon L35AF, Canon AF35M, Konica New Genba Kantoku, Olympus Stylus.

For a have anywhere the Olympus cameras are amazing and will live in a pocket happily. Rollei gives more control but is quirky, you will either love it or hate it. Last four are P&S and they have good lenses on them along with flash.

Shawn

 

[Rob-F]

Rollei 35 with Tessar or Sonnar lens.
Minox 35mm.

 

[Veggies]

The Olympus Mju II is really expensive currently but it’s lens is great and its size is so small.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Left field possibility.
Apart from lens speed, something from this camera family seems to tick all your boxes.
https://www.35mmc.com/05/08/2016/konica-genba-kantoku-28wb/

 

[lynnb]

What's your minimum requirement for "fast"? f/2.8 or f/2?

Have you handled an XA? It's the most pocketable camera I've owned, because of its curved clamshell design. Also it has aperture-priority with +1.5 backlight control switch. Lens is good, but not as good as the Rollei 35S, but it's the quicker camera.

The earlier suggestions others mentioned above are all good. Add the Mju-I and Mju-II, again the curved design easy to slip in the pocket. The Mju-II's flash has to be disabled every time you open the camera, a bit of a pain.

A Barnack or Barnack copy with a compact 35 is very fast if you zone focus. Film loading not so easy. You can buy the Canons quite cheaply and they're built well.

Small Pentax or OM is easy to live with but bigger again. Jacket pocket camera. I have a $5 MZ-5 that's great as long as the batteries are fresh. MF/AF and P/A/S/M. The spring on the built-in flash can fail.

Plastic EOS300 with kit zoom is small/light/easy. A good p&s. Cheap.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I had cameras in the bag since 2009 or so. Every day bag, with every day cameras.
But I don't think you are going to like my experience.

I have M4-2 in the bag as every day with Summarit-M 35 2.5 since 2015 or so.
It needed service, but I sold all other film Ms which didn't.

People are walking with latest iPhones and status $$$$ watches, glasses and so on. $$$$ status signaling things. Just as I walk with under thousand Leica M and slightly above thousand Leica lens. And it doesn't looks like status declaration. It just a tool with sings of use. So, no trouble here. And I have it attached to my neck via strap. I also never leave camera or bag.

It isn't service which bugs me, it is dealing with film. Develop, scan or print. This is the time waste.

But it is for camera been in use daily, not just walk with camera in the bag.

If you like Leica, good luck to find something else what you are going to like. I can't take pictures for long with something I don't like.

I don't consider R as Leica. It just another SLR, but with status label. Serviced LTM with SBOOI and J-3 or VF from Olympus XA and Color Skopar 35 2.5 will do for less and as every day camera.
IMO.

For SLR I have F kind of Nikons now and they are just something opposite to Leica. Nowhere near elegance and simple of use, but they are build for everyday.
Just get matching their weight bag and shoulder straps, belts.

I also do P&S. Status ones are not going to lasts. But true, cheap P&S never lasts long in my bag as every day. They are very simple to use. They are not good for fast photography, but to stop, turn flash off and take exposure.
Well almost like this.

5 CAD P&S:

The part you are not going to like...
The end result shows only one thing, are you capable or not. It is not about the camera and how fast lens is, to be honest.
Choose what you really like and just put it in use.

 

[kxl]

I picked up a Nikon N75 for about $20 and happened to have an 18-55mm DX lens. It's a great compact AF film kit -- the lens works perfectly from 24mm to 55mm. I throw it in a bag when I'm out and about and don't worry about damage or theft.

 

[giganova]

What's your minimum requirement for "fast"? f/2.8 or f/2?

2.8 would be good, gives me enough sensitivity with 400 speed film.

 

[maddoc]

Minox C. Cheap, robust, easy to use (AE & manual). You can load your own film and develop by yourself. This holiday project will be Neopan1600 in the Minox. 🙂

 

[dourbalistar]

Olympus 35 RC.

Pros: Rangefinder with fixed 42mm f/2.8 leaf-shutter lens. Shutter-priority AE, or manual mode (battery-independent, mechanical). Fully featured and under-valued on the current market, especially compared to other fully auto P&S compacts that have no manual controls.

Cons: Designed for mercury batteries (there are workarounds), 1/500 top shutter speed, 42mm isn't 35mm per the OP's preference.

 

[Ronald M]

Rollei 35 with Tessar or Sonnar lens.
Minox 35mm.

You are faster than I, but we agree.

Cigarette pack size body with collapsible 24/300 is better, but does not exist.

Do not discourage ove a single focal. I had a single in 1960s college and all the great magazines showed pics from many different lenses and encourages me to buy a Pentax and 6 lenses at one go right after graduation ( no student loans then). That made a heavy carry.

A wedding photog neighbor with 5 guys working for him were provided Leicas with 50 .35,&90 lenses.
Most all the wedding shots were done with 50.

Saw a young lady on line yesterday who does weddings with 50 mm almost fully.

I am getting tired of being a pack horse at 77 and going back to one body and 50 mm lens.

Learn to move in or step back or crop if necessary and you will be a happy fellow. And you will never be fumbling around and miss a shot while changing lenses.

 

[Guth]

Maybe hit a few local thrift stores or Goodwill locations and see what you find for cameras that look like they might work for your needs. Then shoot with them and share your experiences and results here as you work to pick a winner.

 

[giganova]

Great suggestions, keep them coming!

People are walking with latest iPhones and status $$$$ watches, glasses and so on. $$$$ status signaling things. Just as I walk with under thousand Leica M and slightly above thousand Leica lens. And it doesn't looks like status declaration. It just a tool with sings of use. So, no trouble here. And I have it attached to my neck via strap. I also never leave camera or bag.

I have a bunch of M4 and don't mind carrying them around or getting damaged, I can live with that. But my bag is not always with me, so I'm more worried about someone grabbing my bag in a hotel meeting room, even though the potential thief wouldn't even know that there's a Leica in it.

It isn't service which bugs me, it is dealing with film. Develop, scan or print. This is the time waste.

We are clearly different: I love dealing with film, wouldn't want it any other way.

I can't take pictures for long with something I don't like.

Same here: a camera has to inspire me and that has nothing to do with how expensive that camera is. I am totally loving the Minox 35 cameras: super tiny, super stealth, noiseless, no flash, no annoying motor that advances or rewinds the film, great lens ... I would ditch all my Leicas if -- and that's the killer -- they were reliable! I know that I can rely on my M4s in all situations, they have never failed me. But, as I said in another thread, I had 12 Minox 35 over the past two years and NONE was reliable or even worked, even though I bought them all as Ex+ or MINT with prices to match. I'm done with these flimsy and unreliable cameras. I also had a brand new MJU II that I found at an estate sale for $20 which I sold for over $200. Big mistake selling it. But that "always on" flash was too impractical because I had to fiddle with that tiny flash off button every time I turned it on, and it made a lot of noise because everything is motorized.

I don't consider R as Leica. It just another SLR, but with status label.

Yes, just an SLR but one of the greatest: the finder is extremely bright, ergonomics is superb, spot and matrix meters are awesome, and you get good Leica glass that doesn't break the bank. Plus, an R4 was my first camera and has great sentimental value for me. R4s are too unreliable, though, but an R7, heck even a mechanical R6 is affordable these days.

For SLR I have F kind of Nikons now and they are just something opposite to Leica. Nowhere near elegance and simple of use, but they are build for everyday.

I had an FM and an F3: F3 wasn't for me but the FM is great because it is so tiny and I have a thing for mechanical cameras. But that shutter noise ... I still shudder when I think about that ugly noise. Maybe I'm too spoiled with my Leica toys.

The part you are not going to like...
The end result shows only one thing, are you capable or not. It is not about the camera and how fast lens is, to be honest.

I'm totally comfortable with what you said and I fully agree. A camera is just a tool for my creative vision. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't look for the right tool for the job. 😀

 

[farlymac]

Here's four P&S's I've tested in a comparison shoot. All 35mm AF/AE, most of them pocket-able.

Minolta Freedom AF35 https://flic.kr/s/aHsjvMYHhu

Olympus Stylus https://flic.kr/s/aHsjvLdV6b

Kodak V35 K10 https://flic.kr/s/aHsjvKUVuf

Canon Snappy 20 https://flic.kr/s/aHsjvKwEt9

If you want something in a rangefinder, and don't mind the Aperture Preferred metering, try a Yashica Electro 35 CC https://flic.kr/s/aHskpjiCJo , or its 40mm sibling the GX https://flic.kr/s/aHsjvmY7kz .

But if you'd like to try a truly cheap rangefinder with 35mm lens experience, then get a Zorki-6 with a Jupiter-12. Once you get them sorted out, they make a wonderful pairing https://flic.kr/s/aHskBiPyfC .

PF

 

[p.giannakis]

A question like this opens up so many possible aswers.

Personally i would stay clear from any camera that the hipster movement has elevated them to a cult status cameras - Yashica T4/5 and oly mju-epic being two of them. I used plenty of both found on car boot sales before people started selling them on ebay. Good cameras but they do not warrent the £££ price tag.

I am more of an SLR person than a P&S. A small SLR is my way forward. If you want AF - the minolta dynax 5 is a tiny little thing with all the features found on the more expensive Dynax 7. Same goes for the EOS 300v

A picture taken with the 300v whilst on the bus...

If you want really small SLR's, i would recommend the Pentax ME with the 35mm.

And compared to the Oly OM2n and the Leica IIc (which are all very similar size)

My personal favourite is the Olympus but the 35 f/2 is not a small lens.


Here a picture taken with the Pentax (sigma 24 f/2.8)

And a coupe from the oly OM2n with the tiny 28 f/3.5

I hope it helps

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

A Nikon EM is a great little camera, shove a 50mm f1.8 pancake on it (or if you are keen to spend a bit more, a Voigtlander 40mm Ultron - the first of the series is now pretty reasonable.

Pan's suggestions are also excellent - any Olympus SLR is compact and the lenses are for peanuts.

Another option - Minolta X500 (just excellent manual operation as well as AP) with the 45mm f2 lens. Sharp, small and highly inexpensive.

 

[WJJ3]

Maybe consider an Oly PEN? I have a couple PEN Ss that are awesome. 80 frames a roll, big depth of field and easy scale focus, good finder. Just snap away...

 

[p.giannakis]

Another option - Minolta X500 (just excellent manual operation as well as AP) with the 45mm f2 lens. Sharp, small and highly inexpensive.

Yes! I was meant to mention this. Also an X300 is a beautiful little camera.