Your favorite Cult/Posh Point 'n Shoot?

Hexar AF or contax T3 look like the most decent result for your pocket space ratio. The af is actually not that small but the silence and lens make up for it.
 
Another vote for the XA here. I dropped mine in Berlin a year ago and the shutter became very temperamental. It's not in a usable state. Despite then buying a Hexar AF, and later a T4, I've just bought another XA on this site! I think that's testament to what an amazing camera it is. T4 is just too...auto. Hexar is just too....big. XA is just so.....pocketable.
 
My my ideal take anywhere P&S needs to be:

1) smaller than the Oly XA
2) 28mm wide angle lens as good as any top quality SLR lens or good RF lens
3) round aperture (and I mean really round) for bokeh as smooth as a baby's bottom
4) built in flash
5) aperture priority switchable to full manual
6) ISO up to 12800 with manual override
7) choice of spot metering or evaluative
8) built like a Tank (all titanium)
9) Auto focus switchable to Manual focus

Oh, I got one! :D

Anyone can guess what it is? (not Hektor because he knows)
 
fgianni said:
My my ideal take anywhere P&S needs to be:

1) smaller than the Oly XA
2) 28mm wide angle lens as good as any top quality SLR lens or good RF lens
3) round aperture (and I mean really round) for bokeh as smooth as a baby's bottom
4) built in flash
5) aperture priority switchable to full manual
6) ISO up to 12800 with manual override
7) choice of spot metering or evaluative
8) built like a Tank (all titanium)
9) Auto focus switchable to Manual focus

Oh, I got one! :D

Anyone can guess what it is? (not Hektor because he knows)
Click to expand...


Hmmmm...28mm....not a GR1V...not a Ti28......a Minolta TC-1?
 
My Chioce is the Contax T2. Without a doubt, one of the best P&S cameras ever made.
The AF is unbelievably accurate, and the lens, WOW. I recommend this camera w/o any reservations.

G2Fan
 
fgianni said:
My my ideal take anywhere P&S needs to be:

1) smaller than the Oly XA
2) 28mm wide angle lens as good as any top quality SLR lens or good RF lens
3) round aperture (and I mean really round) for bokeh as smooth as a baby's bottom
4) built in flash
5) aperture priority switchable to full manual
6) ISO up to 12800 with manual override
7) choice of spot metering or evaluative
8) built like a Tank (all titanium)
9) Auto focus switchable to Manual focus

Oh, I got one! :D

Anyone can guess what it is? (not Hektor because he knows)
Click to expand...

I can only think it sounds like a GR1v ?? (that's my ideal P&S btw) If it's not you have my attention ... do tell :)

I had a XA2 for years and loved it for the size without the flash unit but it ended going belly up after a nasty knock one day.
 
Robin Harrison said:
Hmmmm...28mm....not a GR1V...not a Ti28......a Minolta TC-1?
Click to expand...

That is the one, I wouldn't have thought it was going to be so easy to guess, after all is a little known little camera.
 
Laika said:
I can only think it sounds like a GR1v ?? (that's my ideal P&S btw) If it's not you have my attention ... do tell :)

I had a XA2 for years and loved it for the size without the flash unit but it ended going belly up after a nasty knock one day.
Click to expand...

The GR1v does not have really round aperture and is not Titanium built.
On the other hand it has a slightly faster lens.
If the TC-1 did not exist the GR1v would be my favourite.

I had a T3 for a while, but the lack of manual override for the ISO setting (I often use agfa scala rated at 400 or even 800) and a lens a bit too long made me sell it, other than that the lens on the T3 is absolutely superb.
Sure the TC-1, the GR1 and T2/T3 put any compact from Leica to shame.
 
About the TC-1, did I mention that I dropped it countless times and it still works (and looks) as new?
 
fgianni said:
That is the one, I wouldn't have thought it was going to be so easy to guess, after all is a little known little camera.
Click to expand...

It's on my lust list! I was after a GR1v after playing with my uncle's GR1, but these seem over-priced in the current 2nd hand market, and the TC-1s seem under-valued. And your praise has not helped - I'll have to widen my search!
 
Here is another Stylus Epic/Mju II, it's always in my pocket and takes decent pictures even in low light, the spotmetering is quite good too.
 
My Nikon 35 TI wide enough to do most, and not too wide compared with the 28 TI. It has all these analogue dials whcih give the impression of being retro.
 
At the moment mine would be toss-up between the Rollie 35S and Lomo LC-A, but I do have my eye on a mint Contax T2 in black titanium - just as long as my wife doesn't find out how much it is....... ;)
 
Interesting that nobody has mentioned the Canonet QL17. I have recently been roped in by one. Small, RF, auto exposure when you want, manual when you want. Did I mentione it is just cute?

I still like my Fujica ST 901. It is also quite small, although of course, not an RF. It is aperture preferred auto exposure, and SBC metering down to -3 EV. Not exactly pocketable with an f/1.4 lens, but small enough with a Fujinon 28mm.

I still like to carry a Welta Welti. It is scale focus, non RF. It is very pocketable since it is a folder, and has a good lens. You need to be able to trust your eye for exposure if you don't want to carry a meter. I hope someday to find a Welta Weltini in my pocket. A 35mm folding RF. There's something to hope for (for me at least).
 
I use minox 35GT. It really fits in any pocket, and is capable of very good results. I also have a Yashica T3(?) but its bigger and has a shutter lag. not as much fun as minox. I also have revue 400 (or Vivitar 35ES) and its a great little camera with 40mm/1.7, but it still won't fit in every pocket.

So when I am going to a party or anywhere where I think I might need a camera just in case or sometimes for street fotography, I take the minox.
 
My Stylus Epic is still a favourite, though since the frame spacing recently became uneven, I started carrying my '65 Nikon F +50/1.4 in my daily bag again. I know, I know - it's a compromise :)
 
fgianni said:
My my ideal take anywhere P&S needs to be:
1) smaller than the Oly XA
Click to expand...

Being a schemer and dreamer, I took a look at just how small you can get a 35mm camera, and the answer is - the the XA is already about 90% as small as it is theoretically possible to make a 35mm camera. Take two 35mm canisters, space them 24mm apart. That's the minimum theoretical dark box film holder camera you can get in a full frame camera. The bulk of the balance of the space in the XA is taken up by the viewfinder/rangefinder (for the XA0).
 
Yashica T4 Super D with Carl Zeiss *T 35mm

Sweet sweet camera...had it since new, mine is actually labelled a T5 but it's the same as the T4 and not to be confused with the rather poor zoom "T5" model that replaced it. This camera is a real tough little nugget even though its "only" made of plastic, nice size, is weatherproof with its very effective O-ring seal around the film back and also around the battery compartment. Shoots 50-3200ISO and the exposures are very good even at 3200! Oh yeah and that sneaky little waist length viewfinder IS useful!

Best thing though is the lens. Images from this camera are always rather shocking....in that they are above and beyond what you would expect.

My other deluxe point and shoot is an old Rollei 35 that I bought while travelling around Europe as my B&W film body. Another great performer and fits so easily in the inside pocket of a Levis jacket...and I love the "quirks" of this camera that some other people rubbish, especially that Tessar lens. A real jewel!!!
 
What we've got so far

What we've got so far

This is very interesting! I extended the list to include the cameras you've mentioned that you either have, had, love or would love to have. For me, the best "Cult" Point 'n Shoot I've had would be the Yashica T4 super, I have it since '95 and even though the exterior looks quite ugly by now, it still takes amazing pictures with no fuss.

I've also had a Hexar AF (which I sold because it was too big and now feel sorry that I did) a Lomo LC-A (which for me it was a piece of fashionable junk that stopped working after 2 months and gave away) A Canonet QL17 (that I still have and love but don't use it much because of its size almost as big as my Hexar RF) And lately a Rollei 35s (lovely machine to fondle and use if you have time to set it up but a little awkward to use all the time).

Now for the cameras that I would like to have someday, it would be between a Leica CM (the GAS has not passed completely :) ) or a Contax T2.


Rollei
35 11
35s 1
35t
35se 1
35te
classic
Prego 30 1

Yashica
T-AF 1
T3 1
T4 1
T4super 11
T5

Konica
Hexar AF 1111

Leica
Minilux
CM 11
IIIc 1

Contax
T 1
T2 1111
T3 111

Nikon
35Ti 1
28Ti
F !?! 1

Olympus
XA 1111111
XA2 11
XA4 1
35rc 1
Stylus Epic/Mju II 1111111

Ricoh
GR1 111
GR1s
GR1v 111
GR21 11
R1S 11

Minox
35gl 1
GT 11
GTE 111
ML 1

Agfa
Karat 36 1

Fuji
Natura S 1
GA645 !?! 1

Zeiss
Tenax II 1

Minolta
TC1 11

Lomo
LCA 11

Canon
Canonet QL17 11

Fujica
ST901 1

Welta
Welti 1

Vivitar
35ES 1

So far the favorites would seem to be the XA and Stylus Epic.
 
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