Advice on buying a Digi P & S for use as Polaroid back

bibowj · Sep 27, 2013

Hey everyone- Does anyone have a recommendation for a point and shoot that I could use as a replacement for polaroids to test lighting and flash? I shoot both with a Pentax 67 and a Rolleiflex, and neither has a pola back. I also have a Bronica SQ that has a back, but I dont want to haul around another full system just to check lighting. I had a x100s but I sold it to fund my rolleiflex, and now I realize I dont have anything to check my flash... heres what Im looking for

- Not expensive (sub $300 maybe?)
- manual control (at least down to F4 if possible)
- flash hot shoe ..and ability to sync at maybe at least 200? ish..

I know its a stretch, but maybe thers something out there... I use off camera strobes even with film, and while Im super comfortable metering... Im still retraining myself with film...

Thanks!

Shawn Rahman · Sep 27, 2013

Hello. You might be better off asking at DPUG for something like this. Unfortunately, digi cameras are off-topic for APUG. Good luck!

bibowj · Sep 27, 2013

ok sorry.. assumed it was ok since Im talking about using it WITH film cameras. Like a digital light meter wouldn't be off topic..

my apologies.

gone · Sep 27, 2013

To give the op his due, I hate rules and regulations myself. Being Italian, and an old time Southerner to boot, I have a very healthy disrespect for authority and rule makers. And yet, I can understand why some of these irritants exist (whether or not I like them or obey them, it ain't nobody's business but my own). Think of it like this....if you have a tooth problem, it wouldn't be wise to go to an eye, ear, nose and throat doctor. If you need a lawnmower repaired, Lou's Electronic Store isn't where you need to be. It's probably as simple as that as to why things are broken down into categories.

As to your question, if it were me, I'd just bracket exposures and keep notes. But then I don't even own a flash, so what do I know?

mweintraub · Sep 27, 2013

I'm not posting it in here (APUG) because it's against the rules... but I'm not going to also mention a Nikon D70s because of it's high sync rate (1/500).

sepiareverb · Sep 27, 2013

If simply being used as a meter (of sorts) some older NIkon Dslr should do the trick. Even the cheap zooms are often 3.5. Ebay?

John Koehrer · Sep 27, 2013

Since he has a Polaroid capable back it sounds more like the OP wants to see effect, not exposure.

j-dogg · Sep 27, 2013

Because disregard the rules and jumping over to a digital forum when this is advice for a film camera, and medium format to boot.

Hybrid shooter here, I have a Mamiya 645 1000s I've been using and I lug around my Canon 5d usually anyway to shoot digital. I would advise finding an old Digital Rebel / 300d, you can find them for 100 bucks now, and they have a max ap. on the kit lens of 3.5 on the wide end and 5.6 on the tele. Image quality isn't too bad but the preview screen is small, you could try a Rebel XTi / 400d which has a larger screen that I also use for this purpose. Even then, especially if you are in a studio, you could download the images off the camera with a card reader and check them on a much bigger computer screen.

Compacts....I would avoid when you can get a 300d that cheap, typically they have a little better dynamic range than a compact.

polyglot · Sep 27, 2013

There are plenty of secondhand DSLRs available with kit lens for under your price point. I would suggest that as a better option than a P&S, though they're bulkier.

Otherwise, make sure it has M mode.

Mike Crawford · Sep 28, 2013

Seems a reasonable enough question to ask as it's just a tool to help one's film shooting.

I use my Lumix GF1 as I would have used a Polaroid back. It's great at 100 ISO but relatively noisy at 400 and above. I presume later models have better noise control. However, the 20mm lens mine came with gives me very similar coverage to my Rolleiflex and Mamiya 6. Most importantly, it also has the option to shoot square as well as 2:3 and 3:4. When shooting portraits on 120, I find it very useful for testing and showing the sitter.

And a hot shoe too.

RattyMouse · Sep 28, 2013

mweintraub said:
I'm not posting it in here (APUG) because it's against the rules... but I'm not going to also mention a Nikon D70s because of it's high sync rate (1/500).

TareqPhoto · Sep 28, 2013

Any current Canon/Nikon P&S will do the job, even there is a very capable Fuji P&S camera that is popular nowadays, i do sometimes use a DSLR for instant result before i click on film more or rather than just i trust a light meter, i have a digital light meter so this will put me in digital side anyway, with camera i can have a better composition and result to see so i know what i can get with film.

removed account4 · Sep 28, 2013

j-dogg said:
Because disregard the rules and jumping over to a digital forum when this is advice for a film camera, and medium format to boot.

Hybrid shooter here, I have a Mamiya 645 1000s I've been using and I lug around my Canon 5d usually anyway to shoot digital. I would advise finding an old Digital Rebel / 300d, you can find them for 100 bucks now, and they have a max ap. on the kit lens of 3.5 on the wide end and 5.6 on the tele. Image quality isn't too bad but the preview screen is small, you could try a Rebel XTi / 400d which has a larger screen that I also use for this purpose. Even then, especially if you are in a studio, you could download the images off the camera with a card reader and check them on a much bigger computer screen.

Compacts....I would avoid when you can get a 300d that cheap, typically they have a little better dynamic range than a compact.

EXACTLY ...!

Advice on buying a Digi P & S for use as Polaroid back

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