Advice on camera to travel

AndreiF · Jan 3, 2016

Hello there!

I need an advice on what camera to buy for my 2 months trip to asia.

- 100 euros maximum.
- I want a small camera, (obvious, not slr) a compact, maybe, with AF focus. ( could get my minolta 700, but don't want a manual focus)
- don't work usually with zooms but I would not mind a good compact camera with a zoom and some settings, maybe a aperture priority.
- I ussualy work with 50 mm, 120 mm..etc

Any recommendations?

PS. I have a Nikon L35, compact camera, very pleased with it, but very wide to be my "all day gear". Do exist some ad on lenses to have a 50mm+ focal lenth?

Thank you very much!

Paul Howell · Jan 3, 2016

I like my Minolta 7, I think you could pick one up for under 100 euros, other options, Nikon N80, N90, Pentax Z70, even a Canon Rebel, Eos 3 or 7. Still in your price range a Canon EOS 1.

My current grab and go kit is Minolta 7, 50mm, 28mm, 70 to 210 F4 or 80 to 300 4.5.

AndreiF · Jan 3, 2016

Thank you for your answer, but, as said before, don't want a slr, would prefere a compact camera, no changing lens, and a lens above 50mm...

removed account4 · Jan 3, 2016

if you can dig up a yashica t4 i would grab it in a heartbeat.
beautiful camera, perfect focus, perfect meter, zeis optics ...
i think someone here on apug was selling one in the classifides a while back.
i'm bummed ours died, put hundreds of rolls of film in it, and the focus stopped.

never mind ...
it doesn't have anything above a 50mm, so forget that ..

have a nice trip !

Loren Sattler · Jan 3, 2016

Try a Rollei Prego 90

I have had very good luck with the Rollei Prego 90 point and shoot camera for travel and quick shooting around people. They have a very good Schneider zoom lens 28-90mm range, autofocus, auto exposure, built in flash etc. They are light (made of plastic) yet very high quality with a easy to use controls. I have purchased several on eBay over the years for $10-$30. Here is a current eBay listing number for one available in the US (262159223818). Take a look.

Note, while searching eBay, I see listing for "new" Prego 90's from Denmark that are not the model that I refer to above. These have a different lens (not as wide) and look entirely different than the discontinued Prego 90 that I have used in the past. Good luck.

summicron1 · Jan 3, 2016

Olympus XA would be my first choice -- durable, cheap, precise. You could take two along, one for a spare. Standard 35mm lens covers most bases.

trythis · Jan 4, 2016

This doesn't fit all your requirements but a $5 Olympus stylus epic zoom 80 makes very good exposures. Its not a fast 50mm lens but the image quality is hard to beat for a tiny portable camera. If I needed a longer lens than a 35 to 40 prime in a travel camera I wouldnt bother with looking for something else since I have a couple of them. Plus they are weather proof!

Ko.Fe. · Jan 4, 2016

Cheap zoom P&S have very slow lens.
OM10 with 75-150 F4. It is SLR, but cheap and small one.

snapguy · Jan 4, 2016

The best thing to do, IMO, is to take a camera you are very familiar with and that you know works properly and that you know you know how to work it. A new "super-dooper" camera could let you down and you could lose a lot of great images.

Paul Howell · Jan 4, 2016

AndreiF said:
Thank you for your answer, but, as said before, don't want a slr, would prefere a compact camera, no changing lens, and a lens above 50mm...

Sorry I misread your post. Other than a Contex G or G2 which will run over a 100 euro, all that comes to mind are point and shoots, you may need 3 point and shoots. Although you have a Nikon PS, you want to consider a Canon Sure Shot ML with the 40mm 1.9 lens, 5 elements in 5 groups, build in winder, slow, pop up flash, uses standard filters. For wide a Konica Off road with the 28mm 2.8, for long a Pentax IQ zoom, the 38mm to 120mm, slow but sharp. Another option is the Minolta Weathermatic, duel lens 35mm and 85mm, weather sealed, safe to about 10 meters underwater, the lens are fairly sharp, a little more bulky than the others. Be sure and get the 35mm version not the APS version. I also think there was a Olympus version as well.

narsuitus · Jan 4, 2016

Canon Prima Super 135 point and shoot

Mainecoonmaniac · Jan 4, 2016

+1

summicron1 said:
Olympus XA would be my first choice -- durable, cheap, precise. You could take two along, one for a spare. Standard 35mm lens covers most bases.

I took my Olympus XA to Greece and Turkey last summer. The lens is amazingly sharp. I also like the light vignetting of the lens too. It fits in my pocket and a joy to use.

macfred · Jan 4, 2016

What about the Konica OffRoad / Work Camera series (aka Genba Kantuko) ?
Those cameras are waterproof (JIS protection grade 4-7), dust, sand proof and anti-shock.
There are several models with various focal lengths (28mm http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Konica_Genba_Kantoku_28 , 35mm http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Konica_New_Genba_Kantoku , a dual focus 40mm + 60mm http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Konica_Genba_Kantoku_DD and a Zoom 28 - 56mm).

My wife has a 35mm model for hiking a skiing and she's quite satisfied with this camera.
You can find them on ebay (mostly from Japanese sellers) and they will fit your budget (more or less).

AndreiF · Jan 5, 2016

Thank you all guys for the answers! So many good recommendations! Beside the ones that i know like xa, there are some interesting recommendation like the Rollei or these Konikas, of which I never heard but look suitable for what I need

Thank you again

ronwhit · Jan 6, 2016

I often take a Pentax 105 WR as a backup camera while traveling. Built in flash, auto focus, 38 - 105 mm zoom, water resistant, and surprisingly sharp images. About the size of 2 XA's, but more versatile and good to have in poor weather. The earlier 90 WR would also be a good choice. I used one of these for years as my " hiking camera". It got rained on, snowed on, sweated on, and still performed flawlessly.

AndreiF · Jan 7, 2016

Hi again! Thank you ronwhit for the advice.

By the way, I found a Pentax zoom 105 super, for 20 euros. http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Pentax_Zoom_105_Super
What do you think about it? Did some one know this camera? Is the zoom fast? is a good focusing? The quality of the lens?
I would really appreciate some input from someone who has-had this camera.
Also, I have to say, I am really interested about that Rollei Prego 90, do this Pentax goes close to that? Because has a similar zoom and similar F (actually better at the long side of the lens), both have exp compensation and the bulb - very important for me. The size and weight of Pentax it is a little bigger.(but the price is quarter of Rollei

What do you think?

Thanks!

Paul Howell · Jan 7, 2016

I have 3 Pentax's, the 38 to 120, the 105 and 48 to 200, for point and shoots all of the lens are very sharp, not very fast, need to shoot ISO 400 film, from the manual for the 38 to 105 shutter speed 1/2 to 1/320 ISO 25 to 3200 lens 4.5 to 11 6 elements in 5 groups. View finder is 83% of view. I think a surprisingly good lens for 6 elements. I don't have a Rolli so I cant compare.

bvy · Jan 7, 2016

The XA is wider than you want, but chalk up one more vote for it. It has your aperture priority, but no autofocus.

Second choice would be a Yashica T5 -- or T4 Super (they're the same camera). This has autofocus but no aperture priority. It's also a 35mm lens, but it's a Carl Zeiss lens. Very sharp. The focus and exposure is pretty accurate. Unlike most automatic cameras, this one allows you to override the autofocus and set it to infinity. Just keep an extra battery handy. They last a while, but the last one that died on, the camera gave no warning.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jan 7, 2016

One quirk about my XA, the display that shows the shutter speed is way off, but the exposures are spot on. I still love my XA. I like the vignetting.

Here are some samples.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mainecoonmaniac/21396589639/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mainecoonmaniac/21557295316/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mainecoonmaniac/20007657196/in/dateposted-public/

AndreiF · Jan 7, 2016

PDH said:
I have 3 Pentax's, the 38 to 120, the 105 and 48 to 200, for point and shoots all of the lens are very sharp, not very fast, need to shoot ISO 400 film, from the manual for the 38 to 105 shutter speed 1/2 to 1/320 ISO 25 to 3200 lens 4.5 to 11 6 elements in 5 groups. View finder is 83% of view. I think a surprisingly good lens for 6 elements. I don't have a Rolli so I cant compare.

Thanks!
By the way, can you overwrite the dx reading of the Pentax 105 super? I usually use bulk neg, so camera will be unable to read the cartridge. And I intent to use bulk 400 iso, can I somehow set that manually? I know on many compact cameras if thei are unable to read the dx, they set it automatically to 100 iso. But this is not good with my 400 iso film So there is any way of over write it?

Photic Visions · Jan 7, 2016

Another vote for the Olympus XA.

AndreiF · Jan 7, 2016

AndreiF said:
Thanks!
By the way, can you overwrite the dx reading of the Pentax 105 super? I usually use bulk neg, so camera will be unable to read the cartridge. And I intent to use bulk 400 iso, can I somehow set that manually? I know on many compact cameras if thei are unable to read the dx, they set it automatically to 100 iso. But this is not good with my 400 iso film So there is any way of over write it?

Thanks, I would vote to, I had some, just that I don't work anymore with wide lenses, and what I need now it has other requirements

Photic Visions · Jan 7, 2016

Mainecoonmaniac said:
One quirk about my XA, the display that shows the shutter speed is way off, but the exposures are spot on. I still love my XA. I like the vignetting.

Here are some samples.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mainecoonmaniac/21396589639/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mainecoonmaniac/21557295316/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mainecoonmaniac/20007657196/in/dateposted-public/

I'm constantly amazed by photos produced by the little XA but that third image is among the best I've seen.

Paul Howell · Jan 7, 2016

most of the point and shoots do not allow for override, you need to get a more advanced or older model that allows for some fussing with with ISO. The Canon ML has manual set ISO. I think the Pentax sets non DD coded cassettes to ISO 25.

AndreiF · Jan 7, 2016

Well, bought the pentax 105 super! I am now interested on what is the "default" iso setting of this camera. Anyone?

Thanks!

Advice on camera to travel

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