Are old film compacts worth it?

brainmonster · Aug 24, 2019

I've been shopping around for a small film compact to take some shots with to accompany my Minolta SLR. However I feel like over half of the listings for the film P&S cameras are listed as "for parts/not working" on ebay.

Either that or it says "untested". How difficult can it possibly be to pop some AA batteries in an old camera and see if it works or not? Seems crazy.

It makes me worry about the cameras that are supposed to be "working", if these cameras break so often, will my camera break down easily as well? I know they're made of plastic, have moving parts in a small space, that seems like a recipe for something breaking easily.

Besides that, the "for parts" listings seem silly - aren't these things meant to be used and then discarded if they aren't working? I imagine it would be super difficult to fix a broken compact given how small they are and probably difficult to disassemble.

So what do you think? I'm tempted to purchase a film compact for shooting indoors, at parties, in small spaces etc. where my SLR struggles, but do they really just break down so easily?

Not really looking to pay a lot of $$ to buy a high end compact either, for fear that it will break too, even if it's made of metal.

By the way, nice to join these forums, I hope I can learn some things about analog photography here.

btaylor · Aug 24, 2019

A lot of the old Olympus seem to work, Stylus, etc. also the Rollei 35 is metal and they seem pretty reliable.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 24, 2019

Small compact means small aperture. You will need to use build in flash.
But what do you mean under - old small film compact?
Rollei 35 is old, very compact and just works.

George Mann · Aug 24, 2019

P&S cameras eventually break due to their consumer-grade parts. Therefore, its wise to only pay a small amount for them.

BradS · Aug 25, 2019

brainmonster said:
I've been shopping ..... on ebay.
Either that or it says "untested". How difficult can it possibly be to pop some AA batteries in an old camera and see if it works or not? Seems crazy.

This makes me crazy! I have decided that it means, "It does not work but I'm gonna play dumb and hope that some sucker buys it".

brainmonster said:
So what do you think? I'm tempted to purchase a film compact for shooting indoors, at parties, in small spaces etc. where my SLR struggles, but do they really just break down so easily?

Yeah definitely get one! I have an old Nikon zoom something-or-other that fills exactly this purpose. I don't carry very often but everytime I take it out, it get lots of use!

Union Station, Los Angeles, CA by Brad S, on Flickr

Pack Inspection by Brad S, on Flickr

brainmonster said:
By the way, nice to join these forums, I hope I can learn some things about analog photography here.

Welcome to APUG!

ozphoto · Aug 25, 2019

Some of the *crazy* prices on *B** (and other local sites like Gumtree) leave me shaking my head. Admittedly, one local guy tests his gear and offers a 90-day warranty, but I haven't actually put that promise to any test.

Must agree that it's not so hard to drop some AA's into those that take them to test if the flash, winder and aperture work, but I'll forgive those who don't want to fork out $20 for a battery, only to find the camera is cactus. Have done this myself and actually included the battery with the sale, but would have been annoyed if I'd wasted the $20.

Flea markets, car-boot sales, some smaller charity/op shops and Sunday markets often have some gems: I picked up a perfect Olympus Trip for $10 and it produced some great images. I ended up selling it on for a crazy price when 2 people got into a bidding war: I started the sale at $25 and it skyrocketed from there.

I was also lucky enough to pick up a Rollei 35 LED locally and realised that it was in need of work and I wasn't prepared to pay what was being asked. I figured it could cost me $150 - $200 to repair if it could actually be repaired and wasn't prepared to pay their asking price for a paperweight. It had been for sale for quite a while, so I offered what I felt was fair: it was their call as I was happy to walk it if they refused. Worked out well, cost me $160 total including a CLA and repairs, but the meter sadly was shot: circuit board problems.

As @George Mann said, they're consumer-grade so paying $$$ for some of them is utterly ridiculous.

Naturally, YMMV.

BradS · Aug 25, 2019

It should be mentioned that some of these plastic fantastic 35mm P&S from the 1990's take a "special" battery...in some cases the battery costs as much as the darned camera is worth.
I guess that if I were in the market, I'd shop for one or two specific cameras that I had researched a little bit...

The little Nikon P&S that I have takes a CR2 which is, I think, still readily available at reasonable prices.

I got lucky, my parents gave me a box full of their old cameras. I kept this one, threw away the broken ones and sold the rest (TESTED. working !)

best of luck.

AgX · Aug 25, 2019

btaylor said:
... also the Rollei 35 is metal and they seem pretty reliable.

The majority of Rollei 35 I came across was dead. Likely a stuck shutter clockworks.

John51 · Aug 25, 2019

ime, the cameras taking AA batteries are of low build quality. I've bought a few from charity shops and no joy so far.

Those taking button batteries tend to be built better. Sometimes, a disclosed shutter problem is because it has been fitted with alkaline batteries and not silver oxide. It's a gamble but when those new batteries have the very cheap camera performing as it should, it feels great. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Adrian Bacon · Aug 25, 2019

Do you mean point and shoot or compact? If you just want a junk point and shoot, then I guess Ebay is fine, but if you want a compact 35mm camera, KEH is a better place to look.

When I say compact, I mean something like a Fujifilm Klasse. It's full frame, has a 38mm f/2.6 prime lens, and has a metal body. The lens is crazy sharp. It looks like a nondescript black brick that you can literally palm in your hand, but it's a total sleeper of a camera. Fuji made a couple different versions over a number of years. Other manufacturers have similar compact 35mm cameras.

When I say point and shoot, while the compact described above is technically a point a shoot, I mean a cheap plastic camera that will likely have issues.

If you want a compact, they're generally worth it. I have one that I bought used on KEH a few years ago and it is my main small walk around point and shoot. I stick it in my back pocket, or one of my pant leg pockets when not using it and it has worked flawlessly. I generally keep either a roll of Kodak Gold 200 (24 exposures), or a roll of Fomapan 200 (also 24 exposures), and it's allowed me the freedom to have a very small film camera (except for the thickness, it is actually smaller than my iPhone) that I can whip out, flip on, point and shoot to capture some moment on film, which is very handy when you have kids. I have a little key ring running through one of the camera strap stubs on the side of the camera so that I have a nice little metal loop hook my finger on and pull the camera out of the pocket with. You can operate the camera one-handed. I often palm it so that the lens is facing away from my palm and the metal key ring is looped on my pinky and my index finger is on the shutter button. Then I just hold it in portrait mode, point it in the general direction, half hold the shutter to focus, then take the picture. The version of camera I have also has a dial so you can just zone focus, and a dial to set the aperture, so you can literally set it to f/8, 3 or 5 meters focus distance, and just shoot. You can also hold it the same way, but raise your hand to shoulder height so the camera is in landscape mode and do the same thing. For candids and street stuff, it is a killer combination. That camera has literally had hundreds of rolls run through it by me, and I'm sure thousands or more in it's lifetime.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 25, 2019

John51 said:
ime, the cameras taking AA batteries are of low build quality. I've bought a few from charity shops and no joy so far.

Those taking button batteries tend to be built better. Sometimes, a disclosed shutter problem is because it has been fitted with alkaline batteries and not silver oxide. It's a gamble but when those new batteries have the very cheap camera performing as it should, it feels great. Winner winner chicken dinner.

I had Konica AF and have Olympus AF earlier P&S cameras with AA, no issues. But those are not as small as later on P&S.
Later on plastic P&S have only few things which could go wrong as long as they have prime lens.

Ariston · Aug 25, 2019

brainmonster said:
I've been shopping around for a small film compact to take some shots with to accompany my Minolta SLR. However I feel like over half of the listings for the film P&S cameras are listed as "for parts/not working" on ebay.

Either that or it says "untested". How difficult can it possibly be to pop some AA batteries in an old camera and see if it works or not? Seems crazy.

It makes me worry about the cameras that are supposed to be "working", if these cameras break so often, will my camera break down easily as well? I know they're made of plastic, have moving parts in a small space, that seems like a recipe for something breaking easily.

Besides that, the "for parts" listings seem silly - aren't these things meant to be used and then discarded if they aren't working? I imagine it would be super difficult to fix a broken compact given how small they are and probably difficult to disassemble.

So what do you think? I'm tempted to purchase a film compact for shooting indoors, at parties, in small spaces etc. where my SLR struggles, but do they really just break down so easily?

Not really looking to pay a lot of $$ to buy a high end compact either, for fear that it will break too, even if it's made of metal.

By the way, nice to join these forums, I hope I can learn some things about analog photography here.

Welcome to Photrio. I have an old Minolta Memory Maker 3 you can have, if you want it. The photos it takes don't blow me away, but it works, it runs on AA batteries, and I like the larger than usual viewfinder. If you want it, PM me with your address and I'll send it your way.

Alternatively, just check thrift stores, antique stores, and estate sales, and you are likely to find one for less than five bucks.

Kodachromeguy · Aug 25, 2019

Here on APUG, we have had many previous threads about ePrey sellers and their idiot games such as "for parts only" or "excellent condition" when they have no idea about whether the item works. That is the problem with these mass bulk buyers who go to auctions or garage sales and scoop up stuff in bulk.

As for a point and shoot, someone above pointed out that many were plastic consumer grade items and they are 30 or 40 years old now. If you are willing to look for a mechanical item that you control, some suggestions: Rollei 35, 35S or 35SE, Voigtlander B, BL, or BR, various Retina models. Another option: the famous Olympus Trip 35.

Welcome to Photrio.

guangong · Aug 25, 2019

AgX said:
The majority of Rollei 35 I came across was dead. Likely a stuck shutter clockworks.

I bought my Rollei 35 in NYC on the first day it was offered for sale way back when. Never a problem. Dropped enough times that the dents had to be knocked out. Had it serviced a few years ago just to keep it in good working order.
From the offerings I see for sale nowadays, the main problem seems to be the unavailability of the wrist strap, which is crucial for holding the camera steady.

Chan Tran · Aug 25, 2019

Personally I would go for a compact camera but not a P&S. Not the type that doesn't let me control exposure and focusing.

Paul Howell · Aug 25, 2019

I have a Petri Color, zone focus, metering is good, well made for a Petri, also found a Rollie 35mm at good price, of the 2, I prefer the Petri. I have a box of 35mm point and shoots, a co worker gave me most of them, his father collected them. I have added some, a Konica Zup wide, Pentax weather resistant. The first generation P&S with prime lens, not really fast but at 2.8 or 3.5 will work in low light. Although total program auto exposure these cameras are not Dx coded so you cheat the exposure to compensate for a back lite scene, or push if you want by setting the ISO There are limitations as the max ISO usually ranges from 400 to 800. The zoom models are very compact, the optics are much better than I would have thought. I have a couple of long zoom models with zooms that range up to 180, but depending on the model the shutter speeds are not very fast, 1/300 of a second and coupled with slow apertures, like F11, some models don't have a warning if you are shooting too slow to hand hold. I have thought about a upscale compact, Nikon, Konica, or Minolta, just dont want to spend a lot of money for a camera that cannot be repaired.

I would look at C list, local paper, swap meets, yard sales, don't pay too much and carry a couple. I really like the Pentax IQ Zooms, have not had one fail. Other option is a first generation point and shoot with fixed lens. Just don't expect too much. As noted these are consumer grade cameras, were not built for heavy use.

removed account4 · Aug 25, 2019

there is a company called surefire that makes and sells 123 lithium batteries at a fraction of the cost that one typically buys them for at a pharmacy or photo shop buy a few batteries from them or from someone who sells them off of amazon so if you endup buying a p/s camera and it takes ( they often do ) one of these batteries you won't spent 15$ on a battery to test a beater camera. i used to buy them by the case when i did newspaper work because my flash used these batteries... so if you have a nikon flash it might be a win win too...
p/s cameras are fun but they can sometimes be kind of limiting. ive used stylus epic's ( muju?) and nikon with the zoom lenz and pentax with the zoom lens, yashica T4, agfa optimas and i am currently using
an auto focus nikon. its probably just me, but i find the lenses to always be too wide. i wish there was a diopter or some sort of way to convert the typical 24 or 30mm lens to something like a 70 or 80mm lens. aside from that, they are worth it if you want a always in your pocket p/s camera, and they sometimes sell for cheeps. i really kind of miss the T4, that was a great lens and a great camera.. every exposure was perfect... have fun brain monster !
john

John Koehrer · Aug 25, 2019

A lot of the "not tested" just need batteries. The ones that have been dropped are as mentioned are toast.
Most haven't been used much, birthdays, holidays, vacations so aren't worn out.

If you've any thrift shops or boot sales, take a couple of AA's/MS76 along to test the camera. Cheap enough to do.

Alan Gales · Aug 25, 2019

BradS said:
I have decided that it means, "It does not work but I'm gonna play dumb and hope that some sucker buys it".

That's the way I read it too.

I don't fool with Sellers who won't even take the time to make sure something works.

StanMac · Aug 26, 2019

Brain monster, I have about ten P&S cameras that are functional in their operation but just haven’t been tested with film. Most are Pentaxes but I have a Nikon, a couple of Samsung’s, an Olympus, and a Minolta I think. I’d be happy to let one of them + batteries go to you for postage. PM me if interested and I’ll give you an inventory of them.

Stan

foc · Aug 26, 2019

If you can get one of these in working order and at a cheap price, they make a good simple compact camera.

kingbuzzie · Aug 26, 2019

I shoot with a few ricoh 1980s autofocus p&s with 2.8 lens. If you find one with a pop up flash you can push back down or a flash you can turn off, that can be useful. I never paid more than $20 for them. Do your research on the model before buying, since they all vary so much.

There are cult p&s that cost way too much like Nikon af L35 and that canon one with the fast lens.

Black Dog · Aug 27, 2019

Kodachromeguy said:
Here on APUG, we have had many previous threads about ePrey sellers and their idiot games such as "for parts only" or "excellent condition" when they have no idea about whether the item works. That is the problem with these mass bulk buyers who go to auctions or garage sales and scoop up stuff in bulk.

As for a point and shoot, someone above pointed out that many were plastic consumer grade items and they are 30 or 40 years old now. If you are willing to look for a mechanical item that you control, some suggestions: Rollei 35, 35S or 35SE, Voigtlander B, BL, or BR, various Retina models. Another option: the famous Olympus Trip 35.

Welcome to Photrio.

Those are fantastic-I have 2 myself. They just seem to keep going and going (and one I acquired for £10) . I'm also a big fan of the Olympus XA2; mine has done sterling service in the 2 years since I bought it and I can't fault it. The Trips will probably outlast it though.

BMbikerider · Aug 27, 2019

The Olympus SP and RC models are both extremely good and built very well. Likewise the Cannon Connonet models (all variations) are equally good. Petri - theres a name to remember they made a Petri 7 rangefinder compact that didn't require batteries and that was also up to the mark as well. The best of the bunch are probably the tiny Zeiss models and those badged as Voightlander but basically they were a Zeiss camera (or was it the other way around?)

Strangely enough considering their size no one has mentioned the Leica (all rangefinder models). Now they are compact for what they can do)

narsuitus · Aug 27, 2019

The Canon Sure Shot and Nikon L35AF are the two point & shoot compact 35mm cameras I use. Both are motorized, auto-focus, auto-exposure cameras that are great for the times when I want to shoot with a small, simple, inexpensive, easy to operate camera that takes decent quality photos.

Nikon & Canon Compacts by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Are old film compacts worth it?

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