best cam to use

jisk8 · Dec 27, 2006

I have those 3 camera, the yashica and ricoh are broken but I could pay to repair them.Which one would be best for developping my pictures? If I could take the pentax it would be best because that cam is working.Does the cam really matter for darkroom?

Thanks for the advice

walter23 · Dec 27, 2006

It's not very important at all. If the pentax is working and the others aren't, I'd say it's a pretty easy decision.

The bigger issue than the camera is the lens. Does the pentax have the lens(es) you want? The one in the picture looks like a telephoto lens, which could be a bit restrictive depending on what you plan to shoot.

colivet · Dec 27, 2006

That was a nice answer. Make sure the camera works fine mechanically so that you wont feel frustrated by it. Look through the camera and make pictures. You will see what works and what doesn't with time. Telephoto lenses are good if you find yourself continually looking to isolate subjects and filling the frame completely. Wide angles will bring a lot into the frame and are a little bit more challenging in the sense that you will have more elements in the viewfinder to arrange in a pleasing photographic kind of way.
Normal lenses are usually the sharpest and cheapest and give a very natural look. You can't go wrong with a normal lens.
Have fun and ask questions

copake_ham · Dec 28, 2006

Following on Walter's thoughts - none of these look like they are very expensive cameras - so the costs of repair may not be the best way to spend your money.

I agree with Walter that a telephoto, if it's your only Pentax lens, will restrict you shooting style. But perhaps you can obtain reasonably-priced adapters for the other lenses to use them on the Pentax? That way you would have a wide choice of focal lengths for probably very little cost.

Others here may know if some of these other lenses are already compatible with the Pentax.

MattKing · Dec 29, 2006

The Pentax MZ50 is the only one of the three that I am (sort of) familiar with. I like it a lot. If it is working, and if you have one or more appropriate lenses that work with it, I'd say go with it.

One minor caution, which may apply to all three. Be sure you have extra batteries for the Pentax.

Have fun.

Matt

DBP · Dec 29, 2006

Neither is worth repairing, and you can replace the Ricoh for what it would cost to have a shop do anything to it. You may be able to use the Ricoh lens on the MZ-50, but the fine details of later K-mount variations are best left to someone other than me. If you can't use the lens, it would be worth buying a plain K-mount body for older manual focus lenses.

And, no, the camera does not matter for the darkroom, as evident from the use of such things as pinhole cameras (see Marcy Merrill's Pintoids Dead Link Removed for example). Results vary, of course, depending on the presence (and quality) of the lens.

jisk8 · Jan 1, 2007

copake_ham said:
But perhaps you can obtain reasonably-priced adapters for the other lenses to use them on the Pentax? .

walter23 said:
Does the pentax have the lens(es) you want? The one in the picture looks like a telephoto lens, which could be a bit restrictive depending on what you plan to shoot.

Yep I like my lense and I have another one too, the one that came with the cam but it is an automatic zoom and I prefer a manual. It is sure that I'm going to use the pentax since it cost 300$ to repair the yashica, I didn't ask for the ricoh. Thanks for the reply.

Gatsby1923 · Jan 1, 2007

jisk8, I think I may have run into you at Hunt's in Hadley. I'd stick with the Pentax. Even if that is a teliphoto lens you can get Pentax mount lenses cheaply. Keh has off branded lenses for under $50. Also if you are the person i saw at Hunt's, There where a bunch in the Bargen Basket at hunts for under $30 that might get you through a basic photo class..

Dave M.

best cam to use

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