best Nikon film compact camera

rhmimac · Jan 12, 2015

I was looking around to get my broken Olympus Mju f2.8/38mm compact replaced by another (cheap) Nikon compact.

The Oly's break too often. The originals made in Japan where ok. The made in china ones MkII,MkIII and maybe MkIV are made with too many tiny plastic parts.

I'm a Nikon SLR shooter. Which Nikon compact could rival with a Mju? I know the 28Ti/35Ti are great bricks but way too much $$$$££££ are asked for them.

Tnx for any reply in this one.

blockend · Jan 12, 2015

My MjuII is first generation, and it says "assembled in Hong Kong, parts made in Japan". Touch wood, it's never let me down. Nikon never really got with the compact thing, even the 35Ti is a slow coach. I'd look elsewhere. In fact unless you want to spend T4/5 money, the Mju's are as good as it gets.

blockend · Jan 12, 2015

This guy has compact reviews: http://www.35mmc.com/

rhmimac · Jan 12, 2015

Tnx for your input & the great link. I'll investigate further...

MartinCrabtree · Jan 12, 2015

The Nikon 35ti gets excellent reviews,especially the lens. And there's a nice one for sale (there was a url link here which no longer exists) on APUG. No connection w/ owner just remembered seeing it.

rhmimac · Jan 12, 2015

Indeed a nice camera, but my main usage of my compacts is putting a small camera in my back pocket for some quick snap shots on Superia 400/ Kodak Max 400 while cycling and hiking, so some sweating involved here and I don't allow myself a high priced, HQ machine for it. The Mju's where fine for it but they keep on breaking. I'm on my 4th one now on 2 years. Either the clamshell system was defunct or the battery latched door got broken, it seems the last iterations really where made on the cheap. A Nikon will be tried, so maybe a Pentax or Canon to compare. They cost around 40€ so no big deal when it get's beaten up. I was looking for nikon compact users experience.

Les Sarile · Jan 12, 2015

Nikon SLRs don't get much smaller then the EM/FG/FG20 series but there is a considerable weight difference to the next group (FM/FM2/FM3/FE/FE2/FA) and of course the F/F2/F3.

This may not matter if in the backpack rather than on a strap around your neck.

Of course the Pentax MX/ME are the smallest SLRs followed by the Olympus OM series.

blockend · Jan 12, 2015

If you don't mind zone focus compacts - and 400 ASA outdoors provides sufficient DoF - the Olympus Trip and XA2 have stood the test of time. AF compacts rely on technological pazzazz and some is better than others. My Konica Big Mini is fine optically, but the AF is frustrating. It needs a definite half press - focus - pause - click to take a shot and if it hasn't zoned in it won't play.

Zoom compacts are pretty grim in my experience, adding slow zoom to tiny apertures and tortoise AF. I've always fancied a barn door compact like the Chinon Bellami or the Contax, but I've heard they can be delicate.

blockend · Jan 12, 2015

If only those SLRs didn't require lenses!

Les Sarile · Jan 12, 2015

blockend said:
If only those SLRs didn't require lenses!

The pancake lenses - like the one on the Pentax MX, are less intrusive then the mirror box. Besides, he is using a backpack instead of pocketable.

The interchangeable viewfinder Pentax LX is practically the size of the non-interchangeable SLRs.

blockend · Jan 12, 2015

Yes, I have a Canon pancake and it's certainly small. The point of compact point and shoots' is to take one from a pocket and click the shutter. If compactness is the only criterion, no camera I own comes close to the MjuII. Retrofocus and the inverted cassette makes it tiny. If I have the room, I prefer my Bessa L for the extra control.

Alex Muir · Jan 12, 2015

Nikon AW35 works well, but is bigger than Olympus. It is waterproof. I think it's called SportTouch? In US.
Alex

Aja B · Jan 12, 2015

Olympus XA. Your choice of either a 28 or 35mm lens.

Austintatious · Jan 12, 2015

The Nikon Lite Touch AF600 is a sleeper ! 28mm lens. I have two of them. Check it out.

http://www.35mmc.com/09/06/2013/a-forgotten-fling-the-nikon-lite-touch-af600/

pagonzales · Jan 12, 2015

If you want cheap but nice, the 1st generation of nikon compacts (L35AF) would probably serve you well. An AW35/Action Touch might also do well since it's waterproof and somewhat shockproof but its not that compact. They have nice 35mm tessar-type lenses as well. They're also relatively easy to find. I got my Action touch, a nikon one touch 100 and several other compacts for 12$ in one lot thru the auction site

kobaltus · Jan 13, 2015

Vote for L35AF. Metal body(first generation), good lens, M 46 filter mount and very cheap on eBAY. And AA batteries does not cost you fortune.

My Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/92377102@N08/

perkeleellinen · Jan 13, 2015

AF600 is the one to get. 28/3.5 lens; only issue is the dx sensors which don't recognise 800 film.

rhmimac · Jan 13, 2015

Thank you for the nice inputs here. I will look into the L35AF route for sure. @ second hand dealers websites they seem to be out of sight/out of stock though. I will try the b.y.

narsuitus · Jan 13, 2015

If you have not found one by the end of this month, let me know. I have an extra one.

https://flic.kr/p/8XTKjr

Paul Howell · Jan 13, 2015

IF you are willing to consider other than Nikon, then a Canon AF 35 ML, 5 element 40mm 1.8 lens, 48mm filter size, not TTL but the light meter is in the lens housing so you don't need to worry about a filter factor, the first version uses AA batteries, the version I have uses a C5 lithium. A sleeper is the Vivitar point and shoot I don't recall the model number, it as a 35mm 2.8 5 element lens, it is very sharp. In the 90s my wife was covering the super bowel for her newspaper as the entertainment writer for the 1/2 time show, I gave her the Vivitar to take to the game, she asked one her papers photographers to take her picture with the game in progress in the background, she gave him a copy of it, it was as good as the lens on his EOS 1. I still on occasion carry it.

frank · Jan 13, 2015

If you are considering cameras as large as the previously mentioned Nikon and Canon AF's, then take the next small step in size and weight, to a Nikon FG which gives you the option of full manual control over shutter speeds an aperture. The series E 50f1.8 is small and very good.

macfred · Jan 13, 2015

frank said:
... take the next small step in size and weight, to a Nikon FG which gives you the option of full manual control over shutter speeds an aperture. The series E 50f1.8 is small and very good.

+1 !

An other good choice could be a Nikon F-301 (N2000 in the US) - my wife has one in use since 1986.
A Nikon EM is pretty small and light - it's worth a look.

An overview to the Nikon compact cameras : http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/htmls/models/htmls/compact.htm

John Koehrer · Jan 14, 2015

PDH said:
IF you are willing to consider other than Nikon, then a Canon AF 35 ML, 5 element 40mm 1.8 lens, 48mm filter size, not TTL but the light meter is in the lens housing so you don't need to worry about a filter factor, the first version uses AA batteries, the version I have uses a C5 lithium. A sleeper is the Vivitar point and shoot I don't recall the model number, it as a 35mm 2.8 5 element lens, it is very sharp. In the 90s my wife was covering the super bowel for her newspaper as the entertainment writer for the 1/2 time show, I gave her the Vivitar to take to the game, she asked one her papers photographers to take her picture with the game in progress in the background, she gave him a copy of it, it was as good as the lens on his EOS 1. I still on occasion carry it.

Ummm, super bowel?

rhmimac · Jan 14, 2015

that's a very nice offer narsuitus, I'll come back on that Tnx

rhmimac · Jan 14, 2015

PHD, nice story, it isn't the camera I know, it's just the lens and the film inside, but sometimes a brick suits people,sometimes a lasergun is needed[emoji6] Thanks for the nice suggestions. I can fill a few evenings with the search engine spinning. Keep them coming folks.

best Nikon film compact camera

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