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Best Of The Affordable Offbrand SLRS

George Mann

Member
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
2,931
Location
Denver
Format
35mm
Hi again. I am looking for a list of the best of the offbrand slrs concerning features, ergonomics, lens quality and reliability.

Also, it would help if the models listed were not dependent on mercury batteries for proper metering.

I am looking specifically at offbrand cameras do to how cheap they sell for today, and what to hear from people with firsthand experience.
 
Is Ricoh off-brand enough? If so, I am putting the Ricoh XR-1 on the list. Full mechanical, a Copal square shutter with a PK mount.
 
MrclSchprs said:
Is Ricoh off-brand enough? If so, I am putting the Ricoh XR-1 on the list. Full mechanical, a Copal square shutter with a PK mount.
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+1 but why;even brand-name SLRs are dirt cheap these days; I bought three Nikon FMs for a mere $100although without a lens.
 
Since I don't know how much I will be using it, and want something a little more unique than the usual name-brand offerings, I am primarily looking for a cheaper than dirt camera that deliver the goods.
 
RalphLambrecht said:
+1 but why;even brand-name SLRs are dirt cheap these days; I bought three Nikon FMs for a mere $100although without a lens.
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Exactly. With a mint T70 at 5€ and a mint F-301 at 10€ at camera stores I need not look at "off-brand" cameras. Actually I am not even sure what is meant by this term.
 
I love the F301/N2000, but most of my cameras have been Nikons, and I think I may want to try a late model m42 mount.

How many are compatible with silver-oxide batteries?
 
I think you'd need to look into GAF. They did rebadged Chinon models and some Chinon products made especially for them.
 
At least at camera stores rebranded cameras, due to rarity, might be even more expensive than regular models. It depends.
 
I don't know how off brand they might be, but I've always liked the Mamiya/Sekor 500DTL and the 1000DTL. They used the M42 mount, so there are plenty to chose from.I could never get the later Pentax SMC-Takumar lenses to screw all the way into the mount, but the Super-Takumars and the Auto-Takumars mounted without problems. The Mamiya/Sekor screw mount lenses lenses were good performers too. However, they did require a mercury battery for the built in meter. Since I never used the built in meter, that was pretty much a non-issue, at least for me.
 
I tell you exactly how to screw those Pentax lenses on. You have to press down the little pin and flip the lens into manual mode, screw it down and then you can flip the switch back. I don't know why it does that but it's true on the Zenit E too.
 
RLangham said:
I tell you exactly how to screw those Pentax lenses on. You have to press down the little pin and flip the lens into manual mode, screw it down and then you can flip the switch back. I don't know why it does that but it's true on the Zenit E too.
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The Zenit lens mount has four countersunk Phillips screws on the lens mount in an unfortunate position where the SMCT A/M interlock pin is somewhat in danger of snapping into where the screw head is. I would find a way to accommodate the pin for example filling the one hole that causes most of the issues with some sealing wax or nail polish so the pin slides right over it.
 
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Bill Burk said:
The Zenit lens mount has four countersunk Phillips screws on the lens mount in an unfortunate position where the pin is somewhat in danger of snapping into where the screw head is.
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Flathead on mine but just so. However this is somehow not a problem with my SMC 50/1.4, if this procedure is followed--and if not, it unscrews without becoming stuck. I don't advise necessarily testing this with a lens and camera you don't know it will work on--you know how Soviet quality control is.
 
Oh and the Mamiya, I have one. The Pentax lenses do mount a little off-kilter.
 
Bill Burk said:
Oh and the Mamiya, I have one. The Pentax lenses do mount a little off-kilter.
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Their tolerance may be a little loose so that they can reliably hit the stop in the camera they're designed for. You may find that they're focused a little past infinity when fully retracted.
 
Oh wait. I think earlier Takumars ended differently. Let me check.
 
No personal experience but I've seen many positive comments about the Ricoh XR-7, also know as the Sears KS-2. The Sears model especially is often quite cheap.
 
Chinon made both M42 screw mount and later K mount bodies. The CE 3 is apature exposure with M42 single pin lens, most open apature and auto exposure M42 bodies use a 2 or 3 pin lens. The CM 3 same body but not auto expsoure. The CE 4 and CM 4 are K mount versions. Batteries are standard silver oxide. They made a latter model that has built in film adavnce and rewind, LED control panel, but needed KA lens to work in program made. Not sure of what you mean by off brands, so I would also look at Yashica FX, FR, Konica T3 and 4, advoid Petri, Miranda, Topcon, and Kowa, Topcon was decent camera but very had to find parts and lens.
 
The Momentron CE II is also aperture priority. You may not like Miranda, but my first slr was a Sensomat RE II, which proved to be good and reliable.
 
. At one point I collected Miranda, have most of the EE accessories, all the EE lenses with the exception of the 180 2.8 which I have never seen. The problem with Miranda is that there newer cameras had the light meter sensor on the mirror, as the mirror slapps over time the connections break. The older models are pretty solid, all most impossible to repair, lens are getting scare, and although all AiC Miranda's used the same mount the coupling changed, the EE lens will not work on Sesnormate RE but will work on the REII, still same issue with the meter being installed on the mirror.
 
Can someone explain the term "offbrand" in this context?

For instance one cannot define it on price as long there were hard- .versus east-currencies.
 
A good example would be the cameras that were sold under store brand names. Names like Sears.
But I expect that the OP may also be thinking of cameras that came from less well known or less main stream brands like Chinon or Ricoh.
 
AgX said:
Can someone explain the term "offbrand" in this context?

For instance one cannot define it on price as long there were hard- .versus east-currencies.
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Since it was my enquiry, I will explain it. There are the well known manufacturers whose products are readily known to the buying public.

Then there are manufacturers who lack the same namebrand recognition, and therefore go largely unnoticed.

Offbrand cameras are made by the latter.
 
MattKing said:
A good example would be the cameras that were sold under store brand names. Names like Sears.
But I expect that the OP may also be thinking of cameras that came from less well known or less main stream brands like Chinon or Ricoh.
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Both would qualify.
 
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