Cameras that are better than they should be

OlyMan · Sep 18, 2017

What cameras have you owned/used/seen which have a performance better than you would expect considering the intended market when new? Thinking maybe some cheaper Russian/Eastern cameras might fall into that category, though I have no experience. However for my part I'd like to nominate the Olympus Trip 35.

Aimed at holidaying consumers who in time would all too frequently 'upgrade' to cheap compacts with more features but worse photos, Olympus gave the Trip everything it needed and nothing it didn't. This mainly comprised of a rugged metal build, a sharp Tessar-style 42mm F/2.8 lens, zone focussing, and a solar-powered 'program' exposure system that was entirely non-dependent on batteries. Although the camera only had two shutter speeds of 1/40th and 1/200th, the program curve - achieved with clever mechanics - favored small apertures over the faster shutter speed when possible, in order to maximize DOF and so minimize focussing errors from the zone-focus lens.

Definitely a camera where the whole was considerably more than the sum of the parts.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 18, 2017

My first 35, a Kodak 35RF in about 1974. It was made in '40 or '41, nobody told me uncoated lenses - a front-focussing Tessar type in this case - were no good, so with a 1930s Weston meter I proceeded to take pictures. Looking at the Kodachromes, High Speed Ektachromes, and B&W on Plus-X today, that little camera did a fine job and the lens was excellent. Unfortunately being a kid I didn't appreciate it until long after I had traded it off with some stereo stuff in a deal for a '66 Mustang around 1978 or 79.
I was recently given one made in '41, working but sticky and dirty; now it's been overhauled and everything works as it should.
I'll also put up the '60s Canonets, Minolta RFs, and the Yashica Rfs, all of these had really nice lenses.

Paul Howell · Sep 18, 2017

Kowa SE and SETR, the SE is fixed lens non TTL match needle metering, leaf shutter, 50 1.9, the lens is a 6 element in 4 groups, the SETR has interchangeable lens, with the expectation of the 50 are all rather slow, but very sharp. Considering that Kowa made a very good MF camera the 66 and Super 66, don't know why they never made a more upscale 35mm line up.

Arbitrarium · Sep 18, 2017

I always thought my Minox 35 shots were ridiculously sharp for a little plastic camera.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 18, 2017

Arbitrarium said:
I always thought my Minox 35 shots were ridiculously sharp for a little plastic camera.

Yes, I forgot that one. Was given two 35GLs a bit over a year ago, both had dead shutters but there's an easy fix for that. I use a stack of four 675 air cells in a paper sleeve.

I love the tiny size and the design of that series.

BAC1967 · Sep 18, 2017

I recently purchased this Ricoh 35 for about $35. I like odd looking rangefinders so that's what attracted me to it in the first place. I was very impressed with the build quality and the sharp lens, for the price these are a bargain. I didn't need to do any repairs to it, it came in perfectly good working order with a nice bright rangefinder patch. I can't speak for the other versions of the Ricoh 35 but I really do like this one.

Ricoh 35 by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Buckets and Barrels by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

The Kodak 35 Motormatic really surprised me- quite good. Spring-wound motor, decent 44/2.8 lens, zone-focus through the viewfinder. Auto-exposure, a good selenium lasts forever.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 18, 2017

Canon Rebel G (EOS 500N) with 50/1.8 EF II or 75-300 EF III.

Plastic mount, bottom-of-the-market camera and lenses. Photos were perfectly exposed and sharp. Decent amount of control available. Totally unexpected from a kit that weighs nearly nothing.

blockend · Sep 18, 2017

A Chinon CX SLR and 50mm f1.7 lens was my first camera. Two years ago I began to compile all my old negatives, scan them and put them into books. The Chinon shots were as sharp as the OM1 and Nikon F I subsequently used. The camera was made under various brands, something the company specialised in, and it was very solid body quite like the Canon FTb in style and operation but with a screw mount lens.

My Zeiss Ikon Nettar folders with 3-element Rodenstock lens are cheap and overlooked. In their day the Nettar was an upmarket camera, if not as desirable as the Ikonta range.

In the bargain basement category, the plastic lensed Olympus Shoot n'Go gives much better results than it has a right to.

OlyMan · Sep 18, 2017

Thanks for the replies. A few cameras there I'd never heard of. I didn't know Ricoh had made RFs either, very nice looking camera that seems capable of equally nice shots.

Down Under · Sep 18, 2017

I am very happy with my two Nikon F65s (one is badged as N65, the other F65, but the same camera) which I picked up for peanuts on Ebay. The lenses (28-80 G) were flimsy plastic and not optically the best, so I disposed of them (again on Ebay) and acquired a collection of Nikon D lenses which I also use on a D700, so a good investment.

One of my 65s came with a grip/battery pack that takes standard AAs, so I can power my two cameras from the local Reject Shop and not with expensive CR1s (or perhaps CR2s, it has been so long since I last bought these batteries, I've forgotten). these cameras were designed as P&S and they have their limitations but with a bit of lateral thinking, I can easily work around them.

I've taken my 65s bushwalking all over Tasmania and down into volcanic valleys in Indonesia. Results have always been tops. One set of color slides shot in the Bromo Valley in East Java, was used in a media spread which included a two page shot, all the results came out fine in reproduction.

The best part about these cameras was the prices. I paid A$75 for one (with a data back and the grip/battery pack) and A$50 for the other, lenses included. In both cases I was the only bidder.

Peltigera · Sep 18, 2017

I used to have a couple of very cheap Japanese cameras from the early 1950s which had rubbish build quality and superb lenses. One was a Yamato and I cannot remember the maker of the other.

BAC1967 · Sep 18, 2017

ozmoose said:
I am very happy with my two Nikon F65s (one is badged as N65, the other F65, but the same camera) which I picked up for peanuts on Ebay. The lenses (28-80 G) were flimsy plastic and not optically the best, so I disposed of them (again on Ebay) and acquired a collection of Nikon D lenses which I also use on a D700, so a good investment.

One of my 65s came with a grip/battery pack that takes standard AAs, so I can power my two cameras from the local Reject Shop and not with expensive CR1s (or perhaps CR2s, it has been so long since I last bought these batteries, I've forgotten). these cameras were designed as P&S and they have their limitations but with a bit of lateral thinking, I can easily work around them.

I've taken my 65s bushwalking all over Tasmania and down into volcanic valleys in Indonesia. Results have always been tops. One set of color slides shot in the Bromo Valley in East Java, was used in a media spread which included a two page shot, all the results came out fine in reproduction.

The best part about these cameras was the prices. I paid A$75 for one (with a data back and the grip/battery pack) and A$50 for the other, lenses included. In both cases I was the only bidder.

I bought a Nikon N60 for a few dollars at a garage sale because I wanted the bag it was in. When I finally got around to using it I found it was pretty good, even with the plastic kit lens, I think it's the same lens yours came with. Being light weight I figure I could take it hiking or snowboarding and won't be too upset if accidentally destroy it.

GarageBoy · Sep 18, 2017

Rebel 2000/T2 with a 40 stm- small slr that I use as a poor man's contact t2. About the same price as a yashica t4

Cholentpot · Sep 18, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
Canon Rebel G (EOS 500N) with 50/1.8 EF II or 75-300 EF III.

Plastic mount, bottom-of-the-market camera and lenses. Photos were perfectly exposed and sharp. Decent amount of control available. Totally unexpected from a kit that weighs nearly nothing.

Have this camera. It never failed me. Only issue I have is no back button for focusing. You can't have everything...

David Brown · Sep 18, 2017

Pentax IQzoom 928. You can find these on the auction site. If you pay more than $10, you did it wrong.

Ko.Fe. · Sep 18, 2017

Then I compare Oly 35 Trip to Smena-8M it ain't cheap and results are adequate.
I compared analog color prints from 200$ EOS 300 to 1000$ EOS 500D inkjet prints and scans to files... And went back to film...

albada · Sep 19, 2017

As I read the original question, I thought, "the Trip 35." And that was his first nomination as well. Another is the cheap Silette/Memar made by Agfa in the mid-1950's with the Apotar 45/3.5 lens. That's one of the sharpest triplets I've ever seen, matching or beating some copies of the Tessar. It's too bad these Silette/Memar cameras usually have stuck focus due to Agfa's infamous gluey green grease.

Mark Overton

Ian Grant · Sep 19, 2017

The less than well known East German KW Praktina cameras. Undoubtably the highest quality and best featured Eastern block cameras every made.

Worlds first professional camera system (6 years before the Nikon F)

Breech lock lens mount, a range of lenses from 10+ companies.

First semi auto lens diaphragm, you cock the lens to full aperture, it stops down on the first pressure of the shutter release

Interchangeable finders

Takes two different motor drives one clock-work the other electric and a bulk film back. Accessories can fetch high prices, a CZJ 75mm f1.5 Sonnar sold recently for $4,000

While some claim that Exacta were the first to introduce a system camera they never had a motor drive or bulk film back and build quality is poor compared to the Praktina.
Praktina camera were made from 1953 to 62, however they were expensive to produce and after merging with the East German Zeiss Ikon all new 35mm cameras were based on KW's budget Praktica camera and carried that name (some were branded Pentacon). KW had taken over production of the Zeiss Contax SLR two years before the actual merger, sold as a Pentacon in the West.

Later the Praktina N prototype became the Pentacon Super again launched as a professional system this time M42 screw mount, fast 50mm f1.4 Pancolar lens, with a motor drive, bulk film back etc but few were made. One KW camera remained in production for many years and was copied the Praktisix, later renamed as the Pentacon 6.

I have a number of Eastern Block cameras, and have used others, the build quality of the Praktina is just leagues ahead of Kiev's, Fed'd,s, Zorki's, later Praktica's. Roger Hicks put's them ahead of the Nikon F in some ways particularly for the way the inter-changeable prisms and view finders fit. It's Leica type precision.

Ian

Sewin · Sep 19, 2017

When I went sea fishing circa 1970 time I used to take a Halina Paulette Electric with me to record my catches.
The quality of the images were good, the lens was smooth and the basic light meter was quite accurate.

Paul Howell · Sep 19, 2017

Another lens that surprised me is the Argus Cintar 3.5 coated version for the C3. For a triplet at F 8 to 11 sharp enough. I think Wollensake made most of the lens for Argus, I don't know if Argus ever made it's own lens.

Bud Hamblen · Sep 19, 2017

Paul Howell said:
Another lens that surprised me is the Argus Cintar 3.5 coated version for the C3. For a triplet at F 8 to 11 sharp enough. I think Wollensake made most of the lens for Argus, I don't know if Argus ever made it's own lens.

Argus made some of its own lenses. There are views of the Argus optical shop in this old industrial film.

Paul Howell · Sep 19, 2017

cool, thanks for sharing, boy how things have changed.

GRHazelton · Sep 19, 2017

My old Praktica LTL w 50mm Orestron (IIRC) is better than it needs to be. Despite having been bounced off a sidewalk at least once, it kept on working. When I dug it out after years of disuse the shutter sounds good at all speeds. While it uses - or used! - a mercury cell, the meter is a bridge circuit so it should be fine with a silver oxide. An excellent implementation of stop down metering, perhaps the best out there. The lens, f 1.8, is excellent. It focuses down to about 1 foot, why don't all SLR lenses do so? It needs a CLA, since the diaphragm is ... sluggish. I should have that done so that this relic of East Germany can be used.

BrianVS · Sep 19, 2017

The Argus Cintar from the C3 is very good- up there with a Tessar. Had a broken C3, converted the lens to Nikon S-Mount using the mount of a 5cm F1.5 Sonnar. Worked well.

Cameras that are better than they should be

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