Goldline AW8000: smartest P&S camera design ever

darkosaric · Jan 7, 2020

This plastic camera has everything that I want from P&S, that even Contax T2 or Leica Minilux do not have:

1) Dedicated flash off button, that you don't need to do it every time you start the camera
2) Manual focus (I am a sucker for manual focus + auto wind cameras)
3) Nice protective lens cover
4) Mirror for selfie (not so important, but nevertheless - which other camera has this so nicely integrated?)
5) Date back
6) Focus up to 0.5 meters
7) Nice 28mm angle for street
8) Does not look serious

I challenge you to beat this design in P&S .

abruzzi · Jan 7, 2020

I remember seeing occasional P&S cameras with a mirrored surface on the front that was supposed to be used to selfie shooting, but I’ve never seen one with a flip up mirror.

cramej · Jan 7, 2020

darkosaric said:
This plastic camera has everything that I want from P&S, that even Contax T2 or Leica Minilux do not have:

1) Dedicated flash off button, that you don't need to do it every time you start the camera
2) Manual focus (I am a sucker for manual focus + auto wind cameras)
3) Nice protective lens cover
4) Mirror for selfie (not so important, but nevertheless - which other camera has this so nicely integrated?)
5) Date back
6) Focus up to 0.5 meters
7) Nice 28mm angle for street
8) Does not look serious

I challenge you to beat this design in P&S .

I wlll challenge your points

Nikon L35 AF

1) Ok, not many have that. L35 is able to be cancelled and has a +2 stop compensation switch for backlighting.
2) Meh, zone focus is easy to forget on a p&s. Auto can be fooled by off center subjects, though.
3) + and -. No filter threads but protects the lens in a pocket or bag. So does a filter.
4) What's a selfie? Anyway, I have taken selfies and couples shots a number of times without the mirror thingie - even with a longer lens.
5) Date backs are annoying.
6) L35 is to .8m. A 28mm lens at .5m is hardly macro, though.
7) Neutral, but it is only f/4.5. I prefer 35/38 and the L35 is f/2.8.
8) Neither does the L35.

Oh, and the "panorama" mode is really irritating for photo labs...

AgX · Jan 7, 2020

Strange, I have not come it across so far.

That selfie mirror was first introduced by Minolta at a Disk camera. (And that one was the only one I ever saw.)

I was puzzled by the pictograms left under the lens: first I thought they are referring to the lens cover, but then the term "normal" does not make that much sense. Then I realized the "normal" refers to the snapshot focusing. But I still do not understand these two pictograms...

cramej · Jan 7, 2020

AgX said:
Strange, I have not come it across so far.

That selfie mirror was first introduced by Minolta at a Disk camera.

I was puzzled by the pictograms left under the lens: first I thought they are referring to the lens shutter, but then the term "normal" does not make that much sense. Then I realizred the "normal" refers to the snapshot focusing. But I still do not understand thise two pictograms...

Lens cover closed, open (Normal means AF I'm guessing), infinity focus, 1.8-7m, 1-1.7m, .5-.9m focus zones.

AgX · Jan 7, 2020

Oops, my fault, I did not read that 1.8-7 correctlly, Thought it still was part of the macro range. With a plain helicoid that also makes more sense...

darkosaric · Jan 7, 2020

AgX said:
Strange, I have not come it across so far.

When I want to relax and surf a web...I start with public portals, then I see this politics, and I realize that much better way to surf is to go to auction sites --> analog cameras -> newly listed --> under 30 euros, and just surf. Much better than reading about Trump, Brexit, fire, earthquakes, and so on .

Paul Howell · Jan 7, 2020

Not a rangefinder, scale focus, with a 28mm lens with lots of depth of field not a bad design. Wonder how sharp it is, likely very good with a slow film. Where was it made and by who?

darkosaric · Jan 7, 2020

Paul Howell said:
Wonder how sharp it is, likely very good with a slow film. Where was it made and by who?

Still not tested with film, will do later. No idea who made it, it is indeed rare bird .

Paul Howell · Jan 7, 2020

Sort of looks like an Olympus, I have a couple, the body style is very similar. Is it a glass lens or plastic lens? The reason I ask is that I've a number of point and shoot that were branded to be given away with magazine subscriptions, like Time, those had plastic lens.

darkosaric · Jan 8, 2020

Glass lens.

darkosaric · Jan 21, 2020

Test results: picture quality is nothing special, but it is fun to use. Quality is better on close focus than on infinity. Distortion on pictures are from the cheap scanner, not the lens itself. For some reason rewind does not work (probably only on mine example), but except that, it is a fun little camera.

film_man · Jan 22, 2020

Is there some scanning issue or is there really nothing in focus/sharp? The date looks ok though...

darkosaric · Jan 23, 2020

I will make some prints, to be sure. I have cheap scanner where negative sits not flat, so there is a distortion from the scanner. They do look out of focus when I look at them, only those that are not on infinity look better.

darkosaric · Jan 23, 2020

Today I purchased another one , for 1,5 euro I got 2 cameras, one of them was Goldline. In that way I will confirm focusing and rewind issues.
To be continued...

darkosaric · Apr 3, 2020

film_man said:
nothing in focus/sharp

So, I have finished testing the second camera - and unfortunately both cameras are showing that pictures are not very in focus, not so sharp lens. Too bad, because it is sweet little camera, only the lens is very bad.
Couple of examples from second Goldline camera:

Goldline AW8000: smartest P&S camera design ever

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