Help: Which Camera for me Mother?

Klainmeister · Jul 6, 2011

Hi There,

I just got back from visiting the family back in Oregon and during the family BBQ on the fourth, my mother was all over my Minolta Hi-Matic RF and kept bringing up how she missed getting proper prints done rather than a bunch of files on the computer. I asked why she wasn't shooting her P&S camera and she told me she couldn't find APS anymore, which is likely in my hometown. I suggested a 35mm camera since that film will be around a long while yet. She said, "Find me one!"

So here I am.

The parameters: compact, AF preferred but not critical, wide to normal lens, and stylish/fun to use.

I think it's pretty cool she still wants a good ol' 35mm, so I want to get the right one without going broke (something under $100 seems reasonable to me). Thoughts? I was thinking some similar RF's, but I don't think she liked it all that much, but then again....is there anything smaller than the Hi-Matic in the classic RF department?

Thanks guys

Chan Tran · Jul 6, 2011

The Olympus XA is newer than the HiMatic because it was introduced around 1979. I am not sure it's considered a classic but it's smaller the HiMatic and operarate in much the same way as the HiMatic. The newer AF P&S do not operate in the same way.

Klainmeister · Jul 6, 2011

Shoot, that Olympus looks sweet! Thanks for the heads up on that. 6 element lens and the thing is tiny....might be worth investigating more.

Whiteymorange · Jul 6, 2011

Most any of the Olympus Stylus cameras are very good value for the very short money they cost. I just gave one away or I would have sent it to you. They have a tendency to shoot wide open, but you can't really fault the glass and they most often go for under $25.

For a few bucks more I'd suggest the Yashika T4. They are all over the place in terms of cost, but $100 should buy one if you look hard. Zeiss "T" lens and both back and top viewfinders. I couldn't best the pictures I took with mine using any other 35mm equipment I had access to. (Retina, Canon, Pentax, Minolta, Mamiya and Nikon.) There are better cameras, I'm sure, but few better for the money.

Chan Tran · Jul 6, 2011

Yes the Olympus XA is cool when I don't take picture of my finger. I tend to do that.

Gim · Jul 6, 2011

If your Mom was all over your Hi-Matic...give it to her. If six months later she has questions or maybe would like something else, get it for her. Its your Mom and its only a camera.

Best,
Jim

Klainmeister · Jul 6, 2011

Yes I know, but she wasn't a fan of the bulk....being used to APS point and shoots. I was hoping for a kind of in between, good lens, style, fun to use, but not so clunky. I've looked at the T4, but it seems that they go for a pretty penny nowadays.

I might send her the Hi-matic and grab myself something dinky to play with. Any experience with the Canon AF35M or Konica Z-Ups?

Sirius Glass · Jul 6, 2011

Gim said:
If your Mom was all over your Hi-Matic...give it to her. If six months later she has questions or maybe would like something else, get it for her. Its your Mom and its only a camera.

Best,
Jim

Ditto. Life is too short to read all the posts that would join this thread. Each poster would tout what they themselves had bought for themselves so that they could pimp their favorite camera even though their camera would not be the best for your mother.

Check out KEH.com regularly to see what they get over the next few weeks.

Steve

elcabezagrande · Jul 6, 2011

Try the Nikon Lite Touch AF/AF600. Tiny, light, with a great 28/3.5 lens, lightning-fast AF, very quiet, and pennies on the dollar when compared to either the Stylus Epic or the Yashica T4. I own or have owned a whole bunch of compact AF cameras, including both the T4 and the Stylus Epic, but this little Nikon is the one that I keep reaching for. It really is a tiny wonder, all things considered.

Nikon Lite Touch AF/AF 600 by Greyscale3, on Flickr

michaelbsc · Jul 6, 2011

Klainmeister said:
.. I've looked at the T4, but it seems that they go for a pretty penny nowadays....

I missed several T4s on evilBay, so I started watching the FS listing here on APUG. I got a great deal on one with a cosmetic flaw.

Now, on the Bay you absolutely couldn't trust the seller that it is fully functional. But here you know that whoever is selling it at least knows if it works or not. And I still paid less than what I bid and lost on the Bay.

I think it's awesome. I've been very satisfied with it after half a dozen rolls of film.

elcabezagrande · Jul 6, 2011

michaelbsc said:
I missed several T4s on evilBay, so I started watching the FS listing here on APUG. I got a great deal on one with a cosmetic flaw.

Now, on the Bay you absolutely couldn't trust the seller that it is fully functional. But here you know that whoever is selling it at least knows if it works or not. And I still paid less than what I bid and lost on the Bay.

I think it's awesome. I've been very satisfied with it after half a dozen rolls of film.

There is a T4 listed in the classifieds here right now that is very nicely priced.

Klainmeister · Jul 6, 2011

Sirius Glass said:
Ditto. Life is too short to read all the posts that would join this thread. Each poster would tout what they themselves had bought for themselves so that they could pimp their favorite camera even though their camera would not be the best for your mother.

Check out KEH.com regularly to see what they get over the next few weeks.

Steve

Yes, I understand this. Really, this is more of a question for me since I never have had any interest in a P&S 35mm camera and was curious as to the offerings out there. It's a market I've never looked into and it looks like there's a lot of variety and options. Just having some fun and looking forward to getting my mum a camera she'll enjoy for years to come. I already got my father looking at a MF system

Thanks guys, that Nikon looks sweet too. I just picked up one off the Bay for 2.99 + 5.00 shipping and am looking at a L35AF as well.

Cheers

F/1.4 · Jul 7, 2011

I'm probably going to get my mom a Nikon N55 and a pro pack of Portra 400. They're only about $75 and the film is about $35. After she saw the pictures I took of my sisters college graduation and how much better they turned out than her digital, (even inside U of O's mac court with only the amber lights on) she was floored that i shot them with film and how awesome the color looked.

Sirius Glass · Jul 7, 2011

F/1.4 said:
I'm probably going to get my mom a Nikon N55 and a pro pack of Portra 400. They're only about $75 and the film is about $35. After she saw the pictures I took of my sisters college graduation and how much better they turned out than her digital, (even inside U of O's mac court with only the amber lights on) she was floored that i shot them with film and how awesome the color looked.

Yo Momma Gots Da Gud Taste!

Wise choice, I have a Nikon N75 and I have been happy with it since I got it. The N55 is a good camera especially for someone that wants to use film but does not want to become a photo nerd.

Hey! Who you be callin' a 'photo nerd'?

BrianL · Jul 7, 2011

I'll suggest the Konica EE-100. It is a 1/2 frame 35mm with auto focus and built in flash. With the cost of film going up the way it is, 1/2 frame today is back in an environment it was originally designed for. It is larger than the XA but easier to use as it has auto advance and rewind. Only limitation is if she wants transparencies as holders are not available at most developers any longer. The 100 has a sharp lens and nicely fits into a shirt pocket plus uses AA batteries.

Pumalite · Jul 7, 2011

Contax Tvs II; AF with a Vario Sonnar 35-85 !:2,8

Chan Tran · Jul 7, 2011

I would say give your mom what she wants no matter what it costs. However I don't think she knows what she wants just yet so let her use your himatic and find out what she likes, dislikes about it.
A Contax TVs, T2 etc.. is worth it for your mom provided that she likes it.

removed account4 · Jul 7, 2011

Whiteymorange said:
Most any of the Olympus Stylus cameras are very good value for the very short money they cost. I just gave one away or I would have sent it to you. They have a tendency to shoot wide open, but you can't really fault the glass and they most often go for under $25.

For a few bucks more I'd suggest the Yashika T4. They are all over the place in terms of cost, but $100 should buy one if you look hard. Zeiss "T" lens and both back and top viewfinders. I couldn't best the pictures I took with mine using any other 35mm equipment I had access to. (Retina, Canon, Pentax, Minolta, Mamiya and Nikon.) There are better cameras, I'm sure, but few better for the money.

what whitey said -

john

Bill Burk · Jul 7, 2011

My mom used to use a Minolta Maxxum and when it broke the camera store pushed a point and shoot on her, which served but wasn't as good.

Last Saturday while picking up some chemicals and film, I saw a woman buy a Nikon F4 and wide-to-tele zoom.

Now THAT's a camera to get your mom! Or an F5.

Bill Burk · Jul 7, 2011

The P&S she got was a Minolta Freedom Zoom 140EX Panorama Date.

Earlier this year she came to visit and pulled out the point and shoot and showed it to me, with the sad story that it stopped working and the guy at the camera store wasn't able to fix it. Could I try to fix it?

I went out to the garage, fiddled with it a bit, but no. Couldn't get it to work.

Bill Burk · Jul 7, 2011

To finish the story...

Last summer at a garage sale I picked up the exact same model camera for $5 working fine.

Gave to my teenager so it was technically 'his' camera.

So I went back to his room and got his permission...

I switched the cameras, handed it to my mom and said. "Here you go, good as new"

Diapositivo · Jul 7, 2011

If your mother doesn't need a zoom, the definitive choice cannot be anything different than a Yashica T3 , for the following obvious reasons:

QUALITY
- Reasonably weatherproof (protection class JIS 4);
- Carl Zeiss lens with T* treatment, Tessar scheme, 35/2.8 (not the old same 3.5), a Sirius Glass should I say if we except some vignetting.
- 16 autofocus points, not the ordinary 4 or 5, with autofocus confirmation and autofocus lock.
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.5 metres.
- Shutter goes from 1/630 to 1 second.
- Lightmeter goes from EV 3 to EV 17, silicon blue cell.
- The auto-Flash incorporated can also be forced on (fill-light coupled with autofocus) or off (no auto-crap). And its GN in metres is around 8.4 (range: 3 metres with ISO 100).

I've sold pictures taken with this camera. Like the Olympus XA or the Minox, it was meant to provide the quality you expect from an SLR.

Practical aspects for a middle-aged or more-than-middle-aged person:

- Film autoloading;
- Practical lens "shutter" which covers the lens and can be instantly moved aside, this unlocks the camera;
- Two viewfinders, one vertical, very small but very nice for self-timer shots over a table for instance, and for "candids".
- Very small, very light (275 grams).
- DX film code (64 - 1600 ISO).

This would be the perfect single-focal-length compact if it only had some exposure compensation for backlit situations.

When I bought this camera, the competition had an enormous number of similar offers, but they normally lacked the optical quality, or the wheatherproof building, or the 16-point autofocus.

I'm in love with this camera, and I'm partial to it, because it deserves it.

Cameras like the Canon Canonet or your Minolta are very good but probably a camera like the T3 is better for your mother, without giving up on image quality.

Fabrizio

PS You probably can find one for less than $20.

Help: Which Camera for me Mother?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency