Looking for a good point and shoot for under $100

brainmonster · May 5, 2020

I want a p&s film camera to bring along with my digital camera while traveling. I know some people might be tempted to recommend an SLR for better quality, but I brought an SLR with a compact lens my last trip and it was still too bulky and I'm looking for something simpler and more discreet for street photos. I currently have a Pentax IQzoom gifted to me from a forum member, but the 3.5 max aperture is too narrow for me.

I'm looking for a P&S with a 2.8 aperture if possible, or if not, a good lens that will take nice photos. The IQzoom quality I'm not too impressed with, compared with my SLR, it's just OK.

So I'm looking to spend $100 max on a P&S if anyone has recommendations. Autofocus is a must and auto exposure, and preferably a motor drive with automated film winding. I don't want to carry a light meter or fiddle around with winding film manually while traveling.

Anyone have anything in mind? I might be willing to spend a little more than $100 if the lens quality would be really great.

Ariston · May 5, 2020

I wouldn't discount the 3.5 apertures. Most point and shoots have wide angle lenses and don't focus closely, so you aren't going to get much "bokeh" to speak of. All the 2.8 will give you is an extra stop of light, which is easily worked around with film speed or shutter speed. If you are doing daytime street photography, it won't make any difference to the look of your photos because the camera is going to stop it down anyway (unless you are using super slow film).

I would recommend the first Stylus, because they are well under $100, and super small, and very capable. It has a 3.5 lens, though (I think). I had the Stylus Epic, and the difference between the two is negligible.

brainmonster · May 5, 2020

Ariston said:
I wouldn't discount the 3.5 apertures. Most point and shoots have wide angle lenses and don't focus closely, so you aren't going to get much "bokeh" to speak of. All the 2.8 will give you is an extra stop of light, which is easily worked around with film speed or shutter speed. If you are doing daytime street photography, it won't make any difference to the look of your photos because the camera is going to stop it down anyway (unless you are using super slow film).

I would recommend the first Stylus, because they are well under $100, and super small, and very capable. It has a 3.5 lens, though (I think). I had the Stylus Epic, and the difference between the two is negligible.

Thanks but it seems like original stylus has become quite popular, selling for maybe $150, I can't find any in good condition. Any other recommendations?

Ariston · May 5, 2020

Really?! I did not realize that.

I don't know about the aperture of the Stylus zooms (probably smaller), but I had one of those, too, and it shot very well. I would guess that it was f5.6 on the wide end, and unusable on the long end (without a tripod). Good lens and good meter, though, and still quite compact.

Someone else may chime in... I really thought the old Stylus was cheaper. I have a Canon I don't use. Let me check the specs...

Ariston · May 5, 2020

Nope, it is f/4.8.

brainmonster · May 5, 2020

Ariston said:
Really?! I did not realize that.

I don't know about the aperture of the Stylus zooms (probably smaller), but I had one of those, too, and it shot very well. I would guess that it was f5.6 on the wide end, and unusable on the long end (without a tripod). Good lens and good meter, though, and still quite compact.

Someone else may chime in... I really thought the old Stylus was cheaper. I have a Canon I don't use. Let me check the specs...

The Olympus Stylus Zooms are max aperture 4.5 I think, but they are cheaper. Looking at the pictures on flickr though, the lens looks quite good and very sharp despite being 4.5, so I'm thinking of picking one up. And live with the flash indoors. But the pictures look significantly sharper than my Pentax IQzoom, IDK if it's the zuiko lens or the photographer.

narsuitus · May 6, 2020

brainmonster said:
So I'm looking to spend $100 max on a P&S if anyone has recommendations.

Canon Sure Shot and Nikon L35AF are compact P&S 35mm cameras.

Both are motorized, auto-focus, auto-exposure cameras.

They are great for the times when I want to shoot with a small, simple, inexpensive, easy to operate camera that takes decent quality photos.

Both cameras require two AA batteries.

Nikon & Canon P&S by Narsuitus, on Flickr

ozphoto · May 6, 2020

I have one of these babies - it's awesome!

My mum purchased brand new for $199 - fast 2.8 lens, AF, autowind, DX coding, autoflash and self-timer. I recently took it out when I went to Thailand to use after 20-odd years and it performed really well.

Perhaps its only drawback: you can't turn the flash off, but it does allow you to turn it on at any time with a rubber "plug" and it automatically turns on for backlit conditions.

Not sure what they're going for on average - have seen them from anywhere between $30 upwards.

bernard_L · May 6, 2020

brainmonster said:
Thanks but it seems like original stylus has become quite popular, selling for maybe $150, I can't find any in good condition. Any other recommendations?

??? "it seems ... maybe"?
actual completed auctions
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Olympus-Mju...425585?hash=item421784dff1:g:oakAAOSwyvJeqUux
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Film-Tested...341766?hash=item3425cab806:g:-M0AAOSw7WxejyU9
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Olympus-Mju...408464?hash=item26386cc050:g:JDMAAOSwWc1ej0vs
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/OLYMPUS-MJU...164251?hash=item5949ad019b:g:tCMAAOSwBptehdc-

Paul Howell · May 6, 2020

narsuitus said:
Canon Sure Shot and Nikon L35AF are compact P&S 35mm cameras.

Both are motorized, auto-focus, auto-exposure cameras.

They are great for the times when I want to shoot with a small, simple, inexpensive, easy to operate camera that takes decent quality photos.

Both cameras require two AA batteries.

Nikon & Canon P&S by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Unless a AF is a must, these are cheap, good lens, the Nikon and others have manually set ISO which mean you and fool the meter for one over or one under exposure. I dont think I've paid more than $10. Matter of fact, so cheap get 2.

BradS · May 6, 2020

$100 for a 20+ year old auto-everything plastic fantastic seems absolutely crazy to me....especially when compared to what a Nikon N90 or Canon EOS rebel and matching 50/1.8 lens sell for these days.

Chan Tran · May 6, 2020

brainmonster said:
I want a p&s film camera to bring along with my digital camera while traveling. I know some people might be tempted to recommend an SLR for better quality, but I brought an SLR with a compact lens my last trip and it was still too bulky and I'm looking for something simpler and more discreet for street photos. I currently have a Pentax IQzoom gifted to me from a forum member, but the 3.5 max aperture is too narrow for me.

I'm looking for a P&S with a 2.8 aperture if possible, or if not, a good lens that will take nice photos. The IQzoom quality I'm not too impressed with, compared with my SLR, it's just OK.

So I'm looking to spend $100 max on a P&S if anyone has recommendations. Autofocus is a must and auto exposure, and preferably a motor drive with automated film winding. I don't want to carry a light meter or fiddle around with winding film manually while traveling.

Anyone have anything in mind? I might be willing to spend a little more than $100 if the lens quality would be really great.

First are you looking for a P&S or a small camera? For a small camera something like the Olympus XA is great. Can be had for $100 or less but be careful as many of them are not fully functioning.

David Reynolds · May 6, 2020

Chan Tran said:
First are you looking for a P&S or a small camera? For a small camera something like the Olympus XA is great. Can be had for $100 or less but be careful as many of them are not fully functioning.

I second that recommendation ---Olympus XA

Ariston · May 6, 2020

I almost mentioned the XA, but the op said he wants AF.

Donald Qualls · May 6, 2020

XA is a rangefinder, but there are later cameras in the XA family that have autofocus, as I recall.

I've used a Vivitar PZ-3125 -- it's got a 35-125 AF zoom, date back, and pretty decent lens quality, if you like that kind of camera, but it's only f/5.6 at the short end (f/8 or smaller when zoomed).

I've also used an Ansco Easy-Vision AF Date -- no zoom, and still a fairly slow lens, but the AF is fast and the viewfinder is huge.

David Reynolds · May 6, 2020

Ariston said:
I almost mentioned the XA, but the op said he wants AF.

Reread the op and you are right he wanted an auto focus . My mistake . The XA requires focus and aperture to be set.

Paul Howell · May 6, 2020

For faster you need a first generation AF with a prime, like the Canon AF 35M, 38mm 2.8 auto advance and rewind, has threads for filters, and as I recall without pulling mine from storage is not DX coded, I think the meter tops out at ISO 400. The LM had a 48 or 50mm .17 or 1.9 lens. Nikon, Minolta and Vivitar all made similar bodies. My wife carried a Vivitar with a 35mm 2.8 lens, not sure who made. Here's a picture of her covering the Superbowl for the Mesa Trib, snapped by the paper's photographer with her Viivitar

John Koehrer · May 6, 2020

The stylus with a 35/2.8 silver/gold color is the mju not the earlier black model with the 3.5.
If OP wants 2.8 he's likely going to live with fixed focal length not zoom.

He's also right about being expensive, just looking briefly $150 is on the low side.
The 3.5 around $5 at a resale store unless the store is on the ritzy side.

Samsung also had a compact camera, The Evoca 70 SE
with 35-70 Schneider Varioplan auto micro. My daughter had one she used
for a class trip to D.C. since then it's disappeared into the same dimension where
the sock that gets lost in the laundry goes.

Chan Tran · May 6, 2020

Donald Qualls said:
XA is a rangefinder, but there are later cameras in the XA family that have autofocus, as I recall.

I've used a Vivitar PZ-3125 -- it's got a 35-125 AF zoom, date back, and pretty decent lens quality, if you like that kind of camera, but it's only f/5.6 at the short end (f/8 or smaller when zoomed).

View attachment 245542

I've also used an Ansco Easy-Vision AF Date -- no zoom, and still a fairly slow lens, but the AF is fast and the viewfinder is huge.

View attachment 245536

None of the XA series has auto focus. Some have zones focusing.

bernard_L · May 7, 2020

John Koehrer said:
The stylus with a 35/2.8 silver/gold color is the mju not the earlier black model with the 3.5.
If OP wants 2.8 he's likely going to live with fixed focal length not zoom.

He's also right about being expensive, just looking briefly $150 is on the low side.
The 3.5 around $5 at a resale store unless the store is on the ritzy side.

The OP stated:

I'm looking for a P&S with a 2.8 aperture if possible, or if not, a good lens that will take nice photos.

He dismissed the suggestion of Ariston

Ariston said:
I would recommend the first Stylus, because they are well under $100,

With a statement off the top of his head (seems... maybe...)

brainmonster said:
Thanks but it seems like original stylus has become quite popular, selling for maybe $150, I can't find any in good condition. Any other recommendations?

and did not bother to look at the several listings well below $100 that I listed in post #9.

I used to submit advice (factual, not opinion) on this forum; now more often than not, I just pass.

Looking for a good point and shoot for under $100

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