Most disappointing cameras?

darinwc · Aug 30, 2011

As a rebuttal to the previous thread "Most Surprising cameras", What cameras really disappointed you and why?

My nomination: the Chinon CE-3 Memotron.
Idea: auto-exposure on any M42 auto lens.
Failure: cheap build quality feels and sounds well cheap.

faustotesta · Aug 30, 2011

Contax RTSIII. I bought a used one years ago. after a couple of rolls the shutter "commited suicide".
Talking with the repairman he told me that such shutters (able to work at 1/8000 second) are built with very tight tolerances and
risk to stop working very easily. In any case i've never taken a picture faster than 1/1000 sec. The viewfinder (very bright and sharp) used led for F, times, etc. They were unreadable with bright sun. I've never had a real feeling with this camera. I traded it with a Pentax 67 + lenses

darkosaric · Aug 30, 2011

1) Minox 35: great, superb optics - but bad shutter. It just died without warning in Istanbul in critical situation. That is why now when I am on the road I use Nikon F3 or Leica M's only.
2) Zorki, Kiev and other ex soviet cameras.

Brian Legge · Aug 30, 2011

Olympus XA. I heard wonderful things about how sharp the lens was and was then consistently disappointed with the results. They weren't bad by any means but cameras slightly larger were significantly better. I ended up landing an XA4 instead; the wider angle lens made it more unique and worth carrying relative to other options.

perkeleellinen · Aug 30, 2011

Leica M. Never lived up to the online eulogies.

darkosaric · Aug 30, 2011

Brian Legge said:
They weren't bad by any means but cameras slightly larger were significantly better.

I have same thing with small Rollei 35 (tessar f3.5) - but at least shutter is reliable.

Steve Roberts · Aug 30, 2011

Olympus mju-II or Stylus Epic if you're in the US. So small and neat, sharp lens, showerproof .... yet light leaks are a persistent problem and flash shots are often over exposed.
Steve

railwayman3 · Aug 30, 2011

perkeleellinen said:
Leica M. Never lived up to the online eulogies.

I didn't dare say that...but since you've said it first, I have to agree. The whole Leica system is undoubtedly amazing, and justifiably a legend, but I once tried an s/h M3 and a couple of lenses, just couldn't get on with it...sold it on at a small profit!

baachitraka · Aug 30, 2011

Just curious, what is disappointing with Leica M's? Excepting meter and the price.

perkeleellinen said:
Leica M. Never lived up to the online eulogies.

MattPC · Aug 30, 2011

Pentax P30n with Kit Zoom. Bought to replace my Yashica GS because 'it's not as good as an SLR'. What a dissapointment. It took me a long time to work out the LENS was crap because every now and then I'd get a promising print (I'm guessing there was a lucky apeture/focal length combo in there somewhere).

MattC.

Rick A · Aug 30, 2011

Olympus OM-10's bought a couple of them new and both ended up in the dust bin within a year. Also an OM-1 that a member here traded to me, he claimed good condition, needed cla, seals, meter shot, etc., it's in a box for parts to repair my other OM-1's.

frontdrive34 · Aug 30, 2011

Oh for me it is a Seagull TLR. I liked the shots I got from it but the shutter died after a few rolls from almost new!

bblhed · Aug 30, 2011

Rollieflex TLR that I just got, I'm sure they are probably good cameras, but the one I got feels like was stored in sand, all gritty and not at all soothe, total disappointment.

Before the Rolleiflex my biggest disapointment was the Nikon F4 that shoots color negative film just fine and if that is what I shot there would be no complaints from me, but it underexposes just enough that slides come out annoyingly dark. What really sucks is that I like the layout of the camera. I should get it serviced, but I'm just too lazy.

Ironage · Aug 30, 2011

Hey! Add me to the Leica M crowd. I purchased a M4-P with an older lens. The Summicron did not compare to the Canon FDs I was use to using and it temporarily jammed during a trip to europe. Traded it for a new F-1.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gtyler5 · Aug 30, 2011

Lubitel 2, the one I got must have been left outside for a couple of years. Even still focusing was really difficult with the goofy prism set up. And it was just cheaply made. I could not get any descent results with it.

edp · Aug 30, 2011

gtyler5 said:
Lubitel 2, the one I got must have been left outside for a couple of years.

They're made that way.

sandermarijn · Aug 30, 2011

Mamiya 7 (I).

Disappointed because:

- the shutter release button has no travel, it just clicks at a certain pressure from the finger tip, hate that,
- the viewfinder I found difficult to use with the 80mm,
- the camera feels big and clumsy (ugly?), much more than I had expected, not rangefinderish at all,
- I disliked the 80mm: sharp alright, but also harsh, clinical, poor bokeh, poor mfd,
- too expensive for what it has to offer (highly subjective, I know).

Not a bad camera, just not mine.

abate cruento · Aug 30, 2011

i hate the red shutter button on olympus xa2: i must find the right way to press it...

2F/2F · Aug 30, 2011

Holga. Lens is too good for me, and camera in general is an uninteresting plastic pile without character. Just cheap Chinese trash. And terribly overpriced. They ought to cost no more than $5. Give me a Brownie over a Holga any day.

zsas · Aug 30, 2011

Yashica FX-103. The leatherette just rubbed off and away, this occurred many years ago when the camera was newer. It also died on me after 15 years of use, should have started with a K1000 - they never seem to die.

BrianL · Aug 30, 2011

Assuming you mean a camera that was not bought with issues, I'd vote for the Minox ML. Got it new and it was a camera I could have kept and used as a main camera for life but, the shutter failed twice. The original design was failure prone I learned later. When mine failed the first time, I sent it to Minox and paid for a new shutter than was an improved version correcting the problem. Sadly, it did not last as long as the 1st and when I contacted Minox they'd not replace it under warranty or give any consideration since it was the 2nd failure. The camera when working was magnificent with one of the best lenses I'd ever used. The zone focusing was no problem and unlike the other Minox 35 models you could hold the exposure and reframe. I understand there was again a redesign and the TDC version is not failure prone but by the time it came out I had sold off the camera and all the acc'ys which was everything Minox had available for it, except the little tripod that I kept.

Another disappointment was the Olympus XA. Took good photos and nothing really wrong with it but I just never could warm up to it. Nothing I could point out but, just never cared for it.

Another was the Minox 9.5mm cameras. I had a B, C, EC and LX. All excellent cameras. Still have the C. Bitch is it seemed right after I got hooked, the Minox distribution in the US dived in quality and prices for film and development went through the roof. Also, film selection nose dived. Again loved the cameras and lenses except for the EC.

Polaroid pack cameras: Hated the results from all the various models I tried until I learned that these were not actually hand holders as shown in all the adverts and literature. I finally figured out they needed a tripod or at least the self-timer or cable release to get decent results. Only exception was with the ISO 3000 b&w with the 180 and 195 and ND filter.

Grif · Aug 30, 2011

Pentax 645

Cream puff, 5 lenses and all sorts of goodies cheap. Works 100%.

I just can't figure out how to hold it. Works great on a tripod, but why use a minature format if you're going to use a tripod anyway, plus I can't get my eye close enough to the finder to see the whole frame, and the shutter's always going off before I'm ready. (big paw hands).

Back to my Nikon Ftn and a random 4x5.

Waaa,,, and it's Sooo cute.

j-dogg · Aug 30, 2011

No real disappointing cameras but the 22-55 Canon kit lens that came on the APS SLR line, I shot one and my 28-90 USM kit could have taken a better picture if I smashed the front element on a rock.

BillBingham2 · Aug 30, 2011

FSU rabbit hole. Loved the promise of the FED 2 and several Keivs but after several trips to be adjusted I threw on the towel. I even had the FED2 pimped out with a FED5 take up spool.

While I did learn that I loved Nikon rangefinders out of the journey out was an expensive one on time, frustration and money.

B2

Thomas Bertilsson · Aug 30, 2011

Adjusting for correct expectations, I haven't had a single camera disappoint me.

But any camera I have bought or otherwise received has been to a professional CLA, either before or after I got it, and they have all worked faultlessly, and I'd like to think because I took that precaution.

The only camera that truly faulted me was the Holga, but you have to have no expectation at all using one. On a hot day the 'tension foam' came unglued and rolled itself up into the roll of film that was in the camera. Then it scratched my film to become unusable, in spite of trying at least five different known tricks to avoid that from happening. I took the lens and shutter mechanism off the camera, placed the rest of it on the side walk and ran over it with my car... Man that felt good!

- Thomas

Most disappointing cameras?

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