Old style Auto-focus

OptiKen · Feb 27, 2017

I enjoy shooting with cameras from the 50's, 60's and 70's mostly. I like the look, feel, and handling of them. I guess I'm most comfortable with cameras closer to my age. lol

What cameras of that genre have auto-focus? I'm thinking in the lines of the OM series, Pentax k1000, Super ME, Program Plus, Nikon F series - cameras with that look and those ergonomics.

What auto focus cameras that look and feel like the above are there?

MattKrull · Feb 27, 2017

Not much in the way of Autofocus until the plastic-fantastic 1980s I'm afraid. Minolta Maxxum 7000 was, I believe, the first integrated AF SLR. Earlier cameras had special AF lenses that only worked with that model (Nikon F3AF as an example). It was introduced in 1985.
I have no experience with either, but the Nikon N2020 and F4 were sufficiently early in the AF era that they still used top dials for selecting shutter speed and stuff, so those might be the closest to what you are looking for.

Dan Fromm · Feb 27, 2017

One way to get AF with an old-style SLR is to buy Vivitar Self-Contained AutoFocus (SCAF) lenses to fit it. Not a large selection of focal lengths. I bought a close-out but new and unused 75-200/4.5 SCAF lens in F-mount. Focus was miscalibrated, the seller replaced it with another better one. Not very good and I was never happy using it. Actually bought it to film birds on S8 with a Beaulieu. Useless for that. But I've seen positive comments about some of the others. Modern Photgraphy tested the 200/3.5 Series I SCAF, gave it a very good report.

Canon made a few SCAF lenses in FD mount. Ask Google to search for "self contained autofocus"

In AF cameras, the Nikon N2020/F501 might meet your needs. Might. Look into it.

mynewcolour · Feb 27, 2017

OptiKen · Feb 27, 2017

mynewcolour said:
f8

Still waiting for that one.

locutus · Feb 27, 2017

I think the Nikon N2020 is probably the most oldschool AF camera, its pretty similiar to a Nikon FA without a wind lever.

foc · Feb 27, 2017

mynewcolour said:
f8

+1, has worked for me plenty of times.

ic-racer · Feb 27, 2017

I have a Yashica Autofocus. The autofocus mechanism is 'old style,' using a primitive rangefinder mechanism. It does not work like a modern autofocus. It scans from far to near and stops at the first thing in focus. I like mine because the 38mm lens!

AgX · Feb 28, 2017

Dan Fromm said:
Canon made a few SCAF lenses in FD mount. Ask Google to search for "self contained autofocus"

Canon only made one model of such lens.

Harry Stevens · Mar 3, 2017

My Pentax SLR SFN-X AF cameras have a mode where a standard PK lens fitted of any make will not take the picture until it is in focus, just hold down the shutter and when the focus is right the camera goes "click", compare that to some Nikons AF that will not even allow the metering system or anything else to be used when using any standard F lens.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 3, 2017

Harry Stevens said:
... lens fitted of any make will not take the picture until it is in focus, just hold down the shutter and when the focus is right the camera goes "click" ...

"Trap focus". Some Canons had that and, with the MF-23 back, the Nikon F4 had it.

Regarding lens compatibility:

- Any of Canon's EF lenses from 1987 to today will work on any EOS body.

- Nikon has what I would call a 20-year sliding window of compatibility, with limitations that appear when one component (camera or lens) is beyond the edges of the window of the other.

OptiKen · Mar 3, 2017

I have never heard of "Trap focus"...
I'll need to check that out.
thanks

emacs · Mar 5, 2017

The Contax AX, while quite massive, definitely has a retro look about it with a squared-off pentaprism housing and metal top and bottom plates.

flavio81 · Mar 5, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
"Trap focus". Some Canons had that and,.

Canon EOS 650. I hated that "feature", otherwise a really good camera.

flavio81 · Mar 5, 2017

AgX said:
Canon only made one model of such lens.

Yes, the 35-70/4.

But perhaps the other forumer is referring to the FD AC lenses for the T80, which were three: 35-70/3.5-4.5, 50/1.8, and 70-210/4.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 6, 2017

OptiKen said:
I enjoy shooting with cameras from the 50's, 60's and 70's mostly. I like the look, feel, and handling of them. I guess I'm most comfortable with cameras closer to my age. lol

What cameras of that genre have auto-focus? I'm thinking in the lines of the OM series, Pentax k1000, Super ME, Program Plus, Nikon F series - cameras with that look and those ergonomics.

What auto focus cameras that look and feel like the above are there?

old-style auto-focus was called range focusing.lol

Erik D. Herrmann Sr. · Mar 31, 2017

In 1983 Nikon released the F3AF. Not the sexiest Nikon I've seen...

thuggins · Apr 3, 2017

The Olympus XA 1 is autofocus. Great little camera.

flavio81 · Apr 3, 2017

thuggins said:
The Olympus XA 1 is autofocus. Great little camera.

it is autofocus?!

Alan Gales · Apr 3, 2017

MattKrull said:
Not much in the way of Autofocus until the plastic-fantastic 1980s I'm afraid. Minolta Maxxum 7000 was, I believe, the first integrated AF SLR. Earlier cameras had special AF lenses that only worked with that model (Nikon F3AF as an example). It was introduced in 1985.
I have no experience with either, but the Nikon N2020 and F4 were sufficiently early in the AF era that they still used top dials for selecting shutter speed and stuff, so those might be the closest to what you are looking for.

You are correct. The Minolta Maxxum was the first autofocus SLR. I sold them new when they came out and it was a really big deal at the time.

TheRook · Apr 4, 2017

flavio81 said:
it is autofocus?!

I suppose one could interpret fixed focus as a simplistic form of "auto focus", as opposed to manual focus!

tokam · Apr 4, 2017

TheRook said:
I suppose one could interpret fixed focus as a simplistic form of "auto focus", as opposed to manual focus!

Or as some manufacturers call it - "Focus free".

I had some great results from a Pentax Espio 110 but it died a few years ago, fresh batteries couldn't resuscitate it and I wouldn't have a clue where to start with fixing the electronics in an AF compact camera.

klownshed · Apr 4, 2017

The earliest nikon AF models were a little bit like the older 70s style cameras but the era of AF SLRs also ushered in the plastic body and dreadful and sow kit zooms.

to my eyes the best looking AF camera was the rangefinder style Contax G1.

John Wiegerink · Apr 4, 2017

Harry Stevens said:
My Pentax SLR SFN-X AF cameras have a mode where a standard PK lens fitted of any make will not take the picture until it is in focus, just hold down the shutter and when the focus is right the camera goes "click", compare that to some Nikons AF that will not even allow the metering system or anything else to be used when using any standard F lens.

Some early Yashica's had "trap focus" also. Olympus had a camera (I owned one) called the OMF and it used standard lenses and looked like any other Olympus 35mm camera. It had "manual-autofocus". You looked through the viewfinder, focused the lens and when the green LED appeared you pushed the shutter button. Canon had a camera just like it, but I can't remember the model.

flavio81 · Apr 4, 2017

John Wiegerink said:
Some early Yashica's had "trap focus" also. Olympus had a camera (I owned one) called the OMF and it used standard lenses and looked like any other Olympus 35mm camera. It had "manual-autofocus". You looked through the viewfinder, focused the lens and when the green LED appeared you pushed the shutter button. Canon had a camera just like it, but I can't remember the model.

Canon AL-1

Old style Auto-focus

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