Plastic SLRs

cooltouch · Jan 4, 2018

Ronix18 said:
Nikon N75/F75 vs Minolta Dynax 5/Maxxum5
I come to you hoping that you all can help me decide, and maybe tell me your opinions and experiences with any of these two cameras. I've seen that you have mentioned the Nikon F75 quite a lot in this topic.

I’ve been shooting film for about 5 years now. I always shoot an Olympus OM-2n with a Zuiko 50mm 1.8, Olympus 35 RC and an Olympus mju ii (Stylus Epic). I do most of all color photography, not black and white. I shoot landscapes, architecture, urban life and sometimes portraits, I do not shoot street photography almost never. I am not a professional photographer, I just happen to love photography and I take it seriously, even though I do not need a super pro gear to be happy.

Even though I’m very happy with my cameras, I wanted to try an AF SLR which is small and light, because I don’t like heavy bulky cameras. I have small hands and I always carry a camera with me in my backpack (I always carry with me one of the above mentioned).

After doing some research, I decided I might take one of this two cameras: A Nikon N75 (or F75) or a Minolta Dynax 5 (Or Maxxum 5). I found both in mint condition (bodys only) for 30€ here where I live in France (shipment cost included).

I don't have any experience with the Dynax, or Maxxum as it's known over here. And I don't have any experience specific to the N75. However, I own an N80 (F80 over in your part of the world), which I suspect is a somewhat better camera than the N75. Despite my N80 being mostly plastic, I enjoy shooting with it. It has everything I need, controls-wise, and a selection of metering patterns, which is important to me. AF is rapid and quiet, as is the mirror and film advance. It is a very quiet camera. I've mostly used my 50mm f/1.8 D and 28-105mm D lenses on it and they work well together. Over here, the N80 can be bought for very cheap -- typically about $40 for a clean example. All N80s I've owned (and I've owned several) have the stickiness problem. The entire exterior of the camera becomes sticky over time as the plastic coating begins to age. If you get an N75, you'll likely be facing this same issue. Folks here have derived a variety of methods for taking care of the stickiness issue, so it shouldn't stop you from considering it.

Which ever way you go, give some thought to the lens(es) you'll buy for it. You're not new to 35mm photography, so I know you know this already.

Wallendo · Jan 4, 2018

Ronix18 said:
Nikon N75/F75 vs Minolta Dynax 5/Maxxum5

Hello, everyone.

I come to you hoping that you all can help me decide, and maybe tell me your opinions and experiences with any of these two cameras. I've seen that you have mentioned the Nikon F75 quite a lot in this topic.
...
I really cannot decide yet, that’s why I would be so grateful if you could help me and give me some advices.

Thank you in advance, guys!

I'm partial to the Minolta, but that is just personal bias. I routinely use the AF 50/1.7 lens. It's more expensive cousins, the 50mm macro and AF 50/1.4 are rated higher, but I find the 50/1.7 more than adequate for my needs. (I'm a hobbyist who judges lenses by how well the final image looks from a reasonable distance and don't get my loupes out to check the corners.)

Ronix18 · Jan 4, 2018

cooltouch said:
I don't have any experience with the Dynax, or Maxxum as it's known over here. And I don't have any experience specific to the N75. However, I own an N80 (F80 over in your part of the world), which I suspect is a somewhat better camera than the N75. Despite my N80 being mostly plastic, I enjoy shooting with it. It has everything I need, controls-wise, and a selection of metering patterns, which is important to me. AF is rapid and quiet, as is the mirror and film advance. It is a very quiet camera. I've mostly used my 50mm f/1.8 D and 28-105mm D lenses on it and they work well together. Over here, the N80 can be bought for very cheap -- typically about $40 for a clean example. All N80s I've owned (and I've owned several) have the stickiness problem. The entire exterior of the camera becomes sticky over time as the plastic coating begins to age. If you get an N75, you'll likely be facing this same issue. Folks here have derived a variety of methods for taking care of the stickiness issue, so it shouldn't stop you from considering it.

Which ever way you go, give some thought to the lens(es) you'll buy for it. You're not new to 35mm photography, so I know you know this already.

Hi. Thanks a lot!
What about matrix metering? I have read that matrix metering is optimized (rather than calling it calibrated) for slide film and digital (that is if you take a meter reading with the F5 matrix metering and use the settings on a DSLR the result is great) and doesn't work well with color negative film.

Wallendo said:
I routinely use the AF 50/1.7 lens.

Thank you for your answer.

Someone I know told me this exactly:
"The worse thing about the Dynax is the 50/1.7 lens. I have two of these lenses and while they are very sharp when they can focus they often miss focus. I get soft out of focus pictures 4 out of 10 shots on different AF Minolta bodies. I don't know if maybe the lenses have dried lubricants or what the problem is but my Dynax 5 can focus fine with other Minolta AF lenses. I have heard this is a common problem with the AF 50/1.7 especially wide open. Both my 50/1.7 have focus problems but otherwise they are very sharp".

So I'm kind of confused. Two more people confirmed this.

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2018

Ronix18 said:
Nikon N75/F75 vs Minolta Dynax 5/Maxxum5

Hello, everyone.

I come to you hoping that you all can help me decide, and maybe tell me your opinions and experiences with any of these two cameras. I've seen that you have mentioned the Nikon F75 quite a lot in this topic.

I’ve been shooting film for about 5 years now. I always shoot an Olympus OM-2n with a Zuiko 50mm 1.8, Olympus 35 RC and an Olympus mju ii (Stylus Epic). I do most of all color photography, not black and white. I shoot landscapes, architecture, urban life and sometimes portraits, I do not shoot street photography almost never. I am not a professional photographer, I just happen to love photography and I take it seriously, even though I do not need a super pro gear to be happy.

Even though I’m very happy with my cameras, I wanted to try an AF SLR which is small and light, because I don’t like heavy bulky cameras. I have small hands and I always carry a camera with me in my backpack (I always carry with me one of the above mentioned).

After doing some research, I decided I might take one of this two cameras: A Nikon N75 (or F75) or a Minolta Dynax 5 (Or Maxxum 5). I found both in mint condition (bodys only) for 30€ here where I live in France (shipment cost included).

Ergonomics, size and weight are the dealbreaker for me (otherwise I’d take an F100), and of course lenses (I want to buy an AF 50mm f/1.8 d if I choose the Nikon or an AF 50mm f/1.7 if I choose the Minolta, because I prefer shooting in 50mm than a lens-kit).

I have read that overall the Minolta is a better camera, and I wanted to know if the lens just mentioned is also better than the Nikon one.

What about metering, exposure and AF speed in these two cameras? Apparently, the Dynax is better metering light (and it’s easier to use the spot metering) and it focus faster, but I’m concerned that the lens is not as sharp as the Nikon one. Also, I prefer the black look of the Nikon, even though the Minolta kind of reminds me of my OM-2n.

I really cannot decide yet, that’s why I would be so grateful if you could help me and give me some advices.

Thank you in advance, guys!

I have had a Nikon N75 since 2003 and I have used it heavily. I have never had a problem with it. I use it for color negative film and I have a Nikon F100 which I use for black & white film. I like both but I like the F100 much better.

Ronix18 · Jan 4, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
I have had a Nikon N75 since 2003 and I have used it heavily. I have never had a problem with it. I use it for color negative film and I have a Nikon F100 which I use for black & white film. I like both but I like the F100 much better.

Hi, thanks a lot!
Could younplease answer some questions:
Is it light and small? What about metering? Does it focus quite fast? Is the viewfinder bright enough?
What are the things you don’t like about it?

Cheers.

Sirius Glass · Jan 4, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
I have had a Nikon N75 since 2003 and I have used it heavily. I have never had a problem with it. I use it for color negative film and I have a Nikon F100 which I use for black & white film. I like both but I like the F100 much better.

Ronix18 said:
Hi, thanks a lot!
Could younplease answer some questions:
Is it light and small? What about metering? Does it focus quite fast? Is the viewfinder bright enough?
What are the things you don’t like about it?

Cheers.

Both focus quickly. Both have bright viewfinders.
The N75 has a built in flash.
Both are light. The size is about the normal size for 35mm SLRs, but both are smaller than the F5, and F6.
Both have matrix zone focusing, but the F100 allows one to select one or more focus points as will as act as a spot meter.
I like the additional capabilities of the F100. I like both but my favorite is the F100.

John Earley · Jan 5, 2018

I've owned several N80's over the years and used one earlier today. A great film camera with lots of modern features that make moving from film to digital and back seamless. I also have an N90s and an N8008 that I never use anymore, partly due to size/weight and partly due to features. The N80 takes all my G lenses and I can carry it and my D750 and share the lenses. The 'sticky back' problem on my N80 cameras was cured by treating them with some automotive 'Armor All Protectant' and no more stickyness.
I like the N80 so much I bought another one this morning.

ETA I particularly like the N80 with an AF Nikkor ED 180mm 2.8 for b&w portraits.

Chuckwade87 · Jan 7, 2018

Sewin said:
How about one of these then to trial?
Cheap enough on fleabay.

Chinon Genesis or Olympus iS. I read the Olympus iS-3000 weren't too bad.

Anyone have one?

View attachment 157836

View attachment 157837

Yes according to the "experts" the Genesis was "the future of photography"

I've got a Chinon Genesis IV, just waiting for everyone to catch up to this ground breaking camera....

John Earley · Jan 20, 2018

My latest N80. $21 on the auction site.

No stikitation on this one.

cooltouch · Jan 21, 2018

Ronix18 said:
Hi. Thanks a lot!
What about matrix metering? I have read that matrix metering is optimized (rather than calling it calibrated) for slide film and digital (that is if you take a meter reading with the F5 matrix metering and use the settings on a DSLR the result is great) and doesn't work well with color negative film.

Sorry, I must have missed your question. Honestly, I don't use matrix metering. I prefer "partial" where just the central area of the viewfinder is used for the meter. It most closely approximates the metering pattern that I am most familiar with, that I've used for about 35 years -- the pattern found in the old Canon FTb and original F-1. Those cameras have a rectangle visible in the frame, which accounts for about 12% of the image area. Metering occurs only within this central rectangle. I got so used to this metering method, where I would move the rectangle about over the scene and evaluate how exposure values changed. I could even figure out a good average of a scene by placing the rectangle on the subject such that there was a good balance. I strive to do this same thing with more modern cameras, like the N80, that offer partial metering with the hopes of achieving the same or similar results.

I don't know if matrix metering is optimized for slide film (thus digital), but this sort of makes sense to me. One of the first things I learned about shooting digital images was that digital's exposure latitude is similar to that of slide film, which is to say, rather narrow. Print film has a much greater latitude. I would think, however, that matrix metering should still work well with color negative film. But there's one thing worth noting -- slide film handles underexposure much better than over exposure, whereas print film is just the opposite. Print film doesn't handle under exposure very well at all, unless it's push processed. So the photographer will perhaps want to be cognizant of the exposure situation for best outcome.

wiltw · Jan 21, 2018

blockend said:
I have a big soft spot for entry level autofocus SLRs. By the late 1990s and early 2000s they were high functioning, reliable, adaptable, lightweight and in 2016, they're dirt cheap.

I had one of the entry level AF Canon EOS of the late '80s and I could not rid myself of it fast enough. Glad to hear that decade of evolution was beneficial.

cooltouch · Jan 21, 2018

I borrowed a friends EOS 650 (Canon's first EOS model) and took it with me on a trip to Taiwan. This was back in the 90s. I found the 650 to be rugged and reliable. For one thing, it was a genuine, metal-bodied camera -- something of a rarity these days with modern cameras. I shot slides with it and they all came out perfectly exposed.

blockend · May 7, 2018

Saturday saw three rolls of colour film put through my Nikon F55 and 28mm 1.8. With no strap the handle felt fully secure, as the camera weighs next to nothing. It barely left my hand all day, which accounts for the number of shots taken. I used it on manual focus, mostly pre-focused. Probably the fastest, most accessible combination in my film camera collection.

SilverShutter · May 7, 2018

I only trust my rolls of slide to the EOS 300, it hasn't missed exposure one single time. As much as I like metal bodied mechanical cameras, a needle or two LED's are not always precise enough, so thats where this cameras come to play.

wjlapier · May 7, 2018

Recently, I purchased a Nikon U2 ( N/F75 ) and have put three rolls through it already. 2 rolls at my son's track meet last week. The AF is actually pretty fast for a consumer plastic camera. Continuous AF works fast enough but I think at 1.5 FPS! Meter works very well. I use mine with a Nikon 50/1.4D and 28-105D lenses. Looking to trade my 50/1.4 for an AFS 50/1.8. AF speed of the camera is also dependent on the AF speed of the lens. For most things the AF speed of the 50/1.4 is fast enough--but I'd like a little faster. Someone mentioned the size of the camera. About the size of a D40 ( maybe the newer D5300 ). Tiny and light weight. Very good camera.

TonyB65 · May 18, 2018

I have 3 plastic fantastic SLR's, two mint condition Canon EOS 50E's (Elan) with eye focus (which does actually work really well) and I just picked up a Minolta 7000, the first mass produced camera with AF in body. The Canons are excellent machines which work really well, you just have to be careful with the battery doors, which is their weak spot, but other than that they're bargains which will autofocus all the digital lenses (including STM lenses). The auto-focusing is also snappy and reliable. If you wanted to design a camera that encapsulated the 80's then you wouldn't need to bother, the Minolta 7000 is it, it's loud and screams 80's design, the only thing it's missing is shoulder pads. That being said it's very well designed functionally and the AF is also pretty snappy. My 2 Canon's cost me £20 in total, one was given to me free and I bought a backup because I liked it so much. The Minolta was won in an physical auction as part of a job lot which included 2 other cameras and several lenses, so actually didn't cost me much either. Both these models are still readily available and if you want cheap but very capable I'd recommend both. Don't knock the plastic fantastic's, they're capable of delivering great results for peanuts.

blockend · May 18, 2018

One of the things I look for in a plastic SLR is manual focusing ability in an AF lens. This may seem a bizarre aspiration, however I find some older auto focus cameras are confused by foreground objects, shooting through fences and so on, or are just a bit slow especially in low light. Manual focus feel varies a lot, as does the convenience of the manual switch. Some AF lenses have a solid focus ring, others a vestigial dial that is an emergency only option. This is particularly important in zoom lenses. They also vary in feel.

cooltouch · May 19, 2018

I've found the Nikon D-Series AF lenses to work well in manual mode. The ones I have have focusing rings that are large enough, with long enough focusing throws that are reasonably well damped, to be perfectly usable as manual lenses.

Sirius Glass · May 19, 2018

cooltouch said:
I've found the Nikon D-Series AF lenses to work well in manual mode. The ones I have have focusing rings that are large enough, with long enough focusing throws that are reasonably well damped, to be perfectly usable as manual lenses.

Ditto, but I rarely needed to use the manual mode.

.

cooltouch · May 24, 2018

Heh. You must not own an F4. Sometimes I get so frustrated with that beast, I just set it to manual focus, so as to be done with all the nonsense.

blockend · May 25, 2018

cooltouch said:
Heh. You must not own an F4. Sometimes I get so frustrated with that beast, I just set it to manual focus, so as to be done with all the nonsense.

The F4 is sometimes called the best manual focus camera ever made ; )

Sirius Glass · May 25, 2018

blockend said:
The F4 is sometimes called the best manual focus camera ever made ; )

No, it is the F100.

.

cooltouch · May 25, 2018

Hehe. I'll have to remember that.

Sewin · Nov 24, 2018

Just picked up this with all the trimmings apart from a lens, very lightly used and not all plastic, Will use it with a small zoom lens.

blockend · Nov 24, 2018

A well spec'ed camera, the F60. Bigger and heavier than the F55, but with a more solid feel (metal chassis?) Mine came with the 28-80 D which is quite well thought of for a kit lens.

Plastic SLRs

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