Recommendations for a small, light, inexpensive 35mm camera w/ a 50 lens

[gone]

After mulling this over for what seems like eons, I'm finally ready to divest myself of every bit of photographic gear I own in order to get back to graphic art, but I still want a 35mm camera to carry around. Just because. Small, light, and cheap is the goal. AF or MF is fine as long as those criteria are met, along w/ lens IQ that is "good enough" and a build quality that won't remind on my old Holgas.

My first thought was a Nikon EM w/ a Series E 50 1.8 lens because that sort of fits the bill, but I have one here (the body anyway) and don't much like it. It feels like a cheap toy, especially that Rube Goldbergish film advance crank. A Pentax K1000 w/ a 50 lens is more weight than I would like too. There must be something other than the clam shell XA cameras. I owned one of those in the past and wasn't that impressed w/ the IQ or the teeny, tiny viewfinder. Any other ideas? A $50 and under SLR full frame camera is what I'm shooting for, but zone focus, fixed lens, or rangefinder might be OK as well.

A Konica C35 or clone might just be the ticket, but I am open to other suggestions, especially as those cameras have a wider lens than I prefer. For me, a 50 is just right. A 45 would probably be close enough too.

 

[pbromaghin]

A Pentax ME Super is about as small as a 35mm frame gets, and is very capable. And very solid feeling in the hands.

 

[John Bragg]

Nikon F90x is a good buy. I got one a couple of years ago with the original Af Nikkor 50mm f1.8 and once I had treated the usual sticky back problem, it made a great camera. I also have an F100 and an F5 bought since the F90X. All these models have good af and metering and are equally at home with manual focus Nikkor lenses. I understand that variants of the F90x made it into space with NASA.

 

[nsurit]

Olympus XA (the original one, rather than the 2,3 or 4) might work. Small, good quality lens. Why have a SLR if you are only going to have one lens?

 

[cuthbert]

Suggestions? Many.

Pentax MX with M50mm f1.7, Nikon FM with Nikkor 1.8, Fujica ST705 with 55mm f1.8 are the first that pops in my mind.

 

[M Carter]

You're about to get a thousand suggestions...

But if you like Nikons, and are cool with a modern plastic body, I'll second the (in the US) N90s. Get one with the battery grip. They're all over ebay for under $100.

If you want the old-school metal look, the older Nikons are popular. I like the FG very much (dirt cheap - $20 sometimes) and very compact. They lack DOF preview though.

Much as I love the Nikons, for a walkaround camera it's the old Minolta Himatic II rangefinder. Cool retro looking thing, great meter, shoots auto or manual. And the lens is nice & sharp. It's just got a little mojo (as do many old Japanese RFs - I chose the II because the meter works when shooting manually).

 

[Paul Howell]

Konica TC with 57mm 1.7, Canon T70 with Canon FD 50mm 1.8, OM 1 with 50 1.9, Canon QL with 50 1.9, Vivitar Xc with 50mm 2.0 a little larger Pentax KM, MX, somewhat newer AF, Pentax SF1 with AF 50 1.8 (?) Minolta 5000 or 7000 with Minolta AF 50 1.7. The Minotla AF 50 is a bargain.

 

[MattKing]

Olympus OMG (OM20) with a 50mm f/1.8 Zuiko lens.

 

[JW PHOTO]

The little Rollei 35's are nice, but a little heavier. The C35 is excellent and can be had for cheap. I've also owned serval Oly XA's in an attempt to find a real winner, but never did. None of those XA cameras were very good until you reached f5.6. My all-time favorite camera with a 35mm lens is the Minox 35. If you can find an Minox EL that's working you'll have twice the picture taker the XA was. If you spend a little more go for a Minox MB or ML and you won't have battery compatability problems that way. The ML and MB are also much less trouble prone too. Folded up the Minox 35mm is extremely small and light weight. They have some quirks too, but can deliver first rate photos. Just my experience and your's may be different. John W

 

[Chan Tran]

If you don't mind shooting Canon I have a couple. An AE-1 (original not the P version) chrome with the 50mm f/1.8 or an A-1 with the 50mm f/1.8. Either one is available for less than $50.

 

[frank]

In slr: Nikon fg with series E 50 f1.8 (type 2), or Contax 139.

In point and shoot: Rollei afm35

http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Reviews/h_Rollei_AFM_35/a_Rollei_AFM_35.html

 

[John Koehrer]

Geez!
The N90 isn't small or light, most AF cameras aren't small.
In Pentax a couple would be the MX or ME super, the super has manually selected speeds and auto

Nikon: FG, FG 20 are about the size of the EM. Those bodies and a series E lens would be close too.

Except for the MX the others can be had for less than $50.00 with lens.

 

[Chan Tran]

I bough an MX with the 50mm f/1.4 SMC-M lens for $5. I sold it for $50 because everything is good except that flash sync won't fire.

 

[4season]

Nikon FG + 50/1.8E: Well-made, common--and in no great demand. That lens is close to pancake-size, but unlike the pancake lenses from other makers, it sold in great quantities as part of a starter package, hence tends to be plentiful and inexpensive. Top cover of camera is plastic, hence unlikely to get dinged, but it can chip if dropped.

 

[Alan Gales]

Nikon F100.

Dead Link Removed

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/f100.htm

 

[JW PHOTO]

The little Rollei 35's are nice, but a little heavier. The C35 is excellent and can be had for cheap. I've also owned serval Oly XA's in an attempt to find a real winner, but never did. None of those XA cameras were very good until you reached f5.6. My all-time favorite camera with a 35mm lens is the Minox 35. If you can find an Minox EL that's working you'll have twice the picture taker the XA was. If you spend a little more go for a Minox MB or ML and you won't have battery compatability problems that way. The ML and MB are also much less trouble prone too. Folded up the Minox 35mm is extremely small and light weight. They have some quirks too, but can deliver first rate photos. Just my experience and your's may be different. John W

Whoop! I read it wrong and now see you want 50mm or close to it.

 

[Alan Gales]

In slr: Nikon fg with series E 50 f1.8 (type 2), or Contax 139.

In point and shoot: Rollei afm35

http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Reviews/h_Rollei_AFM_35/a_Rollei_AFM_35.html

I bought a Contax 139 brand new back in the 1980's. In my opinion if it had had matrix metering it would have been the best 35mm camera ever made. No, it's not as durable as a Leica M series or some of the Nikon SLR's but it just works really, really well in every way.

 

[Alan Gales]

Frank poses an interesting option with the Rollei afm35.

You could also add the Fuji 645 rangefinders. Yes, they are medium format but they are small and inexpensive plus they give you a larger negative with very sharp lenses.

 

[moranjr]

Nikon N90s/F90x with a 50mm f/1.8 D!

 

[frank]

If medium format is in play, I'd recommend the Perkeo ll. Amazingly compact for a 6x6. Folds and fits a pocket.

 

[Alan Gales]

If medium format is in play, I'd recommend the Perkeo ll. Amazingly compact for a 6x6. Folds and fits a pocket.

I have never heard of a Perkeo so I googled it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_AVMzquqqI

Thanks Frank, now I want one!

 

[Alan Gales]

No Perkeos presently for sale on ebay.

 

[darkosaric]

This thread made me wonder: are there any cheap small and light rangefinders with 50mm lens? Not 35mm, not 42mm, not zoom - but exactly 50mm.

 

[klownshed]

I'd suggest one of the following Olympus cameras depending on your preferences (Olympus are probably the kings of 'small and light'):

Trip (original one): Doesn't need batteries, lots of fun to use, fantastic f2.8 42mm lens. Easy zone focussing with indicator within the viewfinder.

XA-2 : cheap and cheerful, rugged clamshell design. f3.5 35mm lens.

Any OM with 50mm f1.8 (Double digits are easy to find within budget, if you scour the auction site listing you may get a single digit within budget too).

The XA-2 and OM2 are my most used 35mm cameras by a large margin. The XA-2 is almost always with me as it's by far the most convenient to carry, as I can just chuck it in a rucksack and not worry about it. I paid 99p for mine!

I have a soft spot for the Trip though. It's far better than such a mass market 'idiot proof' camera had any right to be!

 

[Zorkiphoto]

Another thumbs up here for the XA2, or the original XA.

I love the Olympus 35RC rangefinder, too. Small, really easy to use, beautifully sharp lens. The Poor Man's Leica.

If you want a small SLR, go for an Olympus OM-2 - I found my oM-2 more reliable than the OM-1.

If you can find one, the Voigtlander Bessaflex is a great, small, reliable modern SLR - and it takes M42 screw mount lenses, which were made in abundance...

S