Recommendations Please!

Sirius Glass · Dec 10, 2017

John Koehrer said:
I didn't look at prices. It's just a bit larger than Dick Tracy's wrist radio. Can you say Tessina?

https://petapixel.com/2016/10/05/tessina-vintage-mini-35mm-camera-can-wear-like-watch

I have a Tessina with a prism. I do not have thee folding viewer. With the prism the camera is heavy for my wrist so it just sits on the entry way table loaded with film waiting to be taken out. When I do finish the Tri-X I will try the tabular grain films since the Tri-X developed in replenished XTOL is really grainy for any enlargements.

ic-racer · Dec 10, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
The Minolta 16II is fixed focus and has supplementary lenses for near and far (landscape) focus. The negative is tiny and is not great for enlargements.

When I'm using them I carry 2 or three, each setup with a different focal point so I don't have to worry about dropping a lens in the field. BTW f2.8 lens, faster than Minox!
Great cameras with sharp lenses:

tokam · Dec 10, 2017

A very low cost option may be a Ricoh 500G/X. Shutter priority and manual with a good rangefinder and the lens is surprisingly good.

E. von Hoegh · Dec 10, 2017

ic-racer said:
When I'm using them I carry 2 or three, each setup with a different focal point so I don't have to worry about dropping a lens in the field. BTW f2.8 lens, faster than Minox!
Great cameras with sharp lenses:
View attachment 191671 View attachment 191672

Yep, I agree about the lens. I have two of the 16II, one in the original box. I've used each for one roll of film as I do not yet have the correct reels and so on, developed the film in a tray.
The few enlargements I've made at about 4"x5" are close to my limit for grain, but they are certainly sharp. Neat little cameras, there are plenty of times when grain isn't so bad.

RalphLambrecht · Dec 10, 2017

Thomas Keidan said:
Hi Everyone,

I currently have an Olympus 35 RC as well as an Olympus Mju II. I'm currently looking for a small pocketable camera that I can take out with me. The Mju is great but I would like something that is more manual. The Olympus 35 RC is small but not that small... I can fit it in a jacket pocket but it's not as convenient to carry around as the mju. So does anyone have any recommendations on what I could get for a similar price as the Mju and 35 RC (around £100-150). A couple of options I have seen are the Rollei 35 S and the Olympus XA but any other recommendations would be much appreciated! If anyone has any experience with either of these models and can let me know how they perform in relation to what I already have that would be great!

my Rollei35 spent more time in repair than in my hands.

E. von Hoegh · Dec 10, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
my Rollei35 spent more time in repair than in my hands.

Mine belonged to a family member, it was dropped in Naples in 1979 which bollocksed the meter, it was repaired and used, went through a couple more ownership changes and was given to me by my stepbrother's ex significant other two years ago. Still works, meter accurate! They did a good job, there's no trace of the original drop.
That said, they're an acquired taste. Such a waste to put that lovely Sonnar on a scale focussing camera.

Les Sarile · Dec 10, 2017

Thomas Keidan said:
Hi Everyone,

I currently have an Olympus 35 RC as well as an Olympus Mju II. I'm currently looking for a small pocketable camera that I can take out with me. The Mju is great but I would like something that is more manual. The Olympus 35 RC is small but not that small... I can fit it in a jacket pocket but it's not as convenient to carry around as the mju. So does anyone have any recommendations on what I could get for a similar price as the Mju and 35 RC (around £100-150).

Of course the Olympus Stylus Epic is amazingly small with a great lens. It is totally pocketable but at the expense of other features - that may or may not be important to you. Here are some side-by-side size comparisons relative to the Epic.

The Nikon 35Ti is bigger and heavier but with a bit more control though way out of your price range.
The Olympus Pen FT lacks the viewfinder hump of the full size SLRs but takes half frame shots on 35mm film resulting in double the number of exposures. Notice the portrait orientation of the mirror.
The Pentax MX and Olympus OM uses full frame 35mm and are the smallest full manual cameras with the largest viewfinders. If it is important, there are also equally small versions with aperture priority (ME Super and OM2).

Pentax MX with the pancake 40mm f2.8 is jacket pocket size.

OlyMan · Dec 11, 2017

Les Sarile said:
Pentax MX with the pancake 40mm f2.8 is jacket pocket size.

Even the Pentax MX is quite a bit larger than his 35RC and he's wanting something smaller. Olympus XA is my recommendation, but you're coming at the hobby 30-odd years too late to expect to be able to buy one and use it heavily at such an age without ever encountering problems. Where were you in 1985? (I know...I'm ancient...probably you were still a sperm and an egg.)

Les Sarile · Dec 11, 2017

OlyMan said:
Even the Pentax MX is quite a bit larger than his 35RC and he's wanting something smaller. Olympus XA is my recommendation, but you're coming at the hobby 30-odd years too late to expect to be able to buy one and use it heavily at such an age without ever encountering problems.

By comparison, all other 35mm cameras are not only much larger then the Epic, but also much heavier for small pockets.

I don't have one but I seem to recall seeing a belt clip for the Pentax?

BTW, if you look at the other recommendations provided you will notice they are far larger then the MX/OM-1 and none of them provides the accuracy of an SLR let alone the huge and bright viewfinders of these duo. The others using less then a full frame of 35mm are definitely much smaller but so are the resulting images. No doubt there is always a compromise somewhere.

Arbitrarium · Dec 11, 2017

If you want to get more manual, I'll second the suggestion for a Kodak Retina II. (IIa if you absolutely must have a rapid wind lever for some reason). Fits in a jeans pocket. Smaller than the later, rounded Retinas. Coupled rangefinder. f/2 lens. All metal and gorgeous. Example shot with the fixed Xenon lens.

E. von Hoegh · Dec 11, 2017

Arbitrarium said:
If you want to get more manual, I'll second the suggestion for a Kodak Retina II. (IIa if you absolutely must have a rapid wind lever for some reason). Fits in a jeans pocket. Smaller than the later, rounded Retinas. Coupled rangefinder. f/2 lens. All metal and gorgeous. Example shot with the fixed Xenon lens.

I get a laugh how we're all recommending the cameras we like and or use.
A Contax II with collapsible Sonnar or Tessar fits in a big pocket, btw.
The best advice I've read so far is that the o.p. get used to using the cameras he has, befor accumulating more.
Some of the best advice I ever recieved was "one camera, one lens, one film, one developer", which I applied to Deardorff V8, 30cm Dagor, Tri-X, Hc-110, for one year.

Arbitrarium · Dec 11, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
I get a laugh how we're all recommending the cameras we like and or use.
A Contax II with collapsible Sonnar or Tessar fits in a big pocket, btw.
The best advice I've read so far is that the o.p. get used to using the cameras he has, befor accumulating more.
Some of the best advice I ever recieved was "one camera, one lens, one film, one developer", which I applied to Deardorff V8, 30cm Dagor, Tri-X, Hc-110.

True, but we can't recommend anything we haven't used! I never got on with the XA. Too fiddly to focus.

I could manage with one camera, one lens. But one film? Never!

Chuckwade87 · Dec 11, 2017

Only one film? That's blasphemous...

E. von Hoegh · Dec 11, 2017

Chuckwade87 said:
Only one film? That's blasphemous...

No it isn't, it's called a "learning tool".

jack straw · Dec 11, 2017

I've handled an XA, and it was surprisingly solid feeling. The rangefinder was so small and faint I didn't even see it at first! But once you locate it, it works fine on stationary subjects. The controls are definitely a little bit fiddly but it's a very nice camera.

I have a Rollei 35T (Tessar f/3.5 lens, made in Singapore) and it is great, but also fiddly in a different sort of way. I can definitely see why it seems to be a love it/hate it camera. The build itself is very solid feeling and precise, except for the shutter/aperture dials, which are a little mushy but work fine. I actually like the way all the controls are visible from the top. If you shoot outdoors f/8-f/16 it is a terrific camera, and even works fine for chasing around my toddler using zone focusing. The viewfinder is very nice--I wear glasses and can see all the framelines at once. The meter on mine is fine for daylight, but it wants to underexpose indoor or low light shots. But I use a small modern light meter most of the time anyway--Gossen Digisix.

AgX · Dec 11, 2017

Seemingly not mentioned so far:

Minox 35 (the mother of all miniature 35mm cameras)

There are also quite same remakes of it by other manufacturers.

Ko.Fe. · Dec 11, 2017

Thomas Keidan said:
That's a shame about the XA, I was leaning towards that as an option but obviously would be using it a fair bit and not letting it gather dust!

It is aging of exposure meters in XA and too tiny electronics in Minox 35. Two major flaws for these two cameras. I would not buy Minox 35, it wasn't good even new, even late, "improved" versions, lots of cameras for repair even back then.
XA, if it is still works by now, might lasts for one year for sure as everyday, everywhere camera. Here is one rule to make it lasts as long as possible. Which is, never put camera in the pocket. Matching in size neoprene pouch and only after camera in it, it goes to the pocket. With XA it will help, with Minox 35 not really. Which is shame indeed, while XA has good lens for BW and especially for colors, Minox 35 lens is better one.
But then Minox 35 will crap out, here is the way to re-use its great lens in M-mount. XA with dead light meter (main one) will still works with flash or it is good source for 35mm viewfinder.

tedr1 · Dec 11, 2017

Arbitrarium said:
I never got on with the XA. Too fiddly to focus.

My experience with the XA was different, I didn't find the focus "fiddly". As with every camera the handling becomes automatic following the period of familiarization and with use. There are two controls, aperture (on the left side of the picture below) having seven steps is adjusted using the index finger; focus, a small lever beneath the lens which is adjusted using the middle finger (white line in the center below the lens). The split image rangefinder is of course in the center of the viewfinder, there is also the choice to set the focus lever by feel, (the lever travel is short and the lens focal length is 35mm) which in some situations is either quicker or easier than using the split image. I think of this delightful little camera as a "poor man's Leica" and used mine to make many fine photographs while on the go.

This picture is a little larger than life size.

Arbitrarium · Dec 12, 2017

tedr1 said:
My experience with the XA was different, I didn't find the focus "fiddly". As with every camera the handling becomes automatic following the period of familiarization and with use.

My problem with it is that the focus tab won't stay in one place for quick zone focusing. I did have a thought to modify an XA with detents and a ball bearing/spring to allow click-stops for zone focusing. Might be a project one day, but I'll stick with the XA2 for now. Just makes more sense as an everyday pocket camera.

The Minox Minotar is indeed a better lens than the XA, but they're unreliable. I've been through a few of them and when using it, you just feel like you're waiting for it to stop working.

OlyMan · Dec 12, 2017

Before ICs came along and turned all the lovely controls into push-buttons and automatics, there was a limit to how small you could make a camera before something had to give. OP's Oly 35RC is often considered the pinnacle of miniaturisation in the realm of rangefinder cameras, and anything much smaller was commonly a bit compromised one way or another, eg fewer facilities, zone focussing, or fiddly controls. Vintage folding cameras are the obvious exception, but hey don't usually have meters. I don't think OP really wants a camera which doesn't have a meter, but of course I could be wrong.

Recommendations Please!

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