Searching for a good concert 35mm Compact Camera

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

Hi! My first post!

I'm trying to decide on a good 35mm film compact camera to use at a concert. I'll be about 40 to 50 feet from the stage and want something that is fairly versatile. I want it to be inconspicuous so I don't bother anyone around me when I take a few shots. I'm planning to probably use Cinestill 800T film.

My major concerns are:

-I don't want it to have any lights that would bother the audience or performers.

-I'd like a zoom lens if possible

-A decently large aperture. (Though I understand with a zoom lens that is harder.)

-Something not too noisy too.

-Fairly pocket-able.

Any suggestions would be most helpful! Thanks!

-RobbieMnemonic

Hatchetman · Feb 17, 2017

Budget?

I might go Leica M series with 90mm Summicron, but that's going to cost you about $4000.

nsurit · Feb 17, 2017

Welcome to APUG. Finding something small, light and relatively quiet should not be too much problem. The kicker is when you say you want a zoom with a fairly large aperture that is pocketable. The body requirements could be pretty easily be met with any of the Olympus OM single digit bodies (OM 1, 2, 3 or 4) or any number of other camera brands. Given that I use the OM system, my pick for the body would likely be an OM 2 or 2n. They are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. I'm assuming you will be using you camera hand held. A couple of zooms that might do the job from the Tamron SP adaptall line are the 23A which is a 60-300mm f3.8-5.4 which is a little slow, but light and relatively inexpensive. Another is the 30A which is 80-200mm f2.8 and is heavy and expensive and won't fit is your pocket and might be a stretch on the pocket book. One that might fit in the pocket and pocket book is the Olympus Zuiko 75-150mm f4 although it might not give you the reach at 3X normal focal length. Bill Barber

thuggins · Feb 17, 2017

Your description sounds like one of the zoom models of the Olympus Stylus. You would have to remember to keep turning the flash off; want to insist on using the flash.

EdSawyer · Feb 17, 2017

I usually bring a Konica hexar AF when I go to concerts. It checks all the boxes except zoom lens.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

Oh man, lots of replies already! Cool! I should have said, I'm looking for a nice cheapo compact. Like the Olympus Stylus or such. In that $50ish range. Nothing too fancy, but something y'all think I'd get the best bang for my bucks.

Hatchetman said:
Budget?

I might go Leica M series with 90mm Summicron, but that's going to cost you about $4000.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

I was thinking of something more in the Compact consumer camera range. Like I saw a Minolta Freedom Zoom on eBay for example. Something like that or The OM Stylus. Basically, a decent "toy" camera.

nsurit said:
Welcome to APUG. Finding something small, light and relatively quiet should not be too much problem. The kicker is when you say you want a zoom with a fairly large aperture that is pocketable. The body requirements could be pretty easily be met with any of the Olympus OM single digit bodies (OM 1, 2, 3 or 4) or any number of other camera brands. Given that I use the OM system, my pick for the body would likely be an OM 2 or 2n. They are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. I'm assuming you will be using you camera hand held. A couple of zooms that might do the job from the Tamron SP adaptall line are the 23A which is a 60-300mm f3.8-5.4 which is a little slow, but light and relatively inexpensive. Another is the 30A which is 80-200mm f2.8 and is heavy and expensive and won't fit is your pocket and might be a stretch on the pocket book. One that might fit in the pocket and pocket book is the Olympus Zuiko 75-150mm f4 although it might not give you the reach at 3X normal focal length. Bill Barber

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

Oh, and thanks for the welcome!

RobbieMnemonic said:
I was thinking of something more in the Compact consumer camera range. Like I saw a Minolta Freedom Zoom on eBay for example. Something like that or The OM Stylus. Basically, a decent "toy" camera.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

What do you all think of cameras like these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/262845701579

https://www.ebay.com/itm/291404401889

https://www.ebay.com/itm/321881855249

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

That is a great camera but a little out of my price range ATM. I'm looking for nice but super cheap. Lol!

EdSawyer said:
I usually bring a Konica hexar AF when I go to concerts. It checks all the boxes except zoom lens.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

So do you have to turn the flash off after each shot on the Stylus?

thuggins said:
Your description sounds like one of the zoom models of the Olympus Stylus. You would have to remember to keep turning the flash off; want to insist on using the flash.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 17, 2017

My other question is if this is pointless because of light limitations. Since I'm shooting at like ISO 1600 or 3200 and the aperture is smallish like f5.6 to f10. Plus I'm doing this hand held so the shutter has to be fast enough to avoid shake. Am I screwed? Lol

Paul Howell · Feb 17, 2017

In your price range a first generation canon AF point and shoot, it has a 50mm 1.7 lens, but the meter only goes up to 800.

EdSawyer · Feb 18, 2017

Canon Sureshot Classic 120.

Hatchetman · Feb 18, 2017

OK. In my opinion, you are going to need f2.8. You will be shooting about 1/100. f4 and you are at 1/50 or so. any smaller aperture and you can forget about it. I haven't shot Cinestill though, maybe it is some kind of miracle film.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 18, 2017

Thanks for all of these suggestions! I will look into them.

Hatchetman, that was my concern. Cinestill 800T is suppose to be very good pushed in low light, but I don't know that it is a miracle. Do you or anyone else know which point and shoot film camera has the closest focal length with largest aperture? Is 50mm about the best for point and shoot with f/2.8 to f/4 lens? Or is there something even tighter than 50mm like that?

Also, If I'm about 40 to 50 ft from the stage, how will 50mm look do you think?

I'm not a noob per se, but not the most experienced shooter either. Thanks all for the advice you've given so far!

-Rob

Paul Howell said:
In your price range a first generation canon AF point and shoot, it has a 50mm 1.7 lens, but the meter only goes up to 800.

EdSawyer said:
Canon Sureshot Classic 120.

Hatchetman said:
OK. In my opinion, you are going to need f2.8. You will be shooting about 1/100. f4 and you are at 1/50 or so. any smaller aperture and you can forget about it. I haven't shot Cinestill though, maybe it is some kind of miracle film.

locutus · Feb 18, 2017

I regularly shoot concerts and you really will not be happy with a P&S, most of them have f/6.7 or slower zooms on the long end and only f/3.5 on the wide end.

I know its a whole step bigger but if you really want to shoot concerts start with whatever combination of cheap SLR + 85mm f/2 or faster.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 18, 2017

Well, I'm taking a few shots here and there as an audience member and can't really do the SLR thing since pro cameras like that aren't allowed. That's why I was just thinking some cheapo p&s might work provided I get the right one. I'll be in the third row and the first row is about 30 ft from the front of the stage it says online. So at that distance, what kind of focal length would I be able to get away with for decent shots? They don't need to be close ups per se. Just decent looking shots of the band. Possibly cropable after I've scanned? The cinestill 800T can be pushed pretty well to 3200 I guess. And this isn't for pro work or anything. Just for me.

locutus said:
I regularly shoot concerts and you really will not be happy with a P&S, most of them have f/6.7 or slower zooms on the long end and only f/3.5 on the wide end.

I know its a whole step bigger but if you really want to shoot concerts start with whatever combination of cheap SLR + 85mm f/2 or faster.

mynewcolour · Feb 18, 2017

RobbieMnemonic said:
Hi! My first post!

I'm trying to decide on a good 35mm film compact camera to use at a concert. I'll be about 40 to 50 feet from the stage and want something that is fairly versatile. I want it to be inconspicuous so I don't bother anyone around me when I take a few shots. I'm planning to probably use Cinestill 800T film.

My major concerns are:

-I don't want it to have any lights that would bother the audience or performers.

-I'd like a zoom lens if possible

-A decently large aperture. (Though I understand with a zoom lens that is harder.)

-Something not too noisy too.

-Fairly pocket-able.

Any suggestions would be most helpful! Thanks!

-RobbieMnemonic

Getting good gig shots with any film camera can be difficult.

I don't think you'll get good results from this distance without a 2.8 zoom, and for that you need an SLR (or better, a DSLR). If you scope out shooting points beforehand you can sometimes get away with 135 prime but you really want a zoom. I think you're going to have to relent on (at least) one of these criteria.

mynewcolour · Feb 18, 2017

Considering your budget I'd get a leaf shutter rangefinder with a fast, fixed lens and shoot the event (rather than the performance) with pushed black and white film. Or use flash and shoot colour.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 18, 2017

DOH! I mega screwed up on how far I am from the stage. I had the wrong map of the venue. I'm circled. So it looks like I'm probably within 10 to 20 feet of the stage. I thought about it and was like "if I'm in row 3, how am I so far away." Duh!

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 18, 2017

Thanks! Any particular models come to mind?

mynewcolour said:
Considering your budget I'd get a leaf shutter rangefinder with a fast, fixed lens and shoot the event (rather than the performance) with pushed black and white film. Or use flash and shoot colour.

RobbieMnemonic · Feb 18, 2017

To give an idea, I was at the same venue a few years ago, and took this with an RX100mIV at 70mm, f/2.8 from the front of the balcony. Probably about 40 or 50 ft away. So I'm closer this time by a lot.

FYI: This is screencap from Instragram, thus low res.

mynewcolour · Feb 18, 2017

RobbieMnemonic said:
Thanks! Any particular models come to mind?

I like the manual Olympus (35 S, 35 LC) but there are very similar cameras from most of the Japanese makers. Search for the 'Poor Man's Leica' thread.

Remember your POV is going to be low so you might want to get in close to make an interesting frame (hence 70-200 zoom). Any idea what ISO the Sony shot at?

locutus · Feb 18, 2017

Truth be told, you will be very hard pressed to find a film/lens combination that can do lowlight as well as your RX100.

Searching for a good concert 35mm Compact Camera

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