Sleeper 35mm cameras - good and cheap

narsuitus · Jan 30, 2010

If I am working in an environment where my camera is likely to get lost, stolen, or damaged, I use an inexpensive Nikon N70/F70.

When I need to loan a camera, I loan a Nikon L35 AF.

In the past, I have used a Nikon EM and a Pentax Asahi Spotmatic as my expendable cameras. With the Spotmatic, I only had one lens – a 50mm f/1.4. With the Nikon N70 or EM, which lens or lenses I used depended on what I was shooting. For general shooting, I used a Sigma 35-70mm f/3.5 – f/4 zoom instead of my more expensive Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8.

Simplicius · Jan 30, 2010

the fujica ST705 : another robust camera seling cheap and m42 scewmount lens .... good glass too with these camera -- sleeping beauties

Mike Té · Jan 30, 2010

Minoltas!

I'll chime in about Minoltas as well. I shoot mainly medium format these days, but still use my Minolta system frequently enough (mostly for HIE). The lenses remain a constant and I always keep my X700 and XD11 going strong. Other bodies come and go, but they're so easy to find and cheap to replace. I am currently cleaning up a pair of SRT-202s for my kids to try out as their first "very-own" film cameras. All-manual-perfect-for-beginners, right?

What they don't know is that, if they maintain an interest in photography over the years, they'll each get an old spruced-up-by-me Barnack-era Leica. Those I found in bits and pieces needing easy repairs and minor parts here and there. Overall they were dirt-cheap bargains.... by Leica standards. Still nowhere near "suicide cameras".

Dave Pritchard · Jan 30, 2010

Wayne R. Scott said:
If you may need to use your camera as a self defense weapon, I recommend a Koni-Omega. Just advance the film once and from the sound of it your opponent will think you have chambered a round in your .45 Auto. They should leave you alone then, if not use it as a club.

I'd just use my Nikon equipment and get the job done with cameras that I know work and that I know how to work.

Wayne

So true. Think of the sound of a pump shotgun ratcheting in a new round. It would be like beating someone with an ugly stick (the Koni-Omega is really ugly). The 6x7 negative is a treat, because it matches the 8x10 aspect ratio perfectly.

Otherwise, I have a few Nikon SLRs which I bought because they were unbelievably cheap. I got a N8008s for about $40. These are great cameras, with interchangeable lenses, autofocus, and great metering.

Alex1994 · Jan 31, 2010

For use as a weapon, try a Zenit. Only camera to have been made out of single die-cast piece of metal. As used by the Soviet military (it's still a little crap).

Yashica Electro 35 is very inconspicuous and has a good strong metal chassis. The 45mm f1.7 lens is a stonker, bright and sharp (speaking from personal experience). I got my Electro for 30 pounds of eBay and it works like a dream.

The camera that really packs a punch without getting noticed at all is the Minox 35 series. Smallest 35mm full-frame cameras ever made, really tiny and the Makrolon construction makes it look really cheap. A friend of mine once though that it was a disposable camera! To the contrary, the Minox 35 had an astonishingly sharp Tessar-type Minotar lens whose results continue to astound me.

For the ultimate bang for the buck, Olympus Trip 35 available for $10. Very sharp lens for such a cheap camera.

All these available from the usual stockist (eBay).

jimsberg · Mar 20, 2010

FRANKLY, the camera body, assuming everything works and lesser name bodies tend to get used less and therefore tend to be cleaner and working, is not really as important for quality photos as is the quality of the lenses. So, I suggest you buy a lesser known body in good shape and put your money into quality lenses. Here's the problem: the generic lenses from more than 15 years ago which cost little were not terribly good. Since then the Sigmas, Tokinas, Tamrons, etc have improved, along with their prices. Currently, some of these generics are quite good and comparable to the bigtime brand name (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc) camera body manufacturers. You may be able to find Minolta 35mm bodies with Minolta lenses at very attractive prices and these are near top quality, but understand that the older Minoltas with manual focusing have different lens mounts from the later AF models. As luck would have it, those later Minolta AF lenses will function quite well on the current Sony DSLRs (heresy!). Whoever suggested Nikon FE/FA bodies should know that they are not all that cheap and too good to sacrifice, along with their Nikon lenses. Cheap Nikons (the EM, and their ilk) were poorly made, particularly for self defense purposes, and the F100 too nice for sacrificial use.

Focus No. 9 · Mar 21, 2010

jimsberg said:
FRANKLY, the camera body, assuming everything works and lesser name bodies tend to get used less and therefore tend to be cleaner and working, is not really as important for quality photos as is the quality of the lenses. ........You may be able to find Minolta 35mm bodies with Minolta lenses at very attractive prices and these are near top quality, but understand that the older Minoltas with manual focusing have different lens mounts from the later AF models.......

I can relate to that... I have several kmount cameras. One of which is a Sigma SA-1. So I purchased a SA-5...what the $%$%# the SA-5 has it's own proprietary lens. So to get more lenses I purchased a SA-7 which morphed into another SA-7. And before it's over my wallet is going to give birth to a SA-9... I can feel the pain.

Seriously... when waiting for a bus late at night alone in Frisco...I started singing when suspicious persons approached. One I can't sing, two I sang Amazing Grace, Swing Low Sweet Chariot , Jesus loves me. I would mix them up together to drive the point home. They all crossed the street to avoid me. Worked everytime. Now let's keep this a secret amongst ourselves. hmmm.

I hope the OP let's us know what kit he came up with.

darinwc · Mar 22, 2010

Focus No. 9 said:
Seriously... when waiting for a bus late at night alone in Frisco...I started singing when suspicious persons approached. One I can't sing, two I sang Amazing Grace, Swing Low Sweet Chariot , Jesus loves me. I would mix them up together to drive the point home. They all crossed the street to avoid me. Worked everytime. Now let's keep this a secret amongst ourselves. hmmm.

I hope the OP let's us know what kit he came up with.

I was wondering why everyone around me started singing.. I thought I was going crazy. But it must be that I just look crazy!

Ektagraphic · Mar 22, 2010

Nikkormat FTn!!!!

Andrew K · Mar 23, 2010

Having been a camera technician for a few years - I'm a bit biased, but I would pick:

Canon AE1 Program, Canon New F1, Minolta SRT series, Minolta X700, XD 7/11, Olympus OM1/OM2. Nikon FM/FM2, Nikon F3, Nikkormat series

In Australia you can pick all these up for a bargain - both cameras and lenses. All the genuine lenses are fantastic - sharp and well made, and the bodies (outside of any obsolete battery issues) are great...

And I've had good results with most aftermarket lenses from the big manufacturers - Tamron, Sigma, Vivitar, Tokina, Hoya, Kiron (although if you are going Canon FD then I'd stick to genuine Canon lenses - the Canon mount is a bit complex, and maybe I'm a bit biased but Canon were the only ones who ever really got it right..)

beegee675 · Jul 10, 2013

dynachrome said:
There must be some interesting places you could go to take pictures which don't involve a high probability of violence. This part of your posting doesn't have to do with cameras or photography. It has to do with judgment.

I agree. You could find a whole lot of SLR candidates out there, but why bother. No camera is worth your own physical harm... Some even are hard to tell from new digitals from a distance. I usually just take a quality olympus, fuji, nikon or konica point-and-shoots if there's a chance to wander into sketchy unplanned situations. You can get them by the dozen these days... and shoot great street stuff.

-BG

cobbu2 · Jul 11, 2013

I have to put a good word in for the Yashica TL-Electro or its slightly older sibling, the TL-E; reliable mechanical cloth shutter that sounds like a cannon when released. A plethora of M42 lenses around and also, the lights in the viewfinder without a moving needle should still be operable after launching it against your assailant.

Cheers, Allan

Terry Christian · Jul 12, 2013

I'm honestly surprised that the lowly Argus C3 doesn't get more love. The all-American rangefinder, great lens, quirky-cool in a steampunk, ugly-duckling sort of way, easy to work on. I got my first one at an antique store in St. Louis and it was love at first roll.

Rick A · Jul 12, 2013

Terry Christian said:
I'm honestly surprised that the lowly Argus C3 doesn't get more love. The all-American rangefinder, great lens, quirky-cool in a steampunk, ugly-duckling sort of way, easy to work on. I got my first one at an antique store in St. Louis and it was love at first roll.

I concur Terry, but with my advancing years I can no longer see the RF patch in them. The C-3 was my very first real 35mm camera (1967)and it holds a place in my heart. I can still hear my old chums saying "here comes Rick with that f'ing camera again", I took pics of everything we did.

Nikon Collector · Jul 12, 2013

I would vote for the Ricoh"s particularly the XR2, Imagine a Pentax K1000 on steroids, better built than later Pentaxes, with self timer,DOF preview, built in eyepiece shade (like Nikon pro models) and aperture priority AE or manual. And it takes all K mount lenses.

gone · Jul 12, 2013

Convert to digital??? Hmmmm.

Jeff Kubach · Jul 12, 2013

Canon FTb is a good choice.

Jeff

Nicholas Lindan · Jul 13, 2013

Nikon N75 - the last SLR Nikon designed. The 28-80 zoom that it often comes with is really excellent for the price.

Cameras go for $25-$60, ditto the lens.

It won't bash anyone's skull. It is a real flea-weight, coming in at 20oz or so with lens.

"Don't beat me up, sir. Here, have this nice camera. It's a Nikon - worth a fortune - you can get $700 for it on ebay ..."

blockend · Jul 13, 2013

Any Canon FD because the lenses are good and cheap as they won't convert to digital (successfully). Nikkormats are ridiculously inexpensive for a camera built to the same standard as the F/F2 without the system gubbins. Yashica FR with an ML lens would be my choice. Its only known weakness is a suspect frame counter but the FR is an amazingly capable camera that's built like a brick and some period reviews rated it higher than the equivalent Contax.

waynecrider · Jul 13, 2013

Nikon Collector said:
I would vote for the Ricoh"s particularly the XR2, Imagine a Pentax K1000 on steroids, better built than later Pentaxes, with self timer,DOF preview, built in eyepiece shade (like Nikon pro models) and aperture priority AE or manual. And it takes all K mount lenses.

Is it all metal or a hybrid with plastic?

waynecrider · Jul 13, 2013

I'll have to agree with Jeff on The FTb's. While they are angular, they're more then capable, and known for their resistance to heat or cold except for the battery of course. It would be hard to find a sharper shooter then one with a 50mm F1.4, and the rest of the Canon lineup has some stellar performers.

The Nikkormats for the prices they are going for are some underrated cameras and the non-Ai lenses can be great. Just depends on how much you want to carry.

I'm starting to explore the KISS system with a K1000 and screwmounts. Less is better.

John Earley · Jul 13, 2013

jordanstarr said:
I don't have a set criteria really. I'd like a 24mm, 35mm and 50mm lens for sure and probably a good tele-portrait lens too. I'd like it for under $200, but with a 24mm lens, that might be pushing it. This would be ideal, but not restricted to that criteria. What I'm looking for in this thread is something like: "Hey Jordan, I shoot with a ________ and I find it to be as good as my Nikon, but for peanuts". Then, I could do some research and see what works best for me. I know there's a lot out there, but I'm looking for people with specific experiences or knowledge about the quality of the images they produce because I don't have money to buy 5 different systems, test and get down to one system. My criteria is lenses that produce great results, but go unnoticed do to the demand of digital or are just not popular. They also have to be under my price range or I'd just chance it and go shoot with my Nikon.

With a bit of searching you should be able to find a good Canon AE-1 Program and FD series lenses for not much more than you listed.

one90guy · Jul 13, 2013

Another vote for the Argus C-3, bought my first one about 6 years ago and use one often.
David

Suzan · Jul 14, 2013

Get a Nikkormat. My partner dropped one 10-12 feet on to the cement floor at a concert and only dented a corner jamming the back release and denting a lens hood. It still worked and we removed the dent in the bottom plate with a hammer and shot with it for the rest of the weekend. They don't need AI lenses and the FT2s use modern lithium MS23s

In a sketchy situation they double as a club or a mace if you swing it at the end of the strap

Alan Gales · Jul 14, 2013

Everyone on the planet knows the brand name Nikon. I shot Contax for years starting in the early 1980's and no one ever approached me that recognized the brand.

Sleeper 35mm cameras - good and cheap

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