The perfect point and shoot for backpacking

[Huss]

Hi,
I own and would recommend an Olympus AF 1 super ( I believe there are no major diffferences with the plain 'no super' version). It is a fixed 35mm f2.8 pont and shoot with deactivable flash. A bounus to me, since most of the camera in this range have auto only flash. It is claimed to share the same lens (4 elements in 4 groups), and therefore the same optic quality, of the most renowen and expensive Olympus miju II.

I am not a fan of zoom, but among the many p&s camera I have, the one that I like most so far in terms of image quality is a Minolta Riva zoom 75W with a versatile 28 mm f/3.5 – 75 mm f/8.9 lens.

below Minolta and HP5+









The two cameras above are about the same zize

Another option, considerably different in terms of specs, ia a super tiny camera, the Ricoh FF1. It is truly a pocket camera with its retractable lens, a Rikenon 35mm f2.8. It has no flash and no autofocus. It is a scale focus camera like the Rollei 35, so you have to guess focus. Image quality is good, not superb, and guessing the subject distance can be intimidating. However it is so tiny that I carry it almost everyday in my jeans pocket for casual snapshots, its the smallest camera I ever owned.

Some pics with hp5+ and fomapan 200

Lovely pics! If that doesn't sell the Minolta, I don't know what will!

 

[brancaleone]

Lovely pics! If that doesn't sell the Minolta, I don't know what will!

Thnak you!
This camera really surprised me .Months ago I started looking for a cheap P&S camera to bring on a beach holyday, as I dind't want to risk the most valuable equipment. I bought, tested e sold back some....one week before leaving for holyday my brother in law remembered of a small Minolta film camera he used some 20 years before and gave it to me....

 

[Craig75]

Thnak you!
This camera really surprised me .Months ago I started looking for a cheap P&S camera to bring on a beach holyday, as I dind't want to risk the most valuable equipment. I bought, tested e sold back some....one week before leaving for holyday my brother in law remembered of a small Minolta film camera he used some 20 years before and gave it to me....

Girl in profile is superb. You should make sure to give her a copy of that photo when she is older as I am sure that will mean a lot to her.

 

[brancaleone]

Girl in profile is superb. You should make sure to give her a copy of that photo when she is older as I am sure that will mean a lot to her.

Thank you for your kind comment @Craig75 . In fact, there is already a 8 x 10 print hanging on her wall!

 

[EggFriedRice]

Fujiflim Klasse

 

[xkaes]

TOO many to list, but if you want SMALL & LIGHT here are your options (for FULL-frame 35mm)

"MINI" CAMERAS -- SMALL FULL-FRAME 35mm AND APS CAMERAS

 

[Arthurwg]

Contax TVS

 

[Huss]

TOO many to list, but if you want SMALL & LIGHT here are your options (for FULL-frame 35mm)

"MINI" CAMERAS -- SMALL FULL-FRAME 35mm AND APS CAMERAS

hey what a surprise! spamming a thread!

 

[snusmumriken]

I would have echoed the vote for a Rollei 35, because with care it is capable of serious photos. But it’s fiddly to use, and given the OP’s speed-of-use requirement, my suggestion would be to consider the Minox 35 cameras. Lenses are superb, they are light, hard to break, and quick to use. Add-on flash available. Manual focus, though, and a 35mm lens.

 

[Huss]

I would have echoed the vote for a Rollei 35, because with care it is capable of serious photos. But it’s fiddly to use, and given the OP’s speed-of-use requirement, my suggestion would be to consider the Minox 35 cameras. Lenses are superb, they are light, hard to break, and quick to use. Add-on flash available. Manual focus, though, and a 35mm lens.

I'm sorry, did you use the word "Minox 35" and "hard to break" in the same sentence?

I gave up looking for a Minox 35 years ago because every single one had that notorious broken shutter. "it goes click but does not actually take a picture"..

 

[snusmumriken]

I'm sorry, did you use the word "Minox 35" and "hard to break" in the same sentence?

I gave up looking for a Minox 35 years ago because every single one had that notorious broken shutter. "it goes click but does not actually take a picture"..

Ah, ok, I didn’t know about that! I just remember a salesman demonstrating one by chucking it on the floor and standing on it. I withdraw that suggestion.

 

[Huss]

Ah, ok, I didn’t know about that! I just remember a salesman demonstrating one by chucking it on the floor and standing on it. I withdraw that suggestion.

I bet you he did that to one he knew was already broken!

 

[eli griggs]

You do your own focusing and it's no light plastic camera, but a Yashica Electro 35, with it's fixed lens, gives some of the nicest photographs I've ever seen out of an inexpensive camera.

I first became familiar with this camera on at a cross-country and downhill skiing training camp on Mt. Rainier when I was in the Army, in the late 1970's, when another soldier doing photography shared the results of those cold three weeks.

Black and white, and colour photographs had some of the best meter controlled exposures ive ever seen and since then, I'm continually impressed with these camera especially in nighttime street photography and in general photography, such as a hike would encounter.

Take a set of ND filters, plus a pol, UV, warm and cool skylight and colour contrast filters for b&w, plus a lens hood to get the most out of your trip and camera.

Gels will work as space savers, if wanted.

The Yashica Electro 35 can also take a Yashica Electro 35 lens set, wide and telephoto, about $35US dollars and a Yashica camera case would be good to have as well.

These Yashica are famed because if the quality of it's lens and auto exposure feature.

Have fun.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I have a Minox 35 EL that works fine. Got it more than a decade ago. Great little cameras.

This thread is old though. i'm sure the OP has moved on.

 

[polka]

OP wants fixed lens, so both the 90 and 105 are not on his list. The only camera that comes close is the Minolta Weathermatic with duel lens or the Konica Mermaid with fixed 35mm lens. The Mermaid has a 35mm 3.5 lens, Panorama mode, built flash, should be easy to handle. Not sure how deep it can be taken, the Minolta Weathermatic is good to about 12 feet. I don't have one, so cannot really vouch for it. Some I've seen have come with detachable underwater sports finder.

Yes, I think this Konica Mermaid is a good candidate ! I have one (actually, my daughter had it for mountain trecking and ski*, I got it when she moved digital). Underwater till about 5 to 7 meters but then, it's better to use the sport viewfinder, also because it adds pressure to the silicon gasket closing the box. Actually, it's a Konica big mini in a waterproof box.

* for mocking, her friends called it her "Fisher Price camera"

POLKa

 

[Huss]

Yes, I think this Konica Mermaid is a good candidate ! I have one (actually, my daughter had it for mountain trecking and ski*, I got it when she moved digital). Underwater till about 5 to 7 meters but then, it's better to use the sport viewfinder, also because it adds pressure to the silicon gasket closing the box. Actually, it's a Konica big mini in a waterproof box.

* for mocking, her friends called it her "Fisher Price camera"

POLKa

Now I want a Mermaid!

 

[MattKing]

Now I want a Mermaid!

Careful - this could be taken the wrong way!

 

[Huss]

Careful - this could be taken the wrong way!

You're right. A Merlady? Merpersonalassistant? Merdomestichelp?

 

[MattKing]

Or perhaps, a politically correct update to a Neil Young classic:

 

[Huss]

And I just remembered I already have two Fuji Work Records which are awesome. So Merperson feelings fading...