What's a robust compact 35mm with good optics?

tony lockerbie · Apr 5, 2006

Voigtlanders new rangefinders are all good with surprising lens quality if you can't handle the sticker shock of a Leica. I cart around a Konica hexar with fixed 35mm f2 lens which is of Leica standard. I also concur with cdholden, the Canon FTb is very hard to beat and available very cheaply.

fingel · Apr 5, 2006

I will second the Nikon 28Ti, too bad you weren't looking a few months ago, KEH had one for around $500 in excellent condition. I don't have the 28Ti but I do have the 35Ti and it is an outstanding camera.

mcgrattan · Apr 5, 2006

The Olympus XA2 is a great carry around camera -- small, light and with a really excellent lens. I've had pin-sharp photos from mine. The clamshell design means it fits in a pocket -- I can slip mine in the hip-pocket of my jeans.

Downsides, the speed only goes up to 800 ASA and it's only 'zone' focus - you choose close, middle or far. That's perfectly adequate in good light but not so great if the light is bad and the camera is using a wider aperture with shallower depth of field.

My other constant recommendation and a fantastic carry around camera is a little Chinon 35EE rangefinder. Fixed 40mm lens with programmed autoexposure.

Upside, very sharp and very contrasty lens. Easy to use, really tiny for a rangefinder.

Downside, max of 500ASA and fully programmed auto-exposure.

The same model is also available from loads of other people - GAF Memo, Konica C35A, etc. all seem to be the same camera. They really produce great pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85361107@N00/117259033/ was taken with one.

Matt Denton has a write-up of them here: Dead Link Removed

jsuominen · Apr 13, 2006

I would also vote for Leica Minilux, if you can live with 40mm lens. I took these b&w photos with it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsuominen/tags/minilux/

Claire Senft · Apr 13, 2006

Leica M3 Double stroke in prime condition with a collapsible multicoated 3.5 Elmar 50mm or 3.5 Heliar multi coated 50mm.

Compact, rugged and good optics and this combination will probably hold its value extremely well and is capable of taking photos that are way beyond superb. Way beyond the far side of being cheap too.

The 2 lenses mentioned will probably be a bit hard to find as they are special issued items.

A 3.5 Elmar 50mm collapsible single coated M mount lens will be much less expensive.

PeterL · Apr 15, 2006

andrewmoodie said:
I need to carry around a compact with me all the time in a backpack or jacket pocket, it's a project I'm doing. It also needs to have a 28mm lens and a built in flash.

I'm seconding the Minolta TC-1. The lens is really good, particularly bokeh and colour rendition. Slight barrel distortion, though. It's as robust as you can get. Really. And it's tiny. When I bought it, people refused to believe it wasn't APS. It's also much more of a manual camera than a P&S: it allows you to control everything, and of course it's aperture priority.

Peter.

Andrew Sowerby · Apr 15, 2006

People keep ignoring your criteria so I figured I'd do the same . . .

What about a Bessa L with a 28, 25, 21, 15 or 12 lens? They're quite cheap and the lenses are good value. If you want to use a flash you'll be shooting blind though.

If P&S is more what you're looking for I don't think you're going to find any significantly more reliable than the GR1.

What's the project, by the way?

Iskra 2 · May 21, 2006

Minox 35 GL

I was skeptical about this tiny camera when I purchased it for $2 at a flea market. After cleaning the battery contacts and "working" the various adjustments it has found a constant spot in my shirt pocket. Reading some old literature it is interesting to note that Minox was a division of Leitz and uses an Elmar design lens. The package is so small it is unnoticed by most people when the picture is snapped. Sturdy too, dropped it three times from my pocket onto the floor and it "keeps on ticking".

skywriter · May 21, 2006

Personaly, I'd opt for a Pentax ME Super. It's small and built like a tank and of course being an SLR has interchangeable lenses. These things go for pennies on Ebay. I use one with a 28-2.8 lens as my 'take anywhere' camera.

Uncle Bill · May 21, 2006

My carry around camera of choice though with a focal length you are not looking for is the Canon Canonet QL17 GIII with the 40 f1.7 lens. Considering the wide and varied fleet of cameras I own, this one takes some really nice photos.

Bill

Robert Budding · May 21, 2006

Yikes! The Minolta TC-1 goes for $1,000 and up ($1,800 for a new one on eBay). I don't know what your budget is, but I'd buy 2-3 Ricoh GR1's instead. That way you'll have, and can afford, a backup.

Lot's of other folks seem to ignore your requirements of 28mm lens and built-in flash. Why is that? Are they trying to get you to buy something that meets their needs and preferences and not yours?

T42 · May 21, 2006

I am wondering what operational and economic constraints apply. Personally, I agree with the idea of an old Leica with a good lens, money permitting, and manual control assumed.

On the other hand, and if automation is the plan and not the exception, I wonder about the very cheap, very good Nikon L35 AF. It has a nice 5 element 35mm f/2.8 "Nikon" lens, and does quite well. I found mine at a yard sale for $1. Here is a link with Ken Rockwell's test review of it:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/l35af.htm

Dollar for dollar, it's the best Nikon I have ever owned.

firecracker · May 21, 2006

The later models of Kodak Retina II or III. Maybe not robust, but close.

The lenses are pretty good, too.

Sportera · May 22, 2006

A contax T2 or T3. I had a T2 and its a great little camera. Very tuff.

My Carry every where camera now is a Leica IIIF with a 50mm russian elamr. Its a great little package. No meter, No flash. Works great.

mike_j · May 22, 2006

I recently bought an XA2 for 1UKP (under 2USD) complete with flash and it's a brilliant little camera. Compared with my Rollei 35T the results are at least as good, it's much lighter and easier to use and has replaced it as my pocket film camera.

However I have just bought a Ricoh GR1 on ebay and am awaiting delivery. It wil be interesting to see how that compares. I am interested to see how I get on with a 28mm fixed lens, I like wide angle on the SLR but normally have the option to switch to a longer focal length.

The greatest demand I put on 'ruggedness' is life on a sailing boat with exposure to salt water and I found that some Olympus models were excellent being sealed with 'O' rings. The Yashica T5 (aka T4 Super) is also good I understand.

Gerald Koch · May 22, 2006

Picked up a Minolta Hi-Matic 7s for $10 at a local flea market. It has a 45mm f1.8 Rokkor lens and both automatic and manual modes. The viewfinder shows EV values and has moving frames lines. All things considered I like it better than my Yashica Electro 35's.

tony lockerbie · May 24, 2006

Yeah, it's funny how we keep ignoring that 28mm lens thing but it could be because there is little choice for a compact with a 28.

The Nikon 28TI and Ricoh Gr1 are about the only ones that I can recall and both are very expensive.

Going for a 35mm lens opens up a whole new can of worms and would be the easiest way to go. We don't however know what the camera will be used for so can only make suggestions from our point of view.

titrisol · May 24, 2006

AMEN!
that and the 35Ti

HerrBremerhaven said:
A Nikon 28Ti compact. It has a titanium body with 28 mm f2.8 lens, and built in flash. I should warn you that these still sell for a good amount, despite many being over ten years old.

Ryuji · May 24, 2006

andrewmoodie said:
I need to carry around a compact with me all the time in a backpack or jacket pocket, it's a project I'm doing. It also needs to have a 28mm lens and a built in flash.

There are a series of Konica cameras called 現場監督 (construction site supervisor). It's a series of rugged p&s cameras made for law enforcement purposes, but some of them have 5-element (or was it 6) lens and give very good image quality. Fuji also had their counterpart called Workman. They are very rugged, waterproof (you can wash them in a bucket of water), and have powerful built-in flash. They are not exactly pocketable, though.

I actually want one of those.

Ryuji · May 24, 2006

Ok, here's a website describing this (in Japanese) for those who are curious:

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~sp5j-hys/lens/genbakantoku.html

It can withstand complete immersion in water at 1m depth for 30 minutes! The lens is 5e5g, 28mm f/3.5.

While this camera seems perfect for the project described in the original post, this model was sold only in Japan, and there may be some difficulty in finding one used in the US.

bobomoon · May 24, 2006

I bought one a 28wide site supervisor a couple of years ago when I didn't know too much about different kinds of point and shoots for pretty cheap. It takes great pictures. Can it really withstand complete immersion? I always wanted a small underwater camera but to be honest, I'm not too sure it's that sealed up (esp. the battery compartment). I could be wrong but if you hear of anyone testing this out, let me know!

BTW, if you're looking for one of these someone on the konicaslr forum bought a huge box of them from some military surplus place a while back and you might find a seller there. Seems like it's still a fairly expensive item at MAP.

Ryuji · May 24, 2006

bobomoon said:
Can it really withstand complete immersion?

That's the requirement for the designated standard that the 28HG camera meets. I didn't check 28wide but it should be easy to google.

One thing I should add is that these cameras are designed to be completely immersible and washable but they are not designed to take picture underwater. At least, the focusing mechanism is not made for that.

The advantage of 28HG is that (1) it has +2 stop overexposure button; (2) it has more powerful built-in flash.

BTW, if you're looking for one of these someone on the konicaslr forum bought a huge box of them from some military surplus place a while back and you might find a seller there.

Thanks for the info! I'll check.

MattCarey · May 24, 2006

DBP said:
I'm going to assume you really do need 28mm, which eliminates most little point and shoots, except for some Ricohs. If you are really looking for something durable, the Nikonos cameras are all fairly compact and very tough. I dropped my Nik IV in a parking garage and chipped the floor. They made a 28/2.8 for land use.

The standard 28mm is a water imersion lens, as I recall. The 35mm is an above/below water lens. Reading up on the web, there was a version of the 28mm that was an above water lens-- the "LW-Nikkor 28mm f2.8 Lens"

Matt

julian bell · Jun 1, 2006

I know you said your wife owns one but for me it has to be the Ricoh GR1. The lens is tack sharp. Take mine everywhere.

Regards

Julian

celerystalksme · Jun 10, 2006

28mm? three cameras come to mind...

-Ricoh GR1v
-Minolta TC-1
-Nikon 28Ti

of those three, i'd pick the ricoh...very slim and pocketable (not as SMALL as tc-1 but more pocketable)...great optics...auto-bracketing...very handy SNAP mode...very light...and it's been quite rugged and robust for me...

the tc-1 breaks if you look at it wrong. mine was on the passenger seat of my car...inside a padded case. i was driving one day and had to hit the breaks hard. the camera in case slid off the front seat and landed on the carpeted floor of my car. the shutter was shot. repairs cost me hundreds of dollars.

What's a robust compact 35mm with good optics?

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