Why Olympus MJU II is so expensive ?

madNbad · Mar 31, 2023

Everyone wants the fixed lens Mju. Several years ago I bought a Stylus Zoom 35-70 for three dollars at a local Goodwill. I carried a similar one on a nearly month long trip around Europe in 2004. I used that Goodwill find for two years then tried to give it away on another forum and no one wanted it, so I gave it back to Goodwill. It produced good images, handled nicely and was easy to operate. Just took a look and noticed they’re selling for more than three dollars.

Don_ih · Mar 31, 2023

I have a Pentax 35AF Sport that I liked a whole lot better than a Mju II. Viewfinder is better, focus seems maybe better, and the flash isn't auto on. However, what I really liked about it was using the flash outside in the day - it was a great fill flash. Then one day, I pressed the shutter and heard the flash pop. That was the end of the flash. And the last time I used it.

I have a Mju II that wouldn't sell for the premium price because there's some kind of stain in the viewfinder. I use it every now and then and like the photos well enough. But the focus is annoying, the viewfinder rivals a Leica III for being tiny, and having to turn off that flash every single time you turn the camera on is infuriating.

Patrick Robert James · Mar 31, 2023

Huss said:
Don't have any complaints with mine. But the name 'LiteTouch' comes from the build quality resembling that of a ritz cracker

I'm thinking more Cheez-It. Lol.

You are right about what you said about the insides. I've pulled a few apart and everything in them is plastic. Those tiny plastic gears are a mess. My Rollei Micron had the plastic gear assembly, of which there were a dozen or so, all jam up. Couldn't figure out which one was the problem so back in the drawer it went. They just weren't made to last. And plastic of course just gets more brittle with age.

I suppose some enterprising young person could re-engineer them. But that would be a labor of love.

xtolsniffer · Apr 2, 2023

I have a MJU II and Trip and I find the lens on the Trip way better. More contrast, less prone to flare and sharper.

aw614 · Apr 2, 2023

I found a stylus epic cheap at a thrift store a few months back really cheap, but it had those light leaks when you shined a light through the lens. I kind of tried to fix it unsuccessfully and made it worse and still sold it more than what I paid for on ebay for parts/repair...

I kinda wish I kept it, but the light leak issue and being a pain to take apart really bothered me...

Arthurwg · Apr 2, 2023

I do love the Contax TVS. I used it for years before it quit and have thought of buying another. I understand that these days the common problem can be repaired. I think they are worth the money at current prices.

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

xtolsniffer said:
I have a MJU II and Trip and I find the lens on the Trip way better. More contrast, less prone to flare and sharper.

Took this with a Trip.

The problem with the lens being sharper on the Trip, is it only matters if you nail focus. And as focus is by guessing, any theoretical increase in sharpness may never be achieved.
The Mju has AF which overall works better than guess focus on the Trip.

takilmaboxer · Apr 3, 2023

I went and checked on those Bay listings for the Mju and although the listing prices are high, very few bids have been made. It matters what they sell for, not what the seller thinks they're worth.

perkeleellinen · Apr 3, 2023

Had a quick scan of non Zoom Mju II cameras that sold on ebay UK recently:

£180
£283
£191
£185
£135
£114
£142
£190
£200

That covers April 1st - 3rd and ignoring the broken ones.

West Yorkshire Cameras in the UK have sold two or three boxed ones recently for £350.

takilmaboxer · Apr 3, 2023

Wow.
That's impressive!

albireo · Apr 3, 2023

If anyone is considering a Yashica T3 as an alternative to the above-mentioned ones - don't. I have one. It's meh.

pentaxuser · Apr 3, 2023

takilmaboxer said:
Wow.
That's impressive!

Yes but you should have seen the magnificent engineering that went into making the boxes

pentaxuser

takilmaboxer · Apr 3, 2023

I purchased two of them back in the day and wore both of them out. The first thing to go is the autofocus, I'd imagine because of plastic gearing. The shutter priority was bad news; the camera would always go for 1/1000 at f/2.8 instead of 1/125 at f/8, resulting in soft images. But when it did stop down, it produced very nice images, so I usually shot 400 film.
If Pentax is considering a new point and shoot the Mju would be a good place to start. It went everywhere with me because of its compactness...but the prices quoted above are too much for a used camera. A lot more fun than a d*mn phone!

Alan Johnson · Apr 3, 2023

I have had a Yashica T4 for about 10 years. Compared with an SLR it's not brilliant, but it is IMO the best in its class.
Small, lightweight, AF, DX coded , 4 element 35mm f3.5 lens, autowind, simple and rapid to operate.
I don't have one but wonder if the Mju is similar, not brilliant compared to SLR but best in class.

Minox · Apr 5, 2023

Had an MJU II back in the 90s, bought it on a whim, brand new. Never used it much though, too plasticky. Cannot recall the price, but it was not really cheap. Still have it, along with another MJU, the 115 Zoom one. That one has seen some more use, but not much. Nice photographs with both, and good enough cameras to use if in a pinch.

These were replaced my XA and subsequently the XA2, as sort of back up camera in my bag.

Anyways, a friend of mine asked me to develop a black & white film (APX 400) for his 16 yrs old daughter, shot with a p&s camera, no idea what brand. They came together to pick up the negative and scans. She didn't even knew what sort of film was that. Her first film, mind. I asked her why was she shooting b&w film with an obsolete camera, she told me that "everyone in my school does it, it's the new thing". To be honest, the film came up much better than I would've think, considering.

pentaxuser · Apr 5, 2023

I keep on checking this thread in the hope that after midnight each night the Mju II price will revert to being a pumpkin pulled by mice No luck yet

pentaxuser

cptrios · Apr 7, 2023

Minox said:
Anyways, a friend of mine asked me to develop a black & white film (APX 400) for his 16 yrs old daughter, shot with a p&s camera, no idea what brand. They came together to pick up the negative and scans. She didn't even knew what sort of film was that. Her first film, mind. I asked her why was she shooting b&w film with an obsolete camera, she told me that "everyone in my school does it, it's the new thing". To be honest, the film came up much better than I would've think, considering.

I was in Turkey at the end of last year and went through a whole warren of camera shops in Istanbul. There were two separate groups of high-school-aged kids walking around and hitting stores ahead of us, and the only cameras they were interested in (not that I could understand what they were saying) were expensive P&Ss or big clunky early-generation SLRs in the Spotmatic vein. The cynic in me says that the interest in the latter is because they look cool, but who knows.

Huss · Apr 7, 2023

cptrios said:
I was in Turkey at the end of last year and went through a whole warren of camera shops in Istanbul. There were two separate groups of high-school-aged kids walking around and hitting stores ahead of us, and the only cameras they were interested in (not that I could understand what they were saying) were expensive P&Ss or big clunky early-generation SLRs in the Spotmatic vein. The cynic in me says that the interest in the latter is because they look cool, but who knows.

But they do look cool.

Minox · Apr 8, 2023

Huss said:
But they do look cool.

That they do, although the sense of the word is so elusive these days

cptrios · Apr 8, 2023

Huss said:
But they do look cool.

I made no claims to the contrary!

guangong · Apr 8, 2023

I’ll stay with my Contax T3. Bought new when it came out as a joint wedding anniversary, birthday gift. Our birthdays and wedding dates were only a few days apart. One P&S is enough. While it’s very pocketable, I carry with the tiny leather case. I did have a Yashika T4, but my daughter dunked it into Mekong R.

Huss · Apr 8, 2023

I sold my T3 a long time ago before I knew better....

cptrios · Apr 8, 2023

This is also why Pentax/Ricoh should follow through on those teases of a new film camera and just reboot the GR1. Even ones with busted LCDs go for $400 or more these days. Hell, KEH is currently selling one with everything broken for $275. I'm sure a new one would end up being overpriced too, but at least you wouldn't worry about it dying anytime soon.

Don_ih · Apr 8, 2023

cptrios said:
GR1. Even ones with busted LCDs go for $400 or more these days. Hell, KEH is currently selling one with everything broken for $275.

Wow. I have one of those that doesn't work. Maybe I can get $274 for mine....

Huss · Apr 8, 2023

Don Heisz said:
Wow. I have one of those that doesn't work. Maybe I can get $274 for mine....

You first need to break everything on it.

Why Olympus MJU II is so expensive ?

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