Your secret sleepers

Autonerd · Apr 7, 2021

$7 plus shipping with a 50/1.7 lens and it's rapidly becoming one of my favorite 35mm cameras. No one wants them, because "Sears????"

Might have to pick up a second one, because why not?

Cholentpot · Apr 7, 2021

Auer said:
This guy gets it.

And that's how I ended up with 50+ cameras. And a fridge and freezer full of film. Follow your nose, not the pack.

Bob L · Apr 7, 2021

grat said:
Very close, but no light meter (the Reveni Labs light meter fits nicely)-- Konica IIIA, so I'll give you that one.

You were right on the trail, it's an Electro 35 GX. It's a fun little camera.

radiant · Apr 8, 2021

Bob L said:
You were right on the trail, it's an Electro 35 GX. It's a fun little camera.

I don't think Electro is a sleeper anymore. 160-200 euros for a working one. That is pretty pricey I think.

But I agree with previous, 90's AF SLRs are real sleepers. All compact cameras prices seem to be in rise. Yes, even the "zoom" ones ..

Helge · Apr 8, 2021

90 percent of people are stupid herd animals and water is wet.
I find it more worrying than anything when that happens, because it tells you something about the nature of film consumers and their lack of tenacity and their will and ability to discern.

Fortunately I find it’s not entirely true. Almost every camera that has some obvious worth, has seen a price hike, and is being snatched away quickly when it appears in local listings. And eBay milkers have caught on too, long ago.

There are very few true sleepers left.
Most of the few ones left, has some obvious thing that has distracted the masses from them.

F80 and T70 stand in the shadow of some vastly overrated big brother. And they might lack one or two features that people has convinced themselves they “neeed!”. Then to never ever use once they actually get the camera.

The rubber Nikons also has the sticky problem. Which many people don’t know how to deal with properly.

mehguy · Apr 8, 2021

The Pentax P30t is a sleeper. Has a really nice gun metal body to it.

Helge · Apr 8, 2021

mehguy said:
The Pentax P30t is a sleeper. Has a really nice gun metal body to it.

Plastic though, and the “paint” wears off easily. And forced DX coding.
Not bad overall, but nothing special.

Autonerd · Apr 8, 2021

mehguy said:
The Pentax P30t is a sleeper. Has a really nice gun metal body to it.

I have one and have never been quite sure what to do with it -- I bulk-roll my film so that pretty much limits me to 400 ASA (unless I want to remember to stop down an extra few clicks every shot). But there is something about the camera that is really appealing. I have a trip coming up and was going to try some new (pre-packaged) film, and thought it might be a good opportunity to take the P30t out for a spin. I have a couple of matching A zooms and plenty of M primes.

mehguy · Apr 8, 2021

Autonerd said:
I have one and have never been quite sure what to do with it -- I bulk-roll my film so that pretty much limits me to 400 ASA (unless I want to remember to stop down an extra few clicks every shot). But there is something about the camera that is really appealing. I have a trip coming up and was going to try some new (pre-packaged) film, and thought it might be a good opportunity to take the P30t out for a spin. I have a couple of matching A zooms and plenty of M primes.

I have that feeling too. The Achilles heel really is the DX encoding. Otherwise, it has all the same features of the K1000, but with a much more attractive look and price to it

neilt3 · Apr 8, 2021

Cholentpot said:
And that's how I ended up with 50+ cameras. And a fridge and freezer full of film. Follow your nose, not the pack.

I've no idea how many cameras I've got , probably 150-200 ?
Most of mine were bought when film was "dead" between about 5 and 15 years ago , so I got them for almost nothing compared to what they sell for now .

vedostuu said:
I don't think Electro is a sleeper anymore. 160-200 euros for a working one. That is pretty pricey I think.

But I agree with previous, 90's AF SLRs are real sleepers. All compact cameras prices seem to be in rise. Yes, even the "zoom" ones ..

I though I paid a lot for my Yashica when I got it a few years ago for about £50 .
I'm surprised they sell for 3 or 4 times that now .
The most I've paid for a compact camera was about £5 , I'm supposed at how much there listed for on eBay , and wonder if any sell for anything close to what's being asked ?
Asking price and selling prices I'm sure are a world apart .

Bob L · Apr 8, 2021

Argh, guess I didn't look thoroughly enough, I thought it was still reasonably priced. I got the GX probably in the late aughts, when a lot of stuff was cheap. I never spent more than $100 on a good condition camera, which I thought was spendy at the time.

90's AF cameras are fine (for now), I'd take them over a T70 and other 80's electronic wonders that I'd worry about croaking. At least I can repair the GX! The problem is still a rise in so many lenses, but I suppose it is what it is.

Danner · Apr 8, 2021

The Nikon N80 (F80) is a fine little film camera, and can be had for a good price. Same for many fine AF-D Nikkors. Bargains galore!

Grim Tuesday · Apr 8, 2021

Cholentpot said:
I never clicked with the cheap AF Nikon bodies. Except for the N80, which isn't cheap. The cheap EOS bodies are just about as good as the top of the line stuff. With Nikon it has to be the top of the line or they're just not that good.

Can I introduce you to our lord and savior, the Nikon N75?

Don_ih · Apr 8, 2021

Spotmatics and M42 lenses in general - all sell for low prices. Pentax MESuper and every Pentax like that except the K1000 sell for very little - I have a number of them I won't bother to sell for the $20 they'd get. Almost every Minolta SLR and all their lenses - in my opinion, they're better than Canon FD lenses - sell for nothing. You can buy Olympus Mju cameras for nothing if they're zoom - leave them unzoomed and they're just as good (almost) as the prime variants. Almost every point-and-shoot autofocus camera with a 35 to 45 mm lens, made by whoever, takes sharp and quick photos and costs nothing.

99% of film cameras are sleepers.

Wallendo · Apr 8, 2021

My sleepers are a Minolta XTsi and Minolta STsi. Both were manufactured during the era when most manufacturers were updating their plastic body cameras annually with a few new features added. These cameras are compatible with with just about all A-mount lenses and have a full complement of automatic and manual settings. They have the capabilities that serve probably 95%+ of the needs of most amateurs/hobbyist. Neither is designed to be slogged through swamps and jungles and tossed around, but are perfectly serviceable for general use.

I'm sure the same can be said about the Nikon and Canon cameras of the era also.

(I do have Nikkormat and Nikonos cameras for slogging through jungles and swamps, although I don't really do that kind of thing).

Cholentpot · Apr 8, 2021

neilt3 said:
I've no idea how many cameras I've got , probably 150-200 ?
Most of mine were bought when film was "dead" between about 5 and 15 years ago , so I got them for almost nothing compared to what they sell for now .

I though I paid a lot for my Yashica when I got it a few years ago for about £50 .
I'm surprised they sell for 3 or 4 times that now .
The most I've paid for a compact camera was about £5 , I'm supposed at how much there listed for on eBay , and wonder if any sell for anything close to what's being asked ?
Asking price and selling prices I'm sure are a world apart .

Got most of mine in the last 10 years before the jump about 2 years ago. And many now are either thirfted, or gifted.

Grim Tuesday said:
Can I introduce you to our lord and savior, the Nikon N75?

I have two N70s and dislike them.

Danner said:
The Nikon N80 (F80) is a fine little film camera, and can be had for a good price. Same for many fine AF-D Nikkors. Bargains galore!

What lenses can you recommend? I have a 35-70 2.8 and 24-50 right now. Both pretty good. The fast primes are quite hefty in price though. I find the EOS counterparts to be much faster AF and lighter build then the AF-D stuff.

Helge · Apr 8, 2021

Bob L said:
Argh, guess I didn't look thoroughly enough, I thought it was still reasonably priced. I got the GX probably in the late aughts, when a lot of stuff was cheap. I never spent more than $100 on a good condition camera, which I thought was spendy at the time.

90's AF cameras are fine (for now), I'd take them over a T70 and other 80's electronic wonders that I'd worry about croaking. At least I can repair the GX! The problem is still a rise in so many lenses, but I suppose it is what it is.

T70 is one of the most reliable bodies I have ever encountered. I have several and only one of them is “for parts” as it’s been bumped on the corner of the battery compartment.
Same with Minolta AF 7000. If you can live with the bleeding LCD, it’s incredible rugged.
9000 more so. But it’s an overall worse camera.

Grim Tuesday · Apr 8, 2021

Cholentpot said:
I have two N70s and dislike them.

The N70 is a completely different (crappy) camera built on the N8008 body. Heavy, 4AA batteries, slow AF. The N75 is a lightweight version of the N80. Quick autofocus, lighter weight, smaller, better controls, lightweight lithium batteries. Sitll goes for less than $40 these days. Lens mount is metal. I have no reliability concerns: mine went through 3 months on the Appalachian trail with my girlfriend and came back working perfectly.

4season · Apr 8, 2021

As long as you steer clear of collectable variations, Nikon F, F2 and Canon F-1 can often be had for less money than the consumer models which aren't built to the same standards.

Pentax P3/P30: I got a couple of these for very little money and they're pretty nicely made, but both of mine have issues of occasionally advancing the film but not properly cocking something, and I haven't figured out what that "something" is. I may need to remove the mirror box in order to find out. Will also need to perform some restoration work on the pentaprisms, think old adhesive has damaged some of the silvering. DX-only ISO isn't ideal but I could probably craft reusable DX labels readily enough.

Paul Howell · Apr 8, 2021

Entry level cameras were made in large number, the Spotmatic had a very long production run with over 4 million made in various editions. It got a boost from our involvement in Vietnam, good demand from G.I who wanted a well made basic camera. My first Spot was likely bought as a kit from a Navy Exchange and was pawned for some unknown reason. Another sleeper is the Konica TC, made by Cosina it was reliable entry level camera with the Konica AR mount, shutter speed priority, but my preference would be a Konica A A2 or A3, stripped down Konica T and T3s.

Auer · Apr 8, 2021

Grim Tuesday said:
The N70 is a completely different (crappy) camera built on the N8008 body. Heavy, 4AA batteries, slow AF. The N75 is a lightweight version of the N80. Quick autofocus, lighter weight, smaller, better controls, lightweight lithium batteries. Sitll goes for less than $40 these days. Lens mount is metal. I have no reliability concerns: mine went through 3 months on the Appalachian trail with my girlfriend and came back working perfectly.

The N70 uses (2) 2CR5 batteries and is neither heavy or slow.
It's only drawback is the funky menu system and rubber back.

Cholentpot · Apr 8, 2021

Grim Tuesday said:
The N70 is a completely different (crappy) camera built on the N8008 body. Heavy, 4AA batteries, slow AF. The N75 is a lightweight version of the N80. Quick autofocus, lighter weight, smaller, better controls, lightweight lithium batteries. Sitll goes for less than $40 these days. Lens mount is metal. I have no reliability concerns: mine went through 3 months on the Appalachian trail with my girlfriend and came back working perfectly.

If one pops up for a cheap price I'll keep an eye out. Does it have back button assignable focus? That's the dividing line for me. If I can't get the AF off the shutter button the camera is more or less a fancy point and shoot.

Sirius Glass · Apr 8, 2021

N75 a nice light AF camera with a built in pop up flash.

Paul Howell · Apr 8, 2021

In the advanced range the Minolta 9si, not the 9, the 9si was one generation earlier, although lacking a metal frame it's a heavy camera, fast FPS at 4.5 top shutter speed of 1/12000 of a second, semi weather sealed, 14 cell matrix metering very fast AF and can use any gear driven A mount lens. Downside, used what are creative cards for features that were common in most other camera like bracketing and multiple exposure and menu driven not many buttons or dials.

CMoore · Apr 8, 2021

The Canon AT-1 is a nice camera.
I sold both of mine cheap, but they were not garnering much (at the time) on Ebay either.
Not sure what they might go for now.

I gave mine to a local college 2-3 years ago (i have way too many 35mm slr) but i really liked the Minolta XG-M.
Great SLR that takes all the popular Minolta Lens.

Your secret sleepers

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