Point & Shoot Film Camera

[ShiroKuro]

Just wondering what your favorite point and shoot camera would be or was in the past .... and why ?
What was it like before digital and forums like this one when it came to researching and buying a camera ?

[Bill_Green]

Not exactly a point and shoot, but I really like the Canonet GIII. Inexpensive, indestructible and the lens has a very unique look. Plus you can hand hold a rangefinder with a leaf shutter at very slow speeds.

[wbrandsma]

For me it is the Ricoh GR1. I read a short impression of the camera in a German photo magazin shortly after the announcement. I realized it was the camera to replace SLR (too big, too heavy). Sold my Nikon SLR and lenses and used the camera as my only camera from 1996 'till 2004. I still have it and plan on getting film again.

It was the simplicity, the lay-out of the controls, and the great 28mm lens.

Despite having had internet access since 1994 I never looked for information about cameras there. Reading magazines and trying the cameras in the stores were the only options I used.

[bradhusick]

Leica CM. No question.

[bensonga]

Originally Posted by Bill_Green

Not exactly a point and shoot, but I really like the Canonet GIII. Inexpensive, indestructible and the lens has a very unique look. Plus you can hand hold a rangefinder with a leaf shutter at very slow speeds.

I agree. This was my first camera and only thing like a P&S film camera that I have owned. Used it in Australia for two years. Got some very good photos of Brisbane, Queensland and a trip to New Zealand. Hmmmm....I need to dig out those old slides. I wonder whatever happened to that Canonet....ex-wife must have it.

Gary Benson
Eagle River, Alaska

[cam]

i am lusting after a black Hexar AF with silent mode personally. i've seen it work in stunning conditions! the lens is a 35/2 and whilst i'd rather have a 38mm, i'll gladly accept the 35mm to get the f/2, available light, glass. along with it being one of the quietest, it has an AF that works in really dark lighting.... sigh.

[helenhill]

Originally Posted by cam

i am lusting after a black Hexar AF with silent mode personally. i've seen it work in stunning conditions! the lens is a 35/2 and whilst i'd rather have a 38mm, i'll gladly accept the 35mm to get the f/2, available light, glass. along with it being one of the quietest, it has an AF that works in really dark lighting.... sigh.

'ADORAMA' has a Silver Konica Hexar
35/f2 for $749.00 EXC condt

Take the Plunge...

[wbrandsma]

Originally Posted by cam

i am lusting after a black Hexar AF with silent mode personally. i've seen it work in stunning conditions! the lens is a 35/2 and whilst i'd rather have a 38mm, i'll gladly accept the 35mm to get the f/2, available light, glass. along with it being one of the quietest, it has an AF that works in really dark lighting.... sigh.

Saw one not too long ago for 250 Euro. Black model with silent mode. Oh, why do I doubt so much? I should have done it.

[emmawest72]

The Olympus MJu II if you can still find one is really great. Small,cheap and a really good 35mm 2,8 lens. It is entirely automatic though there are some different flash modes + a spot meter.

[Jeremy]

Shot for a long time with an Olympus Epic (aka MJUII) which is all of $60. Cheap enough you can do whatever with it without a problem. My only problem with it is was having to manually turn off the flash every time I turned on the camera.

Now I have the black Hexar AF. This camera, for me, perfected the 35mm P&S.

[Ocean]

Another vote for the Ricoh GR1. I used one for about 8 years until it broke. Wish I could get another one.

Kind regards,

[Jeremy]

Keh.com has a number of Hexar AF cameras for under $500. They are located under 35mm > Konica 35mm > Point & Shoots.

[Stuart Richardson]

I love the Hexar AF, but I would not consider it a point and shoot -- it is too big and too much manual control. For actual small sized point and shoots, I like the Nikon 35ti -- excellent metering, a great lens, and the beautiful analog dial system:

[lmr]

Minilux is my choice for P&S film camera... Robert.

[helenhill]

NOT exactly a Point & Shoot
but still a Gem ...Rollei 35S
sharp glass /beautiful retro body/ quirky yet hip...

[wjlapier]

Nikon 35Ti. Excellent meter, even for slides, and very sharp lens. I have the Epic and it's a great throw in the backpack camera.

[edwardkaraa]

May I add the Contax T2. It remained my faithful every day companion until I got into digital photography.

[Oxide Blu]

Originally Posted by ShiroKuro

Just wondering what your favorite point and shoot camera would be or was in the past .... and why ?

Two of them;

Olympus Pen 1/2-frame. They are from the 50's and 60's, up until the early 70's. They made crappy pix until film improved, resolution rocketed. Since the 90's the 35mm 1/2-frame is a very usable film format, 72-pix from a roll of 36 film. The film moves horizontally like a normal 35mm camera, work with images in portrait format, or turn the camera sideways for landscape.

I also have/use a Konica 1/2-frame point and shoot. It runs the film through the camera vertically; work with the camera in landscape format.

[DaveO]

I recommend the Yashica T4. It has a wonderful Zeiss lens although it is not a 2.8, if I remember correctly. It's fairly expensive for a point and shoot, but it's a great camera.

DaveO

[tetsrfun]

Another vote for the Rollei 35. The last one that I owned was the Classic Titanium. A lot of rolls went through that camera and the 2.8 Sonnar was excellent. A real pocket 35mm; that camera did millions of "vertical" feet in my ex's ski clothes.

Steve

[rgeorge911]

I only consider a camera P&S if all you really need to (or can) do is point and shoot. For me, that's the Oly XA2.

Great optics, doesn't get easier to use.

Reed

[Terry]

I don't have a favorite film P&S but I do like the Canonet GIII and to me the new X100 seems spiritually similar.

[fotoism]

The original Olympus Infinity Stylus. It made me stop thinking, almost.

[David Schneider]

Originally Posted by helenhill

NOT exactly a Point & Shoot
but still a Gem ...Rollei 35S
sharp glass /beautiful retro body/ quirky yet hip...

Me too. I've sold all my old film cameras long ago, but I still have the Rollei35S. Darn thing was always in my pocket. Made you learn photography since you had to guess at distance to subject, my battery cap went so meter was useless so had to learn exposure by looking at a scene, everything manual. And talk about a camera holding it's value!!!

[DaveO]

The cap off a 35mm film canister can be used as a lens cap on the Rollei 35S camera with a little bit of tape inside to make it fit.

DaveO

[ken_vs_ryu]

Dunny Prego y Talker by ken_vs_ryu, on Flickr

Rollei Prego 90
Pros: Very impressive Schneider lens on the Prego. I try to keep it at 50mm. Plenty of feauters including intervalometer!
Cons: ISO setting is auto. Options go back to default after each shot.

The Talker has a great 35mm f/2.8 lens. But it's all auto so you don't know what aperture it's using.

These two aren't the smallest

[Overcoming Gravity]

I'll have to say Hexar AF. The silent mode is... amazing.
Even today I toke some pictures of a girl sitting in front of me in the subway and she didn't notice.
Great lens too.

[jsf]

The Fuji GS645W is hands down the best film point and shoot. Small enough to go into your pocket. But it uses 120 or 220 film. Zone focus with a 43 mm lens is simple and the light meter is accurate enough. With 220 you get 20 exposures per roll and beautiful medium format quality. Whisper quiet and unobtrusive, I often would use it literally as a point and shoot never even looking through the viewfinder. A truly fun camera. Joe

[OlliL]

This is fun:


Fuji Klasse W von oliverleschke auf Flickr

[saxshooter]

Back in the day I loved my Nikon 28 Ti and Minolta TC-1. Considered "luxury" point and shoots at the time, they had aperture control and the lenses were very sharp. I particularly liked how the projected framelines were illuminated (red) in the Nikon 28 Ti when it was dark. The Minolta TC-1 was tiny... about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

[OlliL]

Actually I was looking at a Minolta TC-1, before I bought the Klasse.
A pretty interesting concept, with it's always perfectly round aperture blades, but I was only able to find one, which "was probably working" and at a crazy price.

[saxshooter]

Re TC-1, actually no aperture blades at all. They were perfect circles (waterhole stops?) that clicked into place. One f-stop missing, though. Maybe it was f11. It went something like f3.5, 5.6, 8, 16... I think they used to be $800 when new. I sold it in 2004 or 2005 for around $450.

[jamie123]

Originally Posted by OlliL

This is fun:


Fuji Klasse W von oliverleschke auf Flickr

It is indeed! I just got one last week for a song and I'm loving it! I used to have a Nikon 35Ti and didn't like it at all.
What I like about the Klasse W is that it's got a decent size for my big hands but is still fairly light. the 28mm focal length is great, too.

[OlliL]

Hm I wouldn't say it's light, especially compared to the Ricoh GR series (to stick in the 28mm category), but it has a pleasant grip and heft.

Used it exclusively the past weekend and am very interested to see how the pictures come out, that I shot in NP mode.

[ShiroKuro]

Many a times I have held the Fuji Klasse in my hands with the intent on buying it .....

An older Photographer friend of mine has been giving me some of his old magazines .... love all the adds . Like when the Plaubel Makina first came out or new film etc.

[Stuart Richardson]

Ooh, the Plaubel Makina is so nice. I have been borrowing one from a friend for awhile now. It is like a giant point and shoot camera in certain ways. It takes astoundingly good pictures...
Here's one from Saturday...

And a few months ago...

More at the blog...
http://stuartrichardson.tumblr.com/

[ShiroKuro]

The Plaubel Makina is my all time favorite camera ... I have the 67W and a 670 ...Stuart, you are right right in saying it is a giant point and shoot .... and it's pocketable .... can't wait till next month . I'll be be to Japan for a few months ... That's where I usually shoot these cameras ; ) ... love shooting film in Japan

[JSRockit]

Right now: Ricoh GR1

In the past: Leica Minilux

[oliver.lott]

any ideas how much a rollei prego micron is worth?