Best image quality from 5 35mm compact cameras

Best image quality from 5 35mm compact cameras

  • Canonet QL17 GIII

    Votes: 63 26.3%

  • Konika Auto S3

    Votes: 39 16.3%

  • Minolta HiMatic 7SII

    Votes: 36 15.0%

  • Olympus 35 RC

    Votes: 62 25.8%

  • Yashica Electro 35 GSN

    Votes: 40 16.7%
  • Total voters
    240
Interesting how little love there is for the Hi-Matic. Could this be because it seems to be the most expensive of the lot on the US market?

I researched the hell out of these 5 here on RFF and finally got 2 Hi-Matic 7SII's and a Revue 400SE (all auctions ran out on the same day and I got lucky with all of them). I really like the Minolta for its compact size and the automatic and manual options. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't meter in manual mode, so you have to switch.

The Revue looks almost identical but feels far more flimsy. Every screw seems to be made of cheaper material than on the Minoltas.

Today, I might go out with a digital X100 and the 2 Minoltas loaded with 100 and 400 and it's a very workable setup until I get a more expensive system.
 
This poll can't possibly be representative because many more people might own a GSN or the Canon over the more rare Konica Auto S3. That will clearly skew the results You get the GSN for its aperture priority mode, which I think is more useful than shutter priority. Of those I've used, I'd say the best one is the Konica (haven't used the Olympus or HiMatic). Lens is extremely sharp. It has a unique flash guide system. And it's extremely compact. The downside is its build quality, which is acceptable but not "build like a tank" like many of the cameras of its era.
 
Ive had all of these except the Minolta. The Olympus and the Yashica made the biggest impact on me. I took the latter to Disneyland in Florida, and have some very nice slides from the visit. In the end, I got rid of it because it just seemed a little too big.

I liked the Olympus very much due to its' very compact size, yet very good lens. My profile picture was taken with it in Cornwall.

I was a little disappointed with both the Canon and the Konica. I think I read that they were significantly 'better' than the other two, and too me, they simply weren't!

Looking back, I tried and rejected all of the these cameras in favour of a Bessa R, which was replaced by a Zeiss Ikon and subsequently the Leica pair that I now have: an M2 and an M4-P.

I think for the enjoyment per £ (or $), any of these cameras would be excellent value. They can all be had for much, much less than a single Leica lens!
 
I picked the Canon GIII. With batter adaptor the meter works great in shutter priority. Without battery it's all manual.
As was mentioned it has it's own flash system that is very good.

One thing I found is that with a filter on it is around 1 stop off as compared to reading without filter. The meter cell is right above the lens so I guess the filter blocks some light.

Great little camera.

Peace
 
I have experience only with the Electro 35, maybe 3 different cameras and only one being the GSN the others being GS maybe. My mint GSN took the worst photos and the oldest one with the beat up body and cleaning marks on the lens took the best photos. All on the same type of film.
As the Head bartender said buy them all and see which one works for you.
Some reference is always made to the size of these cameras and as a fellow with large hands I found the Electro to be the perfect size.
 
This https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...trhd6T_-Ir6e6FbPKIvHRTYriI/edit#gid=856244635 might help a little bit for lens resolution comparisons.

Japan has been making some superb glass over these many years.

Overall, condition is the most important factor, and even then, sample variation is all across the board. Especially the internal metering contact points, sticky shutter issues, and RF accuracy.


Currently, I'm playing with an EX+ condition Yashica Electro 35 GX. Last of the Electro's. Not too big and not too small. Shorter wind throw. Slightly tighter shutter release button. Much brighter
diamond RF patch in daylight, comparing this to my current GSN side by side. Nice camera. Get one.

I have to admit though, while Yashica lenses do have wonderful character, every Konica I've played with, S2, III, IIIA, S3, C35, have given a particularly stunning, hard to quantify 3 dimensional quality.

Frankly, I've used several Oly RC's and I just don't care for the package. The IQ and resolution was fine, but not really all that amazing. The aperture ring and focus mechanism seems kinda plasticy and fiddly. The meter is fair to middlin, and I found the manual control to be a relatively pointless exercise for this type of camera.

If I were to go for strictly non metered manual control, I'd recommend the purely mechanical 50's fixed lens cameras. I'm in love with the solid tactile form factor, regardless of brand.

My favorite Minolta is the AL-S. Gorgeous in every way, except I can't get the aperture on mine to work properly. Shame, as it's such a pretty, clean lined little camera.
Generally, I've had rather poor luck finding EX working examples of fixed lens Minolta's.

The Canon GIII has excellent form factor. Feels great in the hand.
A very practical choice that somehow leaves me a bit unimpressed by its image results. I don't know why, but it just doesn't dazzle me. I've used several, and they've all been lacking that special something in the outcome. No magic.

Overall, my 5 top picks for fixed lens RF's would be:

1. Konica = magical
2. Yashica = characterful
3. Olympus = pictorial
4. Minolta = broken
5. Canon = lackluster

One last point. I'm a vintage camera junkie, and this addiction
really hasn't done much beyond rudimentary basics to make me a better photographer. Just like every other junkie, I find myself chasing the devil in the details, and missing the decisive moments. It's more a fetish than a hobby, and more a hobby than a desire to accomplish anything, let alone something great.

For me, every photo is like a single frozen snowflake...and the photography world is in the midst of the greatest blizzard in history.
 
Check out the Yashica electro GX.
It's between this model and the Konica s3.
I've had them all. The GX delivers the best ergo and IQ.
 
I've heard great stuff about the Minolta, as reputable as the Canonet. I wouldn't mind getting one if I didn't have a Canonet already.

I've owned a Canonet QL17 II and now a III and will keep it for the rest of my life, no point reselling just to make $100.
Great camera that works either in shutter priority mode with battery or fully manual without. You can squeeze 38 frames on a 36 roll and the camera is fairly small.
My only con is the camera has 5 aperture blades so bokeh can be distracting at smaller aperture.

I've also owned a 35GSN and while a fun camera, being battery dependent and aperture priority only kind of put me off, plus it is slightly bigger than the other compact RFs
 
If you add Olympus 35 RD, I would choose it.

As is, from the poll, I have to go with Minolta 7sII for overall satisfaction.

Yashica GSN and Konica S3 I don't like because I can't do manual settings for both aperture and shutter speed.
Canon QL to my eyes produces flat pictures, don't know why

Oly 35 RC is a dear camera to me. It's a star of a project that we did here on RFF long time ago resulting in a book that I cherish a lot. But I'd pick 35 RD if I were to use it regularly. I regret selling mine years ago.
 
There's no magic camera. Too many burn out finding one, ignoring their preferences and habits. Internet is a big help for photographer but also can be a distraction.
I've tried many of this cameras and came to conclusion I have some mental quirks which have forced me into using another cameras. But I'm not saying this list represents bad choice - only that one's preferences may be completely different from others. Some struggle to find best lens which works under broad range of conditions, some prefer ergonomics, some - size and weight, some go for most sought after models. When one realizes intentions and decision drivers it all becomes much much easier.
 
The canonet is the nicest to use and has the sweetest finder. The yashica GSN has the best lens but is ergonomically shoddy. The olympys RC is absolutely adorable to use and hold but has one of the worst lenses. Heaps of pincushion distortion on that one.
 
- Konika Auto S3 = very nicely built, very good lens, my No. 3
- Canonet QL17 GIII = nice lens, but I was never really fond of it, don't even know why
- Yashica Electro 35 GSN = sturdy and excellent lens, despite the lack of manual control, my favourite (No. 1) from this list
- Minolta HiMatic 7SII = very nice lens, but also a camera I didn't fall in love with
- Olympus 35 RC = My personal No.2 from this list, very nice lens and compact cam
 
purely based on image quality (lens sharpness) i'd say the konica s3 is the winner.
All camera's have there pros and cons, and since these camera's were produced in the seventies, you could get an ultra sharp yashica in your hands or a rather soft konica. It all depends on the state of the camera itself.
 
I'm surprised at how sharp these 70s compacts from Japan are. I have a Petri 7s that is great along with a fully auto Konica C35. My later Olympus Stylus Infinity (auto) is again sharper than most SLR lenses.

Don't forget the lowly Olympus Trip, how did those Japanese designers do it?

But all in all, my Olympus 35RC is my favorite.
 
About resolution:

I copied and translated this page from Iwao Ogura's "The Technology of Modern Camera and Lens.", a book about Japanese consumer camera optics. Some of the camera models in this poll was not tested, so I picked similar models since they were likely to share the same lens.
 

Attachments

  • QQ??20151009172734.jpg
    QQ??20151009172734.jpg
    19.1 KB · Views: 0
I've owned quite a few of these cameras over the years; my least favorite was the Canon QL17 Giii--my particular example was miserably unsharp. Electro 35GSN was pretty ho-hum also, but felt good in the hand. My favorite was the Konica Auto S2 for a great viewfinder and super sharp lens. The Olympus 35SP had great sharpness but I didn't like the ergonomics. In general I tend the prefer the earlier generation--the slightly larger cameras mostly with 45mm lenses rather than 38/40. Along with the Konica S2, the Canonet QL19 and Minolta 7s were gems (both 45mm's also)

Now I use Canon LTM but my experience with these cheaper, consumer grade cameras is that lens quality control was not really consistent, pretty good, but not up to SLR lens standards of the day, let alone Leica--so if you don't get lucky right away you might have to cherry-pick.
 
Last edited:
Peter Gowland liked the RC

Peter Gowland liked the RC

In the 1980's I listened to a lecture given by legendary glamour photographer great Peter Gowland.

He used many cameras, among them the Olympus RC.
He was amazed how good the RC lens was and urged people to get one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top