Does this camera exist?

the Agfa Solinette is the 135 version. Zeiss Ikon Super Nettel is the better choice in that league though. they're not even in the same league.
 
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The only Robot to fit the full frame requirement along with the rest of the remit would be a Robot Recorder 36. As long as it's the model that has an accessory shoe so you can fit a viewfinder. A bit large and very heavy though. Good enough for Scott Carpenter to take on the Aurora 7 space mission though.
 

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Mark Wood said:
Voigtländer Vito B? Fairly compact, very nice Color Skopar lens and they always seem to look like they're brand new, regardless of age! Just remeber when checking one over that the film sprockets travelling across the gate turn the gear that cocks the shutter and not the winding lever.
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They're great little cameras (especially the later large-finder version) and often on sale cheap because the vendor doesn't know how to cock the shutter and therefore assumes the camera is broken.
 
Well, I think once you get down to things like the XA and Retina (and if you are going to consider folders, the Welta Welti), you get down to a size that if smaller, you would perhaps have trouble holding the camera properly.

I don't know if the Retina I was smaller than the Welti or not. The folders have the advantage of being able to fit in pockets easier until you are ready to use them. The Welti is a great little camera that takes great photos. The Weltini isn't much bigger if you want to add RF.

Are you just looking for retro, or size reduction? Wasn't there also a meterless XA? But if it is size only, and still a good photo taker, certainly Retina or Welti are good choices.
 
Thanks a lot everyone for the great help!

Here's what I want it for, what I like now, and what I expect...

I have been using an XA sometimes, and first I decided to use it for sun. I decided it because I don't like to focus with it, so for sun I can easily keep it prefocused at f/8 - f/11 and make it a point and shoot especially for fast shooting in dangerous places.

Then I tried to find something that small but with higher ISO settings for doing the same in overcast or even lower light with ISO 3200 film... But it was impossible: not only were the options close in price to modern Bessas, but they were bigger and many times less capable than the XA or my Bessas... So it didn't make sense...

So, I decided to forget about ISO 3200 and just use the ISO 800 available on my XA for overcast (ISO 1600 XA's lack aperture control). Anyway with ISO 800 in overcast or shadows I can prefocus and stop down a bit if light is not too low...

Then I thought I should buy another XA so I could use them at the same time (sunny/dark sides of the street...). But then I remembered what a huge amount of any camera I waste for that kind of shooting under the sun: I don't need AE and I don't need to meter because I know the settings for any film, I don't need a rangefinder because I prefocus, I don't need to change lenses because I just use a normal wide... All I need is being unobtrusive and setting aperture and speed. I could even use a fixed speed camera...

That's why I thought maybe someone did a very small camera... But again it looks like there's nothing as small as the XA...

Why did I prefer thinking of another camera and not the XA? Because the XA is AE only, and If I shoot someone leaning on a wide white wall, or someone dressed in black in a dark environment, my exposures are off, especially if I am pushing, what I do to use the ISO 800 setting...

Well, once again it seems the XA has no rival for size and unobtrusiveness... Looks like I'll have to get a second one and trust its metering... Most other cameras are bulkier, and many times silver... I tend to feel my XA and even my black Bessas with the flat 28 look more like a toy, and that's what I need... Even the Olympus RC and the Rollei 35 SE make people look at them more...

Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan
 
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Juan Valdenebro said:
That's why I thought maybe someone did a very small camera... But again it looks like there's nothing as small as the XA...
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The entire Minox 35 series (plus the related Balda) would qualitfy.

But if you are into unobtrusiveness, you should pick up an AF compact- nothing is quite as disregarded as them...

Sevo
 
cidereye said:
Ricoh GR1?

http://photo.net/equipment/point-and-shoot/gr1

http://www.gdargaud.net/Photo/RicohGR.html


Black, Very small & fits the hand beautifully with a great grip, Program mode - ISO 3200, 28mm lens - seems just what you want on the surface of things. Metering is supposed to be excellent too if you need/want to use it.
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Yes, in the other thread we talked about the V version: nice camera... But it isn't in size too different from my R4M and flat 28 I am using for ISO 3200... And with it I have total control too if necessary...

Cheers,

Juan
 
The camera you describe exists and it is called Rollei C35. A rare bird, but fills 100% of your requirements, even being meterless. See it as the top left one here:

Rollei-35s.jpg


They can be expensive...
 
Hi Santi,

Do you own it?

How about the lens?

I like it doesn't have so many wheels as other Rolleis... And I could paint it black...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Yes, Juan... it is a lot less conspicuous sans wheels! The lens is quite all right in my book, even if it does not have the reputation of its big borthers. A little flare prone, as any triplet, but I am very pleased with the outcome.
 
You can't find a better or smaller full frame 35mm camera with manual controls than a Rollei 35 model, IMO. The meter is a bonus.
 
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You're right Frank. I just saw there's a model the same size, with meter, and without the fancy wheels... I like Rolleis... I may even end up with an SE... The thing is that it wouldn't be the camera to lose with no pain...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Just a regular screw mount Leica would work. There was one in RF classifieds for $135 but I doubt it is still available.
 
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