Your favorite Cult/Posh Point 'n Shoot?

Khaled

Khaled

Chaka
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Hi.

After cooling down the GAS for a Leica CM that I had for the last few days, I started thinking about options in this kind of cameras. I read somewhere (maybe from Leica) that the true spirit of 35mm photography is to be able to have a small unobtrusive camera that you can take anywhere. I also read that the best camera, is the one you have with you when you need to take a picture. Following this logic, what is or would be your favorite Cult/Posh 35mm camera to take with you at all times?

I list here the ones that I could think of: (I've left zooms out 'cause I don't like them, but you can add them if you want)

Rollei 35, 35s, 35t, 35se, 35te, classic
Yashica T4, T4super, T5
Konica Hexar AF (Not very compact though)
Leica Minilux
Leica CM
Contax T, T2, T3
Nikon 35Ti, 28Ti
Olympus XA, Stylus Epic
Ricoh GR1, GR1s, GR1v
Minox?


Thanks in advance.

Khaled
 
Nothing posh or very cultish about it, and I wish it offered more controls, but I find the Stylus Epic quite a handy little cam and highly weather resistant. The lens is quite decent.

Gene
 
I don't like the word "posh." It sounds derogatory. A camera may be posh for one person and strictly utilitarian for another.

Yesterday I received a camera which is on your list. It is not a point and shoot, and it is not particularly posh, but it does have something of a cult following:
 
Closest thing to that for me is my Agfa Karat 36. It was a step up from the point and shoot boxes of the late 40s early 50s as you had a rangefinder, but it still takes excellent pictures. I carry it when I don't want to be bothered with the speed or kievs.

William
 
I wish I had a GR1, or better, GR21, but that's out of my budget. I do have the good Ricoh R1S, though (not the Caplio version). I love it, but, er, it's in pieces, ready for for more screwdriver probings. :(
 
stet said:
I wish I had a GR1, or better, GR21, but that's out of my budget. I do have the good Ricoh R1S, though (not the Caplio version). I love it, but, er, it's in pieces, ready for for more screwdriver probings. :(
Click to expand...

Stet,
like you, i would love a GR1 or GR21 too, but i've been looking at the more affordable R1S.
How does it perform?
Anyone else have any experience with this camera to share?
 
I've got three P&S's: a Rollei 35, Rollei Prego30, and an Oly Stylus Epic. Can't pick a fav since all are great performers, although the Prego looks the most "posh" and is the lightest weight.
 
I have a Oly Stylus Epic and it's a very nice pocketable camera.. good, but not stellar optics.. mine will probably be up for grabs now that I've fallen hard for the Contax T
 
For quick, you can't beat the Yashica T4 Super. And as for beat, I've beat the crap out of it, carrying it in motorcycle tank bags, etc., and it still works perfectly. Bought it new in 1996 or 1997. Does very good 8X10's.

Also the Oympus XA, takes very good pics but it's a bit more fiddly, whereas with the T4 you just turn it on and go bang, bang.

Ted
 
atelier7, I loved the little thing for the pics it took. Thing is, I've had two, one given and one bought, both used before they got to me. Both had taken a couple spills, and I wouldn't say they're the most rugged cameras around. But being in a really dusty developing country then may have accelerated their demises too.

As for pics, they're great. I got mine at the time that a lot of my friends were getting Yashica T4s, and the pictures from both are rivals in quality. Really sharp, and I've gotten nice bokeh with the pre-focus and re-compose. The super night mode is great; the camera focuses on infinity and the shutter opens for 2 sec, then it takes another shot with flash autofocusing on subjects within ~12 feet.

I often jammed toothpicks in it to jam the panorama setting, too. You get a full-frame 24mm shot, but with a bit off light falloff at the ends, like a mild Holga effect.

I should note that my happiness with the R1s was before I really got into photogrpahy, before I learned what an f/stop was. I do have a couple kitchy shots in my flickr gallery (link in my sig). They're the color ones in Cambodia and Vietnam.

-rick.
 
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Olympus Stylus Epic

Olympus Stylus Epic

If I could afford it, I would have the Leica CM with me at all times. I did a lot of research on this very subject about a year ago and really wanted to buy a Leica CM but it is outrageously expensive.

Fortunately, I settled on an Olympus Stylus Epic and have been very happy with it. The lack of exposure controls is annoying (more limiting than annoying) at times, but it does provide the ability to turn off the flash and comes with spot metering. And when used with fast film (400 - 800), the Epic produces good results. And the best thing about the Stylus Epic is it's price.

I have quite a few shots taken with my Stylus Epic on my PBase site.

Cheers,
 
I have several of the models you listed (XA, Stylus Epic, and a Minox 35GL) and of those cameras the one you'd have to pry out of my hand with a crowbar is the XA. I would love to get my hands on either an XA4 or Ricoh GR1. I'm also considering throwing caution to the wind and getting a Fuji Natura S.

I said in another thread that I wasn't sure I could live with a 28mm lens as my only lens, but I've been reconsidering that statement given how much fun I had shooting with that focal length. I think for a pocket camera I'd rather have a 28 than a 35 or 40.
 
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A Zeiss Tenax II with the 27mm Orthometar gets to go out a lot these days...more often than I use my Rollei 35SE (the only camera I own on the list).
 
Backalley Oly RC Magnet

Backalley Oly RC Magnet

back alley said:
here are my 2 favourites for small (point & shoot) real rangefinders.
Click to expand...

having followed this group for a while now. I believe that most of the Oly RC's in North America have passed thru Joe's hands at some time. I'm looking at 2 more in his post and he has sold several to RFF'ers, so how many of these little bricks have you seen Joe?
 
my favorits point & shot are not AF.
XA , XA2 , minox GTE & ML , truly the fastest is XA2 because of its zone focus
being reset each time you close the camera.
Second point : point & shot whith AF are much slover to take a picture when you
press the shutter release button than my 2 XAs
 
Minox 35 GT-E. Gets the work done, unobtrusive, good optics, quiet, no shutter lag. I'm on my 4th one (two GT's, two GT-E's) in 15 years: one disappeared (they're small!), one had a dead shutter (GT), one was dropped from 2 meters with broken plastic.

Tried living with an Olympus XA for a while, but my hands didn't work as quick with it as with the Minox.
 
Khaled said:
I also read that the best camera, is the one you have with you when you need to take a picture. Following this logic, what is or would be your favorite Cult/Posh 35mm camera to take with you at all times?
Click to expand...
Hi... My p'n's pick is the Fuji GA645; definitely not a pocket camera, but not particularly heavy either... Easy to have over your shoulder everywhere you go. And the large neg simply overcomes any 35.
 
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