Need compact 35mm film camera with full manual controls...

<p>I'm sure many of you have experienced this: You go out on a day trip with your family and you end up lugging a heavy load of camera gear; a body or two with a few lenses. But this load takes away all the enjoyment of the family outing. It becomes a pain fumbling around with lens changes, and your SLR and lenses never seem to fit in the babies diaper bag.</p>

<p>I've realized that when I'm taking day trips with the family, it's better to just carry a tiny camera with me. I used to have an Olympus XA for many years till it broke down. But I realize that the XA doesn't have full manual controls and I'd think that its aperture priority isn't accurate enough for slide film.</p>

<p>Is there any 35mm compact film camera (perhaps the size of an Olympus XA) that allows me to control both shutter speed and aperture? I like to use my handy Gossen Digisix hand held light meter and set the aperture and shutter speed manually. I would like a 35mm film camera because I enjoy projecting slides.</p>

<p>Its okay if it has a fixed lens... as long as its in the 35mm - 50mm range. And the lens should be very sharp and produce great colors because I'm spoiled with my Pentax Limited prime lenses (31mm, 43mm, 77mm). Lack of sharpness in inferior lenses really shows up when projecting.</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Small size: Rollei 35, S, T, SE, or TE. Only downside is scale focus.<br>

Larger size: Olympus 35SP, Leica CL</p>

<p>A vote for the Rollei 35, but it does use PX625 batteries. I finished up an important trip on my Rollei 35 after my Nikon packed it in. Nowadays, when I scanned the slides, it's hard to tell where the Nikon left off and the Rollei began. So much lighter too...</p>

<p>There have been a long series of posts on the Classic Manual Forum in the last few months for various small RF and zone focus cameras, many contemporaries of the early pentaprism SLRs. The quality from most of them is simply staggering, and most service most of them seem to need is replacement of the light seals. I'd suggest looking at some of these.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/retIIa.htm">Kodak Retina IIa</a> perhaps, but if I were you I'd put up with a little more bulk and get a Pentax body to go with the 43mm prime you have already.</p>

<p>The Rollei 35 cameras are great if you can live with the limitations. Otherwise, my favourite light small(ish) walk-around camera is my Minolta CLE with the 40/2 Rokkor M lens. It fits in a jacket/coat pocket, has a great lens and the metering is almost always spot on (it's my kodachrome body).</p>

<p>Best wishes,</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

www.charlie.chan.co.uk</p>

<p>Similar answers... <a href="http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00VKko">http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00VKko</a></p>

<p>How about Canonet QL17 GIII?<br>

It may not be as compact as you would like, but it has manual control and shutter speed AE, although you lose metering on manual mode.<br>

I have one and I like it with relatively fast F1.7 lens. Since you said you can use digisix meter (which I also use), you don't have to worry about the battery issue.<br>

Hiromu</p>

<p>you might want to try out an olympus om1 with 50mm 1.8 lens. very compact indeed.</p>

<p>Leica IIIf with modern inexpensive Voigtlander Cosina lenses and VC viewfinders. That's the most compact RF camera in my kit and very high quality.</p>

<p>For surprising IQ at lower price point, consider the Ricoh 500G. Very pocketable rangefinder with a very good Rikenon 40mm f/2.8 lens. They do tend to need foam seal replacements. Jon Goodman sells these foam kits for about $15. Check out my post here to see the camera and some sample shots:<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00UimH">http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00UimH</a></p>

 

Your objective in asking for full manual controls is so that you can get well exposed slides. You will get accurately

exposed slides with a nikon 35 ti. Even the olympus stylus epic with it's spot meter gives me well exposed slides. The tiny

minolta tc-1 is my favourite: it has a fantastic 28mm/3.5 lens, fast autofocus, and the ability to give you full manual

controls. The minolta has a separate button for exposure lock which can be programmed to stay locked between

exposures, indepedent of focus lock. The manual ISO setting allows you to manipulate the shutter speed and the aperture

is easily set using the aperture dial on the lens. I find the 28mm lens works better for my family outings than 35mm

because Im usually sitting close to the kids and can get more of the surroundings with the 28mm. Family outings are just

that, and your record shots need to be sharp and well exposed. I'd have too many blurry photos using scale focus and a

40 or 50mmlens. You can leave the meter at home.

<p>i'd suggest something from the olympus 35rc / 35rd stable - not sure if they're 'manual' enough, for you, though. i dumped all my leica kit [five bodies, five lenses], once i discovered the olympus trip 35. this is what i get from them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/j12t/ - so i can't recommend them enough! no battery required, and can be bought for $5.</p>

Any Leica M with a 35mm or 50mm (depending on your preference)

<p>My favourites: Rolllei 35S with , Leica IIIc and Tessina 35<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7112373-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>"The lens should be very sharp and produce great colors because <strong>I'm spoiled with my Pentax Limited prime lenses (31mm, 43mm, 77mm).</strong> Lack of sharpness in inferior lenses really shows up when projecting."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What are you shooting now? Only you can know the importance of saving an inch or two in body size vs. getting outstanding image quality, but a Pentax MX would be about the size of that IIIc in the picture above and would allow you to use any of those excellent lenses.</p>

<p>The Nikon TI came with either a 35mm or 28mm fixed f/2.8 lens. I had the 35mm version for about five years. Has program and aperture-preferred modes. Excellent optics. Small viewfinder but larger than the Leica IIIc or IIIf. Has only a camera strap lug on the right side of body. Don't know if you could still get it serviced.</p>

<p>I would like to mention one camera that not many people even know exsists. The Fuji KlasseW. The KlasseW is a small professional film P&S camera tha offers both automatic and manual control. The camera was never sold in the USA and is available here: <a href="http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=129">http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=129</a></p>

<p>A bit expensive, but it is worth every penny. Small, lightweight but very solid build, and offers a razor sharp Fujinon EBC 28/2.8 lens, auto film advance etc. I humbly submit a small sample to show...</p><div></div>

<p>The Pentax ME Super and MX both have full manual modes. They're probably about the same size as your Olympus, since it is widely believed that Pentax introduced the smaller M-series cameras, in response to the Olympus OM series of cameras.</p>

<p>Both are regularly available on ebay and are affordable. They both have the added advantage that your Pentax limited lenses will work with these cameras. I'm assuming that you are referring to the FA limiteds, which have aperture rings, and not the DA limiteds, which do not. As long as they have aperture rings, they will work with the MX or ME Super.</p>

<p>Other models in the Pentax M-series, such as the ME, MG and MV are aperture-priority only.</p>

<p>Paul Noble</p>

<p>If a built-in meter is not an issue, consider the fixed-lens direct-vision cameras from the 50s and 60s - Agfa Silette, Voigtländer Vito, Kodak Retina/Retinette, Any of these are light in weight and compact but offer great optical quality (choose a 4-element lens over a 3-element). A built-in rangefinder will be an advantage, any built-in meter may not work too well after 40 or 50 years!</p>

<p>For something a little bit bigger than the rollei, get a Nikon FG20 with a GN (pancake) lens.</p>

<p>Funny that Edward mentioned it - I was going to say Nikon FG20. It is one of the most acurate and reliable camera I've ever had, since the 80's. Unfortunately, I gave mine to my nephew while he's taking photography class in high school. It's one of my favorite all around shooter camera.</p>

<p>For the same reasons you mention, I got a Kodak Retina IIIc on ebay for $80 in very good working condition. (The light meter has a bad connection though, but is not coupled to the camera). This is a foldable, completely manual camera that takes no batteries. It has a superb, and I mean superb 50mm f2.0 lens. The shutter is virtually silent. And the rangefinder focusing is very accurate, though the viewfinder is small. The Retinas were high quality cameras made for Kodak in Germany (most in the 1950's). The camera has interchangeable lenses, but you will only want the 50mm as you can't eye focus directly the additional lenses.</p>

<p>And best of all, it's way cool looking and many people will ask you about it:)</p>

<p>I don't know how compact you need the camera to be, but one of the modern Voigtlaender Bessa rangefinders might suit. Or an Olympus OM1 series. I find the Contax Aria with a Zeiss 35mm f2.8 small enough to carry about in a coat pocket. I would suggest the Ricoh GR1, but it has a 28mm lens, which is too wide for your use.</p>

<p>I seem to remember that you already own an MZ-S and that FA43/1.9, which are great and compact, so I'm not sure how much better <em><strong>any </strong> </em> of these other SLR recommendations would be--they're not <em>*that*</em> much smaller. Something a <em>little </em> smaller & lighter might be a Pentax ZX-L/MZ-6 or ZX-5n but I'm pretty sure you want smaller still, probably something without a mirror box, like a fixed-lens rangefinder.</p>

<p>wow, amazing responses... and so many as well. thank you all very much. i'm going to have to spend about a month researching each one.</p>

<p>just to answer a couple of questions. i currently shoot slide film mainly with a Pentax LX or Pentax MZ-S using the FA limited lenses (31 f/1.8, 43 f/1.9, 77 f/1.8). </p>

<p>Lately I've been really fascinated with Leica as well as Hasselblad and a Mamiya 7ii. So for the past few months i've been trying to figure out which direction i should take my photography... medium format 6x6 and 6x7 prints, 4x4 superslides using a hasselblad, or stick with 35mm slides and perhaps divulge in a leica. all very tempting options.</p>

<p>but for now i need a camera that i can carry around for short day trips. yesterday i went out with the family around dubai (where i currently live). we went to the beach, the old city, the gold and spice souks (covered markets) and a museum. i had with me the Pentax LX with only the 43mm lens. it worked out fine but i thought that i may as well carry an even smaller camera in times like these. there's no point in having an interchangeable lens camera when you only have one lens with you!</p>

<p>well now i have much to think about thanks to all your help. i've had time to see pictures of most of the cameras but haven't been able to research them yet. there's a lot more options out there than i had previously thought.</p>

<p>thanks everyone. </p>