choice of backup camera

<p>Everybody has (had) his choice of prime camera/lens/film (ask 50 people and you'll get 50 different opinions), but I wonder if there was any consensus of the camera you slipped in your purse/pocket just in case....<br>

For 40 years I carried a Minox IIs with Tri-X, but my REAL backup for most "serious" photo expeditions was an Olympus XA with Kodak Portra (or the current substitute) shot at 320.<br>

One disasterous summer vacation in England was the then-new Minox EL. The shutter failed soon after it came out of the box, and there was no way to tell that each masterpiece was represented by a blank frame. When the Olympus gave up at last it had the courtesy to lock up! </p>

<p>My backup is usually an Olympus XA2 with 400 speed print film. </p>

<p>My everyday camera is <strong>Canonet GIII</strong> (fast 40mm 1.7 lens) or any vintage shutter priority camera and professional ISO 400 film. <br>

Another great camera is <strong>Olympus Trip</strong> (40mm f2.8) with it's 1/40 or 1/200 shutter speed. You wil freeze the action with this one. For low light event load it with ISO1600 and adjust aperture manually.<br>

For AF cameras I really like the <strong>Olympus Infinity Stylus</strong> (f3.5 lens, pre Epic).<br>

Why? Because the longer shutter speed is 1/15s :)<br>

Best Regards,<br>

<em> M.S. </em></p>

<p>I don't really own any cameras that could conveniently slip into a pocket. My smallest cameras are my two rangefinders, a 1957 Konica III and a 1930s Weltur 6x6, but they're both too heavy to carry comfortably in a pocket.</p>

<p>I just got a nice Yashica Electro 35 GTN from eBay last week, that I am now testing. I like the idea of having up to 30 sec exposure time. I am also carrying a black Rollei 35 SE in my bag. But that one is only good in bright daylight.<br>

Christoph</p>

<p>Well it depends on the main camera but one camera I pretty much always have with me is the XA or XA2, depending on how lazy I'm feeling.</p>

<p>For me, it's one of my XAs, or OM Stylus Epic.</p>

<p>Years ago I used an XA as a travel and backup camera. I loved the manual features but it seemed that the results weren't always quite as sharp as I expected. I imagined the small size and lightness induced some camera shake, but could that really have mattered so much with a 35mm lens at 1/250? (Same film and photo lab as for my Pentax SLR shots which came out fine.) I wondered whether it was just a lemon, but then I heard one of my grad school profs say he had the same problem with an XA, so I just stopped using it much. It's still around someplace... does anyone have advice? It was a nice little camera, and not expensive.</p>

 

<p>Backup, Hmm that is an interesting one. I usually shoot two in tandem, one a test subject the other that has already passed. Sometimes no back up. Currently carrying a Pentax S3 with the light meter removed going with estimated exposure values. Most of the time my "go to" camera is a Pentax K1000, not fancy but it gets the job done. Some of the others that I carry with it, Pentax ME Super, shoots the same glass. Or it might be one of the SRTs, nice glass in those too. For something to carry, just to have on hand, Yashica Electro 35 GS or perhaps one of the RF Canons.</p>

<p>As a retired person and pure amateur who shoots mainly in my local area, my backup plan would be to drive home and grab a different camera or to come back to a scene on another day. The one occasion in my life when a backup really mattered was on a trip to the UK in 1985. I was not a camera fanatic then, and I had bought my wife a Canon sureshot to use during the trip. Upon departure from Seattle, she announced that she had left the camera behind inadvertently. I had brought along a Kodak Retina IIa that I didn't think I would need and thanks to it and sunny 16, brought home some nice photos.</p>

<p>In today's era, if I bring along a second film camera, I do it only because of lens selection, not as backup. My backup, if required, would be my take everywhere Canon A650IS with CHDK installed, and its backup would be my Droid cell phone. I am trying to shoot more film, but I do miss the instant gratification of digital plus the fact that I don't have to shoot 24 or 36 photos to get the process rolling.</p>

<p>Carried in my vehicles for years in it's nice case, Olympus L-3000 (IS3000). Does most things very well indeed, and really handy to have around. Still going strong in the hands of one of my sons.</p>

<p>Depends on what my main camera is that day:</p>

<p>If I take out the OM-1/OM-2, I'll use the XA2 as a backup.<br>

<br />If I take out the Mamiya 6, I'll use the OM-1/OM-2 as a backup.</p>

<p>Since getting the D700, my backup has been a Leica M4.</p>

<p>When I went to Cape May this summer I shot mostly with a Canon F-1 but also brought a Canon Powershot G3 and an Olympus XA-2.</p>

<p>Like james, I may not worry about a 'backup' when I'm shooting with my old classics. However, for many years I carried at least a Rollei 35; and on two occasions, it saved me from disaster when my Nikkormat packed up and quit.</p>

<p>I still have, love, and occasionally use this little classic. It's so small, and a wonderful shooter if you don't forget to focus.</p>

<p>Eric: I have had good results with an XA, but I think the XA2 is generally a bit better especially for quick shots, so if you really like the XA package, consider looking for an XA2 or XA3 (same thing with DX coding and improved film loading). The XA2 is zone focusing, but since it's a 35 mm lens to begin with, the default zone is almost always right anyway.</p>

<p>When my first XA2 died, I substituted a Rollei 35 for a while, and it's nice and sharp, and of course it's a great classic, fun to play with, and unique, but from the ergonomic point of view, it's no contest between it and any of the XA's, and I have been hoarding XA2's for the past couple of years, to guarantee that I never run out again.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Any LTM non-battery dependant RF for me.</p>

<p>For hobby stuff, I always have a old Canon F-1 and (now) an nFD 35-105mm f/3.5 in my SUV. It lives there (without a battery) to serve as a back up and to catch shots of stuff that may pop up just driving around. A Canon G9 lives regularly on my belt like some folks carry a phone.<br>

For real assignments I carry real back up, duplicate cameras and lenses. </p>

<p>Easy, my Rollei 35. Not only is it battery independent, but it's the only camera I own that will fit into my pocket. As long as I do my part, it'll do it's part.</p>

<p>For those of you who keep a film camera permanently in an automobile, how do you prevent theft and overheating? When I was working at Boeing, and brought a film camera along, I would keep in a lunch pack with several of those blue icy things inside, and covered up in the cab of my pickup. The parking lot was not open to the public, so I felt fairly sure that it would not be stolen, plus it was in theory a reason to get yourself fired for bringing a camera onto Boeing property. If to safeguard the camera, I took it into my office, there would no "in theory". I always had to sweat accidently taking my cell phone into the office. I worked in a top secret vault, and termination would have been instantaneous and possibly a criminal investigation.</p>

<p>Glad to be done with all that security nonsense, but it did prevent having your job outsourced. I mostly felt that security classification was primarily to hide it from the public, not the enemy.</p>

<p>

<p>“<strong>choice of backup camera</strong>

<p>I wonder if there was any consensus of the camera you slipped in your purse/pocket just in case.…”<br>

　<br>

Sounds like two different questions to me.<br>

　<br>

In answer to the question about backup cameras, here is what I carried for the various primary 35mm film cameras that I used at different times of my shooting career:<br>

Yashica TLR as backup to Nikon F<br>

Asahi Pentax with f/1.4 lens as backup to Nikon F2<br>

Nikon EM with f/1.4 lens as backup to Nikon F3<br>

Nikon N70/F70 with f/1.4 lens as backup to Nikon F4<br>

　<br>

When I am shooting with medium format film cameras, I carry a digital compact as a backup and as a light meter (my medium format cameras do not have a built-in light meter).<br>

　<br>

However, when I was not carrying a primary film camera, the camera I slipped into my coat pocket just in case I ran into a photo opportunity was a Canon Canonet QL17 G-III 35mm rangefinder with a 40mm f/1.7 lens, a Minolta Hi-Matic 9 35mm rangefinder with a 45mm f/1.7 lens, or a Nikon L35 35mm compact auto focus with a 35mm f/2.8 lens. Today, I usually slip a digital point & shoot in my pants pocket.<br>

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<p>James, when I was active duty, I was going to school and attended classes before going to work. There were occasions where I had to go directly to my duty section from class. I would put my camera in a styrofoam cooler in the trunk of my car. Since I worked on base, I never worried about nor had any problem with ruined film or the physicial security of my equipment. Like you, I worked in a top secret environment (ICBM codes vault) and camera equipment was strictly verboten, so I know exactly what you mean. When I could, I would take my equipment home before work, but sometimes I had to take it with. Cheers.</p>

<p>James, when I was active duty, I was going to school and attended classes before going to work. There were occasions where I had to go directly to my duty section from class. I would put my camera in a styrofoam cooler in the trunk of my car. Since I worked on base, I never worried about nor had any problem with ruined film or the physicial security of my equipment. Like you, I worked in a top secret environment (ICBM codes vault) and camera equipment was strictly verboten, so I know exactly what you mean. When I could, I would take my equipment home before work, but sometimes I had to take it with. Cheers.</p>

<p>Don't have one single backup per se, but I've become so enamored of my Auto S2 that I carry it with me no matter what I'm shooting, digital or film. I'm debating getting a Hexar AF for the same purpose. If the Auto S2 is so good, how much more awesome must the Hexar be?</p>

<p>James, I keep it in one of those insulated lunch pals like you do, but no blue ice, and kept out of sight. This is my third? year with the F-1 out there and previously I used an FTbn for many years, which I have since refurbished with a CLA and new skin.</p>

<p>Never had a problem with heat or cold. It helps that I park in a garage at home and at work. Now this is the first year I put a zoom on it so we'll see if the temp swings/vibrations have any bad effects on the lubes and elements. So far, Summer was fine. I live in the mid-west so we get all four seasons here. The battery is a weak link so I just remove it since it only runs the meter and I don't need it.</p>

<p>I will say the FTbn did show quite a bit of wear getting bounced around. The skin got beat up and started to peel and the mechanics were quite "dry" after years of this, but a CLA and new leather brought it back up to snuff. Nothing vibrated off the camera as far as I could tell, but then, the old Canon manual cameras are hearty beasts. A lesser camera might not fare as well. </p>

 

<p>No matter what I'm shooting, I'll typically have a trusty Spotmatic with some m42 glass in the trunk. No batteries needed and with cheap adapters, the lenses work fine on Canon, Nikon, Minolta, etc. </p>