Compact camera with 85 mm lens for mountaineering pictures?

I tend to take most of my shots in the mountains with either

a wide-angle lens or a short telephoto (85 mm). When I started

using a P&S camera with a superb 28 mm lens (Ricoh GR-1), the only

reason (except for the rare occasions in which either a super-wide

angle or long telephoto were called for) for climbing with a heavy

SLR became the 85 mm lens. Aside from (heavyish) cameras like the Leica M and the Contax G series, can anyone suggest a small, light

35 mm camera with an excellent medium telephoto lens and an metering

system that is suitable for (slow) slide film? Thanks!

I seem to recall seeing a Canon Sure Shot camera that came with a 35mm and 80mm lens. This was not a zoom lens. The camera had a switch that caused the focal length to change from 35mm to 80mm. I assume some type of additional lens was added or removed to make this change in focal length. I have no idea of the quality of the lens. I seem to recall that the price was under $100 at Costco.

I have heard of people getting very good results shooting Velvia through the Rollei Prego series of cameras. The Prego 90 has a 28-90mm Zeiss lens in it. Rollei also offers one with a 35-120(?) and a 35-70(?)

 

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Here are some specs on the Prego 90: http://www.ee.nus.sg/~zhu/photo/compact/Rollei_Prego_90_AF_s.html

The problem with most point and shoot lenses that go out to 85 or 90 is that by the time they get there you are at something f8 or worse.

 

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I don't think you can make a fast-ish 80mm lens and fit it into a tiny point and shoot.

 

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I bet a Canon Rebel G or the Pentax ZX-whatever with the and 85mm lens would be pretty small and light. Alternatively, an Olympus OM-1 with the Oly 85 or 100mm lens is pretty tiny too. A bit heavy though.

Pete Su has a good point. The Prego 90 when zoomed to 90mm has a maximum aperture of f10.2

 

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That limitation understood, I would still vote for the 28mm/f3.7-90mm/f10.2 camera in my pocket, in place of a 35mm SLR with a nice f2.8 80mm lens, in my truck, back at the trail head. ,?.

Based on your goal of light weight, and suitable for slow slide film, I would suggest the Rebel G and the EOS EF 85 f/1.8. This package should weigh in between a pound and a quarter and a pound and a half, and it will cost you around $600. I think the Contax G2 and 90mm f/2.8 is a possibility too, but it is a lot more expensive, and you've already excluded it on the argument that it is too heavy. Have you held one? They are considerably lighter than a similarly equipped Leica M.

I have used a Leica Mini-Zoom with a 35-70mm Zoom, f4 to f7.8 lens for much of my travel photography. This model has been replaced by by a newer model with the same Vario-Elmar lens which can be purchased in New York for about $250.00. The camera does not have the 85mm focal length but has a built in UV/Skylight filter. The camera also yields high contrast, high resolution pictures in a pocket sized camera. I am very satisfied with this camera, given the inherent limitations of a "point and shoot" camera.

I highly recommend the Contax G1 with the 90 2.8 and the 28 2.8 if you can spare the pennies. This is the system I have used on hundreds of miles of backpacking trips, euro-wanderings for weeks, and bike tours. The results are always great, even hand-held shots downhill on the bike or hanging precariously on a hold. In addition to the great lenses, the camera can be operated with just your right hand once you have the correct lens on. It is also very sturdy, I have dropped it several feet on rocky surfaces, fell on it once as I slid, and it survived unscathed. kaethe