Automatic Camera for backup

[alex_fan1]

Hi, Does anyone has both Contax T3 and Hexar AF ? If I want a

convenient 2nd camera as a backup, which one is recommended.

 

Thx

Alex

[really__]

A Bessa

[scott_mcloughlin]

I agree. A Bessa R is inexpensive and really does the trick with full manual control. A nice P&S has a built in flash, which is convenient. So add a little Oly S20 manual flash to complete the kit.

 

I bought a Rollei P&S in the hopes of toting it about and using it more, but I missed a good VF and full manual focus/exposure control. I keep it loaed with color print film, and it gets some use. But not really a "backup."

[leslie_cheung]

I would take the t3 just for its size. The hexar AF is a bit bigger

and some might find the 1/250 limiting.

[leslie_cheung]

kind of funny leica users are probably the only photographers to

"back up" their Manual cams with AFcams...

[ronald_wills]

I back up my Leicas with a manual focus Contax T, but hey I'm still funny.

[maestro logos]

I was choosing between the CM, T2, T3 and Hexar. Optics-wise all of these are all great. In

the end I was choosing based on ergonomics and speed/ease of operation. I remember

the CM was first to be eliminated because it lacked AF lock. T3 was for me too small to

hold comfortably so I eliminated it too. The T2 is an excellent camera and extremely well-

built and I'd highly recommend it. I ultimately chose the Hexar because it's fast to operate

and holds really well. Essentially I use it as if it were an automated M. The various manual

modes also mean this camera is great for fast grab shots. (Pre-set exposure and focus.)

Lense is very sharp and bokeh is exceedingly smooth.

My vote goes to the minolta cle. I've never used one but seems just right to compliment a Leica user's setup.

[al_kaplan1]

Why tie up money in a strange camera with different controls? Get another M body.

[max_fun]

I've just received my Contax G2 and everything's automatic and makes all kinds of whirly noises :)

[Brad_]

A backup? What are the odds of a camera failure - we're talking about the best cam in the

world, right? And how significant a loss would it be. Expecting to miss a Zapruder

moment?

 

Buy postcards if your cam fails while you're out. For some, postcards might actually be

their best primary solution.

[john_noble1]

<i>I remember the CM was first to be eliminated because it lacked AF lock.</i>

<br><br>

 

Press the shutter button halfway down to lock AE and AF, then recompose. Yes, the lens

moves into position so you can then shoot with no delay. You gotta keep your finger on

the button, but hey -- that's the only way you're going to get the "moment" no matter

what camera you're using. <br><br>Grampa Barnack ain't gonna press it for you. :-)

[alex_fan1]

Thx for everyone's comment. Sorry for the confusing word - "backup". I mean as a 2nd body to handle situations that may require more than one cameras, different type of films, need assistance from someone who don't know how to focus manually, flash, etc...

[liam_maloney]

Holga.

[terry_rory]

I have owned & used quite a few 'quality P&S cameras. Yashica T5, Contax T2, Richoh GR1-S and GR1-V, another Contax T2 (?) and finally my Leica CM. (I was never seduced by the Contax T3 after handling it. It was too small for me and the ergonomics were not as simple or as good as the Contax T2. And mint T2s were half the price of T3s)

 

Given that size is not an issue (you are considering a Hexar which is about the size of a Leica M) then I can recommend you should research all these models and make decisions based on the actual use you intend to put it to, cost, ease of use, focal length & speed, flash etc.

 

Just saying you want a backup is not enough for camera that may cost between $400 - $1000. You really need to make that camera work for you. A 'backup' is something like a $70 Olympus mju II (Stylus Epic).

 

When I bought my Leica CM it was (at the time) with the intention of it being my only film camera. (alongside my Nikon D70) It had to be small with a great 40mm-ish lens, flash hot shoe, manual aperture, exposure compensation, assisted manual focus etc etc. I chose it because it could not be added to as a 'system' and thus tempt me into extra expense. (That idea failed!)

 

I am re-assessing the role of my CM now I have just bought a Bessa R3 and Summicron 50/2.

[charles_stobbs3]

I bought an M2-R as a backup for my Retina IIa when I thought it was dying. I kept it a safe deposit box for 20 years while the Retina kept on clicking. I finally decided the Retina would outlive me so I started using the Leica. Sometimes. The Retina is still my favorite user. Except when I am trying out some of my $10.00 purchaaes from EBay.

[ian_kennedy1]

i've got an r2 as a backup for the m3 so that i can load tri-x and nps. i had also been

wanting a p&s and was seriously considering a t3. instead of spending $600 on the t3, i

took a chance and threw $80 at an olympus stylus epic. i've only run a couple of rolls

through it, but i love it. it's tiny, has a sharp fixed 35, relatively fast at 2.8, spot metering

option, and slow-synch flash for night shots w/ ambient light.

[lee_shively]

I use an M6 to back up my M6. I use an Olympus XA to back those up. To back up the Olympus, I use a couple of Canon EOS cameras and a lot of heavy lenses. To back up...well, you get the idea.

[sliu]

Seriously, in the first 24HrNY shooting, I used Nikon F as the backup for my Pinhole Holga camera (in case nothing showed up on my six rolls of 120 film).

 

It really depends on what your goals are, cameras themselves are not marked as "backup" when they were built/sold.

[._._z]

<i><blockquote>

 

I use an M6 to back up my M6. I use an Olympus XA to back those up. To back up the

Olympus, I use a couple of Canon EOS cameras and a lot of heavy lenses

</blockquote> </i><p>

 

Lee, waiting for Brad's Zapruder moment.

[vic_.]

Am I imagining, or is Leica is the only camera brand where owners think of having a backup. Even I succumbed to this "fear of failure" logic. It never happened to me with Nikon.