Which Pocket Camera for the Leica M Photographers?

[joshroot]

I use the Ricoh GR1. Sharp, fastish lens, contrasty, small. Only

drawbacks are price ($400), a badly designed on/off button, and a

weak flash (which doesn't bother me much since I regularly keep 400

film in it). No matter what that E-bay listing is trying to claim,

the GR1 doesn't have a Leica lens. Although Ricoh did make the Gr1

lens in a LTM mount for some ammount of time.

 

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If I was going to buy another one, I'd probably go for the T4 though.

At $150 you can worry a lot less about what happens to it. Although

the Canon G1 digital option is very tempting, though it's on the big

side of pocketable. I would stay away from the psuedo-manual pocket

cameras. Because in my mind, a pocket camera is for the times you

don't have the time/need/want to have to think too much about

shooting. That's why they are called "point and shoot".

[Jim_Tardio]

I'm continually amazed at the quality of the Olympus Stylus Epic. My

film & processing bill is a much higher price than the $89.00 that

this camera costs. Go <a href="www.jimtardio.com/paris-bw-old-man-

big.html">here</a> to see a grab shot I made with it in Paris, using

Agfa Scala film. It loses some in the scanning...the slide is

amazingly sharp.

[Jim_Tardio]

Sorry...poor html on my part...try <a

href="http://www.jimtardio.com/paris-bw-old-man-big.html">this.</a>

[c._w._satterfield]

The latest issue of Shutterbug has a good review of the Contax T3.

Only negative is the flash, a range of only 3-4 feet. I would have

bought one except for this as I am looking for a good shirt pocket

camera.

[brooks_von_arx__jr.]

What ever happened to brand loyalty in this group? Support your habit

and buy Leica. The minilux zoom is the way to go IMHO. Decent

controllable flash with good range, nice lens, excellent ergos etc...

a very nice pocket camera especially for grab shots. Expensive lens

caps though ;)

[art_karr]

Now, I know that you talking about very small cameras. I really

haven't had one since the untimely death of my IIIf. A number of

years back, I did get a point and shoot. My idea was to get the

absolute opposite of my M series cameras. I wanted something

that could be used to make 4 x 6's for people at regular

functions, when they just wanted stuff to pass around or put up

each year to remind them what last year was like. Some of it

goes on web sites.

 

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I got an Olympus ISO-10. It has a 28 to 110 mm ASPH zoom. It

has always reminded me of a ZX300 that I looked at once before

getting a BMW. The car had a sticker on the window that said the

dash has 187 separate controls. This camera is this way.

 

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I have figured out what I need and what I don't. I like the spot

meter option and the auto fill flash. I haven't tested the lens

quality and only use print film to 4 x 6. I know that, even on the

web, the quality is much better than what I get from the $5000 or

so Nikon digital that I use at work. I like the camera, but it isn't

pocket size.

 

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Still, I tend to haul around the Leica M or Nikon F2. When you

have backpacked an 8 x 10 a few times, they seem small. Of

course, I don't do the kind of street photography that many of you

do.

 

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Art

[Rob F.]

Nice going, Jim. My favorite is the strolling muscian at

Montmartre. HCB can eat his heart out.

[wilhelm]

Jim, Many of your pictures are wonderful examples of using wide angle

lenses. Were the buildings taken with a PC lens, corrected in

printing, or just carefully held level?

[Jim_Tardio]

No, I don't have a PC lens. I always try to hold the camera level,

and I'm greatly aided by the use of a grid screen in my slr.

 

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Thanks for taking a look.

[yip2]

Mine is a Canon ixus adventurer (or thereabouts).

It is an APS,

The main good points are:-

 

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-light weight

-waterproof, can go underwater

-smallness, round, size of flat tennisball.

-relatively good pics.

-tough

-cheap

[kl_prager1]

Thanks to everyone for all the comments! There's been a really great

number of responses, which and serves as yet another example of what

a wonderful forum this is!!!

 

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It's obvious that there's lots of personal favorites as far as pocket

cameras goes, including many who view their Leica M's as their

'pocket' cameras. I'm still undecided between the Olympus Stylus Epic

and the Contax T3. I like the price and weather proofing of the

Olympus, but the quality and option for overrides of the T3. In any

event, the numerous responses will serve as good 'food for thought'.

And, if Leica comes out with a new (smaller & lighter) model

Minilux...

 

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Cosmo: A local dealer advises that his Contax rep claims the black T

3's are on their way and should be here in another month. Let's not

hold our breath though...By the way, how do you override the DX

coding in your Olympus Epic to shoot Tri-X at 200?

[david_killick]

Just before you do rush out and get a Oly or a Contax, just another

plug for the Leica minilux which has a fine lens and really is not

that big. Another choice, if you can find one, is the Leica mini 3. A

truly tiny camera and simplicity itself to use. I got one for $100. My

wife loves it and it produces fine results.

[carsten_manske]

Another good "pocket" camera is the Minolta AF-C : Great 2.8/35 mm

Rokkor lens, rear lens AF (!), minimum focus app. 2 feet, small and

lightweight (Minox 35 like), clam shell body, i.e. no case needed,

cheap at ebay ... and it uses two SR 44 batteries instead of expensive

Li-cells due to thumb wheel film advance. You can mount the tiny EF-C

flash (GN 14) on the camera´s left side ... or not if you use fast

film.

 

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Carsten

[simon_wong]

I've owned the original Yashica T4 and was extremely pleased. Sharp,

sharp lens. One of the few P+S's without exposure compensation that

could correctly expose chromes. Sad day when it got stolen.

 

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Replaced it with 1stGen. Olympus Stylus Epic. This too was great and

even more compact and weather resistent. It's programmed to shoot

everything wide open at F2.8. Not so good for scenics, but great

indoors. Had a bunch as I destroyed a few in my snowboarding

adventures. Please note the later versions made in Singapore, as

opposed to Japan, never seemed quite as sharp.

 

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Currently proud owner of a Ricoh GR1-s. A tiny, beautifully made,

magnesium bodied, full control compensation controlled aperature

priority auto, excellent viewfinder with shutterspeed information,

auto parallax correction, 3 point autofocus, spot focus/meter, a

special hyperfocal mode. Best of all is all features have a "lock".

Once selected the camera stays in this mode even when turned off.

 

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The best are the analogue dials for exposure comp., aperature and the

flash mode.

 

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Excellent, excellent 28F2.8 aspheric lens. Has a seperate hood and

provison for filters too.

 

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My main gripe? A lot more distortion than I like. Always a hint of

the "egg" head syndrome on the periphery. Also the passive infarred

autofocus hunts a bit on the 3 point settings.

 

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Cheers.

[Robin Smith]

The trouble with a 28mm as a standard lens is that it is not easy to

take good portraits with it and this seems to me what most people use

these cameras for. A 28mm is great for interiors, but it is most

defintely not a "standard" lens, so I see a Ricoh GR1-s would not be

much use to me as P&S. Still, many people disagree I know.

[w._andrew]

If you are really a Leica Fans, Minilux 40mm F2.4 is the only choice

to continue your Leica fantasy. I own one. I use it more often than

my Leica M and R. Its optical quality is perfect!

[godfrey]

Four cameras come to mind:

 

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Rollei 35S - All manual, supeb Zeiss Sonnar lens.

Minox 35GT-E - All manual but with aperture-priority AE exposure

system, another excellent lens.

Leica Minilux - Modern, high-end PnS with user controllability.

Contax T3 - Even nicer modern, high-end PnS with user

controllability. Of these latter two, I'd take the Contax T3 over the

Minilux due to its improved features, better ergonomics, smaller

size, and what I feel is a marginally better lens. (I have a fifth, the

Contax Tix, which is APS format but of the same order as the T3

in quality and features ... it takes superb pix.)

 

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I stick to cameras that have a 35-40mm lens and adequate user

controllability. I don't like the simpler, all automated PnS models

with no override capability.

 

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godfrey

[kl_prager1]

I agree with the comments made about 28mm being too wide for a fixed

lens camera, at least for my purposes, which are mostly family photos.

 

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I tried the Minilux when it first came out and wasn't that satisfied

with its ergonomics, although that was just running a roll through it

outside of a local dealer's shop. I also prefer the smaller size and

some of the features of the Contax T3 anyway. Take a look at the

black body T3's that are supposedly on their way here at this site.

http://www.kyocera.co.jp/news/2001/0104/0402-e.asp

 

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I'd really love it if Leica (or even Cosina) come out with an updated

CL (w/ a modernized and reliable meter), so that it could double

as 'pocket' camera and second M body at the same time. If they could

bring this out with a 40mm for $1000 they'd probably sell very well.

Of course, the key word here is "if"...The idea of paying a bundle

for a used CL with an unreliable meter is just not very appealing.

Leica might actually be smarter bringing out an updated CL, than an

M7, but that's another story...

[Robin Smith]

I just don't think Leica will do a "new CL". This was what almost

destroyed the company in the 70s (coupled with discontinuing the M4)

it sucks away sales from their premium cameras which offer the best

margin for the company. The consumer range which includes the MInilux

does not compete with the M line and this works well for them. Not

that I disagree with you that a new CL would not be a good idea. I

just don't think Leica will produce one.

\

By the way the CL meter is just fine - they just need to be properly

fixed - cameras that are now almost 30 years old usually need some

repairs - this is not unreasonable. People buy a never touched CL and

expect to work the same as it did in 1973. An M4 might, but not the CL

which will probably need a new CDS cell. At least one can be obtained

still from Leica. I think this is quite impressive in these days of

planned obsolescence.

[tse_sung_wu7]

At the risk of being pegged as a Konica spokesperson, here's a vote for

the Hexar (original). It's not tiny, but in black it is unobtrusive-

and, in silent mode, quieter than the M, I think. The lens is just

superb, AE/AF, but there is manual everything (manual focus is set by

selecting distances), spot meter, as well as A and P (aperture biased).

It has an excellent focusing aid so you know where it's focusing. I've

never had a <b>single</b> mis-focused shot, in 100s of frames. It's

lighter than an M6, but feels a bit clunkier. But with cameras

everywhere these days, maybe small isn't as important.

<p>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/hexar">photo.net reviews</a>

<p>

One thought- the Yash. T4 has a WL finder, I believe.

[jean_david_borges]

Olympic stylus epic! Quality to price ratio quite high. High

precision 1:2.8 lens. About $89.00 at B & H. You cannot go wrong with

it.

[cosmo_genovese]

KL Prager,

 

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I attempted to send you an answer to your subsequent question about

how to override the DX coding on the Epic to shoot Tri-X @ EI 200,

but I received a "Failure Notice" (fatal error) for your

address, "www.pragerproperties@att.net".

[kl_prager1]

Robin,

 

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You're probably right that Leica is unlikely to bring out an updated

CL. I suppose it's just 'wishful thinking' on my part...I'm glad to

hear that the meter's on the original ones are repairable anyway.

 

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Cosmo,

 

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I did receive your e-mail. Thank you!

 

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Ken

[kenneth_pai]

All these answers are good answers. But there is no perfect answer. I

have been baffled by the same question for years. I have an M6 TTL

with collapsible 50mm and an ASPH 35mm, both quite small but still

weighs like a brick in any pocket. And I don't want to be bothered

with a flash. So, I have tried a Rollie 35, an old Minox 35 (no

flash), a Pentax UC-1, and a cheap Fuji with dual focus lens as

a "second" camera. Image quality of the Minox is best but has no

rangefinder and only a detachable flash almost 2/3 the size of the

little camera. The Rollei tears the end of the film strip as it keeps

winding after you have reached the last frame and is hard to load.

The Pentax is great but the auto rewind sometimes kicks in at mid

roll, giving me a half exposed roll.

 

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My opinion is, a pocketable second camera to you Leica M should

offer, in addition to small size and ease of use, a built-in FLASH!

 

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My current solution? A Kodak digital! Why? All the features of a

film point-and-shoot and macro focusing, and gives me digital

pictures to supplement my Leica. Also it does not give me another set

of films that would confuse me after a trip.

 

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What does everyone think--am I crazy?

 

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Kenneth

[jia_shi_li]

my pocket camera is Tri Elmar and HexarRF, the 3 focal of the 3E and

AE of the Hexar make the best PS camera $$$ can buy.