More (almost) classic compact cameras

[Andy Collins]

Having recently entered the world of compact cameras like the Canon MC and the

Olympus XA, I was intrigued to find another similar camera, the Chinon Bellami

on another website and subsequently on ebay. Does anyone know of other cameras

that fit this style, the small, pocketable body with a detachable flash? I

have seen a similarly styled Minolta camera which leads me to believe that

this style was one of a number of trends in the late '70's-early to mid '80's.

Does anyone know of any other cameras made in this particular style by other

manufacturers?

[michaelging]

The Rollie SE , is a great little camera with a great lens.The only down part to it is zone focusing.

[kevin h. y. lui.]

Try rollei 35. They are very small and light, although it does not provide focus function.

[Jochen_S]

Or Minox 35 and Lomo.

[bueh]

Check out the Voigtländer VF101 (aka Zeiss Ikon S-312) and the Agfa Optima 1535 sensor. Both are very well designed, pretty much as small as they can get and perform excellently. The VF101 is aperture-priority while the Agfa is full auto-exposure with no real manual controls. Much older and with no automatic functions is the Braun Super Paxette I rangefinder, a cute and tiny classic that usually sports a brutally bad Staeble-Kata lens.

[tim_bradshaw1]

I once almost bought an Olympus XA but instead bought a Minox 35ML. There are a lot of other Minox 35nn versions, which I think they made until quite recently. They vary in features and I think some have better lenses than others.

 

The main problem with the 35ML is that it's not a rangefinder camera - you have to guess distances. This turns out to be fairly easy though a relatively short focal length lens (35mm) helps. The lens is a Tessar in all but name I think. I guess another problem is that they're rather expensive to fix when they go wrong.

 

If I had to have only one camera this one would probably be it - the lens is fantastic (with the possible caveat that the flare it produces when the sun is in the frame is rather ugly), it's small and light enough to carry anywhere and almost silent. Of course a decent digital compact (the Ricoh one?) would probably be better now, sigh.

 

--tim

[jeffpolaski]

Ditto Tim. Minox 35ML.

[connealy]

Consider the <a href="http://www.zianet.com/connealy/vintagecameras/olympus35rc/index.html">Olympus 35 RC</a>.

[charles_stobbs3]

And the Olympus 35DC.

[jonathan_james]

There were several cameras like this. The Ricoh FF-1 is a particularly good example. It was very much like the Minox 35EL but was much better built and had the advantage that it actually worked! Balda made the CS35 which I still have. It feels quite plasticky, but produces good images from a decent lens. It too has an accessory flash gun which clips onto the side. Finally, Chinon made the original camera of which the Lomo LCA is a copy. Unfortunately I can't now remember what it was called. Perhaps someone else can help here.

[jonathan_james]

Oh, and I should have said that the Balda was also produced as a Voigtlander as well. I'm pretty sure that they are identical cameras.

[MTC Photography]

<center>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5807451-md.jpg"width=400><P>

Rollei 35S<P>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5807352-md.jpg"width=400><P>

Minox MDC with Minoxar 35mm/2.8 lens<P>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5786343-md.jpg"width=400><P>

Minox 35ML<P>

</center>

[david_m]

Starblitz 35ES aka Hanimex 35ES. Not detachable flash but flip-up. The most compact 35 I've ever seen.<div></div>

[jonathan_james]

And another one would be the Cosina CX1 and 2 which were the inspiration for the LOMO. I think they were CX, anyway.

[chuck_foreman1]

Oh see this link ..

 

http://www.submin.com/

 

I have the Voigtlander CS model too. Nice easy to use ...

classic camera... nah yeah I guess in definition and imitation of

classic folders like the Rollei and the Minox.

 

The Lomo 35A is still being sold as new... right??

[vincenzo_maielli]

My preferred compact cameras are the Canonet G-III QL17, the Minox 35 GTE and the Leica CM (not classic, altough). I own all of those cameras and i love very mutch. For the future, i whis to buy a Rollei 35 S or SE or Classic.

Ciao.

[Andy Collins]

Wow! What a lot of choices, and I feel compelled to try to get every one of them...but I've got bills to pay. What kind of quality do the Hanimex cameras exhibit? I've seen them mentioned in passing several times, but I've not heard a lot of opinions about them.