Good choice for a "keep it in the car" SLR ?

[johnw63]

<p>Well, that might be a good choice, but I'd rather not leave a $450 camera in the car. Maybe one further down the price chain would be better for me.</p>

[mjferron]

<p>Small film camera to leave in the car? A Rollei 35s of course. Simple, small and very cool. Has a sharp 40mm lens. you don't need more.</p>

[hayward]

<p>I like the EM suggestion. It is tiny and the 50mm Series E lens is pretty sharp. It kinda remininds me of a Leica.<br>

If I was buying a film camera, though, I'd think about an F5, if only because you can get one for $250 when they were going for closer to $2,000 in their prime.<br>

Regarding the suggestion to go digital -- one of the hidden benefits is that it allows you to shoot much, much more. I just noticed that I hit 10,000 frames on my D700, which is less than a year old. That's 277 rolls of film, which most of us wouldn't expose. It takes a lot of effort to get all those printed and a budget of $2770 for film and processing, assuming you did. All those extra shots are practice in becoming a better photog.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>That is a very good point ! </p>

<p>I am really enjoying the look of the slides I take. Not that the pictures that result have been keepers, but the colors are great.</p>

<p>The idea of a small digital camera is probably best, but I know I would grumble about the lack of DoF. You just can't push the backgrounds out of focus. if you zoom out at all. But the ability to shoot lots, and lots, of pictures and get nearly instant feedback is a big plus.</p>

<p> </p>

[western_isles]

<p>Go to Ffordes of Inverness using Google. I have just bought a Nikon F5 from them and they have Nikon F100's in stock. In addition, they also have loads of other film and digital cameras. I have previously purchased medium format bodies and lens.<br>

My own experience of them is very positive and I feel happy to reccommend them. <br>

They usually post kit to me and are reliable.</p>

 

[railphotog]

<p>I usually bring my Canon XS10 with me in its bag case whenever I'm out and about. I keep my DLSR and gear at home unless I'm heading out to shoot something in particular. I recently picked up a used Canon point and shoot, only 5MP but has a swivel LCD, optical viewfinder, takes AA batteries and is made of metal. That one I leave in the car, cost me all of $20.00. I keep in in the storage bin between the seats, out of sight but ready.</p>

<p> </p>

[shoppix]

<p>I carry around a D70s all the time, unless I'm going to sports game to shoot. Then drag out the good stuff - D300 and D300S! Still not a couple of D3's or a D700, but...!<br>

I have an N90S with the "time/date etc electronic back plate. Have the original backplate as well. If interested, let me know.<br>

<a href="mailto:shoppix_photos@yahoo.com">shoppix_photos@yahoo.com</a><br>

Steve<br>

I realize you are not leaving it in the car all the time, but on those occaisions a styrofoam or other type of small cooler is good idea. Plus it doesn't look like a camera bag to peeping 'toms'! Probably wouldn't break into your car to get a sandwhich and soda!</p>

[Christopher Sperry Photogr]

<p>I love my F4 and FM, but I agree with Shun also -- digital is better for faster learning. How about a Nikon D40 with the 18-55mm AF-S lens. It has a good enough viewfinder for composing, and it's small enough to pack around so you don't always have to leave it in the car. About $350 on ebay, minus the cost for film and processing.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<blockquote>

<p>Joe, I'd be worried that a fan would just circulate hot air.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Mine ducts to the driver's side rear air ejector (I hope that makes sense to someone outside the auto industry. An air ejector is a port on a vehicle that's placed in a low pressure zone, so that it sucks air out of a moving car instead of drawing it in) and only runs when the car is stationary. A flapper door keeps the fan from turning into a little siren when the car is in motion. I copied something we used for one of the early voice control systems back at Ford. Cheap, efficient, easy to install.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>A smaller, cheaper, less power-hungry version of this thermoelectrically cooled chest would be just the thing: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/product/koolatron-12v-36-qt-capacity-kool-wheeler-with-wheels/coolers-ice-and-thermoelectric/160283/160283.aspx?source=GoogleBase" target="_blank">(link)</a></p>

</blockquote>

<p>You're now on my tea list <a href="http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1018&message=33618029">(link)</a> . There are three words one does not apply to Peltier devices: "cheap" and "low power".</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Lacking that, I'd just put the camera inside a regular picnic cooler with a gallon milk container filled with room temperature water to help slow the rate of temperature rise. Doing that, I'd bet you could leave the car out in the summer sun for several hours without the camera / film / batteries / etc. getting dangerously hot.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'd bet agaisnt that. It strikes me as insufficient thermal mass (water is pretty horrible for these things unless you're dealing with phase changes), and insufficient transfer capacity. And I wouldn't want to go to the trouble of logging it to validate it.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>I did a long search of P&S cameras, and I think I discovered I wasn't that excited about the features, in the $150 and under, price range I have formed.</p>

<p>I have some watches on the 'bay to see how N90s , and F100s and a few others, like a D40 are going for. I did see a D90s in BGN condition at KEH for a whopping $30. That one has my curiosity.</p>

<p> </p>

[josephwalsh]

<p>John, I have an N6006 body. It's a good little camera and you're welcome to it for the cost of shipping.<br>

Warning: Battery door is secured with black tape rather than per Lex's blue tape protocol. Hope that's not a deal breaker. ;-)</p>

<p>JW</p>