Topic: Your most disappointing camera?

[02Pilot]

I've heard a fair few people complain about the ergonomics of the Rollei 35, but rarely about the results. What is it about the results you aren't happy with?

FWIW, I love my Tessar model, and I've thought more than once about getting one of the Sonnar versions. Let me know if you decide to move one of yours - maybe we can work something out.

Actually, I love the form factor of Rollei 35.  Small, compact, light enough to just wrap around your wrist to go anywhere.   Very inconspicuous.   Changing the film is a bit of pain, but  not too bad. 

On the other hand, lack of rangefinder makes it very difficult to do indoor shots with aperture opened up.    If try to go too small of an aperture and end up underexposing or getting camera shake.   And I always miss focus with opened up aperture.   So unless it's all outdoor stopped down shots, I just don't seem to get good results.  Mine both seem to scratch the film more than other cameras as well.    I haven't quite given up yet though, I think I'll keep at it a bit more and see if it's just me...

Range estimation is key to using it indoors. I've taken to practicing when I'm carrying one of my rangefinders; pick an object, estimate the distance, then focus with the RF and see how close I got.

I've noticed some scratching with mine as well, and I've never been able to pin down what's causing it. It's not all the time, but usually one or two frames per roll. The larger problem I had was that the camera started ripping the film apart when I rewound it. That took some time and partial disassembly to figure out, but I did eventually resolve it. Should you (or anyone else) ever run into that, here's what I did to resolve it in detail: http://filmosaur.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/workshop-rollei-35-film-ripping-on-rewind/

Good luck with it - they are great little cameras, but as we've both discovered, they can be a bit demanding.

[zapsnaps]

There have been some great replies on here - thanks to all. But what I find interesting is that the same names and models keep cropping up.

I'm now going to start a new thread - perhaps rather predictably, on unexpected wonders. Hope to catch some of your views on there, too

[Phil Bebbington]

I guess my biggest disappointment was the Hasselblad FlexBody. It is just too damn fiddly so I don't use it. I need to get rid of it so that someone with more patience than I have can use it! The other camera is my Polaroid 600SE, I wanted to love it and use it and yet I am continually pulled back to the cameras that I love to use and so it sits. I even have the wide lens - need to sell that too. The longer they sit there the more guilty I feel.

I have a number of 35mm camera that disappoint only because I moved to 6x6. That move was fatal and wonderful. So there is a F4 F5 and Leica M3 sulking in the cupboard. This thread might be the kick up the arse that I need to get these off of my back 

[Greg Bartley]

I think the Noblex 135 was a dreadfull camera, the Mamiya 7 panoramic adapter is pretty dire too so I ended up with a X-Pan which was lovely but should have been made by Leica 20yrs earlier.

[Alan]

i have a few . . .

since i moved to medium format, 6x6/6x12 holgas, mamiya 645 i find it difficult to shoot 35mm
i got that Ricoh TLS401 from Urban in the swap shop thread but I just cannot warm to the format 
I have a roll of film in with a few frames shot but I just leave it on the shelf.

I have actually had many 35mm format cameras, canons, and olympusesses but got rid of them.

I also found the Fujica GW690 dissapointing overall, the 90mm lens produced great detail but was
limiting for my subject matter. I didnt mind the size of the camera but yea not for me.

[benjiboy]

Contax G1 because (naturally) the pathetic small viewfinder. Loved the G2 though & super lenses.

And also the original Canon F1 too, wanted one since I was a teenager (I owned an EF then and lusted for the pro F1) and finally bought one about 3 years back & didn't like it one bit. A heavy, awkward tank. Sold on straight away.

I have 2 Canon F1-Ns, and while I agree they are heavy especially with the motor drive FN fitted, we have to "suffer for our art"

[twotimeslim]

My biggest disappointment so far was the the Stereo Realist 3.5. I was crazy about the idea of shooting in stereo, but after the first roll, couldn't stay interested. It probably didn't help that the spockets kept popping off the track, leaving me to guess how far to advance to the next frame 

[rpmdrd]

i haven't used a camera that i really that was disappointed about. then again carrying heavy gear when out shooting could be bothersome.

only disappointment i had was with cameras that you thought were still working however provided disastrous results like our olympus mjuII in where its lens was too hazyand  my dad's minolta xd-5 (which had fuzzy electronics that did not trigger the shutter)

[Jack Johnson]

Actually, I love the form factor of Rollei 35.  Small, compact, light enough to just wrap around your wrist to go anywhere.

I've said it before, if I could only have one camera it would be my Rollei 35 S, despite it's quirks.

Even though it's small, I often wish it had more standard camera strap lugs. It's difficult to find a convenient way to pack it around that's not fiddly in one way or another. I've considered trying something like the C-Loop mount for the tripod socket.

Most disappointing has to be either of my Yashica FX-3. I have an FX-3 and a FX-3 Super 2000. The FX-3 I refurbished myself, new leather, new seals. I dearly love its diagonal split focusing screen. The Super 2000 couldn't be any cleaner, it looks like it was unboxed yesterday. But for some reason they both scratch film, and I haven't been able to cure it on either.

Both were purchased because I have a ML 50/1.7 lens that calls to me. I thought about a Contax body but I hear they eat batteries. Now looking at a Canon EF-M with a CY to EOS adapter. We'll see how the disappointment holds up.

[Francois]

I dearly love its diagonal split focusing screen.

Me too. Somehow, I always found the diagonal split focus spot to be a stroke of genius. I can't believe other makers never thought of that!

[DaveP]

I think a few camera makers used to offer the diagonal split prism as an option, I think Nikon did for instance. I fancied one for my FE but never remembered to do anything about it.

[Francois]

Thing is when you try it, you instantly wonder "why make it an option?"

[DaveP]

Yeah I know, they should be standard by law!

[limr]

The one camera that I have that is really making me scratch my head is a Mamiya 645 Pro TL. I can't even say at this point that I'm disappointed in the camera itself because I have the sense that it can do a lot more than I've done with it, but it confounds me. Part of the issue is that when I first got it (remarkably, it was a gift), I had no sense at all of what it was like to shoot medium-format. I shot with it for a little while but never really liked what I got, but I don't blame the camera for that; I blame my inexperience. Then it was on a shelf for years.

Since getting my Lubitel 166B, I have finally been wrapping my head around medium-format and I feel like I want to take another shot at the Mamiya to see what I can now do with it. Maybe then I'll know better whether it's the camera or me that is disappointing! I'm playing with the idea of finding a waist-level viewfinder for it, mostly for psychological reasons. I 'learned' medium-format looking down at the nice big and bright Lubitel finder, and now I sort of associate medium-format with waist-level shooting.

The main issue is that this thing is a beast! Seriously, I could kill someone with one good whack and the camera would probably come out just fine.

[Late Developer]

I feel like I want to take another shot at the Mamiya to see what I can now do with it. Maybe then I'll know better whether it's the camera or me that is disappointing! I'm playing with the idea of finding a waist-level viewfinder for it, mostly for psychological reasons. I 'learned' medium-format looking down at the nice big and bright Lubitel finder, and now I sort of associate medium-format with waist-level shooting.

I agree that a WLF is a great idea for a square format camera but, trust me, they are almost impossible to use in portrait orientation with a 6x4.5 MF camera. If you turn the camera on it's side (into portrait orientation) you have to look at the image at 90 degrees to the direction in which the lens is pointing. The image is also reversed, so left is right and vice versa.

You don't have those problems to deal with when you use a prism finder. If you get a metered prism, that also helps - but I'd always keep a good hand-held meter close by that will provide incident light readings as well as reflected light readings.

As someone who uses a Mamiya 7 and a Mamiya C330s (and used to own a Mamiya 645 1000s) I can confirm that I've seldom used lenses that can compete in terms of sharpness at almost all apertures and great colour rendition.

[nepumug]

The one camera that I have that is really making me scratch my head is a Mamiya 645 Pro TL.

That's actually the camera on my "wanting list". I guess it's caused by my latest disappointing camera: the Kiev 88.
There's so much Pros and Cons on the web, it's ridiculous. I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that owning
a Kiev 88 is determined by two things: you need to treat it right and you need some (much...) luck. Oh wait, three things: patience...

So I got one, for a nice price, nice shape, great. First roll: no problems, yes! Second roll: light leaking magazine, ouch.
Did a good job on fixing it, tested with roll 3. Then after I inserted roll 4, the magazine died while winding to frame 1.
I said well, I need to get rid of this. Sold it cheaply, but without loss.

For 6x6 I'm with the Holga only again. The hole Kiev story made me also realise I clearly shot and compose over 50%
of my images in portrait format. That's why my eye fell on the Mamiya 645. Really a very nice build camera and it feels
good in my hands. Need to save up for it, fast.

[Fluminian]

Interesting. One man's garbage is another man's treasure. I love my Mamiya 645 Super.

[johnha]

I've got a Mamiya 645 pro SV, as an eye-level camera it works very well for me. The WLF is, as has been mentioned, is a real pain for vertical shots. It annoyed me so much I bought a Bronica SQ-B instead.

My most disappointing camera was a Zorki-4K, great as a change from an SLR until I put a film in it. Maybe I'd done something wrong or the film transport was knackered, but I didn't get beyond frame 5 before my finger/thumb were so sore I couldn't wind it on anymore. The camera is probably in the attic somewhere, probably still with the film inside on frame 6.

[eric rose]

I have two cameras that were disappointments.  First my first new to me SLR a Minolta SRT101 bought brand new in the 70's.  Hated the meter and the lenses were soft.  The second one is my Leica M3.  A bugger to load.

[limr]

Interesting. One man's garbage is another man's treasure. I love my Mamiya 645 Super.

Now now, I never said it was 'garbage' We just haven't bonded yet. I know a lot more now than I did when I first got it, so I'm sure that with more practice, I can get more out of the camera.

I find that I don't really do portrait shooting with it anyway because it's so big that I have a hard time handling it in that position.

[Fluminian]

Interesting. One man's garbage is another man's treasure. I love my Mamiya 645 Super.

Now now, I never said it was 'garbage' We just haven't bonded yet. I know a lot more now than I did when I first got it, so I'm sure that with more practice, I get get more out of the camera.

I find that I don't really do portrait shooting with it anyway because it's so big that I have a hard time handling it in that position.

Sorry, limr. It was just a figure of speech. I love my Mamiya 645 and I don't find it big either. Try Mamiya RB (RZ)67. Now, that's big
and heavy, but if you mainly shoot in portrait position Mamiya RB(RZ)67 can rotate it's film back  for either landscape or portrait mode.

[Francois]

The second one is my Leica M3.  A bugger to load.

Do you have the trident take up spool in it?
If you don't, take it to a Leica specialist and ask them if they can install one. It makes things much simpler.

[eric rose]

The second one is my Leica M3.  A bugger to load.

Do you have the trident take up spool in it?
If you don't, take it to a Leica specialist and ask them if they can install one. It makes things much simpler.

I did a google search on the spool and can't find anything.  Can you point me in the right direction please?

Thx

[Rafael Morales]

I remember one Zenit SLR that I had for a few minutes and the shutter jammed. I got my money back. I got it at a flea market from a camera seller I know and trust.

[Ezzie]

The second one is my Leica M3.  A bugger to load.

Do you have the trident take up spool in it?
If you don't, take it to a Leica specialist and ask them if they can install one. It makes things much simpler.

I did a google search on the spool and can't find anything.  Can you point me in the right direction please?




Thx

Or you could go for a rapid loader for the early M's Keeps the camera original: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-M-RAPID-LOAD-QUICK-LOAD-KIT-M1-M2-M3-NEAR-MINT-CONDITION-/370827527305?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item56570b0489#ht_2087wt_1549

[Francois]

The second one is my Leica M3.  A bugger to load.

Do you have the trident take up spool in it?
If you don't, take it to a Leica specialist and ask them if they can install one. It makes things much simpler.

I did a google search on the spool and can't find anything.  Can you point me in the right direction please?

Thx

This is something that has to be done in the shop from what I understand. It's not just a replacement spool; they have to go inside the camera and replace some parts.

Check this out for more information (mostly part 3)
http://www.nemeng.com/leica/005b.shtml

[Ezzie]

DAG does this.

[moominsean]

I go back and forth with the Belair. For every couple out of focus crappy shots, I do get something good like this, and then I want to use it some more...it defnly has a sweet spot somewhere in there. i just think that "infinity" is actually a lot closer than forever.


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