Topic: Ultra-compact ultra-obsessiveness ;-)

[DonkeyDave]

I love my Contax T2, Nikon LA35 (for being able to shoot proper B+W with filters), Oly XA,RC,Mju

must do more P+S stuff....

[gsgary]

I've just won a Rollei XF35 on ebay for £8.50

[mcduff]

I've just won a Rollei XF35 on ebay for £8.50

Yay! I look forward to seeing how that 'big fella' works -- well it is big compared to your little rollei 

[gsgary]

I've got some wein cell batteries coming hopefully will shoot a roll next weekend,  i stole it at £8.50 = $14.36

[Francois]

If you want something really oddball, try and get a Steiner. They made the Steinette and a few other models that are all the same but just re-branded.
It's a German camera with eyeball-o-matic ranging and manual everything. It's pretty quirky, bottom loading and it doesn't use sprockets at all. Perfect for those who want to use microfilm...

[jharr]

For you pocket RF lovers.
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?itemID=17460551

[Francois]

Nah!
Point & shoots don't have half the charm of a good old rangefinder...

[Aksel]

I`m one of those who prefer not bringing more than I can fit in my pockets so yea!
Think my compacts have done more than 2/3 my shooting the last three years, also enjoy snapshot aesthetics, flash on - in you face!
Over all I think my Mju II´s are the favourite, the combination of dirt cheap, good lens and spot on flash makes it a winner. For some reason I feel bad when I`m  exposing the GR1s to rough treatment, it´s just to perfect, to precious to be messed about with so it stays at home more than it should. I Love the finder in the Contax T3, but swapped it for a TVS III, it´s all I really need on a daily basis. Ended up with another CL last night. I´m lost! If I could get the Lens of the CL in the body of the GR1 and the finder of the T3 It would be a match made in heaven. Maybe in combination with a GR21. Also a big fan of the ultra wide and slim and the Yashica T4 really offers a nice 3d rendering! The bigger stuff only goes out with me when I´m intending to photograph, which is far to long between.
Anyon using the Contax T ??

[gsgary]

No but I had a G2 for 2 weeks didn't like it compared to my Leica's it had only had 2 films through it put it on ebay with 2 lenses and nearly doubled my money, got a Rollei XF35 coming in the post

[Late Developer]

For some reason I feel bad when I`m  exposing the GR1s to rough treatment, it´s just to perfect, to precious to be messed about with so it stays at home more than it should.

On our trip to Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, I took a Leica R3 Electronic + 28 / 50 and 90mm lenses - plus my Ricoh GR1s. Lara had my old Nikon D700.  For several out of the 14 days we were there, we got the end of the SW Monsoon season and the rain had to be seen to be believed.

The Leica coped....just. I was forever wiping it down and getting water out from the lens / body coupling. The Nikon D700 was virtually flawless when exposed to the worst of the weather, managing to get only a tiny drop of water into the viewing screen - but that dried no problem.

The GR1s took the lot and never flinched. I was expecting it to be a water-sodden mess but, despite virtually living in my rain-soaked shorts and jacket pockets and being exposed to some of the hardest rain I've experienced (and I'm from Manchester!) it worked perfectly. No water ingress, no condensation and no battery "fry-ups".

Maybe I was naive, maybe I got lucky - but the GR1s was excellent and very robust.

[gsgary]

I used to live in Stockport and can remember it was bad for rain

[Late Developer]

I used to live in Stockport and can remember it was bad for rain

When I say I lived in Manchester, I actually mean Stockport (Born Heaton Norris 03/1961 but lived in Reddish for the most part - until I departed in 1988).  Most people know where Manchester is but not Stockport (which, when I was there, was in Cheshire. Still is as far as I'm concerned).

[gsgary]

I used to live in Stockport and can remember it was bad for rain

When I say I lived in Manchester, I actually mean Stockport (Born Heaton Norris 03/1961 but lived in Reddish for the most part - until I departed in 1988).  Most people know where Manchester is but not Stockport (which, when I was there, was in Cheshire. Still is as far as I'm concerned).

I lived on Highfield Park Heaton Mersey went to Peel Moat schools and went swimming at Reddish baths

[gsgary]

I used to live in Stockport and can remember it was bad for rain

When I say I lived in Manchester, I actually mean Stockport (Born Heaton Norris 03/1961 but lived in Reddish for the most part - until I departed in 1988).  Most people know where Manchester is but not Stockport (which, when I was there, was in Cheshire. Still is as far as I'm concerned).

I lived on Highfield Park Heaton Mersey went to Peel Moat schools and went swimming at Reddish baths

[gsgary]

Born 1961

[gsgary]

Before I went to Peelmoat lower which used to be the notorious Bellmont School

[mcduff]

Ended up with another CL last night.
Anyon using the Contax T ??

Are we talking Minolta/Leica CL? A friend had a minolta branded one (actually the same friend that now has my Rollei) and he loved it but I think he killed it with his love.

The Contax T is a camera that I actually had not read about, until now, and I probably should not have as it looks great. I am guessing that its price (it looks like a bit of a collector's camera) will keep it out of my hands.

I finished a roll in my Chinon Bellami -- a camera that I bought for its cuteness (a nice barndoor-folder arrangement) that I thought I would shoot more and I have not. It will be interesting to see how the results turn out but I must admit I was not enthralled shooting with it and I can understand why it has been a bit of a 'shelf queen.' As I remembered, I do find the barndoor-style doors get in the way of focussing more than the drawbridge style, especially with such a small camera. Also the film speeds are locked at 25/50/100/200/400 which kind of bugs me. I know that shooting my fp4+ at 100 is likely a negligible difference -- especially in an old and basic camera -- but that I am starting with the exposure already off by a fraction of a stop, grates on me.

On the plus side, the camera has a charming split personality regarding its stealthiness: When the lens is ready to shoot, the shutter is nice and quiet and its great for candid shots. Its alternate character is when the lens is closed -- popping the lens open (by the shutter advance lever) is quite theatrical, which can work quite well if your models are in a more 'hammy' mood.

[Late Developer]

Before I went to Peelmoat lower which used to be the notorious Bellmont School

My mum (and most of her cousins) went to Belmont in the 1930s as my mum's side of the family were all Heaton Norris and Heaton Chapel based.  I used to live on Basil Street - right next to Belmont (Peel Moat Lower) school.  My mum and dad moved us to Reddish so I could go to Reddish Vale as, if I didn't enter (or entered and failed) the 11+ test, it was Peel Moat for me - and my mum was dead against that.  If I entered and passed, it would have been Stockport Grammar.  So I ended up (briefly) in North Reddish (Longford Road) Juniors and then, in September 1972, I went to Reddish Vale School.

That turned out to be a bit of a "Sliding Doors" moment as Reddish Vale School had a darkroom, my dad bought me a camera (Edixa 35mm with WLF) and I got hooked on film photography.

Small world.

[gsgary]

Before I went to Peelmoat lower which used to be the notorious Bellmont School

My mum (and most of her cousins) went to Belmont in the 1930s as my mum's side of the family were all Heaton Norris and Heaton Chapel based.  I used to live on Basil Street - right next to Belmont (Peel Moat Lower) school.  My mum and dad moved us to Reddish so I could go to Reddish Vale as, if I didn't enter (or entered and failed) the 11+ test, it was Peel Moat for me - and my mum was dead against that.  If I entered and passed, it would have been Stockport Grammar.  So I ended up (briefly) in North Reddish (Longford Road) Juniors and then, in September 1972, I went to Reddish Vale School.

That turned out to be a bit of a "Sliding Doors" moment as Reddish Vale School had a darkroom, my dad bought me a camera (Edixa 35mm with WLF) and I got hooked on film photography.

Small world.

When we used to go to reddish baths from Peelmoat you could smell the biscuits cooking at McVities, i got expelled from Peelmoat 3 weeks before we moved to St Ives Cornwall when i was 13 because it was get tuff or be bullied at Peelmoat, moving down there was fantastic for me

[Late Developer]

Before I went to Peelmoat lower which used to be the notorious Bellmont School

My mum (and most of her cousins) went to Belmont in the 1930s as my mum's side of the family were all Heaton Norris and Heaton Chapel based.  I used to live on Basil Street - right next to Belmont (Peel Moat Lower) school.  My mum and dad moved us to Reddish so I could go to Reddish Vale as, if I didn't enter (or entered and failed) the 11+ test, it was Peel Moat for me - and my mum was dead against that.  If I entered and passed, it would have been Stockport Grammar.  So I ended up (briefly) in North Reddish (Longford Road) Juniors and then, in September 1972, I went to Reddish Vale School.

That turned out to be a bit of a "Sliding Doors" moment as Reddish Vale School had a darkroom, my dad bought me a camera (Edixa 35mm with WLF) and I got hooked on film photography.

Small world.

When we used to go to reddish baths from Peelmoat you could smell the biscuits cooking at McVities, i got expelled from Peelmoat 3 weeks before we moved to St Ives Cornwall when i was 13 because it was get tuff or be bullied at Peelmoat, moving down there was fantastic for me

I got dishonourably discharged from the Scouts for a very similar reason    Sadly, however, I never got to live in St Ives - but I have lived in Newcastle and Perth. And now Essex.

[gsgary]

I got the Rollei XF35 today and my wein cell battery and the meter works only problem I was playing with different iso's and loaded a small roll of HP5 and went up to the horse to try it out only problem I didn't re set the iso it was at iso25 it could be a disaster will post the results tomorrow will also find out if I need to adjust the rangefinder

[Aksel]

Ended up with another CL last night.
Anyon using the Contax T ??

Are we talking Minolta/Leica CL? A friend had a minolta branded one (actually the same friend that now has my Rollei) and he loved it but I think he killed it with his love.

The Contax T is a camera that I actually had not read about, until now, and I probably should not have as it looks great. I am guessing that its price (it looks like a bit of a collector's camera) will keep it out of my hands.

Actually, that was a Freudian slip, camera style. I had a CL on my desk that I killed last week, or atleast the fames became loos after meeting the floor of my local coffee shop. Planning to operate it or rip out the light metere + frames and arrange for a marriage with a Jupiter-12. What should have been written was Minilux, not CL as this is about compacts.

The Contax T is next up on my list of "have to try" - with the Lens of the T2 and manual wind, must be stealth! Which comes in handy when the gent with the comb-over in front of you are not to be disturbed 

[mcduff]

Haha. Well a CL is relatively tiny - tho big compared to what we are talking about!

Sorry to hear you killed a CL - they are lovely.

I am being tempted by a rollei 35s that is local in kijiji for $150 can ($135us). Not a spectacular deal but 1) I can at least look at it and 2) I might be able to talk him down a bit.

But I really should borrow back my old one from my friend to see if I even like it.

[Indofunk]

I recently introduced my XA to a section of pavement on the Lower East Side. Apparently the two hit it off* quite swimmingly because the XA gifted the sidewalk its shutter button, which the sidewalk promptly stored in that same non-earthly dimension that washing machines store the socks that they don't think you need. Anyways, it seems to be working fine despite that (the XA, not the sidewalk, which I'm afraid may have suffered a slight dent from the impact). However, the shutter speed indicator needle has permanently parked itself at the bottom of the finder window. Doesn't seem to have affected the shutter itself, though, so I assume the two are decoupled. It would be nice to have that needle working (as well as the shutter button), but I suppose if everything is working (at least to the point of taking pictures), why bother attempting (and botching) a repair?

Adventures in XA ownership


* no pun intended. really.

[Francois]

Pfew! I thought the sidewalk had stopped working

Now you know why I always use at least a wrist strap!

[Hungry Mike]

Anyone ever use the Zeiss Ikon Contessa S310 (viewfinder) or the S312 (the rangefinder)? I'm curious how they compare with the Rollei 35 as they have a similar f2.8 40mm Tessar lens to the Rollei 35 T  and the original model Rollei 35. They seem to be a bit cheaper than the Rolleis. They also look a bit less quirky so just wondering how they handle.

[Ezzie]

You might add the Voigtländer VF101 to that list, essentially a rebadged S312

[gsgary]

Anyone ever use the Zeiss Ikon Contessa S310 (viewfinder) or the S312 (the rangefinder)? I'm curious how they compare with the Rollei 35 as they have a similar f2.8 40mm Tessar lens to the Rollei 35 T  and the original model Rollei 35. They seem to be a bit cheaper than the Rolleis. They also look a bit less quirky so just wondering how they handle.

Cheaper but they don't look as nice as the Rollei

[Indofunk]

Anyone ever use the Zeiss Ikon Contessa S310 (viewfinder) or the S312 (the rangefinder)? I'm curious how they compare with the Rollei 35 as they have a similar f2.8 40mm Tessar lens to the Rollei 35 T  and the original model Rollei 35. They seem to be a bit cheaper than the Rolleis. They also look a bit less quirky so just wondering how they handle.

Cheaper but they don't look as nice as the Rollei

Reminds me of how we musicians make fun of people who are more into how their gear looks rather than how it sounds ... "Man, that solo you took looked great!!"

[gsgary]

Im only kidding but you have got to look cool when using film

[Indofunk]

Im only kidding but you have got to look cool when using film

Yeah, I know that's not what you meant,  I just wanted an excuse to tell that joke