Topic: Your most unexpectedly wonderful camera . . . again!

[Jack Johnson]

I was reading through this old topic and I thought those of us who suffer from GAS would like to revisit our surprise finds.

I picked up a Pentax ME (not the Super) and though it's aperture priority only, I like the build quality and the tiny size. The standard K-mount lenses feel more balanced on it, and with an M42 adapter it makes a fine weekend camera.

You?

[thatguychad]

I'd say the Olympus Trip 35, lately. I also remember the Canon FTb being fantastic for a $10 pawn shop find.

[Jack Johnson]

I have to add, I have an Auto Mamiya/Sekor 55/1.8 in M42 with a bent filter ring and scratches on both the front and rear elements, and you'll have to pry it from by cold, dead fingers. It came free with another camera a while back and I keep coming back to it.

[hookstrapped]

The Rollei 35S, given to me by a friend who didn't use it much. I thought it was rather odd so would never have got one for myself. Fantastic 40mm lens and wonderful to use. Other wonderful cameras I have -- Mamiya 6, Minolta TC-1 -- I expected to be wonderful, but this was a great surprise.

[Aksel]

Olympus Mju II!
I bought my first at a flea market for pocket change, knowing nothing about it. Anything with a fast 35mm is worth a try.
Now I have stacked up on them, given them away, lost them, smashed them, loved them and I use one almost every day!

Good second place is my Leica IIIc - never given the ltm bodies any thought as "everyone" told me they where far to slow in use, complicated and fragile. Turns out it´s the smoothest and most charming little thing, cheap and cool.

[jojonas~]

I blame my few surprises on all the geeky research

oh, maybe one though... the lubitel sure is sharper than I expected

[rpavich]

I'd have to chime in with Olympus XA!

What an amazing little gem. I do like the XA2 also (and if it nailed better focus consistently it would take the XA's place as #1)

Both cameras are just very enjoyable to shoot.

Not far behind them is a Nikon One Touch.

[Late Developer]

At Photographica, in May this year, I managed to pick up a Voigtlander Vitomatic II in extremely nice condition and with a working meter.  I've only shot one roll of film through it, so far, but I've really enjoyed using it.  It's a bit bigger and heavier than my Olympus XA but it feels better in my hand and is very solid.  I still love my XA when I want something really "pocketable" but the Vitomatic II has been a revelation.

Incidentally, the film I shot was 35mm Foma Retropan 320.  I like the lower contrast but (and it's a big but) the film seems to be incredibly grainy for a moderate speed.  Apparently, this can be reduced by using the Foma developer but I don't want to have to do that, so I will revert to Tri-X / HP5 / XP2 Super.  I'll post a few examples of the Retropan in the Photo Essays board later this week....

[John Robison]

Two years ago, At a local photo show, a Minox IIIs in good serviceable shape, for $40, with case and measure chain. Lots of expense and work to obtain cassettes, build a slitter, modify an old Yankee developing reel, and sew up 120 Clear File pages to take the negatives. But it is an amazing little camera. At 2.5 oz, slips in a shirt pocket, (or belt pouch made for small pocket knife) and, so far, the film I'm using, Ilford Pan F, is the limiting factor to resolution. Just have to get some bulk film, I'm thinking Ilford Delta 100 will be a good compromise for speed/resolution.

This was an impulse buy. I had always considered 8X11 subminiature just too much trouble and expense for such a small neg. But surprisingly it has been a fun trip and I marvel that so much practical design is contained in such a small package. And that lens! Just amazing.

[16mman]

I'd have to chime in with Olympus XA!

Agreed! I bought two Olympus XA's within the space of a week at the same thrift store, both for less than $10--I think the owners thought they were cheap point and shoots I gave one to a friend and the one I kept has been the most consistently excellent photographic tool I own. The wide lens, fast rangefinding focus and quick exposure makes for really simple and fun shooting.

Speaking of compact wide angle cameras, my Superheadz Black Slim Devil (a Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim clone) is my second favorite camera. It's so cheap and basic, but I've captured some of my favorite photos with it. Here's my favorite.

Sir George's by Sean Anderson, on Flickr

[thatguychad]

At Photographica, in May this year, I managed to pick up a Voigtlander Vitomatic II in extremely nice condition and with a working meter.  I've only shot one roll of film through it, so far, but I've really enjoyed using it.

This reminds me, I should give my Perkeo a second chance.

[astrobeck]

Ilford Sporti.
Hands down, my most favorite surprise shooter.
It's built nicely, shoots sharply and is foolproof to use, which is good for a bumbler like myself.

The homepage shot was made with it.
:-)

[Terry]

My Exakta Varex.  I used a Nikon F for years because it seemed intuitive, but when I first shot an Exakta I realized that winding with the left hand and focusing with the right made much more sense (for a righthander like me). 

[Jeff Warden]

My YashicaMat LM.  I didn't expect much from this camera, and bought it as a 'tester' to see if I liked the TLR way of doing things, with the intent of eventually getting a Rollei.  I didn't fall in love with TLRs, but man I love that lens on the Yashica. 

[Francois]

For me it's more of a lens. When I got my industar-61 I Kew there was a 50/50 chance of getting a dud. But it never expected to get anything that's so sharp!

[Gimenosaiz]

Hi!

My Hapo 66-E !!! I really didn't know what to expect but ... wow, I fell in love ;-)

¡Saludos!
Antonio

[zapsnaps]

3 for me:
my bling-finished Mju 'limited' edition; a £10 Mamiya 135 RF and (cough) a 3mp Japanese toy which gives a very credible rendering of the 60s-70s Japanese street photography high contrast aesthetic (think Moriyama on a bad day). Always admired that harshness, but never been able to replicate it. So now I cheat. On business trips, I can wear a 'proper' camera on one side of my belt and the toy on the other under my jacket and I just look like a suit going to the office. For somebody who used to take a Manfrotto studio tripod on his holidays ("just in case"), I find the set-up quite liberating and unobtrusive.

[Francois]

It's relatively easy to replicate that harshness, but it will be different because he most likely used Fuji products.
Take some 400, push it to the 1600-3200 range, shoot in the dark and develop in paper developer.

The old punk concert photos were all HP5 in PQ Universal. I think they have a texture quite similar to Daido's... but don't forget that he used a very special printing technique to control sharpness and contrast.

[zapsnaps]

Francois: therein lies the problem - (still) without a darkroom, I am at the mercy of commercial labs, but thank you for the tip - I'm sure somebody will try and replicate the style