Compact film camera recommendations

[Marino]

Hey all,

I recently bought a Minox 35GT

Lovely little camera, but unfortunately I had to sent it back, as it had issues with the exposure meter.
I was surprised with the image quality it can produce and i would love to have a compact camera all the time with me.
Carrying a Nikon FM2 is a bit too much as i need a bag to put it in and it also attracts attention.
.
.
So the question: Is there any real compact cameras with full manual control?
I like the idea of having a camera with full manual control ideally a 35mm lens
Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Plain Nev]

What about the Olympus 35SP?

 

[mdpF2]

Rollei 35S, great little camera, but now expensive..

 

[Marino]

What about the Olympus 35SP?

Thx, i did a quick research and figured it’s a bit big. But i did discover the Olympus 35RC which seems to be quite small

Rollei 35S, great little camera, but now expensive..

I know i looked it up before but the price put me off…I’m still looking it up every once in awhile in case I find if cheaper.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I'd recomend the Rollei 35B, about the smallest 35mm I've come across.

I found it to be simple, tough and with an excellent viewfinder. I took this shot with mine...

 

[Marino]

I'd recomend the Rollei 35B, about the smallest 35mm I've come across.

I found it to be simple, tough and with an excellent viewfinder. I took this shot with mine...

View attachment 410412

Much cheaper than the other rollei 35 models. I wonder why. I’m found a shop that refurbishes them and I’m seriously thinking about it in the middle of the night

 

[Harlequin565]

Thx, i did a quick research and figured it’s a bit big. But i did discover the Olympus 35RC which seems to be quite small

The 35RC is very small and also a great camera.

Also, if 35mm isn't massively important, and you want to get with the cool kids [/subjective], or go cheaper, you could source a Kodak Instamatic 500. You'd have to hand roll your own 126 (which is undoubtedly a pain but possible in a dark bag), but you'd get a wider 38mm f/2.8 with full manual control (up to 1/500sec) and a square option.

 

[excalibur2]

Rollei 35S, great little camera, but now expensive..

Something has stuck in my memory that they weren't reliable ...maybe other members can tell me if I have a faulty memory or models to avoid ?

 

[Marino]

The 35RC is very small and also a great camera.

Also, if 35mm isn't massively important, and you want to get with the cool kids [/subjective], or go cheaper, you could source a Kodak Instamatic 500. You'd have to hand roll your own 126 (which is undoubtedly a pain but possible in a dark bag), but you'd get a wider 38mm f/2.8 with full manual control (up to 1/500sec) and a square option.

Even though the camera looks like cuasimodo, i dig the square format. On the other hand loading the film does seem to be a pain. I will consider it if i come across it for a decent price.
Well thanks to your recommendation @Harlequin565 i now know what is 126 film. I originally thought it's medium format
God film camera prices have really gone up..

Something has stuck in my memory that they weren't reliable ...maybe other members can tell me if I have a faulty memory or models to avoid ?

I would be really interested to know as I'm leaning towards buying one

 

[mdpF2]

Something has stuck in my memory that they weren't reliable ...maybe other members can tell me if I have a faulty memory or models to avoid ?

I've not heard that, mine certainly has been reliable. Unless the later LED version had issues?

 

[Marino]

I've not heard that, mine certainly has been reliable. Unless the later LED version had issues?

I'm assuming the Meter would be prone to failure but the rest is mechanical?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I'm assuming the Meter would be prone to failure but the rest is mechanical?

Probably more than you want to know here:

Rollei 35 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Jammy Dodger]

All taken using a Rollei 35 SE (I loved the camera):

Film 2

Images captured using a Rollei 35 SE compact film camera.

www.flickr.com

 

[excalibur2]

I've not heard that, mine certainly has been reliable. Unless the later LED version had issues?

Well being an old fart it was a long time ago maybe the early ones ? But it was just stuck in my memory, but many photographers seem happy so if there was ever a problem it's been solved.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

Well being an old fart it was a long time ago maybe the early ones ? But it was just stuck in my memory, but many photographers seem happy so if there was ever a problem it's been solved.

The SL35 E had lots of quality issues which was a real shame as it had a fantastic lens and good spec.

 

[Marino]

All taken using a Rollei 35 SE (I loved the camera):

Film 2

Images captured using a Rollei 35 SE compact film camera.

www.flickr.com

I remember that picture of the Chevy, that picture shows the quality of the lens.
Right I made up my mind I’m going for a Rollei 35. Looks like the two versions with the f/2.8 are looking great but In reality I’ll be using f5.6 most of the time.
Thx all for the recommendations

 

[FishyFish]

In case you didn't go for the Rollei, here's my album of pictures made with my Olympus 35RC.

Olympus 35 RC

Explore this photo album by fishyfish_arcade on Flickr!

flic.kr

 

[ilikebowens]

You could try another Minox or accept the cost of repair as a part of the cost of acquisition. I have four or five of them, all were "cheap" owing to a.minor ebay addiction and all worked.
Not sure about "full manual". The Rollei would be the obvious choice. I have one but I don't really like it. I had a T2 when they were new, very nice camera indeed.
How about a Minolta TC-1 or Olympus XA?
You are likely to be limited to a 35 or 38mm lens and F2.8 so I'm not sure how much "full manual" is going to have an inpact, certainly in DofF terms. Older auto compacts have manual ISO settings which can adjust exposure. I was surprised how good the Pentax PC35AF was (not the M version which is dx coded).
A compromise between an FM2 and a compact might be a Pentax MX or ME Super with a 40mm pancake lens.

 

[Marino]

In case you didn't go for the Rollei, here's my album of pictures made with my Olympus 35RC.

Olympus 35 RC

Explore this photo album by fishyfish_arcade on Flickr!

flic.kr

Nige thx for sharing the album, some good pictures by the way. I’m like a ping pong ball, i watched a few on eBay for about £50. The meter prob doesn’t work but shutter ans aperture works.
That's quite a difference compared to the rollei. Dimensions are nearly the same->
Rollei: 97x32x60
Olym: 110x70x50

You could try another Minox or accept the cost of repair as a part of the cost of acquisition. I have four or five of them, all were "cheap" owing to a.minor ebay addiction and all worked.
Not sure about "full manual". The Rollei would be the obvious choice. I have one but I don't really like it. I had a T2 when they were new, very nice camera indeed.
How about a Minolta TC-1 or Olympus XA?
You are likely to be limited to a 35 or 38mm lens and F2.8 so I'm not sure how much "full manual" is going to have an inpact, certainly in DofF terms. Older auto compacts have manual ISO settings which can adjust exposure. I was surprised how good the Pentax PC35AF was (not the M version which is dx coded).
A compromise between an FM2 and a compact might be a Pentax MX or ME Super with a 40mm pancake lens.

Thx for the recommendations.
After my experience with the Minox i realised it’s better to get a fully manual camera because if the meter fails i can still use the camera. Which is the case with most old film cameras.

 

[Harlequin565]

The meter prob doesn’t work

I tested mine when I bought it, along with the one I repaired, and both were shooting about a stop under - which is handy as it moves the ISO range from 25-800 to (effectively) 50-1600

 

[FishyFish]

The 35RC has the advantage of rangefinder focusing over the Rollei's zone-focus method. If you don't mind zone-focus then an Olympus XA-3 offers the same, and is very small and likely much cheaper.

 

[Marino]

I tested mine when I bought it, along with the one I repaired, and both were shooting about a stop under - which is handy as it moves the ISO range from 25-800 to (effectively) 50-1600

It looks cool painted! Useful stuff there thx very much.

The 35RC has the advantage of rangefinder focusing over the Rollei's zone-focus method. If you don't mind zone-focus then an Olympus XA-3 offers the same, and is very small and likely much cheaper.

Something puts me off about the XA models, i know it's silly but I'm weird, if the camera doesn't appeal to my eye I'm not interested .

Right, I've found 2 auctions on the internet for the 35RC.
I can send it back since they have not used the magic word "For parts".
I found with eBay it's easy to send things back if the description is inaccurate.
If i can get it for £30-50 it should be an ok price, considering it;s working

 

[Marino]

Well i got one for £27 plus postage(Olympus 35RC) hope it works

 

[Marino]

EBay purchases have been full of surprises lately. Seller didn’t show the top on the original listing, it didn’t even cross my mind to ask. And that’s what i received
Of course i sent it back.
Got to say that camera looks amazing. It fits my coat pocket easily.
And it feels like a really well built camera.
I’ll be on the look for another one

 

[excalibur2]

View attachment 411186
EBay purchases have been full of surprises lately. Seller didn’t show the top on the original listing, it didn’t even cross my mind to ask. And that’s what i received
Of course i sent it back.
Got to say that camera looks amazing. It fits my coat pocket easily.
And it feels like a really well built camera.
I’ll be on the look for another one

With that camera you'll have to use a hearing aid battery or maybe 1.5v battery would work ok.

 

[Harlequin565]

seller didn’t show the top on the original listing

That's mad! Was it sold as "working"?

 

[Marino]

With that camera you'll have to use a hearing aid battery or maybe 1.5v battery would work ok.

Thx for letting me know, although i won’t be surprised if the meter doesn’t work and I’m ok with that.

That's mad! Was it sold as "working"?

Yes
The funny thing is that some sellers on eBay think they can get away with it but thankfully EBay is good with returns if the item is not as described. It’s silly since they have to pay postage twice.
Anyway two more actions are on tomorrow and I’m not sure how high i should bid. I was thinking £60 max. I’ve watched a few selling for 40-50 when described as “not tested”. The ones I’m bidding on accept returns and as i said If the meter doesn’t work I’m ok with it. I can also change the seals as i have plenty of foam left from my last light seal replacement.

 

[Rodinal]

What about the Olympus 35SP?

Oh yes indeed. Olympus made 2 or 3 similar cameras but the SP was the best. I had one in 2000 but bowed to pressure and sold it for a lot less than (comparatively) I would have got today. Those cameras are getting very rare now so snap one up if you find one. The fixed lenses are absolute crackers!

 

[Clive K]

I used to buy old German cameras direct from Germany via ebay.de in the days when ebay was in its infancy and sellers were naive. Then I sold them all over the world on ebay.com. In my opinion the earlier Rollei 35 cameras that were made in Germany were far more reliable than the later Singapore made ones.

The original Olympus XA takes some beating in many respects. Functional, neat, small, tough and capable of being easily manipulated for creative purposes. For example you can cut coloured platic sheet filters into a shape that fits over the lens and meter and use different f stops to over ride the auto flash. The lens is good and the electronic shutter is stepless too.

 

[Marino]

well I’m finally a happy owner of an Olympus 35rc.
What a beautiful little camera. It feels soo sturdy. I shot a roll the other day but the results weren’t great since the camera can’t go any lower that 1/15 sec (yes, believe it or not i shoot lower than that handheld).
But that’s a limitation easy to work around.

When i received the camera it was a bit gunky so i had to clean it up and change the light seals.

There’s a nice clean camera

The job wasn’t done though.
The rangefinder patch was so dirty i couldn’t even focus.
Thanks to @Harlequin565 I watched this video:

View: https://youtu.be/mLhwnJyADrQ?si=dQ_vfrZydRhgWOtb
and taking the top plate off was really easy.
Here’s a picture of the parts that needed removed in order to take the top plate off.

All i used was a small screwdriver and a wing compass .

Job done

Thanks everyone for your suggestions

 

[Clive K]

I have found a Ricoh 35 G in my basement. It was given to me by an old friend about 20 years ago and I had forgoten that I still had it. I got it to work by cleaning the battery terminal, changing the battery and packing it with a screwed up piece of aluminium foil. The meter was a little out because of the voltage difference between the original specified medcury battery and the modern equivalent, but that can be corrected using a slightly slower iso setting. 80 instead of 100.

The camera could be just what the op is looking for. It is a rangefinder with auto or full manual options. It has a good 40mm f2.8 lens and is about the size of the Rollei 35 mentioned earlier. It is very sturdy too. The downsides are small viewfinder that isn't spectacle friendly and small markings on the aperture and shutter speed rings.

I am going to have to replace the light seal in the film compartment. That entails removing all the previous seal with acetone and a plastic or wooden scraper. Then a piece of self adhesive 2mm thick modelling foam can be cut to shape. The foam has cost me €2.

They won't be expensive, especially the ones described as requiring a new light seal.

Could be worth a look?

 

[Plain Nev]

well I’m finally a happy owner of an Olympus 35rc.
What a beautiful little camera. It feels soo sturdy. I shot a roll the other day but the results weren’t great since the camera can’t go any lower that 1/15 sec (yes, believe it or not i shoot lower than that handheld).
But that’s a limitation easy to work around.
View attachment 412439
When i received the camera it was a bit gunky so i had to clean it up and change the light seals.
View attachment 412440
There’s a nice clean camera
View attachment 412441
The job wasn’t done though.
The rangefinder patch was so dirty i couldn’t even focus.
Thanks to @Harlequin565 I watched this video:

View: https://youtu.be/mLhwnJyADrQ?si=dQ_vfrZydRhgWOtb
and taking the top plate off was really easy.
Here’s a picture of the parts that needed removed in order to take the top plate off.
View attachment 412444
All i used was a small screwdriver and a wing compass .
View attachment 412445
Job done

Thanks everyone for your suggestions

Nice work. You've transformed it.

 

[Harlequin565]

well I’m finally a happy owner of an Olympus 35rc

Excellent news. Glad you managed to do those minor repairs too. They really are lovely little compact cameras and it's good to know another one has a lease of life! Last thing to do is test the meter to see how accurate it is so you can adjust accordingly.

Have fun with it!

 

[Marino]

Excellent news. Glad you managed to do those minor repairs too. They really are lovely little compact cameras and it's good to know another one has a lease of life! Last thing to do is test the meter to see how accurate it is so you can adjust accordingly.

Have fun with it!

I haven’t sorted out the meter yet.
@excalibur2 mentioned a hearing aid battery. Does it need an adapter to work or just put the battery straight in?

 

[Harlequin565]

I haven’t sorted out the meter yet.
@excalibur2 mentioned a hearing aid battery. Does it need an adapter to work or just put the battery straight in?

I put a very thin blu-tack sausage round the battery to stop it moving from side to side. No adapter needed.

 

[Marino]

Cool, I’ll order batteries and see how it goes. Thx for the help, it’s hard to find the information on the internet

 

[excalibur2]

I haven’t sorted out the meter yet.
@excalibur2 mentioned a hearing aid battery. Does it need an adapter to work or just put the battery straight in?

There are two sizes (AFAIK) for hearing aid batteries P675 and P13, the P13 is the one used on the more modern hearing aids and is small.

 

[Plain Nev]

I use little O rings to stop the batteries rattling about in my Spotmatic. The batteries themselves are LR41's. Not quite right, but the Spotmatic has a bridging circuit that compensates for the difference.