What 35mm - With Character?

Mohain

Mohain

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Guy Boden
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Looks like my Lomo L-CA is dead. Last two rolls of film have come out all drastically underexposed apart the odd shot where it looks like the shutter has stuck open.

So I'm after a new 35mm ... with charater.

I like the Holga/lomo/Lo-fi look. Dodgy focus, light fall off, that sort of thing ;)

I'd like something that has a light meter built in or is automatic exposure.

Must be compact.

Budget, around £100.

I'd love a rangefinder but don't know much about what models are any good and even if I could get a resonable model for that sort of money.

Any suggestions? :thinking:

Cheers,

Mohain
 
hmmm I don't know of anything that would look lo-fi with a meter?

Anyway my suggestions would be an olympus xa,xa2-4 don't get the 1 they were rubbish!

Or if you want older an olympus trip 35.

Another would be a vivitar ultra wide ultra slim.
 
The Olympus XA springs to mind, although I don't know how much they fetch these days.

There's a few RFs HERE
 
If you really want a RF have a look at some of the Fed, Zorki, Leningrad ones.
 
Thanks ab$olut & CT :)

That Rollei looks nice, am watching it :)

The olympus xa's look good too!

I've got a Zorki 4 but it's a bit too big and bulky for what I want (plus it's very flakey and has never really worked properly).
 
The Rollei looks lovely - nice Sonnar lens too. These things tend to attract the collectors so good luck with it.The most sought after ones were made in Germany and are quite rare, most being made in Singapore .
 
"Dodgy focus, light fall off, that sort of thing"


You aren't going to get that with these cameras unless they are faulty, I don't think its possible to spend a hundred quid on something as diabolical as a Holga without getting ripped off.
When I say diabolical, I mean it in the nicest possible way:LOL:

Now if we're talking cheap fablious metered 35mm rangefinders, Yashica Electro 35 is the absolute definition.
Infact, forget that.....I'm going to buy another...
 
You lot shut up..................rying not to spend before chrissy.


Now I have a oly XA some bloody where in the house,
But took it out of the car 14 months ago and bunged it somewhere.
Now I'm back into photography I can't #?@*## where.....
 
You're giving us two conflicting ideas of what you want. So with £100 get two cameras. Holga/Diana for crappy pictures, then the better quality one such as an XA or XA3. I got an XA 4 years ago off ebay for £40. I can't remember how much for the XA3 but less. The XA4 is the best of the series but difficult to find. One just went on ebay for £87.
 
I didn't say I necessarily wanted to spend £100 on a crap camera I was just try to say that I liked results that had a bit of 'character' about them ;)

Thanks loads for all the suggestions, I'm watching a few ebay items now :)
 
If you want something different, try and get hold of a TLR. They're completely different to shoot with because of the waist level finder and some of them give stunning results.
Should be able to get something for under a hundred.
 
Hi Woz :)

Thanks for the suggestion. I already have a TLR (actually, 2!) but I was specifically after a compact 35mm automtic that I can slip in my pocket to replace my, now dead, Lomo LC-A :)
 
c'mon, you know you want one..
no light leaks or fuzzy edges though

I gave this away.....duh....:bang:

29m3893.jpg
 
Mohain said:
Hi Woz :)

Thanks for the suggestion. I already have a TLR (actually, 2!) but I was specifically after a compact 35mm automtic that I can slip in my pocket to replace my, now dead, Lomo LC-A :)
Click to expand...

Olympus 35RC? I got my first one for a fiver and my second one for a quid in charity shops.
Lovely cameras, although they might lack character in the sense you're talking about because they're just too damned good :D

Do you have a different name elsewhere? :cautious:
 
Zorki is a bit too big to slip in my pocket. The XA looks like the sort of thing I'm after.

I don't want any light leaks Joxby!! A bit of vignetting on the other hand ... ;)

Joxyby and Woz, don't both of those cameras need adaptors for the batteries? Are they easy to come by?

And Woz, no, I use mohain on the net. My real name is Guy Boden.
 
Get an xa and be done with it :p you won't regret it they're a joy to use love the sensitive shutter button!
 
My Yashica had an extra spring in the battery compartment, if you can call that an adapter, Yashica man page link posted earlier will have all the details of the various ways you can adapt a battery.
As long as you get the correct voltage, its not difficult to make your own adapter, not rocket science or nothing.
:)
 
I 'd get a Rollie B35 or something similar Ffordes have some lisited well within the £100


207098.jpg
 
Olympus 35 RC...

I can remember selling these in the 70’when I worked for Dollands.

The 35 RC had a 2.8 lens and auto exposure the downside it uses the now defunct PX 625 battery; however it can be used manually.

info here

one for sale here
 
What about medium format? I know you specifically asked about 35mm but I wondered if it's something you have considered?

I have recently purchased an Agfa Isolette 1 (came in a lot of 4 camera on ebay, worked out about £4) which I'll be using as soon as my film arrives. The camera is cheap, can slip into a bag / larger sturdy pocket, and from what I've seen on flickr can produce some great and interesting photos. 120 film is cheap enough and easy enough to get developed.

just a thought.
 
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