35mm compact, light, sharp....with bulb?

[DaveP]

Hi guys and gals

In anticipation of a possible ultralightweight jaunt in the mountains this spring i'm trying to establish if there is a lightweight 35mm fixed lens compact that offers quick AE operation, great image quality, reliable metering, and yet offers manual override to the extent of bulb and aperture selection. Oh and did I mention it has to be reliable, and either cheap or readily resaleable.

I'm hoping of something like a yashica T4/5 but with bulb, if such a thing exists. Or an olympus 35RC, but something lighter and without a protruding lens would be good. Maybe a rollei AFM35?

Pragmatically I should probably just take a digital compact, but I like film, and digitals can't cope with 20minute moonlight exposures.

Anyone got any ideas?

[Argentum]

maybe not quite as small as you are thinking but a Contax Aria with a 45mm lens would give you all the control you want. Total weight 550g. Very re-saleable but I rekon if you get one you will keep it. And it has matrix metering for your point and shoot stuff (which is reputed to very good, especially with wide angle lenses).

[DaveP]

SLRs are out I'm afraid - all too bulky and heavy, even the light ones like the aria. 550g is a pint of water!

[Rob Archer]

If you can find one for a civilised price (i.e. less than £250) I can recommend the Ricoh GR1s or v. The original GR1 is good but you can't attach filters - although the bayonet 30.5mm filter attachments for the s and v are hard to find if you don't get one with the camera. Absolutely pin-sharp 28mm lens, full auto plus aperture priority. It has an electronic 'bulb' setting. I reckon about 50% of photography uses one nowadays.

Rob

[DaveP]

Good knowledge Rob, thanks. I should have known Ricoh would have something.

Just checked the specs on camerapedia, looks nice and light and compact. No mention of.bulb on there though, i'll take your word for it.

Ffordes have one for £350! Blimey....

[Rob Archer]

Good knowledge Rob, thanks. I should have known Ricoh would have something.

Just checked the specs on camerapedia, looks nice and light and compact. No mention of.bulb on there though, i'll take your word for it.

Ffordes have one for £350! Blimey....

I'actually got that a bit wrong. It's a 'T' setting where you press the shutter release once to topen the shutter, than againn to close it. It also has an exposure compensation dial.

Rob

[DaveP]

I had a read of a gr1 manual online and yep the time/bulb function is as you say. Suits me fibe. Now I really want one...

Whats the going rate for these? About a ton fifty?

[Argentum]

SLRs are out I'm afraid - all too bulky and heavy, even the light ones like the aria. 550g is a pint of water!

that's only a bladder full :D

I was going to suggest a Contax G2 but checked and to my surprise it's heavier than an Aria.

[Dave miller]

I had a read of a gr1 manual online and yep the time/bulb function is as you say. Suits me fibe. Now I really want one...

Whats the going rate for these? About a ton fifty?

Double that and add a bit. :eek:

Ffordes have one (http://www.ffordes.com/product/12030117531281). With filters!!!!! :D

[DaveP]

Yeah I think I may settle for a plain gr1 then. Not that bothered about filters, I'd only use a polariser sparingly, and I'm happy holding it in front of the lens if it saves me two hundred notes!

[Collas]

The Contax T range may be useful. They'll be tough with their titanium bodies, and a Zeiss lens to boot, a fixed focal length for the plain Ts, a zoom (Vario-Sonnar) for the TVS. They're more expensive, but if looked after keep their value. Not sure that you'd need a gold one, though!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax#Contax_T-series_compact_cameras

Ffordes have a black TVS III (30-60mm zoom lens) for £349.

http://www.ffordes.com/product/11102115222481

And here's some blurb.

http://www.contaxcameras.co.uk/tseries/tvsiii/tvsiiioverview.html

They also have a pair of the earlier T-VS models in at a better price. These, however, don't have the lens cover.

http://www.ffordes.com/category/Film_Cameras/Compacts/Contax_/_Yashica


Nick

[GoodOldNorm]

:rolleyes:Samsung vega, cheap as chips on auction sites, does almost everything, schnieder lens, bulb and lots more.

[DaveP]

Ok thanks everyone for the suggestions. The clear winner here seems to be the GR1, very small and overwhelmingly good reviews. So I may have accidentally found one online and ordered it.

Being small it should be easy to hide from my better half....

[Xpres]

You won't regret the GR1.
Cameras seem to come and go but I still have the GR1 I bought in 1998... stunning lens...