ZDP-189
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/ZDP189">@Z
I have been a collector of premium film compact cameras for the last few years. Most people thought I was crazy to buy and hoard all that junk. The world had turned its back on film, except for a few die-hards who kept using it for their rangefinders, classic DSLRs, medium format and large format cameras. Compact cameras were not widely respected, and consumers dismissed them, like the sub-miniature format consumer cameras, as an embarrassing episode best put behind them. Consequently, they were cheap. Some were actually very good, having sold in small numbers for hundreds of dollars in their heyday. For a collector the winning combination of virtues are: items that were well made, scarce and above all cheap; so I busied myself hoovering up cameras from local and Japanese second hand stores, eBay and market stalls. I even got some from friends.
Recently, the world seems to have cottoned on. The typical buyer is either a collector or a photographer that has gone back to film from digital and now wants something competent and controllable to shoot with. Today, just about any camera from a top brand or with a prime lens of f/2.8 or faster sells for good money, and some rare cameras can go for upwards of a thousand dollars. Thankfully, by the time prices rose, I had nearly filled my dry cabinet and now I have one of just about everything worth owning.
At this point, a sensible man would sit back and watch from the sidelines with bemusement, thanking his lucky stars that his collection was complete (or even better start selling). I am not a sensible man. I have got the bug and am looking for the next big thing that is well made, fairly scarce, and above all, cheap. Digital cameras fit the bill. Like compact film cameras, compact digital cameras are easy to store. At least they’re smaller than a DSLR. I know it sounds silly and you are probably ready to dismiss me as an eccentric crank. That I am, but my film compact camera collecting was sneered at too.
Many of us already have a collection of digital cameras. They’re cameras we’ve bought new and used in the past. They are now redundant and gathering mould in the attic. Other people give them away, sell them for a pittance, toss them out, or send them for recycling. In most cases, I think that’s for the best. Digital cameras have benefited from much technological improvement over the years, and models just a couple of years old have fallen behind the leading wave of innovation. There is just so much dross out there, and it is not worth collecting.
The early digital revolution wasn’t really a revolution in quality. In my opinion, compact cameras in 2011 are only just beginning to surpass the best film compact cameras of the 1990s. The digital revolution was the democratization of photography. It made cameras super convenient, cheap to use, and now even young children can consistently take great photographs under just about any lighting condition. Digital cameras, especially trashy entry level models, sold in astronomical numbers. They won’t be “collectible” until they are antiques. As Obi-Wan said, “These are not the droids you’re looking for... move along”.
The cameras that we are looking for are the same profile as the most collectible film compacts. Amongst those cameras was the Rollei SE, a camera that marked a definitive turning point in compact cameras and probably killed off the half frame market. The Contax T1 had an excellent T* coating. The T2 was a joy to control. The Hexar AF and Yashica T5 had unique features that made them superb candid street shooters. The Minolta TC-1 was smaller than a cigarette packet but produced lovely images that an SLR would struggle to match. The Leica Minilux wowed with its lens and build quality. Well kept special editions like the IXUS gold are fought over. The Fuji Natura F1.8 Black and Ricoh GR21 had lenses that were radical and characterful and were made in tiny numbers mostly for the Japanese domestic market. In short, we are looking for the most important and fêted cameras of the day.
I have made a short-list below of some of the cameras that match this description and that I have bought or am looking for.
Even if your camera is relatively modern, it may not be operable. I think cameras make poor paperweights, so we need to make sure that they’ll be operational now and in the future. Besides connectivity, you should also consider battery availability. Some brands like Ricoh all use the same very generic battery, and can even use AAA alkaline batteries if necessary; this helps to safeguard their usability in the future. You should also look around the internet to see it there are any problems common to that model. For example, the chaps at Ricohforum.com will tell you to check the ‘Adj button’ on the GRD I and note that the GRD II is unpopular due to noise reduction that won’t turn off and limited shutter speed control range.
For some people, usability doesn’t matter at all, and they just want some of the most memorable and important cameras of the past. They are a rare breed and I am encouraged that there are people willing to sacrifice storage space to preserve that period of our history.
Whatever breed of camera collector you are, you are sure to find many bargains out there, not to mention friendly enthusiasts with a common interest that may become lifelong friends!
_____________________
Dan has been a lifelong avid photographer and is a long-term small camera enthusiast. I follow Dan's daily insightful and entertaining Twitter coverage of all things photography and photo-gear related. You can find Dan on Twitter: @ZDP189. -Amin
Recently, the world seems to have cottoned on. The typical buyer is either a collector or a photographer that has gone back to film from digital and now wants something competent and controllable to shoot with. Today, just about any camera from a top brand or with a prime lens of f/2.8 or faster sells for good money, and some rare cameras can go for upwards of a thousand dollars. Thankfully, by the time prices rose, I had nearly filled my dry cabinet and now I have one of just about everything worth owning.
At this point, a sensible man would sit back and watch from the sidelines with bemusement, thanking his lucky stars that his collection was complete (or even better start selling). I am not a sensible man. I have got the bug and am looking for the next big thing that is well made, fairly scarce, and above all, cheap. Digital cameras fit the bill. Like compact film cameras, compact digital cameras are easy to store. At least they’re smaller than a DSLR. I know it sounds silly and you are probably ready to dismiss me as an eccentric crank. That I am, but my film compact camera collecting was sneered at too.
Many of us already have a collection of digital cameras. They’re cameras we’ve bought new and used in the past. They are now redundant and gathering mould in the attic. Other people give them away, sell them for a pittance, toss them out, or send them for recycling. In most cases, I think that’s for the best. Digital cameras have benefited from much technological improvement over the years, and models just a couple of years old have fallen behind the leading wave of innovation. There is just so much dross out there, and it is not worth collecting.
The early digital revolution wasn’t really a revolution in quality. In my opinion, compact cameras in 2011 are only just beginning to surpass the best film compact cameras of the 1990s. The digital revolution was the democratization of photography. It made cameras super convenient, cheap to use, and now even young children can consistently take great photographs under just about any lighting condition. Digital cameras, especially trashy entry level models, sold in astronomical numbers. They won’t be “collectible” until they are antiques. As Obi-Wan said, “These are not the droids you’re looking for... move along”.
The cameras that we are looking for are the same profile as the most collectible film compacts. Amongst those cameras was the Rollei SE, a camera that marked a definitive turning point in compact cameras and probably killed off the half frame market. The Contax T1 had an excellent T* coating. The T2 was a joy to control. The Hexar AF and Yashica T5 had unique features that made them superb candid street shooters. The Minolta TC-1 was smaller than a cigarette packet but produced lovely images that an SLR would struggle to match. The Leica Minilux wowed with its lens and build quality. Well kept special editions like the IXUS gold are fought over. The Fuji Natura F1.8 Black and Ricoh GR21 had lenses that were radical and characterful and were made in tiny numbers mostly for the Japanese domestic market. In short, we are looking for the most important and fêted cameras of the day.
I have made a short-list below of some of the cameras that match this description and that I have bought or am looking for.
- The Ricoh GRD and GX series (GRD, GRDII, GRD III, GX100, GX200) are the best, along with some of the Caplio GX100 precursors like the RDC-5300. The GRD and GX cameras are generally underrated but highly prized by those in the know. They got me back into compact digitals after I had just about abandoned digital shooting in my daily life. They have the very best user controls, customisable menu and build quality. They are noisier than the best new cameras, but they shoot black and white better than anything else. They are so pocketable and easy to draw. The default to snap focus feature means I always get the shot. I just about always have one of these in my right front trouser pocket, even when I’m carrying a DSLR or my X100. The secret is that the early models take excellent photos and cost very little. There is so much more to recommend them: intervalometer, 2xAAA backup power, etc.
- Fujifilm Early F series (F10, F11, F20, F30, F31fd) are all very collectable. These had the Super EXR sensor that gave superior high ISO performance and high dynamic range. The F31fd was the gold standard for low light for years and until the X100 came out this year; even Fujifilm struggled to beat it.
- Nikon Coolpix The 950 was a people's camera that popularised digital in the late 1990's. It won the TIPA Compact digital award in 1999. Later the P5000 scooped several awards, including the TIPA award of 2007. I owned a P6000 and it was an excellent daylight camera. In mint boxed condition, they are worth a pittance on the second hand market. Forget the other Coolpix models.
- Any of the Canon PowerShot G’s are worth buying. Early models G1 to G6 had wider aperture lenses, flip screens, took CF cards, had hot shoes and wrote RAW. All these are amazing features for cameras made between 2000 and 2004. I’d stick to these early models. Later models had bags of style, with black bodies and turned knobs, but slower lenses are more expensive and some had issues. The only models that were at all unpopular were the G7, which lacked RAW, and with some the G11, which saw a step down in resolution in exchange for better low light performance. The G10 is the model with the highest resolution to date and still sells for a pretty penny on the second hand market. If you want to show a collector how much you know about cameras, ask for the rare G4 or G8 models
. There are a other Canons worthy of consideration. The IXUS 65 (SD630) was well regarded, but too common and besides, I still have my old Ixus 60 (SD600) anyway.
- Any Leica compact digital camera is an instant classic, but they hold their value and aren’t cheap. The Panasonic Lumix equivalent were half the price, did the almost exactly the same thing and are a better deal as a practical user camera. Many people have a soft spot for the DMC-LX3 because it was small and just about the best compact digital camera available until very recently. Buy that one if you see it very cheap.
- Any Contax is collectable. The U4R and later SL-300RT are glorious, early digital compacts with leather trim and twist screens. The funky i4R is the Olympus O-Product of the digital world.
Even if your camera is relatively modern, it may not be operable. I think cameras make poor paperweights, so we need to make sure that they’ll be operational now and in the future. Besides connectivity, you should also consider battery availability. Some brands like Ricoh all use the same very generic battery, and can even use AAA alkaline batteries if necessary; this helps to safeguard their usability in the future. You should also look around the internet to see it there are any problems common to that model. For example, the chaps at Ricohforum.com will tell you to check the ‘Adj button’ on the GRD I and note that the GRD II is unpopular due to noise reduction that won’t turn off and limited shutter speed control range.
For some people, usability doesn’t matter at all, and they just want some of the most memorable and important cameras of the past. They are a rare breed and I am encouraged that there are people willing to sacrifice storage space to preserve that period of our history.
Whatever breed of camera collector you are, you are sure to find many bargains out there, not to mention friendly enthusiasts with a common interest that may become lifelong friends!
Dan
_____________________
Dan has been a lifelong avid photographer and is a long-term small camera enthusiast. I follow Dan's daily insightful and entertaining Twitter coverage of all things photography and photo-gear related. You can find Dan on Twitter: @ZDP189. -Amin
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