Film Serious Compact Film Cameras

Brian

Product of the Fifties
There are a lot of serious compact film cameras out there, starting with the original Leica. I just received a "needs TLC" Leica IIIa as "payment" for repairing some lenses, and it will be back up and running soon.

My favorites are the Canonet QL17l and GIII, and the Minolta 7s-II. I end up with the Canonet more often, better viewfinder. The Minolta- even smaller than the Canonet.

I'll be using the Canonet for the january challenge, and will scan and post some negatives from the Minolta.
 
its 12am now in malaysia; happy 2012!!!

i am gald this thread is up! here's a couple form testing my ol' mini3
which has been sitting in the drawer for many years...

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Seems you lost the original and this one is here to stay... any way you can report your original. Definitely of interest to me...
 
I've always enjoyed a decent film compact. Contax T2, Rollei 35 - there have been some stellar performers over the years. They are still capable of superb results, they just demand a bit more forethought and a bit more patience but the glass is superb and there are some bargains to be had out there.
 
You should.

So what constitutes a COMPACT.. film camera? Rangefinders and down?

O GOD! Don't ask. This debate has been RAGING on at pentaxforums.com for weeks, ever since I thought I might submit an X100 image to a point and shoot comp thread. If you want to see what people think... read on here (unless, of course, you need to be a forum member to see it). Needless to say, no consensus was reached and on the matter of the X100 issue I decided not to submit anyway... it all got right out of hand.

[edit] I've changed my opinion several times (the discussion there was "what is a point and shoot" rather than whats a compact) but I am now down to: if it fits in your jeans or pants pocket, or a coat pocket... its a compact. If you have to cart bags and need a trolley, its not. So for me, the X100 isnt really compact. I have to have a bag, or at the very least have it strung about my neck. My F550EXR, GRD3 and XZ1 are all compacts. I dont have to carry a bag if I want to carry them.

Agreement on what is or is not, will never really be reached.
 
A Compact Camera...

In the 1970s, a series of Compact SLR's came out. The Olympus OM-1, Pentax ME and MX, Nikon FM and FE. Turns out the latter are the same size as the Nikon S Series rangefinders. A Contax III is about the same size as a Leica M3, I modified a Leica case for the Contax.

I consider my Minolta Hi-Matic 9 as a "Full size 35mm camera" and the Canonet QL17l and GIII, Minolta Hi-Matic 7s-II and Hi-Matic E as compacts: as per the Advertisements of the day.

But compared to a Nikon F5? The Nikon F2AS with MD-2 and 55/1.2? "Anything is compact compared to that!"
 
Still got my wonderful little Olympus XA Rangefinder....
One of my favorites! I bought them new back in the day, mid eighties I think? They were around $100 bucks each. I got both the XA, and the XA2. ;)
-Bruce
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For those of you wondering just how small they are, this image should clear it up. ;)
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[edit] I've changed my opinion several times (the discussion there was "what is a point and shoot" rather than whats a compact) but I am now down to: if it fits in your jeans or pants pocket, or a coat pocket... its a compact. If you have to cart bags and need a trolley, its not. So for me, the X100 isnt really compact. I have to have a bag, or at the very least have it strung about my neck. My F550EXR, GRD3 and XZ1 are all compacts. I dont have to carry a bag if I want to carry them.

Hm, very little pocket room in female blue jeans these days. I don't have a camera that would fit in any of them although I do have a little keychain with a camera on it that might. Even my Falcon 'Miniature" won't fit in a pants pocket. ---Maybe my Lomo LCA+... I think you are right, no way to truly define it. A handy portable camera, not something you lug in a case or on a shoulder strap but one you could maybe wrist strap? Then again my father carried the Minolta rangefinder in the army during his stay in Korea.. and he considered that easily portable, sold an old folding camera for it.

Answer. wear cargo pants and a parka and it's all good! :)
 
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The Tessina on the Left would fit in any pants pocket. The one on the right is rare, uses an electric film advance.

The Smallest 35mm Twin-Lens Reflex camera made.
 

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The Tessina on the Left would fit in any pants pocket. The one on the right is rare, uses an electric film advance. The Smallest 35mm Twin-Lens Reflex camera made.

I am betting you have a man's pants pockets :D . Seriously my husband and I were having this discussion the other day. My hands don't fit in my front pockets, just my fingers. He can get his hands in his front pockets. Is that camera that small? There is one on ebay for only 385$ right now. Er.. only. Actually my Lomo LCA+ might be pocketable but my rear pockets most likely or with the end sticking out of the front pockets. It would be an instance where if I sat the camera would be forced up out of the pocket. But, what I can say is some of my cameras are no longer than the distance from the heel of my hand to my fingertips.. so for me I will call that compact, my pinkie finger is a 2.5 .
 
I'll post a picture of the Tessina next to something to give the size. It is 2.5"x2"x1" (1" measured to the top of the flip-up viewfinder).

The camera uses an internal mirror to reflect the image onto the film plane. It uses a special 35mm cassette. Smaller than my Minolta 16 and Instamatic 110's.
 
The Tessina on top of my Olympus EP2, and the EP2 next to the Nikon SP. Note the SP has an F1.4 lens on it.
 

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