OT: Film point and shoot with zoom recommendations

[williammmm]

I have several film point and shoots that are 35mm (XA, GR1, that red waterproof Canon), and am in the market for a nice point and shoot that has zoom.

I’ve owned a few film cameras in the past that have interchangeable lenses like a Contax G2 and SLRs but I find anything heavy and bulky, I will just end up not using.

The zoom doesn’t need to be anything crazy telephoto, but sometimes I like to shoot buildings (particularly pointing the camera upwards) and would just like a bit more zoom for cropping/framing purposes.

Thanks in advance for any recs!!


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[Mr B]

A nicely-kept Contax TVSII could be entertaining.

[buddybikes]

I asked a friend today, we discussed PANASONIC LUMIX ZS200 which appears to be getting good reviews.

[skiezo]

Big fan boy of the Panasonic lumix stuff. I have a few and they never disappoint..

[Dino Suegiù]

I asked a friend today, we discussed PANASONIC LUMIX ZS200 which appears to be getting good reviews.

Big fan boy of the Panasonic lumix stuff. I have a few and they never disappoint..

Lumix are digital; the op is looking for film.

Olympus had some great P&S 35mm film cameras, really good. Also some Canons. Rollei Prego 90 had a good reputation. These were all plastic body cameras, not so beautiful to look at, but fine workhorses.

The Contax TVS II Mr. B mentioned were great.

Another one to look at, very beautiful + excellent quality, is the Leica Mini Zoom. Expensive back then for what it was, but can be bought for much less now.

Along those Contax/Leica lines maybe research if Nikon ever offered a zoom version of their amazing 35ti / 28ti, but iirc they did not.

[Mr B]

The Contax TVS III Mr. B mentioned were great.

II, not III.
Minilux Zoom is a good call.

[tylercheung]

I have heard good things re the Ricoh GR2 or Olympus models for P&S...vs. old antiques like the Yashica something or other but then you have to be ready to deal w/ old mechanical/electrical gremlins.

[Dino Suegiù]

I have heard good things re the Ricoh GR2 or Olympus models for P&S...vs. old antiques like the Yashica something or other but then you have to be ready to deal w/ old mechanical/electrical gremlins.

The Ricoh is a very good camera, but is again not at all what the op is looking for.

The op is looking for a FILM and ZOOM P&S camera; the digital and 28mm (equiv) fixed-lens GR2 (GR II) offers neither.

[cinema]

the olympus is one of my favorites. i used one for years and pictures were great. i currently use a konica hexar AF which is fixed lens. it's probably my longest held and favorite p+s camera but others will debate whether or not the size is small enough to be considered p+s. i highly recommend the olympus, just buy one. they're cheap. contax is overpriced and outperformed easily by the hexar.

[mhespenheide]

I honestly don't know of one in the film realm. At least, nothing with a lens that will come at all close to the XA or GR-1. At the time, any "serious" work was done with an SLR, or a small number of people used a rangefinder, or a vanishingly small number of people used a T-4 super or the like.

You could try:

for something pocketable:
the Olympus Stylus Epic (with the f/2.8 lens) or the Fuji Zoom Date (also with an f/2.8, but only 24mm to 50mm so maybe not long enough; also called the Silvi in the Japanese market)

for something lightweight but not pocketable:
A Canon Rebel XS with a 28-70 f/3.5-4.5 V2,

or for something in-between:
an Olympus IS-10 or IS-20


There's also an obscure branch of point-and-shoots such as the Canon Sure Shot Tele that are limited to two focal lengths, one usually around 35mm and one around 60mm: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Category:Dual_focal_length_cameras, from the era just before zooms. Curious, but probably not better than the ones listed above.

On the inexpensive end, just get the Olympus Stylus Epic and go shoot.