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i want a camera!

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i would like 35mm camera, which i can take good ponit and shot climbing shots with.

camera must be cold proof, water resistance and general abuse proof.

not to many fancy features. just a good lense and compact size.

happy to buy second hand.

any ideas??

 CJD 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

olympus mju always seem to get good feedback for general resilience and compactness.
 David Hooper 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: I have a Canon A1 Sure Shot - good for down to 5m underwater - make me an offer.
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: ricoh gr1s?

anyone?
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

MJU II 35mm. I miss having mine along with me. They are tremendous cameras and deserve a place in a photographic 'hall of fame' for achieving so much in such a cheap package.
The digi MJU's just don't match up IMO.

Davie
In reply to I am the God of Strathyre: how much?

what sort of size?
 Blue Straggler 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
I don't think he's selling one.

They go for about £50 second hand these days which is a bargain. Before digital cameras were ubiquitous, you VERY rarely saw these cameras second hand- I know, I looked! - which is testament to their quality ( I am talking about the non-zoom ones, with a relatively wide-angle fixed focal length of 28mm and f/2.8). I had one for about 2 months before it got stolen, I wasn't QUITE as enamoured of it as other people, I found the buttons quite small for a few things and my own tastes are less wide-angle than 28mm, but as a reasonably rugged, very compact point-and-shoot it was undeniably the market winner for nearly 10 years. I'd recommend one. Very sharp and contrasty pictures - a good lens
The zoom models were less revered but probably still good. Actually you may still find unused ones being sold off in camera shops for about £70, have a look.
 Blue Straggler 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

When you say 35mm, you DO know that you mean a camera that takes film, yes?
In reply to Blue Straggler: i may be 16, but i do understand that if you want to take good quality instant (ie capture the moment) pictures, then 35mm slide film is still the only option.
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Look at Jessop's website. They were selling MJU II's recently. I would reckon you'd get one new for £70.
If they could invent a kind of 35/ digi hybrid where you could pre- view the crap pics I would still be using a MJU.

Davie
Ian Hill 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
> (In reply to Blue Straggler) i may be 16, but i do understand that if you want to take good quality instant (ie capture the moment) pictures, then 35mm slide film is still the only option.

you're pretty much the only person left saying that
In reply to Ian Hill: how much would i exspect to pay for a secondhand
GR1 or GR1s???

thanks
In reply to Ian Hill: also all the really good digital camemras, are much more complicated, bulkier, heavier, and exspensive.
Ian Hill 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: those are different issues to the quality one but certainly digi would be more expensive for something with at least a good quality lens

if it has to be film for whatever reasons then have a look at older 'compacts' such as Rollei 35, Minox 35, Olympus 35 RC...all are rugged, have superb lenses, good controls

Ian
anyone know how much is should pick up a gr1s or gr1 for?
 James Edwards 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
I use a ricoh gr1v. its's a great camera and although i paid 3 0r 4 hundred (can't remember but it was alot) i have more than made my money back on it selling pictures. they go regually on ebay i believe. I'm thinking of getting one of those pentax optio 20 things for winter and alpine now as they seem pretty robust as long as it's kept warm so the battery doesn't die. if i were you i probably would buy a digital camera unless you were going on an extended trip of a life time.

james e
In reply to James Edwards: yea, but i like the way you can capture the moment with film. i also like slides and you can blow up film prints really big and they stil look great.
 Simon K 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Hi Tom

Have used both a mju II 35mm and a Ricoh GR1v, mostly with slide film.
In my opinion, the picture quality from the GR is far, far superior than that of the mju II.

If you're determined to go for film at any cost, get a GR. They can be dear though having been discontinued and a bit of a cult camera (I sold mine to a guy in Taiwan for more than I had paid for it 3 years earlier!). Try ebay, ffordes etc.

I stuck to film until about a year ago, convinced that I could not get the right quality from digital. I now use a mju 300 digital bought off eBay for 70 quid. For all the normal reasons people switch to digital, I would not go back. Also, more than happy with the quality. This shot was taken with the mju digital (as were many others on there) -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fangfoss-live/184182254/in/set-721575941710254...
I have also printed quite a few and the print quality is fine (for me).

Have recently got a GR digital too, but so far think the Olympus mju digital takes better shots but it's early days.

Understand why a lot of pro alpinists stick with film and simple 35mm cameras (even manual), as they have to make their living from the shots they take and so quality and ensuring the camera works in extreme conditions is imperative.

HTH
SK
Ian Hill 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: why can't you capture the moment with digital?

any reasonable quality digi of 5MP plus can be blown up to A0 and still look great
In reply to Ian Hill: you get that pause, lasting a couple of secs, betwen taking and capturing, which can often completely change the image, especailly if taking climbing pics.

how big is A0?

find me a good , cold and scottish winterproof, 5mb digital camera then?

please.
In reply to Simon K: will the mju 300 digital work in full on scottish conditions?
 Mike C 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Ian Hill:
> if it has to be film for whatever reasons then have a look at older 'compacts' such as Rollei 35, Minox 35, Olympus 35 RC...all are rugged, have superb lenses, good controls

Hey, so good to see you mention the Olympus 35RC, I used mine from 1978 till about 5 years ago, & pretty much all of the older pics in my gallery were taken with it, though scanned on a budget scanner before posting. It's a great little camera, mine broke down inside it's warranty year, I got it repaired just before the shop went bust, & it's worked ever since. I'd also give a vote for the wee Rollei, if you can find one.

Tom - 35mm is still very good, but as an enthusiastic amateur I've come to the opinion that digital is better, IMHO. I think all my digi pics in my gallery were taken with a 2Mp camera, & I don't think they suffer much for it. The versatility of digital images & the lack of financial constraints make it so much easier to work with.
Ian Hill 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: you get the same moment of capture whether or not it takes some time to record the image to the card, any reasonably good digi will have a buffer so there's no slow down anyway

A0 is 16x A4 size

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong5/
 Simon K 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Ian Hill:
> (In reply to Tom Ripley) you get the same moment of capture whether or not it takes some time to record the image to the card, any reasonably good digi will have a buffer so there's no slow down anyway

Would add that if you set a digital to multiple exposure then you're even more likely to 'capture the moment' as you'll take several shots in quick succession, so you can select the best one later. Also, it won't cost you a penny!

Autobracketing is also a great way of 'capturing' the right exposure. I do this far more with digital than I ever did with film as it costs nothing.
 CJD 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
> (In reply to Ian Hill) you get that pause, lasting a couple of secs, betwen taking and capturing, which can often completely change the image, especailly if taking climbing pics.
>
> how big is A0?
>
> find me a good , cold and scottish winterproof, 5mb digital camera then?
>
> please.

(Tom, I have to say this, you *do* know that Ian's reasonably handy <cough> with a digital camera, don't you?)

In reply to CJD: yes, i'd worked that out from his profile/gallery.


ian what do you think of this: Ricoh Caplio GX??


 sutty 23 Nov 2006
In reply to CJD:

Leave him alone, he is arguing with horse about the metals in ice axes on another thread, let him sink on his own.
 CJD 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

good work.

don't be so hasty to dismiss digital (and this from an avowed film fan). How much do you use a camera full stop?
In reply to sutty: miserable old git!
In reply to CJD: i've i remember to bring it with me and it is round my neck. a lot.
 sutty 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Not really, just laughing actually. ;-P
 CJD 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

I was thinking more in terms of how many of your photos turn out well, that sort of thing...

being seduced by film is all very well but digital is catching up fast, in terms of quality, and the amount you can store and the cost of developing etc have all gotta be taken into consideration, right?
In reply to CJD:have taken it all into consideration.

films works better in cold conditions and a lot of the digis i've looked at, don't look like they'd like 'full on' conditions.

 Blue Straggler 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Well there you have it - a second hand Olympus Mju II for probably £40, a new one for around £70, or £300+ for a Ricoh IF you can find one.

How much "quality" do you REALLY think you need?
 CJD 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

it might be worth, as part of your research, posting to enquire as to what the people who get out in 'full on conditions' use.

oh, and define full on conditions.

realistically, the more manual the camera, the more abuse it's gonna take in terms of conditions, in theory... but then you're into the arena of the clunky old SLR or the sort of 35mm compact whose name I forget (viewfinder? summat like that)... but then there's weight considerations.

and yes, no point shelling out tons of cash if you're not a particularly great photographer - all the equipment in the world won't improve your 'eye', unless it's to use a digi to fire loads of stuff off and work out what works and what doesn't.

 Blue Straggler 23 Nov 2006
In reply to CJD:

Rangefinder.
Not a weight issue really, but can be expensive and I think you are expected to get different viewfinders if yo get different lenses.
But they should provide the "quality" and control of an SLR, with a weight more akin to that of a compact, as there is no clunky pentaprism.
Bit "niche" though, and not reall point-and-shoot, which is what The Talented Mr. Ripley is after, n'est-ce pas?
 sutty 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Blue Straggler:

I was handling one of the Mju cameras the other wek and thoguht it would be good for in the pocket when climbing. If I do not find my camera it will be on the list to look for.
 CJD 23 Nov 2006
In reply to Blue Straggler:

lol, spot on.

you've got mail btw.
anyone got a GR1 or GR1s for sale?

 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Surprised no one has mentioned this little beauty, http://www.camerareview.com/templates/reviews.cfm?camera_id=300 I have had one for 15 years, bomb proof and it has paid for its self many times over,

Chris
 kevin stephens 24 Nov 2006
 jimkeeley 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Hi Tom

You are a joy to read...

For what its worth I would go for digi (if you have a PC/Mac handy)

But ultimatly its your choice, have you thought of the cost/hastle of films and processing. When I come back from 2 weeks in the alps most summers I have at least 100/150 images - probably 10-15 are keepers - that would be alot of film/process costs.

Also I can chimp delete them with digi.

Also if you really are actually going to be in epic conditions the ones with movable zoom lens's slow down massivly as they expand and contract weather they are film of digi so bear that in mind.

Jim
 Tony Buckley 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: You could do much worse than one of these http://tinyurl.com/y2ebby

Not mine, I should add, but I happily used the XA2 for many trouble free, no hassle years. The camera and I went up alps and out in the dark wet damp many times with no problems.

T.
In reply to kevin stephens: those shots are exactly the sort of shots i'm wanting to take.

GR1s
GR1
GR1V

anyone got one which they are selling?
 Simon K 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

If you put 'Ricoh GR1v' into the search on a well known auction site.co.uk, there are 3 going at present.

SK
 kevin stephens 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Simon K:

try www.ffordes.co.uk

They ghave a GR1 going for £179, warrenty too

look under used - compacts
 Simon K 24 Nov 2006
In reply to kevin stephens:

Have bought from Ffordes 2nd hand and was impressed with the service.

SK
 kevin stephens 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Simon K:

yep, I got a 50mm f1.7 AF for my pentax, often cheaper than ebay and with a lot less risk
 Simon K 24 Nov 2006
In reply to kevin stephens:

Maybe I've been lucky then as I got perfect condition GR digital recently for 250 quid from Estonia!
 niallG 24 Nov 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

GR1s give really unusual results- but they are wonderful- just takes a while to get used to it. Be sure your gona deal with that fixed lens. I cant remember if they come with anything else.
 Snax 16 Dec 2006
In reply to Niall Gault: Got to stick up for tom a wee bit here, I used a digital mju 400 i think a few years ago in winter and it was great, what i loved about it was it slipped in my pocket and out of the way when climbing, but was there when i wanted it. Then last year i got a pentax opio s6, it's ok, except now being used as a paper weight since it develeoped an unexplained ink leak in the screen. This was a great camera for its size and print quality was good, but its a little fragile apperently. Also the lag was a bitch, not a good sports camera.
Now I'm back with film, looking for a similer level of camera to tom, for my in the pocket camera. But I'm not worried about usage cost, which i think for most people is the critical factor. I'm more intrested in using it on long trips and as a back up to my other cameras, film and digital slr's.
prana 16 Dec 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: go digital
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona710is/
 Banned User 77 16 Dec 2006
In reply to CJD: We have the Olympus mju, its a good solid camera, all the pictures on my blog are with the mju so you can look at the quality. Generally it gets the image. Obviously its not great, nothing like our SLR, but I can't complain as it takes some abuse. Quite heavy though.
 El Greyo 19 Dec 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

I bought a Ricoh GR1 from Ffordes for around £140 a couple of years ago and I think it's fantastic. Image quality is superb, I can't fault the meter and the bracketing and aperture functions add versatility. Ffordes have a couple on sale at the moment. Interestingly, second hand GR1s haven't plummeted in price with the advent of digital, which probably says something about their quality and how owners are very fond of them.

To everyone trying to persuade Tom to get a digital. He wants a film camera and that is what he is asking about. Perhaps in a few months/years he will decide to try digital. Let him learn for himself and let him decide for himself.
 jonnie3430 19 Dec 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: Have been a soldier for the last seven years and had a camera in my pocket for most of it. Olympus mju 500 was great at phots but not tough enough. The olympus mju 720 is fantastic. waterproof, shock proof, compact like you wouldn't believe and 3x zoom lens. Amazed that it exists!!! Have a look.
Removed User 19 Dec 2006
Funny how a lot of us have kept our GR1v's when we've went digi. Apart from the photos they just look so damn cool.....
Regis Von Goatlips 19 Dec 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: Cameras? We don' need no steenking cameras! Here, take my pencil. Getcher self some paper. Hoopla!
Removed User 19 Dec 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
Olympus XA series were great climbing cameras: really tiny and the XA (no number) model has a much better lens than most compacts. Mine worked fine in all kinds of conditions from cold to damp to dusty. Should be a few around on ebay. They're quite robust, but they don't survive being dropped down the penon by yellofello
yellofello 25 Dec 2006
Oh Cortle chortle.

If it wasn't for me and that moment mate, you wouldn't be sporting a lurrrvly new Nikon D70s. Would ya?
NJRD 25 Dec 2006
In reply to Removed User:
even though I have pretty much gone digi i still carry my old XA 2 around with me. it is old & battered but it works a treat, especially for those emergancy moments when my digi packs up (usually due to my abuse and idiocy)
Even if it is not your main camera if you get the chance to get one of these (with or without the bolt on flash) grab it - as a trusty back up you wont find better
Removed User 26 Dec 2006
In reply to yellofello:

Great! You offering to buy me my D70? Thanks mate, great xmas present!
yellofello 28 Dec 2006
Eh NO!!!

Now go and finish your port, cos your are obviously still drunk and dreaming!
 jethro kiernan 29 Dec 2006
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: I have an olympus mju 35mm that i might sell having gone over to digita,
l will sell with camera care case. has been used mainly as a fammily camera.

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