Today I'm going to write about my point and shoot film cameras. I have three point and shoot film cameras that I bought in the last two years. The three have a similar focal distance, around 35mm, and the same aperture, 2.8. Each one have some strong points different than the others.
But why point and shoot film cameras? At first, I bought the first one, because is a cheap way to have a film camera. But now, my vision of photography evolved in a way that I feel that point and shoot cameras are the perfect gear for me. I don't like big bulky cameras, and for that reason I don't have a DSLR. All my cameras are quite small. Lately I saw in film a way to improve my photography. To slow down and think more carefully every shoot. And slow down doesn't mean take care of all the parameters. Usually your camera measures the light a lot better than you. For me is take care of the parameters that your camera can't take care, and is what really makes a picture different.
Olympus mju-II
This was my first own film camera. I bought in the online store ffordes, a great place to buy used photography stuff. Has a fixed 35mm 2.8 lens, a bit soft in the corners wide open, but sharp when stops down. A fully automatic camera, the only thing that you can control is the flash and the metering mode, actually this is not very usual in this cameras. The best point of this camera is that is tiny, perfect to bring everywhere. That this is for what I use it. Now I have loaded with Superia 200 film, a cheap and quite good film.
Konica Big Mini F
Last year, when I went to Japan, I wanted to buy a new film camera. Between my options, the one that had more options was the Contax T2. I were the first days looking for one but couldn't find one that I liked. Actually found one, but when I came back to the store where I found, the camera wasn't there. So the days passed and one of the last I went to Kawagoe, a village not so far from Tokyo. There we found a Hard-off store, and how we went to all Book-off stores that we found, you never know when you are going to find a treasure, we go in to take a look. Wasn't exactly like the Book-off stores, the name wasn't the same but the logo was quite similar. Had a lot more type of things, like cameras. And there was where I found it, a Konica Big Mini F. And bought it. And a bit after that, I found a photography store where I bought a roll of film. Yes, in Japan is still easy to buy film, I love you Japan! The Konica Big Mini F has a fixed 35mm 2.8 lens too, that performs better in the corners than the one in the mju-II. Fully automatic but, besides the flash controls, you also can select exposure compensation between -1.5, 0 or +1.5. Isn't small as the mju-II but not big and very light. What don't like is that doesn't have a lens cap and the lens is always exposed. Currently I don't have film loaded on it.
Contax T2
After going to Kawagoe, we went to Nakano. A visit to Nakano Broadway is mandatory if you go to Japan. While the other people go in, I went to the photography stores near there. I wasn't give it up yet. And yes, it was there. A Contax T2 and with a quite good price. Had some small scratches but nothing to worry about. I bought immediately and loaded with a film that wanted to try since some time ago, Natura 1600. The Contax T2 is bigger and heavier than the two others. Build like a tank, the exterior is make of titanium. The lens are a fixed Carl Zeiss 38mm 2.8. Ultra sharp, a lot more than the other. This one is more configurable, too. You can use in P mode and also in aperture priority. And you can choose the exposure compensation between -2 and +2 in half steps. Also has manual focus, so you can use zone focus. But don't really needed because the autofocus is fast. Now is loaded with Provia 400, one of the last rolls that will be able to shoot of that this amazing slides film.
