The Underdogs

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

Praktina KW and Rolleicord Art Deco. Add yours Wink

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Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Edixa Reflex.

Lever wind, and an internally operated automatic diaphragm - years before the original Pentax. But the Pentax gets all the credit because it had an instant return mirror - even though it lacked an automatic diaphragm!

Coincidentally the Edixa gained an instant return mirror the same year the Pentax gained auto-diaphragm.

And yet people still say the Germans were years behind the Japanese... Rolling Eyes

Also the early Topcon cameras are very blatantly inspired by the Edixa Reflex, even if they use an Exakta mount.

Edixa - they get no respect.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Contaflex ! More of them work after 50+ years than Retinas ! If you want a cheap SLR that syncs at 1/500 (or 1/300 for the Pantar types), what are you going to get ?

As for Edixas - is it true about the reliability problems ?

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

Pentax K1000

I know what you're thinking, there are millions of them, the longest production run of any SLR ever. But they have a reputation as a learner's camera, a student's tool. The K1000, being strictly manual, allows greater user control over settings and results than any other camera I know.

Sure, it lacks some bells and whistles like a timer, winder interface, and so forth. But in its simplicity exists an unrefined beauty transcending all camera user skill levels and, in that providing a universal camera capable of producing quality results in any skilled user's hands.

Though later models became plasticy and lacked the substantiality of the earlier, metal counterparts, the design basis, adherence to simple mechanical principles, and camera longevity combine to create a perennial classic with a mountainous catalog of lenses capable of delivering results in nearly any focal range.

Hold your K1000 high and stand atop your roof and proclaim, in loud voice, to all your neighbors your unending love, a love without need for reason or justification, for this camera. And when they wake up, and when they tell you to stop yelling, just tell them if they knew a K1000, they, too, would stand stop a roof and wake their neighbors. Just don't slip while you're up there. I'd feel bad.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I never understood the reputation of the K1000, myself.

There are a host of SLR's that have had the same virtues and capabilities.

Heck, every M42 camera made from 1965- 1980 has all of these. And something like a Ricoh TLS is a more durable camera to boot. And nearly all these nice M42 bodies are cheaper than a K1000 - giveaway cheap in fact.

And then we can speak of Minolta SRT's, Canon FTb's, Yashica FX3's, etc., all sturdy all-manual cameras which have usually sold for much less.

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

I thought the K1000 had a pretty good reputation though.

I'll put a vote in for the Ciro-Flex though.

The basic model is pretty crude I guess, but the intermediate and top models with Rapax shutters and flash synchro were good for their era. They also adopted fresnel screens early on. All of them are very sturdy cameras.

They tend to be overlooked a lot though.

IANUS · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Location: Germany

Praktina FX
IMO it's the best East German SLR I have used. You have changeable Viewfinders, you can attach a quick wind lever, a spring motor and even a electromotor (i haven'tt used this) and you have access to a full range of CZJ lenses.

Olympus Pen FT
Nice little "crop" camera for 35mm film. I like it for the portrait frames and for shooting series since you get 72 frames on standard film.

David · Expire: 2013-01-25

It has a good reputation as a learner's camera. I'm just making the point that it's a good camera for all skill levels, but doesn't serve any one niche use better than any other camera does. I think people tend to look down on it as being for students.

I agree the same case could be made for most older M42s, such as my DTL1000, Hanimex 35SL, etc.

It seems many people want a flashy camera with gizmos and features and overlook solid, reliable ones as being for a population learning how to focus on an image. That's all.

estudleon · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 3754 Location: Argentina

dof · Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:09 am Post subject:

Nikon N2020
- One of the few AF 35mm SLRs with traditional controls (shutter speed dial, etc).
- Uses all AI, AIS or AF Nikkors
- Rugged construction, nice ergonomics and more than enough automation for me
- Some criticize its AF speed but I find it more than adequate for all but fast action like sports, etc
- available dirt cheap

Edixa SLRs
- I like these too. A zillion different models to choose from. Very Happy

Miranda SLRs
- Beautifully made
- removable prisms/finders
- sharp lenses, quick lens mount
- EE Sensorex has spot meter

IANUS · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 276 Location: Germany

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

The Canon T70 is an underdog and cheap to buy probably because most people think it's ugly, but for me it's my most used camera out of fourteen 35mm Film SLRs (inc T90) and never lets me down (esp with backup of safety shift) and the matching flash gun is very good as well.

Big Dawg · Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 2530 Location: Thach Alabama

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

The Edixas were almost all relatively crudely made, had unreliable shutters and abysmal viewfinders. Not really any better than a Praktica IV and nowhere near as good as a Pentax S1 or S3 . . Crying or Very sad

I used to dread being offered one in part-exchange, it almost invariably meant tears somewhere not very much further down the line.

The early 1960s vintage Pentaxes were just the opposite, nicely made, reliable with good viewfinders. Almost the only problems we saw were when people tried to use Edixa auto diaphragm lenses - they indexed slighly off-centre on a Petnax body and the diaphragm tripping plate sometimes failed to move the pin on the lens far enough forward to close the iris, whereupon the camera jammed up solid. (easy to fix, just take out the four screws on the front plate and lift off the lens and mounting flange together Very Happy

)

The Japanese made K1000 was great camera. It worked, it handled beautifully, it was very well built.

Er, I think I'm slightly off-topic now . . . Embarassed

Just having a bit of a blether to myself really !

erkie · Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 308 Location: Missouri

Praktica FX3 Smile

Yes the shutter button is on the front and yes the shutter sounds like a Rube Goldberg rat trap going off and yes the mirror slap will make your tripod legs walk across the floor. But you know what mine is just as good today as the day it was built and even today I smile every time I flip that wonderful little magnifier down on the waist level finder and try to focus on something Smile

And by gosh when you hit the shutter release everyone in a two block radius knows you've captured a moment in history Smile

Eric

alex66 · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:36 am Post subject:

I have got a lot of pleasure from using the Fujicas; STX1 AX1 and AX3 with the 50mm f1.6. I really like this lens a lot and the cameras have all cost me less than a fiver. Alas my AX3 does not work properly in Aperture priority Sad

so I really want to find a cheep replacement, although an AX5 would be higher on my list.
I also have an old Cosina CSM that I like a lot, it is a good simple M42 manual everything camera, the lenses I have for her are ok, probably not much to write home about though. My enjoyment of the Fujicas has made me ponder getting an M42 Fuji though and there is also the Cosina CSR that as I recall added spot metering.
The last camera that I have enjoyed using that is slightly off the beaten track is a Chinon CE-4s, she requires a better 50mm lens and a reasonable 135mm (ish) but she has the added bonus of a multiple exposure meter.
So all these super cameras have cost me not a lot of money, some as bought with zoom lenses and light meters I did not have use for actually made me a bit of cash over all. I have got a lot of pleasure from using them, but the downside is the constant thought of what do I fancy trying next. There are ones that I have been looking out for a bargain such as a Konica but they seem to go for more money than my bargain bodies. My wife loves her Canon AV1 which was bought for a very small amount of money and along with an AE1 and AE1p we have a very nice range of lenses for it: 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8 (x2) 135mm 3.5, 35-70mm f4 and a 70-210 f4 along with a sigma zoom 28-80mm I think, but I like the Fujicas the best for some reason.

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Edit.....I've just realised this is in the 'Film SLR / TLR' forum.

How about a more modern underdog? The Pentax K10. Embarassed

Pentax as a modern brand are the underdog anyway, always in the shadow of Canon and Nikon, and now Sony. But they broke the mould with the K10 and K20. And with the more modestly priced cameras in the range, as the K30 is doing today.
Where else could you get a weatherproof, well built, well specified camera for the price of the K10 ? I don't think you could. And then add the fact that you could use all the Pentax legacy lenses ( and how good are many of them ? Cool

) AND so many other lenses with a simple adapter and you have a winner.
It's a camera that had a good reputation among those who know about such things, the average canikon user sneered and poked fun. Those of us that bought one just basked in the pleasure of knowing that we owned a damn good camera, one that despite advances in technology is still relevant today.

I have a cabinet full of old cameras behind my desk, some very nice classics such as the Olympus OM1, Minolta 7000 and Pentax S1a, all cameras that stand the test of time but lacked the glory of the rivals from Canon and Nikon. But none more so than the Pentax K10, it's modern, it's AF, but it's probably done more to keep MF lenses alive than it's rivals.

So, as part of my edit, I will now nominate the Olympus OM1. Even though it was a good seller and very successful it also lived in the canikon shadow, and I guess Pentax as well at that time. But the OM1 was revolutionary in its compactness and design.
I never owned any Olympus until I picked up an OM1 kit a few months ago, and it's superb. It probably did achieve the reputation it deserved, but I think it was launched into underdog position.

skida · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:16 pm Post subject:

sonyrokkor · Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:26 pm Post subject:

A lot of OM 1 had sometrouble and erratic shutter and another details, from them was necessary the OM 1 n.

In the specialist literature of the 70's and 80's the OM system was not considerated as professional level cams.

I have to say that used an OM 1 for a short time, and nothing went bad.

Another beauty was the OM 3. Used it for a few hours. Nice, very nice to use.

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

I was a big Olympus fan and the OM1 was a jewel. I loved it. Small, light and a pleasure to use.

I traded it for something else, I forget what for and regretted it.

I bought a service-exchange OM10 a couple of years later and got the manual adapter for it, that and another and an OM40 were the basis of my professional kit. While everyone else was using 'Canikon'.

Then 2 of my cameras went Kaput on the same day at a wedding. I managed - but only just to produce a decent set of pictures. When asking about repairs I was informed that Olympus have no spare parts and can not supply repairers with what was necessary.

That put me off Olympus and I took the Nikon path. I have never regretted it - although in these enlightened times when I am adapting old, manual lenses I could have chosen better -i.e Canon.

I have never owned a Pentax (for more then a day) but I remember the old adverts about the 'feel of a Pentax' it was very true. I would love to own a Spotmatic

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

I was a big Olympus fan and the OM1 was a jewel. I loved it. Small, light and a pleasure to use.

I traded it for something else, I forget what for and regretted it.

I bought a service-exchange OM10 a couple of years later and got the manual adapter for it, that and another and an OM40 were the basis of my professional kit. While everyone else was using 'Canikon'.

Then 2 of my cameras went Kaput on the same day at a wedding. I managed - but only just to produce a decent set of pictures. When asking about repairs I was informed that Olympus have no spare parts and can not supply repairers with what was necessary.

That put me off Olympus and I took the Nikon path. I have never regretted it - although in these enlightened times when I am adapting old, manual lenses I could have chosen better -i.e Canon.

I have never owned a Pentax (for more then a day) but I remember the old adverts about the 'feel of a Pentax' it was very true. I would love to own a Spotmatic

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

how did it come up twice?