(Hello - this is just a 'Camera-Only' Robot Journal. Stay tuned, more regular entries to come)
Cameras
Being the happyrobot camera nut, I am always asked by friends and family what to buy for their upcoming vacation or wedding or drunken orgy (or ogre). So, here are my fave cameras with convenient links when applicable.
My basic choice for a small, compact (non-SLR) camera is the Olympus Stylus. I own this one and it has served me well and I like it for the following reasons:
1. Small. One of the smallest ones on the market.
2. Inexpensive. Usually sells for around $90-$100.
3. Sharp + Fast lens. It's a f2.8 lens. That is a good thing.
4. Weatherproof. The weatherproof thing is quite handy. Not because you are going to run around in the rain with it, but you will keep this thing in the bottom of your bag or backpack or where ever. The weatherproofing aspect means that the camera is just a bit more protected from the elements - be in rain, or all that crap that sits in the bottom of our bags.
5. Easy controls
6. Good metering system
This camera does not have a zoom, but I think that any camera in this range that has a zoom doesn't have a zoom worth the trouble. The zoom lens will slow down the speed of the lens (in terms of how much light gets in) requiring you to shoot with faster film. The range for the zoom in these little cameras can sometimes be woefully inadequate - so much so that you can reproduce the same effects by walking forward a few steps. And the actual mechanics of it is just one more thing to break (from my years of working the camera repair desk, wonkey zoom lens problems were very common).
Another fine small camera is the Yashica T4, which is a bit more than the stylus (maybe 150$-175$). The wonderful thing about the T4 is that it comes with a Carl Zeiss lens. Without getting into too much history or lineage, the Zeiss lens on the T4 is the same (or close enough to) lens that Contax uses on it's high end T2 camera which costs near 1000$ last I checked. Zeiss lenses and glass have quite a reputation for being the best in the world - and this is simply why the T4 is a great buy.
The T4 has a sharp lens and a great exsposure system. I have shot film from slow slide film to 3200asa film in it - and it has always performed great. My only complaint is that the construction compared to the stylus is a bit cheap feeling and clunky.
Here is a good review
(this camera, tragically, appears to be discontinued according to yashica)
Fun cameras
Here is my list of fun and goofy cameras.
1. The Holga. I think there are a few models that use the Holga name, but I am talking about the black plastic, uber cheap one that shoots medium format film. Here in NYC, these cameras run about $20, so they blurriness on the edges which will give your pictures the appropriate 'cool dreamy' look that we all desire. But, being that they shoot the larger medium format film, the images can be blown up a bit without becoming grainy.
2. The PhotoBlaster. This camera shoots 4 indivdual images per frame. Neat fun.
3. The Lomo Action Sampler is similar to the PhotoBlaster, but where the 'Blaster takes individual shots on the same frame, the Lomo takes 4 shots on the same frame all at once. The images are something like a 1/4 second apart, so this is a fun camera to shoot anything that's moving.
4. The Game Boy camera fits onto your old game boy. It comes with a printer, too, so you can print out the funny little pictures. Although the camera part is a big ball thing, people don't seem to notice it. Someone makes a cable to hook to your PC so that you can somehow download the images - I think that would be ideal because the printer, while cute, is almost pointless.
Images: happyrobot
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