ClassiCameras

Olympus XAs

I had never realized the differences in the front "bumps" when looking at pictures of the different XA models.

The XA1, often called the ugly duckling of the XA family is a nice little snapshooter. The shutter release button is not as elegant as the ones of the other XAs; the shutter is very silent, the selenium meter in my model works well and the 4/35 fixfokus lens brings crisp pictures when shooting in good light. (The only thing I don´t like is the shutter blocking in low light!)

All pictures on Orwo NP22, expired 1989

Fujica Flash AF Date

Another one of the early AF-cameras. Built 1979, the Fujica Flash AF Date features AF with distance symbols in the finder, a date imprint function with three tiny wheels for Y-M-D on the top and an AF-illuminator which sends a phaser-like beam when the flash is activated. In direct comparison the Fujica is the most crappy of my early AFs, not only in the body´s quality but also in the quality of the pictures.

Gossen Sixtino

A very useful tool when using cameras with exotic batteries or without meters. Always stored in his hardcase the selenium cell of this Sixtino has survived and is even still exact enough for slide film. In the case I have a list of extensionfactors for my pinholecameras.

FSU-Sisters

Zorki 1 (1955), Kiev 4a (1970), Fed 5V (1977), each with the standard lens. The decrease in design (from the oldest to the youngest) can be seen, the loss of quality is obvious when using the three.

Kiev 4a

The Kiev 4a, my model was built in 1970, is a soviet copy of the Contax II. My Kiev came in a kit with the Jupiter-8M and Jupiter-12 lenses. The finder is a Leitz universal finder.
The Kiev has a big rangefinder base for accurate focusing, but the fingers of the right hand have to be held carefully to avoid blocking of the rangefinder window. The shutter is very quiet, especially at long speeds.

The two photos above were taken with the Jupiter-8 2/50mm

The two photos above were taken with the Jupiter-12 2,8/35mm

Porst

All Porst lenses in M42-mount.

Pentax ME (I)

The ME, manufactured between 1976 and 1979 is a aperture-priority AE camera. The only settings beside AE are X and B. The philosophy is similar to the OM-10, but the quality of the body beats the OM-10. My camera came with the SMC 1,4/50mm which is a very tiny 1,4-lens (49mm filters). The ME´s shutter is loud compared to a OM-1 or a Chinon CE-II. I like the fact, that the manual override of the shutter can be done without loosening any locks - but on the other hand there is no warning that you activated the manual override!

All pictures taken with the SMC 1,4/50mm on CN 200 ASA

Cosina AF-35

The most crazy feature of this camera is the pop-up-finder. Bodies of the late 70s cameras are nothing less than streamlined. For me this makes them charming. But its a pita to clean the dust attracting plastic bodies!
The manual is here

An early AF-compact. AF-system Visitronic (passive). Like most other AFs from the late 70s it has a 38mm lens. The camera has no AF-memory. For off-center framing you have to change to a optional zone focus

Konica AF3

The third generation of Konicas AF-cameras from 1984. Instead of the Visitronic-AF of the C35AF and C35AF 2 it has a active infrared AF with a memory function. Limited AE from 1/60 - 1/500s and f2,8-16.
I like the concept of AF in combination with manual transport, which avoids the motor noise. The Hexanon 2,8/35mm is a really sharp lens.