Small Cameras
SIne the I began photography I have liked the idea of a small camera with the quality of bigger cameras. I am not overly keen on the bulk and noise of SLR cameras yet do appreciate their versatility. I use mostly Olympus OM and a Pentax MX for SLR photograpy.
What I like best is a pocketable camera offering control and a good lens. In 1980 I heard of the Olympus XA cameras and was saving up for one then lost my after school job and had to wait some years before buying an XA.
The Minox EL has needed attention to give it a working shutter and reliable metering, when working well it's lens produces immages full of detail and feel.
Yoshihisa Maitani did not like the complexity and potential for unreliability pop out lenses give, both the XA and Pen D have fixed lenses and are spot on for reliability. Of the two I prefer the Pen D it is designed like the Rollei 35 to be operated first from the view of the top plate, the exposure and focus are set this way on both then its up to the eye and the phograph is made.
Heinz Waaske used innavative design with quality engineering for the Rollei 35. Like the Pen D the Rollei 35 feels good with a satisfying mechanical feel in use.
The aperture priority automatic cameras here offer convinience of setting exposure and in most circumstances are accurate. The XA's rangefinder patch is small and I use it as a distance estimation camera most of the time like the other three. Maitiani thoughtfully designed the distance scale window to be viewed from the top and it works well like this.
Small Cameras
SIne the I began photography I have liked the idea of a small camera with the quality of bigger cameras. I am not overly keen on the bulk and noise of SLR cameras yet do appreciate their versatility. I use mostly Olympus OM and a Pentax MX for SLR photograpy.
What I like best is a pocketable camera offering control and a good lens. In 1980 I heard of the Olympus XA cameras and was saving up for one then lost my after school job and had to wait some years before buying an XA.
The Minox EL has needed attention to give it a working shutter and reliable metering, when working well it's lens produces immages full of detail and feel.
Yoshihisa Maitani did not like the complexity and potential for unreliability pop out lenses give, both the XA and Pen D have fixed lenses and are spot on for reliability. Of the two I prefer the Pen D it is designed like the Rollei 35 to be operated first from the view of the top plate, the exposure and focus are set this way on both then its up to the eye and the phograph is made.
Heinz Waaske used innavative design with quality engineering for the Rollei 35. Like the Pen D the Rollei 35 feels good with a satisfying mechanical feel in use.
The aperture priority automatic cameras here offer convinience of setting exposure and in most circumstances are accurate. The XA's rangefinder patch is small and I use it as a distance estimation camera most of the time like the other three. Maitiani thoughtfully designed the distance scale window to be viewed from the top and it works well like this.