The 35mm point and shoot camera is one of the world’s true wonders. They may not pack the features of their snootier SLR siblings, but when combined with decent film they can create photos just as potent. Here’s a quick brain offload on the subject, as well as a few good ones worth looking out for.
BUILT-IN FLASH — This is key. It’s pretty easy to get swept away buying some ye olde 1960s relic that would probably look nice on a shelf next to an old pair of binoculars and a miniature globe, but they often don’t have the luxury of a built-in flash, meaning they’re not ideal once the sun goes down. Look for the flash and you make things loads easier.
SIZE (OR LACK OF IT) — This is also key. You need something that will fit in a jacket pocket (and ideally a trouser pocket) easily. Anything that requires its own little bag is too big and should be avoided.
LOW PRICE — This is also key, too. Some of these cameras now go for ‘silly money’ on eBay, but unless you’re Henry Fontleroy-Mountbatten and have endless Scrooge McDuck style piles of cash, then spending anything over 60 quid on an old plastic point and shoot sort of defeats the object. These cameras need to be cheap so you’ve got no concerns about sticking them out of a car window in the rain or using them around potential light-fingered sketchoids. Also, these things always break eventually, so getting too precious about one is a waste of time.
Now that’s out the way, here are a few notable cameras…
1 – YASHICA T3/T4/T5
Maybe the ultimate pocket camera. These things used to go for peanuts, but thanks to a few high-brow fans, they’re now pretty pricey on eBay. That said, I paid a grand total of £5 for a T4 at a market stall a while back, so decent deals might still be found if you’re willing to lurk a bit. Anyway, these all have a crisp Zeiss lens, and some of them even have a little viewfinder on the top for Bart Simpson spy-cam action. Very cool.
2 – YASHICA MICROTEC AF
If you’re struggling to find a T4 for cheap, then these little doozies are most definitely worth a look. These don’t have the fancy Zeiss lenses of the T series, but unless you’re insane, you won’t be able to notice a difference in sharpness. I think the Yashica J-Mini is meant to be okay too, but I don’t think they’ve got the option of turning the flash on or off, which is quite a useful button.
3 – KONICA BIG MINI
These things are good. Dead small… swanky casing that feels expensive… no gimmicky features. I think Robert Frank used these a bit in his later life, but to be honest I’m not sure if that means much as I’m sure that guy could take a decent photo with a potato. I paid the equivalent of six quid for one in a charity shop in Denmark, and never looked back (until it inevitably smashed after years of service). A great camera. Pretty sure the Konica A4s are meant to be good too.
4 – OLYMPUS MJU
These are good cos they’re really smooth and small so they can fit in pockets easily. A lot of people seem to like the MJU II ones, but the regular MJUs are good too. Bit temperamental though… I’ve had loads and something always gives out on them eventually. Think that’s the nature of all these cameras though really… 80s/90s tech that gets thrown about with no care isn’t going to last forever… probably why spending too much money on one isn’t very sensible.
5 – MISCELLANEOUS PLASTIC PANORAMIC CAMERA
Bit of a curveball here, but if you see one of these doozies in a charity shop then you should most definitely take the punt. I think they were designed to offer a gimmicky version of a panoramic image, basically by cropping off the top and bottom of the film frame, but by gouging the plastic mask bit out the back with a screwdriver, you can create a wondrous little camera. With no batteries and no focus, these are pretty much the most basic cameras ever made, meaning that you don’t have to think at all when using them. They’re also really quiet, so you can snap away in people’s faces without them kicking off. I think I paid fifty pence for mine. A great investment.
Roman Candle Magazine 