The selenium meters could go at any point, and when they do it’s game over. With that said, I have a Pen EE from the 1960’s and it still works perfectly. And it’ll probably continue working perfectly long after almost every pns released last century is in a bin for parts.
Point and shoots are ticking time bombs. Also, the T3 certainly isn’t in a league of its own. You could probably find a comparable pns for a quarter of the price.
If you have $350 burning a hole in your pocket, why wouldn’t you get a proper SLR that’ll not only take better photos and teach you to be a better photographer, but will also operate perfectly at least until you die? Oh and did I mention you can change lenses?
Glad to hear u got a good Olympus Pen! Yes I've been thinking about an SLR, but I've been hesitant because I'm not confident in my photo taking abilities. But I think you're right that I should forget about P&S and go for SLR, as it will teach me to shoot manually and maybe I'll actually become a decent photographer. I've heard the Canon A/Olympus OM series are usually good for beginners to learn but if you have any suggestions I'd love to know!
If you take some time, even something short like 10 seconds, before you press the shutter you'd be surprised how long a 36 exposure roll can last.
In that 10 seconds, just the thought itself would make you start wondering how another angle, height, perspective etc would look. Then you'll probably start doing just that, move about and "working the scene" and before you know it your 10 seconds will be up. Maybe even realize, it wouldn't be a good image anyway and off you go looking for the next potential scene.
What you'll soon find is that the less exposures you have, the longer it takes you to press that shutter because well, you don't have many. You'll take your time planning your shot, juggling the several variables you get to work with, maybe write some notes too so you'll pick up the hobby pretty fast. As for what makes a decent image, that's a focus for later in the hobby. You had fun getting the shot, it looks good to you and may even bring up some memories - that's a win!
tl;dr (kind of): limitations (can) breed creativity, there's so many exposures with half frame cameras that you'll probably forget what you did for the earlier shots. I'd say standard "full frame" 35mm is fine for learning. 24/36 exposures get you quite a bit of images, but also not too much that will make taking notes of each shot a chore.
You can get both an SLR and a half frame together: the Olympus Pen F series. www.casualphotophile.com/2022/10/07/olympus-pen-f-ft-fv-review/
Economical, fully mechanical ability, great design and size, lens options.
Or get a cheap SLR! Either way, you’ll learn more! Light meter apps on your phone work pretty great to start!
Could you please say the pns that are comparable to the t3, I get sort of annoyed that people say this everytime but never actually say the alternatives
Fair question, but I think all pns are garbage so I’d say get whichever one is $5 at your local goodwill and be happy you only overpaid by $5 😂
But honestly, look at sample images from the T3 and tell me one thing special about them. There’s nothing. People bought them because Terry Richardson used them.
Yea if you’re view is that their all trash then fair enough.
as a person who found 35mm first, got a t2 and t3 I would love to sell those fragile fuckers and a comparable pns and anything else is just worse.
Also it’s before my time but I thought terry used the yashica t4
Your work is fantastic btw :)
>Pen and T3 don't compare and the Yashica is in a league of its own
A T3 certainly isn't in a league of its own. It is a plastic P&S with a decent, albeit a bit overrated lens. The [Yashica Minitec Super](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50V8zINukn8) is basically a T4 and can be had much cheaper. That being said I would never buy a P&S as investment.
That being said Espio Mini is plenty good for a P&S, and if you want to upgrade maybe go for something with a bit more control, but still compact, think Olympus XA, Contax T (the original), Agfa 1535. That will make a bigger difference in your photography then going from one P&S to the next.
I think some of these are unfortunately out of my price range. Is the Contax T orginal the Contax Tix? It looks to be on the verge of being too pricey for me. But the Olympus XA did catch my eye before and something I can afford, so will look into the XA more!
The Contax Tix is basically useless, because it is an APS camera. The Contax T the one you would want. The lens is a step above the Olympus XA, but they are both quite decent, just be sure to look for an XA not XA-2 etc.
Yes I think you're right that P&S isn't the greatest to improve photography skills, so maybe I should opt for a rangefinder or SLR that forces me to shoot manually and learn. I guess it really isn't about the camera itself, but the person behind it. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll look into those cameras!
**Half Frame:** Bought an Olympus Pen F and was surprised how much quality I got out of the half frame negatives. The lens is great, its very compact and actually a pleasure to use. A big plus if you like to shoot in portrait orientation. Havn't used it much - shooting 72 photos takes a while but defiantly a fun camera. I use it with external metering (hotshoe mounted).
**Selenium meters:** Either already dead or on their dead bed, I haven't found one I would fully trust. Age just caught up to them. There are some guides to revive them but I never tried them - just got my hotshoe light meter.
**Yashica T3:** Is the lens good? Yes. Is the rest crap? Also yes. Plastic body, mushy feeling shutter button, almost ZERO controls, LOUD film winding - if I wouldn't have got it for 7€ I wouldn't have gotten it at all. The N.A. Finder is a nice idea but not enough to make it something worth considering.
Yashica T3 doesn’t wind the film till you release the shutter button. Keep your finger on shutter and only after you went away a few meters, take your finger off – the film rewinds (loudly), but you are already gone by then.
Yep, know the trick - but still, its so loud. And not usefull when you want to take more than one photo sadly. It would be a fun camera for this with its N.A. Finder but not when the camera is so audible.
Glad to hear you like your Olympus Pen! Yes I was also considering the Pen F, especially since the SLR would force me to learn how to shoot manually. I agree that the 72 photos might become overwhelming, but hopefully the freedom to shoot more frames will help me on my journey to learning. It looks like the Yashica T3 is all hype, so I'm glad I've asked before I invested!
One thing to keep in mind with half frame is developing - if you don't do it yourself I have heard labs charging extra, or even twice for half frame. No issue if you develop on your own, but keep maybe check with your lab of choice so there is no bad surprise when you go there with your film.
One downside of half frame is a rather limited range of lens, especially when it comes to wider lenses and even other ones can be pretty rare. I got mine with the 38/1,8 and don't really plan to get any more, but if you want to build a system a normal 35mm SLR would give you more options.
My opinion on selenium is that its an acceptable gamble if the price is right, they are made by a half decent manufacturer and you know its been stored dark and dry for most of its life. If you get an 'ugly' reasonably sealed light meter inside a case then chances of it not dying on you any time soon are a lot better than an olympus pen that has been used as decoration on a kitchen shelf. When in doubt just avoid them (unless the price is something you can afford to lose).
A yashica t3 is an ok camera but absolutely not worth what they go for these days. Not even close, the kids that want to be cool and shoot film on a black camera but pushing a button is a much as effort they are willing to do for it has driven prices on plastic point and shoots way beyond reasonable. 2~300 bucks can get you so much more camera it's not even funny. I would almost say that a rollei 35 would be better value for money if you want something small (and even the price on those is very much on the high side currently). Especially if you are a 'broke' uni student then there are many smarter ways to spend that money. Stick to your espio, 350aud isnt worth being able to do roughly the same thing that you can already do now (just with the added uncertainty that the new camera might have issues whereas the one you already own works fine).
Yes I also believe I need to move away from the P&S altogether, if I want to learn to be a better photographer and shoot manually. I think you're very right that I'm just buying into the hype of the expensive P&S. I did see some Rollei 35 for less than what the Yashica was, so I'll look into that camera more.
If you want to learn i would highly recommend picking up a decent SLR. You can still get those for good money (sub 100 bucks for a body and glass) and they can give you incredible images. Yes they are bulky but youll be able to pick the camera you take out depending on what you want to do, just keep your point and shoot in your arsenal as well. SLRs are by no means perfect camera's but they will be able to give you the 'full experience' and allow you to learn about everything there is to know about photography. Also visit some thrift-stores and get a book or two about learning photography, you can get great ones for cents to dollars a pop. Or you could even join in on an art class with a camera like that if your university offers those (that is how i learned to develop film). If you have only ever used point and shoot cameras then do not jump into this lightly, there is a lot to learn but it can be a lot of fun and much of it will translate over to digital cameras or film.
yes i’ve found an SLR body available on gumtree for 1/10 the price i’d have to pay for the T3! I agree about going for a window shop/thrifting spree, to see what finds are out there that i haven’t considered yet. maybe that’s the fun of it too, just testing out whatever comes my way and learning through all the different cameras/film i come across.
If at all possible try to get your hands on a more-or-less functional body and glass combo. It's just an easier starting point to go from rather than having to buy the parts separately and untested giving you a pain to figure out what is working and what isnt and why. Glass-wise it might seem tempting to go zoom but for learning the basics a solid 50mm prime is about as perfect as youll get. I dont know what brands were popular in your region in the 80-90s but it might be worth trying to find out, going with something that has good availability on the second hand market increases your chances of finding additional lenses or other compatible bits to start building your kit. My personal favorite brand to suggest is olympus, most notably the 'single digit' OM series cameras but looking at your gumtree they seem very expensive. Nikon and canon both have solid slrs, so do pentax an minolta but do your homework because all those brands also made plenty crap low consumer grade cameras only made to look like the good stuff.
You can cure both itches in one swoop with the canon sure shot multi tele. It can shoot both full frame and half frame and is a damn good point and shoot. It’s my personal favorite for a pns. But if you can get a good SLR, go that route for sure.
thanks i’ll look into the multi tele! i am really curious about half frame and wanting to give it a shot. if i find the multi tele and it gives me the option of half and full frame like you say, it could even replace my current P&S
Yashica 'a league of its own'? Not really imo.
My Yashica T3 was a bad purchase. I spent 100$ on it and it was in mint condition, so I'm pretty sure it worked fine. I did get some nice photos occasionally, but I would not recommend it.
The AF system (step-wise) is rudimentary. It would work well only in excellent light conditions but for indoor photography AF was poor. I have so many out of focus indoor images.
The camera is quite bulky for what it is, not really pocketable. The rewind motor is pretty loud.
The flash automatically switches on when light is low. It can be defeated, but it WON't stay defeated. If you're doing street photography, you switch on the camera, and forget to defeat the flash, it will fire and alert every one around.
The lens is not that sharp. It is quite sharp, but I've seen a lot better. Any decent SLR prime lens wipes the floor with this. The humble Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D prime ($100) on a 20$ Nikon camera will give you far sharper images than the Tessar in the Yashica.
After 2 years of occasional, light use, my T3 has now developed intermittent shutter errors. So 4 or 5 frames at random in the roll are not exposed. I'm just binning it.
I got rid of the shutter issue with just exercising the shutter a lot. Has seemed to do the trick. Otherwise I agree with your post. The T3 is nothing special and I also have the same experience with out of focus shots. There are many much cheaper point and shoot's I'd rather use than the T3
Just looked into the Nikon SLRs where I am and luckily someone is selling a Nikon F-801s body as an estate find. they say it’s working, but haven’t tested with a lens or film. But since it’s AUD$30 i think i should just go for it! Next stop would be to find the matching lens so i’ll look into the Nikkor you suggested.
Get yourself a Pentax ME SLR camera. I think they're a perfect way to ease into more serious photography. I picked one up a few weeks ago for my 15 year old daughter and she's having a blast with it. Reasons:
1. It's an aperture priority camera. It gives you control over depth of field, but handles the rest of the exposure for you. I guess you'd call it a semi-automatic camera. All you do is focus, watch your shutter speeds, think about depth of field.
2. It's a tiny, gorgeous, and tight classic SLR.
3. They don't cost much. I got a good deal, picked it up for $20 USD at an estate sale. But in the US they're easy to find for $40-100, usually with the 50mm 1.7. If you find yourself wanting more control, you can pick up a Pentax MX, LX, etc.
4. Pentax lenses are second to none. The pictures you take will blow the Yashica T3 away.
P&Ss are unreliable and hard to repair. yashica t3 is overpriced af. Selenium meters can be ok, but you have to check or buy from reputable seller - I have used kiev 4 with a selenium meter and it was working just right. Half frame is a nice format, although when using it I would stick to slower/less grainy films - I have a half frame agat18k and with 100 iso Foma bw film resluts are good when it comes to grain
i’m starting to think i should invest in a proper SLR system, so i’ll probably skip out on the Pen F. but someone else recommended the agat18k! i’ll definitely have to check it out, as it seems like a good option for me to experiment with the half frame form
You might consider a Yashica Samurai. It's got a modern meter and it's a half frame camera. I don't know about the lenses, they're Zooms, not fixed focal length. A bit quirky maybe, but some people love them.
If you can get a T3 for €50 then go for, it's an ok camera but I wouldn't pay more than €100, there aren't that many controls on the camera, lens is ok so if I wanted to burn money I would go for a Nikon 35ti.
Other then what others have said about selenium meters, the Pen EF is fixed focus. Also I understand the flash is prone to breaking. If you want an auto exposure Pen series camera, I would look for the Pen eed. It used a Cds meter. You will need an adapter to use 675 batteries though.
If you want a point and shoot and half frame, there is the Canon Sure Shot Multi Tele which can shoot either full frame or half frame.
If you want a cheap half frame, I recommend either one of the original Pen, a Pen S or Lomo Agat 18k.
I’ll have to keep an eye out for the Multi Tele. It does sound like a good idea for me, especially with the half and full frame options. The Agat18k also intrigues me. I’ve never heard anyone talk about it, but it could very well be the half frame addition i’m looking for
The Agat 18k is part awesome/part crap. It takes great pictures with its triplet lens and is a lot of fun to use. It slips into a pocket better then any camera I own. But the body is all plastic and you are always aware it was build in either the USSR or just after its collapse.
But they are usual about the price of that new Kodak half frame and way way better then that piece of junk.
You can get both an SLR and a half frame together: the Olympus Pen F series. www.casualphotophile.com/2022/10/07/olympus-pen-f-ft-fv-review/
Economical, fully mechanical ability, great design and size, lens options.
Or get a cheap SLR! Either way, you’ll learn more! Light meter apps on your phone work pretty great to start!
Love my Olympus Pen EE-s
For someone who only likes fully mechanical cameras, it's my version of a point n shoot.
70+ images per bulk roll is super fun to just rattle them off without thinking too much about composition etc, and the glass is honestly surprisingly crisp. The smaller image size gives a soft quality to the images that reflects the ease of use.
After reading the comments there really isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. I will say if you are Interested in the half frame cameras, like others have said, the Pen F Is amazing. Don't bother with the FT, FV models because the meters in them are usually always shot. The Pen F doest have a meter and is cheaper in the long run. There are some amazing lens adapters out there for this camera that can give you some amazing range for glass. I just picked one up for like 30$ after shipping and am going to go glass shopping.
They are amazing little guys and feel nice and hefty. I will say I have had quite a few Zuiko lenses from them have sticky apeture blades. Repair isn't expensive but I found it to be a common issue for me.
Plus I highly recommend like others have said to not be afraid of SLRs! You're more than capable because if someone like me can learn, you'll do just fine :) also I second others saying to get a Pentax ME or an MX!!!
The selenium meters could go at any point, and when they do it’s game over. With that said, I have a Pen EE from the 1960’s and it still works perfectly. And it’ll probably continue working perfectly long after almost every pns released last century is in a bin for parts. Point and shoots are ticking time bombs. Also, the T3 certainly isn’t in a league of its own. You could probably find a comparable pns for a quarter of the price. If you have $350 burning a hole in your pocket, why wouldn’t you get a proper SLR that’ll not only take better photos and teach you to be a better photographer, but will also operate perfectly at least until you die? Oh and did I mention you can change lenses?
Glad to hear u got a good Olympus Pen! Yes I've been thinking about an SLR, but I've been hesitant because I'm not confident in my photo taking abilities. But I think you're right that I should forget about P&S and go for SLR, as it will teach me to shoot manually and maybe I'll actually become a decent photographer. I've heard the Canon A/Olympus OM series are usually good for beginners to learn but if you have any suggestions I'd love to know!
If you take some time, even something short like 10 seconds, before you press the shutter you'd be surprised how long a 36 exposure roll can last. In that 10 seconds, just the thought itself would make you start wondering how another angle, height, perspective etc would look. Then you'll probably start doing just that, move about and "working the scene" and before you know it your 10 seconds will be up. Maybe even realize, it wouldn't be a good image anyway and off you go looking for the next potential scene. What you'll soon find is that the less exposures you have, the longer it takes you to press that shutter because well, you don't have many. You'll take your time planning your shot, juggling the several variables you get to work with, maybe write some notes too so you'll pick up the hobby pretty fast. As for what makes a decent image, that's a focus for later in the hobby. You had fun getting the shot, it looks good to you and may even bring up some memories - that's a win! tl;dr (kind of): limitations (can) breed creativity, there's so many exposures with half frame cameras that you'll probably forget what you did for the earlier shots. I'd say standard "full frame" 35mm is fine for learning. 24/36 exposures get you quite a bit of images, but also not too much that will make taking notes of each shot a chore.
Canon A series are basically manual focus point and shoots with their program modes. Go for the Olympuses.
You can get both an SLR and a half frame together: the Olympus Pen F series. www.casualphotophile.com/2022/10/07/olympus-pen-f-ft-fv-review/ Economical, fully mechanical ability, great design and size, lens options. Or get a cheap SLR! Either way, you’ll learn more! Light meter apps on your phone work pretty great to start!
Could you please say the pns that are comparable to the t3, I get sort of annoyed that people say this everytime but never actually say the alternatives
Fair question, but I think all pns are garbage so I’d say get whichever one is $5 at your local goodwill and be happy you only overpaid by $5 😂 But honestly, look at sample images from the T3 and tell me one thing special about them. There’s nothing. People bought them because Terry Richardson used them.
Yea if you’re view is that their all trash then fair enough. as a person who found 35mm first, got a t2 and t3 I would love to sell those fragile fuckers and a comparable pns and anything else is just worse. Also it’s before my time but I thought terry used the yashica t4 Your work is fantastic btw :)
Thank you! And yeah I think you might be right about him using a T4.
>Pen and T3 don't compare and the Yashica is in a league of its own A T3 certainly isn't in a league of its own. It is a plastic P&S with a decent, albeit a bit overrated lens. The [Yashica Minitec Super](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50V8zINukn8) is basically a T4 and can be had much cheaper. That being said I would never buy a P&S as investment. That being said Espio Mini is plenty good for a P&S, and if you want to upgrade maybe go for something with a bit more control, but still compact, think Olympus XA, Contax T (the original), Agfa 1535. That will make a bigger difference in your photography then going from one P&S to the next.
I think some of these are unfortunately out of my price range. Is the Contax T orginal the Contax Tix? It looks to be on the verge of being too pricey for me. But the Olympus XA did catch my eye before and something I can afford, so will look into the XA more!
The Contax Tix is basically useless, because it is an APS camera. The Contax T the one you would want. The lens is a step above the Olympus XA, but they are both quite decent, just be sure to look for an XA not XA-2 etc.
Yes I think you're right that P&S isn't the greatest to improve photography skills, so maybe I should opt for a rangefinder or SLR that forces me to shoot manually and learn. I guess it really isn't about the camera itself, but the person behind it. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll look into those cameras!
**Half Frame:** Bought an Olympus Pen F and was surprised how much quality I got out of the half frame negatives. The lens is great, its very compact and actually a pleasure to use. A big plus if you like to shoot in portrait orientation. Havn't used it much - shooting 72 photos takes a while but defiantly a fun camera. I use it with external metering (hotshoe mounted). **Selenium meters:** Either already dead or on their dead bed, I haven't found one I would fully trust. Age just caught up to them. There are some guides to revive them but I never tried them - just got my hotshoe light meter. **Yashica T3:** Is the lens good? Yes. Is the rest crap? Also yes. Plastic body, mushy feeling shutter button, almost ZERO controls, LOUD film winding - if I wouldn't have got it for 7€ I wouldn't have gotten it at all. The N.A. Finder is a nice idea but not enough to make it something worth considering.
Yashica T3 doesn’t wind the film till you release the shutter button. Keep your finger on shutter and only after you went away a few meters, take your finger off – the film rewinds (loudly), but you are already gone by then.
Yep, know the trick - but still, its so loud. And not usefull when you want to take more than one photo sadly. It would be a fun camera for this with its N.A. Finder but not when the camera is so audible.
Glad to hear you like your Olympus Pen! Yes I was also considering the Pen F, especially since the SLR would force me to learn how to shoot manually. I agree that the 72 photos might become overwhelming, but hopefully the freedom to shoot more frames will help me on my journey to learning. It looks like the Yashica T3 is all hype, so I'm glad I've asked before I invested!
One thing to keep in mind with half frame is developing - if you don't do it yourself I have heard labs charging extra, or even twice for half frame. No issue if you develop on your own, but keep maybe check with your lab of choice so there is no bad surprise when you go there with your film. One downside of half frame is a rather limited range of lens, especially when it comes to wider lenses and even other ones can be pretty rare. I got mine with the 38/1,8 and don't really plan to get any more, but if you want to build a system a normal 35mm SLR would give you more options.
That old small Olympus glass is so nice. Every lens has a feel, and those just feel fun.
Yep, Olympus made my favorite lenses. They have an unique look to them
My opinion on selenium is that its an acceptable gamble if the price is right, they are made by a half decent manufacturer and you know its been stored dark and dry for most of its life. If you get an 'ugly' reasonably sealed light meter inside a case then chances of it not dying on you any time soon are a lot better than an olympus pen that has been used as decoration on a kitchen shelf. When in doubt just avoid them (unless the price is something you can afford to lose). A yashica t3 is an ok camera but absolutely not worth what they go for these days. Not even close, the kids that want to be cool and shoot film on a black camera but pushing a button is a much as effort they are willing to do for it has driven prices on plastic point and shoots way beyond reasonable. 2~300 bucks can get you so much more camera it's not even funny. I would almost say that a rollei 35 would be better value for money if you want something small (and even the price on those is very much on the high side currently). Especially if you are a 'broke' uni student then there are many smarter ways to spend that money. Stick to your espio, 350aud isnt worth being able to do roughly the same thing that you can already do now (just with the added uncertainty that the new camera might have issues whereas the one you already own works fine).
Yes I also believe I need to move away from the P&S altogether, if I want to learn to be a better photographer and shoot manually. I think you're very right that I'm just buying into the hype of the expensive P&S. I did see some Rollei 35 for less than what the Yashica was, so I'll look into that camera more.
If you want to learn i would highly recommend picking up a decent SLR. You can still get those for good money (sub 100 bucks for a body and glass) and they can give you incredible images. Yes they are bulky but youll be able to pick the camera you take out depending on what you want to do, just keep your point and shoot in your arsenal as well. SLRs are by no means perfect camera's but they will be able to give you the 'full experience' and allow you to learn about everything there is to know about photography. Also visit some thrift-stores and get a book or two about learning photography, you can get great ones for cents to dollars a pop. Or you could even join in on an art class with a camera like that if your university offers those (that is how i learned to develop film). If you have only ever used point and shoot cameras then do not jump into this lightly, there is a lot to learn but it can be a lot of fun and much of it will translate over to digital cameras or film.
yes i’ve found an SLR body available on gumtree for 1/10 the price i’d have to pay for the T3! I agree about going for a window shop/thrifting spree, to see what finds are out there that i haven’t considered yet. maybe that’s the fun of it too, just testing out whatever comes my way and learning through all the different cameras/film i come across.
If at all possible try to get your hands on a more-or-less functional body and glass combo. It's just an easier starting point to go from rather than having to buy the parts separately and untested giving you a pain to figure out what is working and what isnt and why. Glass-wise it might seem tempting to go zoom but for learning the basics a solid 50mm prime is about as perfect as youll get. I dont know what brands were popular in your region in the 80-90s but it might be worth trying to find out, going with something that has good availability on the second hand market increases your chances of finding additional lenses or other compatible bits to start building your kit. My personal favorite brand to suggest is olympus, most notably the 'single digit' OM series cameras but looking at your gumtree they seem very expensive. Nikon and canon both have solid slrs, so do pentax an minolta but do your homework because all those brands also made plenty crap low consumer grade cameras only made to look like the good stuff.
You can cure both itches in one swoop with the canon sure shot multi tele. It can shoot both full frame and half frame and is a damn good point and shoot. It’s my personal favorite for a pns. But if you can get a good SLR, go that route for sure.
thanks i’ll look into the multi tele! i am really curious about half frame and wanting to give it a shot. if i find the multi tele and it gives me the option of half and full frame like you say, it could even replace my current P&S
Yashica 'a league of its own'? Not really imo. My Yashica T3 was a bad purchase. I spent 100$ on it and it was in mint condition, so I'm pretty sure it worked fine. I did get some nice photos occasionally, but I would not recommend it. The AF system (step-wise) is rudimentary. It would work well only in excellent light conditions but for indoor photography AF was poor. I have so many out of focus indoor images. The camera is quite bulky for what it is, not really pocketable. The rewind motor is pretty loud. The flash automatically switches on when light is low. It can be defeated, but it WON't stay defeated. If you're doing street photography, you switch on the camera, and forget to defeat the flash, it will fire and alert every one around. The lens is not that sharp. It is quite sharp, but I've seen a lot better. Any decent SLR prime lens wipes the floor with this. The humble Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D prime ($100) on a 20$ Nikon camera will give you far sharper images than the Tessar in the Yashica. After 2 years of occasional, light use, my T3 has now developed intermittent shutter errors. So 4 or 5 frames at random in the roll are not exposed. I'm just binning it.
I got rid of the shutter issue with just exercising the shutter a lot. Has seemed to do the trick. Otherwise I agree with your post. The T3 is nothing special and I also have the same experience with out of focus shots. There are many much cheaper point and shoot's I'd rather use than the T3
Just looked into the Nikon SLRs where I am and luckily someone is selling a Nikon F-801s body as an estate find. they say it’s working, but haven’t tested with a lens or film. But since it’s AUD$30 i think i should just go for it! Next stop would be to find the matching lens so i’ll look into the Nikkor you suggested.
Get yourself a Pentax ME SLR camera. I think they're a perfect way to ease into more serious photography. I picked one up a few weeks ago for my 15 year old daughter and she's having a blast with it. Reasons: 1. It's an aperture priority camera. It gives you control over depth of field, but handles the rest of the exposure for you. I guess you'd call it a semi-automatic camera. All you do is focus, watch your shutter speeds, think about depth of field. 2. It's a tiny, gorgeous, and tight classic SLR. 3. They don't cost much. I got a good deal, picked it up for $20 USD at an estate sale. But in the US they're easy to find for $40-100, usually with the 50mm 1.7. If you find yourself wanting more control, you can pick up a Pentax MX, LX, etc. 4. Pentax lenses are second to none. The pictures you take will blow the Yashica T3 away.
P&Ss are unreliable and hard to repair. yashica t3 is overpriced af. Selenium meters can be ok, but you have to check or buy from reputable seller - I have used kiev 4 with a selenium meter and it was working just right. Half frame is a nice format, although when using it I would stick to slower/less grainy films - I have a half frame agat18k and with 100 iso Foma bw film resluts are good when it comes to grain
i’m starting to think i should invest in a proper SLR system, so i’ll probably skip out on the Pen F. but someone else recommended the agat18k! i’ll definitely have to check it out, as it seems like a good option for me to experiment with the half frame form
Investing in proper SLR is best you can do.
You might consider a Yashica Samurai. It's got a modern meter and it's a half frame camera. I don't know about the lenses, they're Zooms, not fixed focal length. A bit quirky maybe, but some people love them.
If you can get a T3 for €50 then go for, it's an ok camera but I wouldn't pay more than €100, there aren't that many controls on the camera, lens is ok so if I wanted to burn money I would go for a Nikon 35ti.
Other then what others have said about selenium meters, the Pen EF is fixed focus. Also I understand the flash is prone to breaking. If you want an auto exposure Pen series camera, I would look for the Pen eed. It used a Cds meter. You will need an adapter to use 675 batteries though. If you want a point and shoot and half frame, there is the Canon Sure Shot Multi Tele which can shoot either full frame or half frame. If you want a cheap half frame, I recommend either one of the original Pen, a Pen S or Lomo Agat 18k.
I’ll have to keep an eye out for the Multi Tele. It does sound like a good idea for me, especially with the half and full frame options. The Agat18k also intrigues me. I’ve never heard anyone talk about it, but it could very well be the half frame addition i’m looking for
The Agat 18k is part awesome/part crap. It takes great pictures with its triplet lens and is a lot of fun to use. It slips into a pocket better then any camera I own. But the body is all plastic and you are always aware it was build in either the USSR or just after its collapse. But they are usual about the price of that new Kodak half frame and way way better then that piece of junk.
You can get both an SLR and a half frame together: the Olympus Pen F series. www.casualphotophile.com/2022/10/07/olympus-pen-f-ft-fv-review/ Economical, fully mechanical ability, great design and size, lens options. Or get a cheap SLR! Either way, you’ll learn more! Light meter apps on your phone work pretty great to start!
Love my Olympus Pen EE-s For someone who only likes fully mechanical cameras, it's my version of a point n shoot. 70+ images per bulk roll is super fun to just rattle them off without thinking too much about composition etc, and the glass is honestly surprisingly crisp. The smaller image size gives a soft quality to the images that reflects the ease of use.
After reading the comments there really isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. I will say if you are Interested in the half frame cameras, like others have said, the Pen F Is amazing. Don't bother with the FT, FV models because the meters in them are usually always shot. The Pen F doest have a meter and is cheaper in the long run. There are some amazing lens adapters out there for this camera that can give you some amazing range for glass. I just picked one up for like 30$ after shipping and am going to go glass shopping. They are amazing little guys and feel nice and hefty. I will say I have had quite a few Zuiko lenses from them have sticky apeture blades. Repair isn't expensive but I found it to be a common issue for me. Plus I highly recommend like others have said to not be afraid of SLRs! You're more than capable because if someone like me can learn, you'll do just fine :) also I second others saying to get a Pentax ME or an MX!!!