Konica C35 Automatic

Greyscale · 08-16-2010

The mailman brought me a Konica C35 Automatic in the mail today. It's so darn cute ... like my G Yashicas had a baby.

I hope it's a good picture taker ... I love the pocket size, and the rf patch is nice and bright no matter the light. The meter seems to be working right with a zinc-air battery, the light seals look decent, I should be good to go to shoot a test roll.

charjohncarter · 08-16-2010

It's a good picture taker, I had different ones for almost 40 years:

petronius · 08-17-2010

It´s a sexy camera! I have a black and a chrome one, the black with a little transport issue.

JeffL · 08-17-2010

I quite like my C35. It's small, easy, fast and has a decent lens.

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B+W Cat in B+W by cheinbizzarre, on Flickr[/IMG]
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Toronto at dusk by cheinbizzarre, on Flickr[/IMG]
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67 VW Beetle by cheinbizzarre, on Flickr[/IMG]

camera.bear · 08-17-2010

I originally got a C35 Automatic, but it arrived with a sticky shutter that I have yet to fix. I have also picked up a Black and a Silver C35. I have a facination for Auxillary lenses as well and I was able to find and Auto Up CA for the C35.

jesse1dog · 08-17-2010

I often woder why we buy expensive cameras when shots like these can be produced with an old and simple camera like the Konica C35 range.

jesse

wgerrard · 08-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesse1dog

I often woder why we buy expensive cameras when shots like these can be produced with an old and simple camera like the Konica C35 range.

jesse

The leap from no-camera to cheap-camera is almost infinite compared to the leap from cheap-camera to expensive-camera.

NickTrop · 08-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesse1dog

I often wonder why we buy expensive cameras when shots like these can be produced with an old and simple camera like the Konica C35 range.

jesse

LOL - there is no rational reason, which is why I never bought an expensive camera - and especially lens. I had a friend who used to sell cars. He said once you got them to go for a test drive, people got "car drunk"... didn't matter if they could really afford the car, couldn't afford it - people got "car drunk" and - as such, spent their money like drunks, made irrational decisions...

Many of y'all here get body or more often lens drunk(c)

Lens Drunk (adj)
a. Intoxicated with the focal length, design, specs of a lens to the point of impairment of mental faculties.
b. Caused or influenced by intoxication due to a lens.

JeffL · 08-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesse1dog

I often woder why we buy expensive cameras when shots like these can be produced with an old and simple camera like the Konica C35 range.

jesse

I have expensive cameras too (not worth much now - thanks digital) for the mechanical pleasure of fine equipment - like cars and watches. I like my Konica C35 and my Olympus Stylus Wide. Both inexpensive camera.

charjohncarter · 08-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesse1dog

I often woder why we buy expensive cameras when shots like these can be produced with an old and simple camera like the Konica C35 range.

jesse

I agree with you, but the Konica C35 auto and the original are both not really well made. It is not a camera that you can treat roughly, as also with the Olympus 35RC and a few others. So maybe this fact turns many to more expensive cameras. My best compromise for high quality and tough built out is the Olympus Stylus Infinity. It is plastic but pretty thick plastic, it has a flash that is really great when it is used on the fill flash setting, it is small, has a good meter and a very sharp lens. The only drawback is it is DX only, so you have to tape and scratch.

btgc · 08-17-2010

I agree, some cameras are tougher and some - not. I do not own Auto nor original, though C35 EF3 seems to be real thing. Under plastic body there's metal frame, filled with metal innards (and some electronics, of course).

Quote:

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

IThe only drawback is it is DX only, so you have to tape and scratch.

Unfortunately Mju suffers by design flaw - AF-lock position of release button is ensured by flimsy spring, I just couldn't believe my eyes when I opened it to replace that poor thing. It's a really weak point.

charjohncarter · 08-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by btgc

I agree, some cameras are tougher and some - not. I do not own Auto nor original, though C35 EF3 seems to be real thing. Under plastic body there's metal frame, filled with metal innards (and some electronics, of course).

Unfortunately Mju suffers by design flaw - AF-lock position of release button is ensured by flimsy spring, I just couldn't believe my eyes when I opened it to replace that poor thing. It's a really weak point.

Wow, I know that is the same camera as mine, but the Europe model. I hope that doesn't happen to mine, and as you can see it is pretty beat up:

btgc · 08-18-2010

charjohncarter, I should clarify that I mean camera which you know as Stylus Epic (why they used different names for same thing ????), that translates as Mju II. I don't have Mju I (Stylus) like yours and hope it's built stronger (in fact, Epic due to small size has different advance gearing and clutch-like part also gives up over time....you know this by noisier sound when advancing)..

wallace · 08-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

I agree with you, but the Konica C35 auto and the original are both not really well made. It is not a camera that you can treat roughly, as also with the Olympus 35RC and a few others.

The Oly 35RC is a very reliable camera. During the last years I have bought some 20 RCs. Some of them had dead meters (contact problems, easy fix), but all of them were mechanically intact.
The RC is of far better quality than the Konica or the Stylus Epic.

wallace

charjohncarter · 08-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallace

The Oly 35RC is a very reliable camera. During the last years I have bought some 20 RCs. Some of them had dead meters (contact problems, easy fix), but all of them were mechanically intact.
The RC is of far better quality than the Konica or the Stylus Epic.

wallace

Mine isn't, it has the same aluminum filter ring the dents in a camera bag, and the same thin aluminum bottom and top that dent from a camera strap. Then frame counter on mine fell off and although it was just a glue job, it was a pain. I had to disassemble mine to tighten the focus housing and that wasn't fun. It also has a Chiquita ring for the aperture that causes me to change the focus when I readjust the exposure. Other than that I like it, just like I like the Konica C35.

btgc · 08-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

It also has a Chiquita ring for the aperture that causes me to change the focus when I readjust the exposure.

Great note about aperture ring

Those small cameras like 35RC, Ricoh 500G/GX and such are built for use in Auto mode, mostly, with occasional manual overrride, or some of them allow to set aperture only for flash mode - so aperture ring isn't made as a main control should be.

j_newy · 08-18-2010

I have recently bought a C35 automatic as well! And I cannot wait to use it!
The only problem I have (the two main common ones haha) 1. Battery (I used a LR44 which got the meter going

) and 2) The shutter, which does fire (Woooooo!) but only at one speed... (i think I'm doing something wrong???).

I pointed it into more light and test fired it, same speed, pointed it into less light, same speed...
Tried to put it onto the B setting, same speed...

I'm really new to cameras so is there something I've done wrong or does it sound like a mechanical problem :S ?

Bill58 · 08-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by j_newy

I have recently bought a C35 automatic as well! And I cannot wait to use it!
The only problem I have (the two main common ones haha) 1. Battery (I used a LR44 which got the meter going

) and 2) The shutter, which does fire (Woooooo!) but only at one speed... (i think I'm doing something wrong???).

I pointed it into more light and test fired it, same speed, pointed it into less light, same speed...
Tried to put it onto the B setting, same speed...

I'm really new to cameras so is there something I've done wrong or does it sound like a mechanical problem :S ?

I don't know about your one-speed problem other than to take it to a tech person, but you'll have much better luck w/ the SR44 battery than the LR44 ones.

Greyscale · 08-21-2010

I took my C35 to a block party today, and received several compliments from some other photographers on what a pretty little rangefinder it is. And people seem to find it non-threatening in a candid environment. I was able to get right up on top of the band (good southern blues-rock

) and I think that I got some interesting shots.

charjohncarter · 08-21-2010

Be sure to post them, you are right, people don't care when it is an interesting camera. Even the cops don't care.