Posted by Rich on December 22, 1999 at 09:18:11:
Dave,
I’ve had a Minolta 35mm SLR since I took a college photography class in 1974. It has been cleaned twice since then and works like a charm. There are no bells or whistles, so not much to go wrong. You can find used ones on Ebay for under $100. Good luck!
charity needs good camera - Posted by NJDave
Posted by NJDave on December 22, 1999 at 07:49:06:
We take a lot of pictures and it seems that I can only get about a year from every camera that we buy which have ranged in price from $100 to $300. What breaks down? The auto features (film advance, rewind, on/off) go haywire.
I’m thinking that a good camera without all those auto features would be longer lasting. I take a mix of exterior/interior/ and int flash with close-up.
I’m not interested in digital. Any suggestions?
(anyone donating a camera or cash before 12/31/99 to our 501(c)(3) charity will be able to use the tax deduction for 1999)
Please contact Society For The Preservation of Continued Homeownership, A NJ Nonprofit Corporation via e-mail: NJSPOCH@AOL.COM
Re: charity needs good camera - Posted by Bert G
Posted by Bert G on December 23, 1999 at 11:16:44:
I think the key is the last sentence of your first paragraph. Get a camera without all the automatic goodies. (Do they make them any more??)
In my younger days, I was a camera fiend. Went thru 2 or 3 rolls of film a week -bought in bulk. (don’t even ask about doarkroom time) You’ld never see me without at least 2 cameras around my neck. My old Minolta has been a workhorse since 1974, the only thing electric on it is the light meter and aperture control.
Couple years back I bought an Olympus auto-everything. Most frustrating piece of c**p I’ve ever had the misfortune of spending $500 on. Forget about action shots. By the time it decides what its going to focus on the action is gone. Or I get a nicely composed picture of two nearby people, and it focusses on the background. Grrrrrr
So, if you want something that will last a long time, get one without a lot of things that can wear out.
BG
Re: charity needs good camera - Posted by Irwin
Posted by Irwin on December 22, 1999 at 21:46:02:
Personally, I like the Olympus Stylus. It’s a shirtpocket size, fully automatic for about $120, brand new. You can get more expensive pocket models with zoom lenses, but you don’t need that feature. Auto focus and fixed lens with automatic built in flash is all you need. The Olympus’ pictures are amazingly sharp for an inexpensive camera. It does have automatic film advance and rewind, but I’ve never had aproblem with mine in 5 years.
Re: charity needs good camera - Posted by Julius Levai
Posted by Julius Levai on December 22, 1999 at 16:16:38:
Hello David! Thanks for your input on this site (and the others). As my E-mail address points it out I`m in the camera repair business (for 30 yrs now) If I can be any help, let me know and have a happy-merry holiday season for ALL OF US!!! Julius Levai
Re: charity needs good camera - Posted by nicole
Posted by nicole on December 22, 1999 at 13:19:15:
You may want to consider a slightly more expensive camera. Something in the $500 price range is closer to what the pros use. As these cameras are built for more professional use, they will last longer. You can still get them with auto features. Having manual features like focus and aperature can be tricky to master. Also, you can look at getting an extended warranty on these. They aren’t that much more.