Hi,

I plan to buy a point&shoot camera for my B&W photography. Normally I use XP2, rated at 250 for good density. Since I can not adjust the DX-coding of the film on most P&S-camera's, I seem to be limited to an exposure index of 400 for XP2. Is there a way to solve this problem? I'm thinking about a Yashica T4 super(T5) or an Olympus mju II. Any advice on this choice is also welcome.

Thanks,

-- gert raskin (gert.raskin@med.kuleuven.ac.be), July 19, 2000

Answers

You might bulkload your film into a canister with DX code set to 250. Marc in Leuven

-- Marc Leest (mmm@n2photography.com), July 19, 2000.

Altering the DX codes on the film canisters is relatively easy using tape or scratching off the paint, once you know the codes. Or, you can buy coded stickers from Calumet, I think, to override the canisters' codes.

-- Scott Flathouse (seflathouse.pampa@celanese.com), July 19, 2000.

There was an article in Camera Arts I belive about 2 years ago with the codes all layed out. I might be wrong about the magazine, but mabye search a magazine engine for DX coding. Dean

-- Dean Lastoria (dvlastor@sfu.ca), July 19, 2000.

Without being sarcastic, let me say, why don't you buy a camera you control, instead of the other way around. Pat

-- pat krentz (patwandakrentz@aol.com), July 20, 2000.

Pat, p&s cameras that 'you can control' are rare unless you spend up big. If you can name one that lets you set the asa rating and has say aperture priority auto (or full manual) and is under say US$200 please let me know!

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), July 20, 2000.

I was thinking of getting a simple p&s camera to use as a sort of photographic notebook. I didn't because I was not impressed with the quality of the cameras.I wasen't too thrilled with the multifunction buttons and the features in general) My solution is to get a used Nikon FM, FE or Nikkormat body with full exposure control. I'm referring to Nikon because I have the lenses and only have to get the body. I'm sure, however,that there is an abundance of reasonably priced Minolta SRT's, Olympus OM's, Pentax K's, et al available on the used camera market.(For that matter Canon, Konica and Yashica made some pretty nice and reasonably priced rangefinder cameras before the p&s craze hit.) That's at any rate the the solution I have chosen.You should do what is right for you, I'm sure there is an easy way to fool the dx code.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@iopener.net), July 20, 2000.

I think the problem with a Nikon or Pentax K (though great) is they weigh way too much. Why don't you e-mail Steve Simons at the View Camera/Camera Arts page and see if he knows the DX article I'm talking about. He is a bit terse but always responds to his e-mail (which explains his brevity). Dean

-- Dean Lastoria (dvlastor@sfu.ca), July 20, 2000.

Get a used Olympus XA. Rangefinder focus, set your own ASA, Aperture preferred auto-exposure, great f:2.8 lens. As small and light as nearly anything made today, definitely shirt pocketable.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), July 20, 2000.

I use an Olympus Stylus Epic because it has an f/2.8 lens, relatively fast for a P/S. Also have had good luck with the Yashica T4, Olympus XA, the original Canon Sure Shot, and some early P/S Nikons.

The problem with most under-$200 P/S cameras is lag time (the momentary pause between when you press the shutter release and when the camera actually takes the picture. The only workaround I've found is pressing the shutter halfway down to lock focus, then waiting for the decisive moment. It's somewhat awkward, though. That's the tradeoff for pocketability!

-- Mason Resnick (bwworld@mindspring.com), July 21, 2000.

Along with the recommendation for Olympus XAs and older fixed-lens rangefinders for this purpose (small, convenient b/w cameras), let me also suggest the classic Olympus Pen half-frame cameras.

I've been using a circa 1970 Oly Pen EES-2 half-frame for the last couple of years for shooting-from-the-hip situations in both b/w and color, and have been completely thrilled with the quality of the results in virtually every case.

It feaures Selenium metering (no nearly obsolete batteries required!) that goes up to ASA 400 (in one-third stop, manually set increments), and its automatic aperture control is very accurate. The zone-focus 30mm f/2.8 lens is very sharp. Pop a little automatic flash on the hot shoe (or use a PC cord, it's got a socket for that too!), and it works preferctly.

True, this isn't a total p&s because it doesn't autofocus, autoflash, or autoadvance - and though it's the same size as a Stylus Epic, it weighs three times as much. On the other hand, it's made almost entirely of metal and is very rugged, it's old and cheap so I don't have to treat it like a big investment, and it gets 55 shots on a 24- exposure roll! With a reasonably fine-grain film like Plus-X, it produces 5x7s that are totally indistinguishable from full-frame results (and 8x10s that look like full-frame Tri-X).

Check out some of my images with the EES-2 at:

The Unofficial Olympus Web Photo Gallery - http://www.taiga.ca/~gallery/subpages/goldfarb/goldfarb.html

And

The Sub Club Gallery - http://members.aol.com/xkaes/gallery.htm

These are some downright amazing little cameras, and they're not hard to find or expensive...

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com), July 21, 2000.

The latest edition of the "Porter's Camera Store" catalog lists stick on dx code labels. It looks like they are just what you need.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@iopener.net), July 23, 2000.