View Full Version : Forget disposable cameras!


ajuk
06-30-2006, 12:48 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/ajuk/MJU/mju-tree-small.jpgTaken with very cheap and Very Tiny Olympus Stylus Epic (MJUII)

This for many maybe the best reason for buying (or keeping an existing) film compact is that it is worth very little you can take it out to a dodgy area or out on the town with out much danger of it being stolen and even if it is it won’t have cost very much so there will be no need to panic. Gone are the days when you had to use a disposable camera for such a purpose, this is not necessary now as DECENT film compacts can be bought in second hand shops or on eBay for about the same price.
One you have the camera all you have to do is pay for the film, which is cheaper than constantly buying rubbish cameras, and the film compacts will produce much better quality pictures than a disposable camera.

When disposable camera has ‘focus free’ written on it, that doesn’t mean its magic it means that it has no focus, it cannot focus in any way, its set in such away so that anything over 3 meters away should look in focus, but it will look acceptable sharp and not actually sharp. Also with a disposable camera the Aperture (how much light the lens can let into the camera) Is set at about F/6.3 that means that it lets in about 4-6x less light than a normal film compacts lens, that means that the camera needs 4-6x more light so the film has to be 4x6x faster. Also a disposable cameras also have a fixed shutter speed of 1/90th of a second this means if there is not enough or too much light, then tuff the camera can’t/wont use a slower or faster shutter speed and if there is too much light then the camera can’t use a faster shutter speed.

What camera?

I would say the best to get are, the Olympus Stylus (MJU), Olympus XA2 and best of all the Olympus Stylus Epic, (the Epic can leave my digital camera standing) All I have seen go for less than a £10, the Stylus is cheapest of all often going for less than £5 including postage, but if you shop around you will probably be able to get a Stylus Epic for about £10 or possibly less! I know they are all Olympus, so please let me know if you have any other suggestions to add to the list?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/ajuk/MJU/mju-party-small.jpg

berrywise
06-30-2006, 01:32 PM
Can you still buy film for those things? :D

megan
06-30-2006, 02:11 PM
Oh, I LOVE my Stylus! I still carry it around. I've got the original black Stylus. It's a brilliant little camera.

drg
06-30-2006, 03:24 PM
The Stylus (the 2.8 lens variety) still has one of the best lens for the money available. I've mentioned elsewhere before that I've bought several of them over the years. Still have two that get used. They were regularly rated as the best camera $100 could buy. Load it up with slide film and off you go!! You won't find a less expensive camera that takes any better photos. Probably won't find a smaller 35mm either. Buy two and load with two kinds of film and carry both. Try to find a remote and small (one of those flexi-type) tripod and you are set!

ajuk
07-02-2006, 08:11 AM
Yes I have put HP5 in mine, which is a big plus, When I can get some I will try Provia 400x pushed to 1600 with a DX sticker, see how good it is.