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I am looking at getting a good 35mm compact camera to load up my precious film into (both locally acquired and imported stuff). I have a love for extremes, I love slow films and simply adore fast films so a I have come up with a few requirements:
-compact, small enough to be carried everyday
-fast aperture lens, the faster the better
-wide-ish lens, focal lengths 35mm and wider would be great
-character, this is the vanity in my that is coming out, I dont want something generic, but something different
-reliable, something that I dont need to baby, something that is rugged enough to survive daily use

My hunt list to date include:
-Fuji Natura S (although a bit generic looking, under the skin it packs a 24mm f/1.9, very hard to find)
-Fuji Klasse W (28mm f/2.8, but very expensive, but available new)
-Nikon 28Ti QD (28mm f/2.8, but very expensive and hard to find)
-Ricoh GR1 (28mm f/2.8, not a reliable)

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

The original Olympus Pen, or the Olympus Trip.

Or why not a Leica?

Cameron,
This is exactly what you are after...www.camera quest.com/voigt_250.htm. Be prepared to fall in love.

Why not a Leica? Why not a Olympus PEN or Trip?

I dont know? I guess I am not a Leica person yet.....and I dont really want to get a Minilux (40mm f/2.4). Olympus PEN or Trip? The PEN's will be hard to find and probably not in great shape due to their age, the TRIP is an option but at 40mm f/2.8 it would be a bit narrow and the Selenium Cell Meter would be starting to go on the earlier units.

Matt. K wrote:Cameron,
This is exactly what you are after...www.camera quest.com/voigt_250.htm. Be prepared to fall in love.

Oh the BESSA...*drools*...I would be tempted, except I am more looking at something truely small and very point-n-shoot

Olympus XA


Olympus mju-ii / Stylus Epic


I have both of these, except my mju-ii is the champagne colour.

Both have sharp f/2.8 35mm lenses. XA is a rangefinder, mju-ii is fully automatic point and shoot. Both are great.

Compact, definitely wide-ish, loads of character and very reliable. Lenses not that fast but counteracted by the wid-ish bit. No longer available new, very expensive and probably hard to find - Hasselblad X-Pan!

Get a rangefinder, you'll love it

Murray Foote wrote:No longer available new, very expensive and probably hard to find - Hasselblad X-Pan!

AND not very compact either....

aim54x wrote:

Murray Foote wrote:No longer available new, very expensive and probably hard to find - Hasselblad X-Pan!

AND not very compact either....

but not that big either. The Fuji TX-1 or TX-2 will also do. Either way, lots of $$$

http://www.fototheque.com/xpan/

radar wrote:but not that big either. The Fuji TX-1 or TX-2 will also do. Either way, lots of $$$

Bigger than a Bessa which is already too big for what I am after......

Minox?