Any advocacy/review sites for GR1, T3, 35ti, Rollei AFM?

As you may have noted from another thread, I am trying to select a
"deluxe ps" camera possibly to replace my Epic. I am grateful to all
who answered in that thread. I can understand if people are not
familiar with all candidate cameras ( Ricoh GR1, Contax T3, Nikon 35ti,
Rollei AFM 35) to recommend one. If you know of an advocasy site for
one of these, or a review that compare two or more, please let me know.

Let me summarize my quest, beginning with a few preliminary decisions:

(1) Rather than "systems" and multiple cameras, I need one camera
that will be with me all the time.

(2) I do like auto-film-handling and PS capability of modern cameras.
Much as I loved the Canon G-III QL17 of my younger years, I can't go
back to the old-fashined rangefinders. The Epic has allowed me to take
many shots that I know I would have missed with my G-III.

(3) What I would like is a modern ps camera which tells you what it is
doing and lets you change things if you want. So, it should tell me the
speed and the aperture selected; let me switch to either aperture- or
sutter-priority mode; and allow for over/under exposure. Similarly the
option of manual focus would be great.

Anyway I kept hearing about these great deluxe ps cameras but looks
like most were discontinued by the time I got interested. No
problem, I am willing to buy used, but which one? The short list
appears to be Ricoh GR1, Contax T3, Nikon 35ti, Rollei AFM 35. As I
said
I fully understand if people are not in the position to recommend one
over others, but if you know of an advocasy site for one of these, or
a review that compare two or more, please let me know.

Thanks.

 

http://www.shutterbug.net/features/0802sb_snob/

 

About two years ago, the UK magazine "Amateur Photographer" compared
several of these high end compact p+s cameras. I cannot recall
whether all the ones you are interested in were reviewed, but the
comparative testing was typically (for this magazine) objective and
thorough.

You can purchase back numbers of this magazine from the publisher:

http://www.mags-uk.com/all/acatalog/uk_amateur_photographer.html

"Amateur Photographer" test reports are available at:

http://www.testreports.co.uk/photography/ap/

A book of test reports of "current compact cameras" is available at a
cost of GBP 15.00 (US $27.00 approx.) plus shipping:

http://www.testreports.co.uk/photography/ap/basket/add.asp?Stock_ID=41607

Both the Contax T3 and Ricoh GR1 are widely used by working
photographers as back-up to 35mm or digital SLRs. The same cannot be
said of the other brands you mentioned.

My personal choice of 35mm compact p+s is the Contax T3. I chose it
on the basis that it has an outstanding lens and all the manual
controls I need. I prefer its 35mm focal length, but any of the Ricoh
GR1* family would be a good choice if you prefer a 28mm focal length.

If I could find a digital equivalent of the T3 with >5MP and low
noise, I would be delighted.

 

Thank you once again. That was an extremely informative article. It
also brought another camera to my attention: Minolta TC1 (but none
seem to be on ebay).

Based on size and weight I have basically eliminated Nikon ti's. So my
short list is GR1, T3, TC1, Rollei AFM. The first two seem easily
available (used), the last two seem rarer.

 

I could live with 28 or 35, that would not be a decisive factor. Size,
weight, overall quality are more important. Do you have any experience
with Minolta TC1? It seems to be the lightest of all, going by the link
sabineellen was kind enough to provide.

 

It

Actually, there's one right now. Search for this item number: 3827998355


Recent (sold) ones, to give you an idea of price, were..
Item number: 3828174583
Item number: 3826235236

The one on ebay right now won't be a bargain at this price.

 

I am surprised that you could say that. I think the choice of focal
length is absolutely crucial here. In my opinion, you should make up
your mind about the focal length before proceeding further. Optical
quality is irrelevant if you cannot produce the shots you want.

The 35mm focal length forces you into making compositions that appear
more natural than those you are likely to make with the 28mm. That's
the reason I could not consider the Ricoh GR1 (nor the Minolta TC1).

The 28mm focal length lies in a "no-man's land" between the 35mm,
which lies at the wide end of the range of "normal" or "standard"
lenses for 35mm film cameras, and the 24mm, which I would describe as
the longest focal length of the serious wide-angle lenses, with the
ability to produce eye-catching perspective through strong emphasis of
foreground subjects versus the background. Unfortunately, I think the
28mm is neither a normal lens nor a serious wide-angle, and it forms
an unhappy compromise between the two.

I have no experience of it. However, it was included in the "Amateur
Photographer" comparison test I mentioned, and I recall the reviewer
rated it very highly for optical quality. However, I also recall that
attention was drawn to its quirky handling.

 

For some reason my server has lost the replies to this thread, although
I can still see them at google.

Anyway, thanks to sabineellen for the following link:

Reply to TP on the focal length issue: I want to adopt one camera that
I would always carry with me on my travels. Therefore, unless I choose
zoom, the focal length will be ideal for situations and not for others.
That's what I meant by "I can live with 35 or 28". I have tried to
think if I take more pictures of one kind than others but that is not
the case.

 

Reply to TP on the focal length issue: I want to adopt one camera that

If a lens matters to you more than manual settings and you're willing to trust
the camera's automation, you may want to consider the fuji silvi (datezoom)
f2.8, which has a 24mm to 50mm. It's capable of 2.8 at 24mm. You won't know
what settings it chose for shutter and aperture but the zoom range and lens
quality are quite nice. There are reports of it being better than the carl
zeiss yashica t5.

http://tinyurl.com/6o2dj
http://tinyurl.com/4ahyw

 

Don't forget Minolta TC-1 and the Leicas: Minilux and CM.

 

test

 

Reply to TP on the focal length issue: I want to adopt one camera that
The T word... travels... Are you sure you don't want a digital camera?

There's been too many threads lately about security procedures in airports.

You can have a 6mp pocketable camera, and a pocketable 40gb hard drive that'll
read from the card. Six megapixels should be enough for most people, and that'd
be a LOT of pictures.

 

There can be little doubt that, for the majority of photographers
using a lens of only one focal length, a 35mm lens is vastly more
useful than a 28mm.

Whether that applies to *you* I cannot say.