Tag Archives: 1970’s

Minolta Hi-matic G Review : Polished but Vanilla P&S

Minolta’s Hi-matic series of compact cameras span more than 20 years of production and were usually rangefinders such as the  well-regarded Hi-matic 7sII. However the series also gave rise to  a few Point & Shoot (P&S) most notably the Hi-matic G launched in 1974.

Minolta Hi-Matic G
Minolta Hi-Matic G 35mm viewfinder camera

Continue reading Minolta Hi-matic G Review : Polished but Vanilla P&S

Ricoh 500RF Review : The Control Freak’s Compact Rangefinder

Ricoh 500RF
Ricoh 500RF compact Rangefinder

The 1970’s were the heyday of the fixed lens compact rangefinder. Truth be told there can be little to pick from these beauties with the Konica C35 series leading the pack. The Ricoh 500RF and its posher brother the 500G manage to stand out from the crowd as they offer some of the best user control of exposure in the class. Continue reading Ricoh 500RF Review : The Control Freak’s Compact Rangefinder

Chinon 35EE Review : Cheap as Chips Rangefinder Fun

The 1970s were the heyday of consumer compact rangefinder. Many models such as the Konica C35 or the Olympus 35 RC are rightly hailed as classics but that means other models are often overlooked that were rivals at the time. The good news is that you can get crackers like the 35EE for a song.

Prinz 35-EE
Chinon 35EE Rangefinder with Prinz rebadging

Continue reading Chinon 35EE Review : Cheap as Chips Rangefinder Fun

FED Mikron 2 : Come in Comrade we’ve been expecting you

FED Mikron 2
FED Mikron 2 (ФЭД Микрон 2) Compact 35mm Rangefinder

Soviet cameras frequently are accused of being copies of Western & Japanese models. Whatever you think they do it pretty well and Ukrainian FED are no exception. The company is still best known for it’s Leica-like rangefinders and lens. However the FED Mikron 2 (ФЭД Микрон 2) is a compact rangefinder along the lines of the Konica C35. Continue reading FED Mikron 2 : Come in Comrade we’ve been expecting you

Halina 3000 Review : Stylish re-invention or outdated Junk

The Halina 3000 and it’s unmetered siblings the 1000 and 2000 have the gorgeous retro  silver and black look that is so en vogue at the moment in modern camera styling. Oddly their underpinnings are actually more 60’s rather than 70’s when they were sold. But is it any good ? Continue reading Halina 3000 Review : Stylish re-invention or outdated Junk

Halina 1000 Review – 70’s plastic fun to take on the Diana Mini

Halina 1000
Halina 1000

The Halina 1000 is wee bit of an oddity.  Launched in the 70’s it was  the little sis of the  Halina 2000 & Halina 3000. Unlike those  scale focus, multiple settings cameras, the Halina 1000 was pretty much all plastic fixed focus fun with minimal settings. Pretty basic by the standards of the day but now presents sharper alternative to the Diana Mini in the Toy Camera class. Continue reading Halina 1000 Review – 70’s plastic fun to take on the Diana Mini