Give me a digital Spotmatic or OM-1 or AE-1 and I'd be a happy man!

[kikoba]

To all:

I am making the switch to digital. I have sifted through many articles and reviews and opinions, and have enough information to make ones head spin. But more information is always welcome. Perhaps, you people will have some good advice to help simplify things.

Is there a camera in the new digital age that is the equivalent of the cameras mentioned in the title of this thread? By equivalent, I am referring to a digital camera where you set the aperature on the lense and the shutter on a dedicated dial. No menus to sift through. It is small and quiet and unobtrusive. It is sturdy and precise and a joy to use.

It doesn't need to capture huge, sweeping vistas or be a super macro contendor. It doesn't have to have burst of 8fps. It is built to capture those wonderful, intimate moments as only that certain special photographic tool is able. Now...if it can capture the vistas and the details on a flower petal, great. And if I can capture each beat of a hummingbird's wing, great. But, those are secondary concerns.

I know. I know. Leica Digilux 2. But, I am not quite ready to shell out $1800 or $1500 for the LC1, unless I am getting a versatile, do everything camera with a couple of lenses. Speaking of lenses, my arsenal includes a wide range of M42 screwmount SMC Takumars, some Zuiko lenses that go with my OM-1, and some Canon glass to go with my AE-1. The Takumars make up the bulk of my collection, but I am not married to the Pentax system. If I can use any or all of these lenses on my digital purchase, great. If not, well, I'll see what ebay has to offer me for them...or I'll just keep the Takumars for nostalgia. That said, I know that a digicam with a fixed lens might be the solution to my dilemna. I am open to that, as well.

I hope I have stated my case, clearly. I just know there are others like me out there who desire the simple, basic, wonderful digital tool of which I deam. If the Leica or Panasonic LC1 were half the price, I would probably be holding it in my hands right now. But that is not the case. Any advice you all have to offer would be much appreciated.

Thank you, in advance, for all of you help.

Regards,

Trip

[coldrain]

You can find adapter rings for old lenses for a few cameras. The Olympus can host the OM-1 zuiko lenses, the Pentax *istDS2 can host the takumar lenses... I think the Canon EOS 1.6x crop models can host both too with the right adapters.

With these manual lenses the zoom focus and aperture will have to be set on the lens like you are used to (the camera can't operate them).

But with new lenses, instead of having to go through menus you turn a wheel near the shutter to change aperture (or shutter speed) and you can see it through the view finder... so that is not at all complex or bothersome.

So.... my advice would be to look at the possibilities with a Pentax *istDS 2, because of the bulk of your lenses are takumars. Alternatively you can check out the possibilities with an Olympus E-1, E300/330, E500, or with a Canon EOS 350D, 20D or 30D.

[britkev]

...

So.... my advice would be to look at the possibilities with a Pentax *istDS 2, because of the bulk of your lenses are takumars. Alternatively you can check out the possibilities with an Olympus E-1, E300/330, E500, or with a Canon EOS 350D, 20D or 30D.


And if you're going to try all of those you might as well take a quick look at the Nikon D50, D70s and D200 while you are at it , then let us all know if you figure out what it is that makes Mr Coldrain dislike them so much ;)