Point and Shoot Film Camera Under 50The best point and shoot film camera under 50 can be a great investment for those who want to enter the world of photography but don’t necessarily have thousands of pounds to splash on a decent digital camera.
Are you looking for the best Point and Shoot Film Camera Under $100? Looking for a good one that’s actually a little more advanced than your old point-and-shoots from your youth? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Affordable point and shoot film camera
Point and shoot cameras are convenient gifts for any photographer, whether you’re new to photography or a seasoned veteran. With their compact size and affordability, point-and-shoot cameras offer a lot of value.
We know that buying a camera, or any item for that matter, isn’t easy. To make things even more difficult, you need to make sure that it’ll be worth your while. Today’s post will help you with that!
As someone who loves photography, I enjoy all of the different types of cameras out there. For example, some people will tell you that a point-and-shoot camera is nothing more than an expensive disposable light bulb. But what do I know? After reading this article, you’ll be able to make a decision based on your own personal needs.
Best Point And Shoot Film Camera Under 100
Our company is one of the largest suppliers of Samsung cameras, so we offer a selection of best point and shoot film camera under 100 models. At solaroidenergy, we seek to provide you with the most spectacular and stylish Samsung cameras available today. solaroidenergy handpicks Samsung cameras from around the world, screening them for beauty, quality, and unique features. Samsung has developed a unique line of mirrorless cameras which includes best point and shoot film camera under 50, best affordable point and shoot film camera, and90s point and shoot film camera.
We provide the best cheap film cameras anywhere in the world with great designs, values, and styles. You can choose from a variety of Samsung camera designs. The solaroidenergy official website is the best place to purchase the best point and shoot film camera 2021. Samsung cameras are among the most popular cameras on the market. Find out more about the best point and shoot film camera 2020on our site. You can choose from a variety of best point and shoot film camera right now. Choose now!
Ten Great Point and Shoot Film Cameras From $25 to $99
James Tocchio
May 4, 2020
11
Hang out wherever people talk about film cameras and you’ll get the idea that shooting film is expensive. And yeah, it can be. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of ways to lower the cost of shooting film without sacrificing quality. This is especially true when talking about point and shoot film cameras.
Yes, the Contax T3 and the Olympus Mju II and the Yashica T4 are expensive cult cameras (whether they deserve to be so pricey is an argument that we’ve explored in plenty of articles and reviews). But what’s important to know is that for every one of these expensive, hyped point and shoot cameras there are ten or twenty others that are damn near as good at one-tenth the price.
Here are a bunch of point and shoot cameras that we’ve experienced to be just as capable of making exceptional photographs as the big name cameras (in most situations). We’ve selected only reliable models that offer something special, and we’ve highlighted exactly what it is that makes each of these cameras worth owning today. Oh, and all of these cameras can be found priced between $25 and $99 on the used market. That’s value!
Minox 35 EL – The Minox 35 EL is the smallest 35mm film camera in the world, which makes it perfect as a second camera or a travel, street, or night out point and shoot. It’s also no slouch when it comes to image-making, offering auto-exposure, a fast 35mm F/2.8 lens, and creative controls by way of manual focus and aperture control. Its ISO setting is user-selectable from ISO 25 to 800, which makes the Minox a great camera for those who like to pull- or push-process their film. Given its electronic auto-exposure and electro-mechanical shutter, concerns about longevity are valid (the same can be said about any Contax or other cult camera, remember). As with all electronic cameras, buy yours from a reputable seller who guarantees the camera to work, and it should do just that. For shooters who want the tiniest film camera with an excellent lens, the Minox is king.
[The sample image above was made by Theo Panagopoulos and is published here with permission]
Canon Sure Shot Supreme – This point and shoot from Canon is teetering on the verge of becoming another cult classic like the Olympus Mju II before it, and it’s gaining ground in the minds of photo geeks for the same reason as the Olympus – it’s got a fast and sharp lens. This four-element 38mm F/2.8 makes punchy, sharp images, even in low light (when loaded with the right film). Other features include a user-selectable flash, autofocus with available pre-lock, automatic ISO setting from 50 to 1600, a big and bright viewfinder, status LEDs for focus, flash, and low light, and a self-timer. These numerous features make it one of the larger cameras on this list, but its ergonomic curves make it one of the easiest to hold and shoot one-handed. It uses a 2CR5 lithium battery, which means that it’ll shoot for a long time between reloads. While we’re on the topic of batteries, the battery door of the Sure Shot Supreme is large and attached to the camera with tiny screws, which is excellent, since flimsy battery doors are often the failure point of many plastic point and shoot cameras of the era. In 1986 the Canon Sure Shot Supreme was voted European Camera of the Year, and it’s just as good today.
Pentax PC 700 – Pentax made dozens of excellent point and shoot cameras all throughout the 1990s and early ’00s, and people tend to overlook them today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Pentax IQ Zoom series on any list of the best point and shoot cameras (except for that one that we wrote last year). But guess what, these cameras never break, they take great photos, and they cost nothing. I’ve chosen the Pentax PC 700 for inclusion here because it offers something above the typical point and shoot – it’s weather resistant. Splash it, throw sand at it, toss it into a beach cooler, it’ll keep firing. Though its lens is not as special as the lenses found in some other cameras on this list, it still makes perfectly good photos. Another plus – it’s dead simple. A true point and shoot camera. All these factors make the Pentax PC 700 perfect for the photo geek who wants to make snapshots by the pool or at the beach, or on summer road trips or mountain hikes, without worrying about exposure, focus, settings, or keeping things dry.
Olympus Trip XB AF 44 / Olympus Trip XB 41 AF / Olympus Trip XB 40 AF / Olympus Trip XB 400 – This similarly named and nearly identical range of cameras from Olympus share the same core design elements; a massive viewfinder, a sliding lens cover, fully automatic operation, and the most important and unusual feature, a wide 27mm lens. The Trip XB models with AF in the name are autofocus cameras, where the XB 400 is a fixed focus model. Either model will make sharp images thanks to their unusually wide angle lens and the deep depth of field that this focal length brings. Built-in flash, automatic film advance and rewind, and self-timer round out the feature set of these simple (but surprisingly good) point and shoots. Being one of the cheapest ways to shoot a wide 27mm lens on film puts these models on the list. You can buy one for less than $20.
Canon Snappy S – Undeniably lower performance than every other camera on this list, I love the Canon Snappy S for just this reason. It’s utterly simple, and comes from that Canon design school where the chief brief must have been “make it look cool.” The rotating lens cover and the available color options speak to that (the Snappy S came in black, yellow, green, and red options). The Canon Snappy S is a low-tech camera with a decent lens, one button operation, and a built-in user-selectable flash. The 35mm F/4.5 lens is undeniably slow, but it makes punchy photos in good light and the flash helps when things get dark. It’s a fixed focus camera with automatic film advance and rewind. Aside from that, there’s not much else to say. It’s included on the list because it looks cool, takes charming lo-fi photos that will be good enough for most people, and costs, like, $20 on eBay. Worth a shot? For sure.
Nikon Lite Touch AF Zoom – People tend to automatically exclude zoom-equipped point and shoots from the conversations around the best point and shoot cameras. Yeah, zoom lenses have slower maximum apertures, which makes them trickier to use in low light. But in most shooting situations, and by loading the right speed film and properly using flash, a slower apertured camera can still be an excellent camera. Nikon’s Lite Touch Zoom AF is one of the best zoom point and shoots I’ve used. Capable of zooming from 35mm to 70mm, it covers a wide enough range of focal lengths to handle everything from snapshots and street photography to portraiture. There’s a macro mode, settings for focus distance and flash, and a self timer. The sleek, black body is slim, and the retracting lens allows us to stow it away in a jacket or pant pocket. We often have these for sale in the shop, but you can find them on eBay as well (just buy one that’s guaranteed to work).
Pentax IQ Zoom Series / Espio Series – The reason the IQ Zoom / Espio series ends up on this list is because there’s a model for every need, and nearly all of them cost less than $35. Truly, the number of different IQ Zoom models is stunning, and it’s not uncommon for one to look nothing like another. There’s the super slim 835, the weatherproof WR90, and the IQ Zoom 200 (which has an astonishing 48-200mm zoom lens). Some of the cameras in this series have SMC glass and aspherical lens elements, impressive features more common in SLR lenses than in compact point and shoots. The best part about this series, however, is that they just work. In six years of selling cameras in my shop, only two IQ Zooms have come through as non-functional. Compare this to the literal hundreds of other point and shoot models that are dead on arrival and you’ll see why I’m so impressed by the IQ Zooms. Oh, and they make good pictures. Just search for Pentax IQ Zoom on eBay, and scroll until you find one that you like.
[Shots in the sample gallery above were made by Alex Luyckx (left) and Alan Duncan (right), and are published here with permission]
The Final Range of Canon Sure Shots (80U, 90U, 115U, etc.) – By the late 1990s and early 2000’s, the big camera companies were cruising. Film cameras had reached their peak of technology and power, and the shift to digital was on the horizon. Point and shoot film cameras made during this period of time packed more features and technology into their tiny bodies than pro-spec SLRs did a decade earlier. And the final range of Canon Sure Shot point and shoots are some of the best ever made – tiny, fast, quiet, capable, and pretty. In fact, I’ve given my daughters (aged 4 and 2) Canon Sure Shots of their own and they continually astonish me with the quality of their photos. These are essentially babies shooting excellent photos – if you can’t do the same with one of these cameras, it’s not the camera’s fault! Like the Pentax IQ Zoom series mentioned above, there’s plenty of models to choose from. Scroll along eBay and take your pic.
Olympus Infinity and Infinity II (North America) / Olympus AF-1 and AF-1 Super (Japan) – Think of the Olympus Infinity and Infinity II as the precursors to the Olympus Mjus. In fact, the original Infinity (known as the AF-1 outside of North America) was released in 1986 and the Infinity II released in 1991, the same year as the original Olympus Mju. However, the Mju featured a slower 35mm f/3.5 lens compared with the Infinity and Infinity II’s fast 35mm f/2.8 lens. While the Mju and Mju II feature much better and faster autofocus systems, the original Infinity and Infinity II’s AF is no slug. These cameras shoot fast enough, work well, and make images that rival those from their more popular (and much more expensive) Mju descendants. There’s also a version called the Infinity Twin, which features two lenses at 35mm and 70mm focal length. Neat.
[The sample images above were made by Tommy Ernst and are published here with permission]
Got a cheap point and shoot camera that you love? Share it with us and your fellow readers in the comments section below!
Find your own point and shoot camera at our shop, F Stop Cameras
Browse eBay for your own point and shoot film camera
[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]
Share this post!
5 BEST POINT AND SHOOT FILM CAMERAS AND WHY YOU’LL LOVE THEM!
LEARN TO SHOOT FILM: TIPS & TUTORIALS
OCTOBER 9, 2020
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, Shoot It With Film may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Written by Kathleen Frank
Nothing is more 90s than a point and shoot film camera. We love them because they are compact, lightweight, and couldn’t be easier to use.
But, mostly, we love them because they are fun. They’re perfectly designed to be used spur of the moment and capture life as it’s happening.
While not known for the best image quality, due to their low quality lenses and limited features, they are still the film camera for parties and get-togethers, a day at the beach, and road trips. They are meant to live life with you.
We’re going to take a look at five of the best point and shoot film cameras that would be a great addition to any camera bag.
Not only do these analog cameras have all of the fun and simplicity that make point and shoot cameras so special, but we also wanted to find the point and shoot film cameras with the best image quality.
- Contax T2
It’s tough to make a list of point and shoot film cameras without talking about the Contax T2. The T2 is arguably the most popular p&s camera around right now.
It’s always had a solid reputation and fan base in the film community, but after being hyped by a few celebrities, it’s gained some mainstream popularity as well (for better or worse).
While it’s a beautifully simple camera with clean lines and a solid metal build, it’s lens is what makes this camera so amazing. The Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 38mm f/2.8 lens is one of the sharpest lens you’ll find on a point and shoot.
It will also give you much more control over your images than you might expect from a point and shoot. With the Contax T2, you can manually set your aperture and exposure compensation, and it also has an AE lock feature, allowing you to focus on your subject while metering elsewhere.
This amount of creative control and the sharp lens gets you much closer to the image quality of an SLR with the ease of a point and shoot. It’s easy to see why people love it so much!
As a side note, you cannot manually set your ISO with the T2, but this article will help you hack your DX code so you can change the ISO on any camera that auto-detects ISO.
The downside to it’s hype and popularity is it’s price tag. Oof. It is the most expensive camera on this list at around $850.
Find the Contax T2 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
If you’re interested in the Contax T2 but want something more affordable, the Contax TVS series may be worth a try.
The TVS series is very similar to the T series, with the same sleek design, exposure compensation, and exposure lock feature, but with a zoom lens. The lens won’t pack quite the same punch as the fixed-focus prime on the T2, but it’s still a high-quality, great lens for a point and shoot.
Check out this review to read all about the Contax TVS.
Related: 5 Great 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners!
- Yashica T4
Most point and shoot film cameras are pretty similar. They’re small plastic cameras with simple controls, just durable enough to be thrown in a bag, but nothing fancy.
So what sets some analog point and shoots apart from the rest? It’s the lens. It’s always the lens. You’ll notice the cameras on the list all have remarkable lenses.
The Yashica T4 is no exception. It’s Zeiss Tessar T* 35mm f/3.5 is sharp and renders colors beautifully. It will give your images nice contrast with rich colors. The 3.5 aperture is a little slower than ideal, but it does retain it’s sharpness wide open.
Image: George Rex
Where the Contax T2 is more of a point and shoot that wants to be an SLR, the Yashica T4 is very much not. It is the point and shoot of point and shoots. It has a classic plastic body and almost no controls. Automatic exposure, half press the shutter to lock focus, toggle the flash on or off, and that’s about it.
Along with the quality lens, the Yashica T4’s flash it’s other main attraction. The T4 has been famously used by fashion photographers to create a punk aesthetic with the strong direct flash look.
Here’s a video with a good overview of the T4 with some great examples of the fashion aesthetic: Yashica T4 Review from New Nostalgia
This is another camera where its popularity has created a steep price tag. I promise there are some cheaper options on this list! The Yashica T4 can be found for around $450.
Find the Yashica T4 at KEH Camera or on eBay.https://af38711e3beaee937e396b399fa3aadc.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
- Olympus Stylus Epic / Olympus Mju II
The Olympus Stylus Epic, also called the Olympus Mju II, is a fully automatic, beautifully compact point and shoot film camera.
There are two Olympus cameras on this list, and that is because of the Olympus lenses. While not quite the same magic as a Zeiss lens, the lens in the Olympus Stylus Epic really holds it’s own. It has a sharp and fast 35mm f/2.8 lens, even beating out the Yashica T4 for speed.
The Stylus Epic is fully automatic with auto exposure and focusing, but you can utilize its spot metering mode.
By pressing the self-timer and the flash-mode button at the same time, you’ll turn on the spot mode. Then, you can aim the camera where you’d like to take an exposure reading, press the shutter half-way, and it will lock in the exposure and focus. Then you can recompose and shoot. This mode does reset when you turn the camera off, so it’s a bit of a cumbersome feature, but it’s still nice to have.
The Olympus Stylue Epic is also weatherproof! For a plastic camera, it’s quite durable. If you’re looking for a point and shoot that can handle rain, snow, and other adventures, this might be a great fit.
You can also read our detailed review of the Olympus Stylus Epic / Mju II here.
The Olympus Stylus Epic / Olympus MJU II can be found for around $200-$250.
Find the Olympus Stylus Epic at KEH Camera or on eBay.
- Olympus XA2
The Olympus XA2 is an interesting camera and the second Olympus point and shoot camera on this list. It is the smallest and the most bare bones camera out of the five we’re talking about today.
One thing that makes it so small is that it does not have an integrated flash. It has a flash attachment that connects to the side of the camera. It’s an interesting design that makes the camera quite small when the flash isn’t attached.
It also doesn’t have auto-focus. It utilizes zone focusing. There is a small toggle next to the lens where you select the focus distance of 1.5 meters, 3 meters, or infinity. While the lack of auto-focus might feel like a negative, it actually makes the camera incredibly quick to use.
Without a DX code reader, so you’ll need to manually set your ISO on the Olympus XA2. This is another less advanced feature that actually leads to more freedom and control while shooting. It’s a little exposure compensation hack.
The Olympus XA2 is small, unassuming, and super quick to shoot. This along with its great lens makes it a favorite for street photographers. It is ready to go the second you open it! You don’t need to wait for focus to lock or fiddle with settings. It is a true point and shoot that produces reliable, quality images.
The XA2 can be found at a great price point as well. It is one of the least expensive cameras on this list at under $100.
Find the Olympus XA2 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
- Nikon L35af
Rounding out our list of the best point and shoot film cameras is the Nikon L35af. It is another great option you can pick up for under $100.
It has a sharp, fast 35mm f/2.8 Nikon lens with a great focusing system. The lens also has threads for filters. Such a rarity in a point and shoot!
With the exposure meter located right under the lens behind the filter, you can even use ND filters without having to worry about exposure compensation.
Image credit: Wutthichai Charoenburi
The Nikon L35af also has a few other cool features worth noting. It has a manual ISO setting (no DX code reader), so you’ll be able to manipulate your exposure a bit.
There is also a 2 stop exposure compensation for backlit images. This is a lever on the side of the lens, so you’ll need to hold the lever down while shooting. It doesn’t have incremental exposure compensation, just the +2 feature.
The camera is pretty bulky, though, and not the most pocketable. It’s the largest camera on this list with a square, functional, 80s style design to it. But if you don’t mind the size, it has a fantastic lens at a great price point and gives you a good amount of control over your images.
Find the Nikon L35af at KEH Camera or on eBay.
Kathleen is the founder here at Shoot It With Film, and you can read more of her articles here, such as 5 Great 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners and 30 Film Photography Resources for Beginners. You can also check out her work on her website and Instagram.
Leave your questions below in the comments, and we’d also love to hear about your favorite point and shoot film cameras!
And if you want to learn more about shooting film, read all of our film photography tutorials here!
Related Posts:
5 Great 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners!
5 Film Cameras Under $50!
5 Awesome Medium Format Film Cameras for Beginners
