I’d fallen out of love with using point & shoot cameras, not surprising since I’ve been shooting with an Olympus Stylus Epic since 1997 and a Konica Big Mini. Though sharp and lovely, they’re still boring to use which, as ridiculous as that sounds, IS something that matters to me. I decided I was over them.
Unfortunately this leaves my pocket camera-less. NONE of my other cameras are as convenient as the Epic or Big Mini, but none of my other cameras are that boring to use either. They are all kinda heavy though….
For a second I mulled over the usual suspects. Popular film cameras like the Contax T2, Ricoh GR1v or Nikon 28Ti are highly sought after and do take spectacular photos while still allowing for some manual control. The Nikon 28Ti even has cool looking ‘tachometers’ on the top…these things all promise excitement!! Downside of that much excitement? They are heavy. My pocket would be ridiculously weighed down.
So I took at look at the many other less trendy ones, some smaller, bigger, and in some cases less expensive, in some cases not… such models as the Fujifilm Tiara, Minolta TC-1, Fujifilm Natura, Konica Hexar, Rollei 35W QZ….
Also, something to be noted is the tangle of 90’s electronics found within all of these cameras. Owning one is a financial liability, and failure could happen at any moment, resulting in heartbreak, thus leading into a nightmare repair scenario and much pining.
Regardless, I decided to take a gamble – I landed on the Minolta TC-1. It has a bit of a cult following amongst all the cool people, and bonus, it’s the appropriate size for all of my pockets! It wasn’t “too” expensive ( -_- ) and best of all, it has control in all the right places… aperture settings (changed by a cute little dial along side the lens), and flash controls that don’t reset when you turn the camera on and off. The TC-1 really does take good care of me! It’s so perfect for every situation, from birthday parties, fan expos, rain, snow, sun, night time, dusk, dawn… The only downside to owning this camera is the fear I live with knowing any day could be its last.
Here are a few of said party photos, along with a one daylight and couple night time street shots.
