DPR Article: Is that old compact camera worth it? Here's what to watch out for

My oldest compact is a Toshiba PDR-M5 from 1999. It is one of my favorite cameras. From back in the days when manufacturers didn't know exactly what a digital camera should look like.


Toshiba installed a fast DSP processor and said that it had one of the fastest burst speeds at its time, virtually no delay at .8 seconds.


It features a very nice viewfinder that keeps stray light out. It has a unique info light that is easy to see when using the viewfinder as well as the LCD. Also, one of my favorite things is the info panel to the right of the viewfinder instead of on the top. Great idea!


Mine didn't come with a lens cap but with the additional lens tube.

Also from 1999 is my Nikon Coolpix 950. This line has been recently talked about. Imagine a new swivel lens compact coming out these days.



From 2000 I have a Kodak DC215 in the standard silver version as well as the Millenium 2000 Edition in gold. Kodak advertised a group of 5 "Metallics" versions (https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/prototypes-rarities/item/kodak-dc215-metallics). Even though Kodak pulled the plug on these some were actually made. And they are very hard to find. I recently picked up a Carribean Blue version in great condition.


DC215 Millinium 2000 Edition



Also from 2000 I have a DC290, which was Kodak's flagship camera (not DSC line) at the time. It used a DigitaOS menu system and allowed scripts to be made and loaded to do various addition functions. You can still download them today. Also, a few years back the camera became popular because it was discovered that games could be loaded and played on them.


A big camera. That big grip can get sticky over the years.

Another great old camera fromm 2000 is the world famous (maybe) Olympus C-2100UZ. It made big news with its 10x stabilized lens with full manual controls and EVF.





Going into 2001 I have the rather large Kodak DC5000. It was Kodak's first weatherproof rugged model. Everything has a seal on it somewhere. It has a threaded lens. And....it came under fire when Kodak got reports of users getting a shock when changing the battery, memory card or using the USB port. A recall was made for a group of serial numbers. It is also hard to find in perfect working order.





Also a very nice camera from Epson, the PhotoPC 3100U. It's a very well built camera with that very popular Canon lens that was on many cameras from different brands.








A note of interest is how the buttons work with the menu system. The only other camera I have seen this type of feature on is the Samsung NV10. It's a little odd at first but I found it to be very quick to use.

Also from 2001 is my Sony DSC-S75. I bought it because I love old cameras and there seem to be a lot of happy owners from the day. Many said this model was better than the next version, the S85.









Some other great finds......




Sony DSC-P71. Top of Sony's entry level models at that time. Back in time when cameras were getting oval shaped.








Sharp VE-CG30U from 2002. Also the same year is the 4MP VE-CG40U, which seems to be harder to find. As far as I know these two were the only still-only digital cameras Sharp made. Also has the famous Canon lens and gives the Sony S75 some good competition.





A few more old Toshiba models. An interesting thing about most Toshiba models - they have a micro switch on the battery and/or memory card door. If the door isn't closed an error pops up on the screen and you can't take a photo until the camera says it's closed.




PDR-3330




PDR-4300




PDR-M700




Samsung Digimax 4010. I can't find much info about it. It was a freebie!








Minolta DiMAGE E323. I bought this (cheap) just because I like the style of it. It reminds me somehow of old 1950's campers and mobile homes.

I don't know why but for years I have had an interest in these old cameras up to about 8MP. This is a sample as I have more and occasionally pick other up from time to time.

sillycornlotty said:

tilted_horizon said:

I'm using a Pentax Q10 or Q7 daily. I just rebought into the system after being away from it for about 10 years.

A stink was made about the X-T50 film sim dial, but the Qs had a similar dial in 2011 and it was cleverly implemented. You had only four presets, but those presets could be set to switch between four types of settings - Smart Effect, Custom Image (picture style), Digital Filter and Aspect Ratio.

It's also a system with leaf shutters in the lenses, not something you see every day in a compact. I'm hoping this helps keeps the bodies running longer than usual. I've stocked up on lenses.

It has raw, a xenon flash, built-in ND filter, a hot shoe, and IBIS. I wish my Fuji X half had these features. I just paid $170 for a like-new Q7/01 Prime kit, sensor actuation count of 11.

There was also an official K-Mount adapter, plus third-party adapters for all kinds of lenses.

The Q system is a unique artifact like we'll never see again. I wondered if nostalgia was clouding my memory of it, but no, it's actually more fun than I remember. Glad to to have it back.

Click to expand...

I still own the PentaxQ7 Complete Kit. Although rarely using it anymore due to sub-par JPG engine, it is still a joy to use this toy-like camera system to sharpen my needs in photography thru shooting RAW + post editing.

The controls on Q10/Q7 is tactile, it has the dials put at the right positions, featuring tons of features many bigger cousins don't have like you said. Most importantly, its unassuming appearance makes it great tools for street photography and everyday's carrying. I really hoping that Pentax will make another release of Pentax Q, with improved sensor, film-sim, JPG engine and maybe a hint of computation photography. That release could have been a smash hit in this era.

Ps: Do you mean SC of 11k? If just 11 SC, that is as good as brand new, what a steal!

Click to expand...

Hi, nice that you got the complete kit. Yes, shutter count of 11. I also got a Q10 with a zero shutter count and another under a hundred, all look new and function properly. I don't think Q10s are much sought after due to the smaller sensor than the Q7 but they provide extra reach with the 06 tele and have the same body style/grip.

I find the JPEG engine okay at 400 ISO or less, high ISO NR kicks in at 800 so I try to avoid that.

trupix said:

An interesting compact I used, set aside, and now use again. It has some very useful features that I don't get in my larger cameras (like variable custom continuous shooting modes). It also has surprisingly good image quality for the small sensor size and has been the best small travel camera I have carried over the years.

A great "all-rounder" for my purposes.

Click to expand...

CX-1 still going, wow. My first CX was the 3, followed by the 5.

I just bought a black CX-6 in seemingly excellent condition. It feels more fragile than I remember but all working well, fingers crossed. I had forgotten about the 32Gb card limit and the battery which could be inserted backward, but I re-learned quickly.

Hike Pics said:

My oldest compact is a Toshiba PDR-M5 from 1999. It is one of my favorite cameras. From back in the days when manufacturers didn't know exactly what a digital camera should look like.


Toshiba installed a fast DSP processor and said that it had one of the fastest burst speeds at its time, virtually no delay at .8 seconds.


It features a very nice viewfinder that keeps stray light out. It has a unique info light that is easy to see when using the viewfinder as well as the LCD. Also, one of my favorite things is the info panel to the right of the viewfinder instead of on the top. Great idea!


Mine didn't come with a lens cap but with the additional lens tube.

Also from 1999 is my Nikon Coolpix 950. This line has been recently talked about. Imagine a new swivel lens compact coming out these days.



From 2000 I have a Kodak DC215 in the standard silver version as well as the Millenium 2000 Edition in gold. Kodak advertised a group of 5 "Metallics" versions (https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/prototypes-rarities/item/kodak-dc215-metallics). Even though Kodak pulled the plug on these some were actually made. And they are very hard to find. I recently picked up a Carribean Blue version in great condition.


DC215 Millinium 2000 Edition



Also from 2000 I have a DC290, which was Kodak's flagship camera (not DSC line) at the time. It used a DigitaOS menu system and allowed scripts to be made and loaded to do various addition functions. You can still download them today. Also, a few years back the camera became popular because it was discovered that games could be loaded and played on them.


Another great old camera fromm 2000 is the world famous (maybe) Olympus C-2100UZ. It made big news with its 10x stabilized lens with full manual controls and EVF.



Going into 2001 I have the rather large Kodak DC5000. It was Kodak's first weatherproof rugged model. Everything has a seal on it somewhere. It has a threaded lens. And....it came under fire when Kodak got reports of users getting a shock when changing the battery, memory card or using the USB port. A recall was made for a group of serial numbers. It is also hard to find in perfect working order.



Also a very nice camera from Epson, the PhotoPC 3100U. It's a very well built camera with that very popular Canon lens that was on many cameras from different brands.




A note of interest is how the buttons work with the menu system. The only other camera I have seen this type of feature on is the Samsung NV10. It's a little odd at first but I found it to be very quick to use.

Also from 2001 is my Sony DSC-S75. I bought it because I love old cameras and there seem to be a lot of happy owners from the day. Many said this model was better than the next version, the S85.





Some other great finds......


Sony DSC-P71. Top of Sony's entry level models at that time. Back in time when cameras were getting oval shaped.




Sharp VE-CG30U from 2002. Also the same year is the 4MP VE-CG40U, which seems to be harder to find. As far as I know these two were the only still-only digital cameras Sharp made. Also has the famous Canon lens and gives the Sony S75 some good competition.



A few more old Toshiba models. An interesting thing about most Toshiba models - they have a micro switch on the battery and/or memory card door. If the door isn't closed an error pops up on the screen and you can't take a photo until the camera says it's closed.


PDR-3330


PDR-4300


PDR-M700


Samsung Digimax 4010. I can't find much info about it. It was a freebie!




Minolta DiMAGE E323. I bought this (cheap) just because I like the style of it. It reminds me somehow of old 1950's campers and mobile homes.

I don't know why but for years I have had an interest in these old cameras up to about 8MP. This is a sample as I have more and occasionally pick other up from time to time.

Click to expand...

Wow! So many! That Digimax 4010, I think I actually had one of those right before my trip to China. Which would have been... 2005-2006 or so.

Very impressive sample!

I wasn't really aware of Ricoh cameras before the CX-1. I believe it was one of the first compacts with a CMOS sensor -- maybe the first -- which may be why I bought it at the time.

Mine stopped working properly once and I took the battery out & didn't use it for some time. I think that may have reset it and it has been fine ever since. It seems a bit fragile, but I've trusted it on long vacations and was never disappointed.

FrancoD said:

Something that came to mind is that the statement

"Most compact cameras were designed to last between 3 and 7 years"

could ber read two ways.

As an ex retailer I chose to understan that as "Most compact cameras were designed to last at least between 3 and 7 years" however I know some here will read it as " Most compact cameras were designed to last a maximum of between 3 and 7 years".

Click to expand...

I read it as 'majority of them will last more than 3 years' and 'majority of them will last less than 7 years.

There can always be outliers for different reasons, though they were manufactured the same way.

trupix said:

Very impressive sample!

I wasn't really aware of Ricoh cameras before the CX-1. I believe it was one of the first compacts with a CMOS sensor -- maybe the first -- which may be why I bought it at the time.

Mine stopped working properly once and I took the battery out & didn't use it for some time. I think that may have reset it and it has been fine ever since. It seems a bit fragile, but I've trusted it on long vacations and was never disappointed.

Click to expand...

The old R3 had a front mounted PDAF sensor so was quick to land AF, none of the often slow response after shutter press, very fast to turn on and be ready as well. Uses the same batteries as my Panasonic LX3 so that was convenient in the quest to keep it alive long term.

When I grabbed the cameras to take this shot of the R3 I realised that I had the CX2 and not the CX1, duh!


Fiddled in FastStone Viewer a bit, cropped and resized to suit. Well used, mostly by my wife in early travels.

It's nicely smaller than the CX2 and also has that flat front when off due to the tricky lens arrangement and still has a convenient "28-200mm" zoom range. The PDAF window is next to that angled flash tube.

To return the photo favour, here's the CX2 shot by the R3...


Dang, in the dark I didn't see the port door slightly ajar.

Again slightly fiddled with FastStone Viewer. Little used so looks as good as new.

[Edit: Both clocks completely wrong, since adjusted]

My oldest current camera is the Oly C-5050 which dates from 2002 I believe. It uses AAs so batteries are no problem.

Its plus points would be superb build quality, a great lens (f1.8), optical viewfinder, tilt screen, dual card slots, extensive controls and customization, and provision for filters and a lens hood.

On the down side, it's pretty slow by today's standards, and the ISO tops out at 400.

Nonetheless, if you have some patience, it's fun to use and turns out excellent quality images.

Then you should post some photos!

Beautiful work!

peter826 said:

During Covid, I was bored and bought a lot of old digital point and shoots. I'd get entire boxes of them off e-Bay with 20-30 cameras, and then clean them up, test them, shoot them. Often the cost per camera was under $5. I had to buy a lot of batteries, though I generally waited until I had 2-3 cameras that took a certain style battery before I'd buy the battery.

The cameras that took AA or AAA batteries were the ones that most often didn't work. Usually a lot of battery leakage in the battery compartment. Canon seemed to make a lot of these.

I have a half dozen favorites that I've traveled with, usually one goes with me just for fun. I've taken them along to Italy, France, and a few places here in the USA.

I've kept most of the cameras, though I have sold a few lately as the prices have gone up. I'm still on the lookout for some odd ones for my "collection". Recently I found one of my holy grails -- a Samsung NV9. This camera has "analog" dials on the top for battery power and card use. At power on, the dials activate and swing somewhere between F (full) and E (empty). I found a like-new one (with box!) on ebay UK.

I haven't used it much yet, but I'm off to Italy in about ten days, and I think it will go with me. I haven't carried a Samsung before.

Click to expand...

That’s a cool collection you’ve built up. I like taking pictures myself, and it’s always fun seeing what these older point-and-shoots can still do. I’m planning a trip to Italy soon through https://gowithguide.com/Italy, and now you’ve got me thinking about bringing along my Samsung NV9 just to see how it handles on the road. That NV9 with the analog dials sounds like a unique piece, I’ll be interested to hear how yours does once you’ve used it more.

Flower close-ups with the old C-5050.


Japanese anemone


Aster


Japanese anemone (white variety)

So the quality holds up quite well compared to modern cameras (of course, it's not so good with moving subjects...).

--
Brian's Flickr stream: https://www.flickr.com/photos/91818363@N08/
Einmal ist keinmal

ishwanu said:

Mathew Anderson said:

Community! Our News Editor, Abby Ferguson, published an article on retro compact cameras, which are quite popular right now.

Click to expand...

From the article:

'Most compact cameras were designed to last between 3 and 7 years. Some are able to reach 10 years with gentle use. The issue here is that many of the popular models came out in the early 2000s or 2010s, meaning they are now well beyond their expected service life.'

Can we get a source supporting that statement about 'most' compact cameras? If it's true, I've been pretty fortunate with my compacts.

Click to expand...

From my experience compact cameras made before 2010 last forever because I have never seen or had one break.

Another comment was this.

"Likewise, it may be challenging or impossible to source batteries or battery chargers".

The old compacts I had used standard AA batteries. I found rechargeable NIMH batteries worked best and are still available.

I have several old Kodaks dating back as early as 2002 (DC280 my very first digicam which I still have in full working order) and they all still work just fine, my Kodak P880 (2005) gets regular use and still works as well as when it was new, I have never had any problem sourcing batteries as many use AAs as you said but even the propriatory batteries, still widely available from numerous sources, many of the batteries were used by several brands so there is clearly a market for them

I have the C-4040 from the year before. Like your C-5050 it's a big chunky camera but with very nice output.

Hike Pics said:

Then you should post some photos!

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I replaced it with a Sony for my China trip instead of keeping it .

ishwanu said:

Mathew Anderson said:

Community! Our News Editor, Abby Ferguson, published an article on retro compact cameras, which are quite popular right now.

Click to expand...

From the article:

'Most compact cameras were designed to last between 3 and 7 years. Some are able to reach 10 years with gentle use. The issue here is that many of the popular models came out in the early 2000s or 2010s, meaning they are now well beyond their expected service life.'

Can we get a source supporting that statement about 'most' compact cameras? If it's true, I've been pretty fortunate with my compacts.

Click to expand...

My oldest compact camera is "Leica" D-Lux4 from 2008 :


So far - no problems (I just had to buy new off-market batteries). These pictures were taken 10 months ago (JPEG , basic p-p)...

I loved these images. The colors are pleasing, especially the last two.

Hike Pics said:

Then you should post some photos!

Click to expand...

--
See my profile (About me) for gear and my posting policy. My profile picture is of the first film camera I used in the early 80s, photo credit the internet.

peter826 said:

During Covid, I was bored and bought a lot of old digital point and shoots. I'd get entire boxes of them off e-Bay with 20-30 cameras, and then clean them up, test them, shoot them. Often the cost per camera was under $5. I had to buy a lot of batteries, though I generally waited until I had 2-3 cameras that took a certain style battery before I'd buy the battery.

The cameras that took AA or AAA batteries were the ones that most often didn't work. Usually a lot of battery leakage in the battery compartment. Canon seemed to make a lot of these.

I have a half dozen favorites that I've traveled with, usually one goes with me just for fun. I've taken them along to Italy, France, and a few places here in the USA.

I've kept most of the cameras, though I have sold a few lately as the prices have gone up. I'm still on the lookout for some odd ones for my "collection". Recently I found one of my holy grails -- a Samsung NV9. This camera has "analog" dials on the top for battery power and card use. At power on, the dials activate and swing somewhere between F (full) and E (empty). I found a like-new one (with box!) on ebay UK.

I haven't used it much yet, but I'm off to Italy in about ten days, and I think it will go with me. I haven't carried a Samsung before.

Click to expand...

What a nice dials on that Samsung! Fuji should embed it

RubenJ said:

peter826 said:

Samsung NV9. This camera has "analog" dials on the top for battery power and card use. At power on, the dials activate and swing somewhere between F (full) and E (empty). I found a like-new one (with box!) on ebay UK.

I haven't used it much yet, but I'm off to Italy in about ten days, and I think it will go with me. I haven't carried a Samsung before.

Click to expand...

What a nice dials on that Samsung! Fuji should embed it

Click to expand...

nikon Ti , 1993