What are you shooting with right now?

<p>I have been shooting B&W with the Rolleicord Va, can't wait till the Ektar 100 in 120 size is available. Just turned in the first roll of HP5+ at Walmart from the Ikoflex 1c. Also shot my Canonet QL17 GIII with some Fujifilm, really loved the results. It's now loaded with some Kodak BW400CN. I just got back my processed film from the Yashica Electro-35 GSN, not as sharp as the Canonet, need to make sure it's not the nut behind the wheel before I pass judgement.<br>

<br /> Plans are to get my Nikon-F all fixed up, to acquire a Nikon F100 and thinking about a Bronica SQ-Ai.</p>

<p>Well I am trying out my new Kodak Retina Automatic III with Extar 100 film but, the weather has been bad so I haven't got to do much with it. My guy in CA (Ken Oikawa) called this morning to say that my Canon EF was finished and everything was perfect and will be shipped out tomorrow so, I'll be giving that a try pretty soon.</p>

<p>Pentax KX with Tri-X, SMC pentax 28mm.</p>

<p>Pentax MX (which I think qualifies as a classic because the only electrical thing in it is the meter) and Velvia 50, taking pictures of spring flowers and awakening plants. Also a Pentax ZX-M (a non-classic, but a very simple one and it hides its electronic innards behind a very classic interface of on-body shutter speed dial and on-lens aperture ring) loaded with 400 speed print film for gloomier situations where flash or a tripod won't cut it.</p>

<p>Both using mostly pre-automatic era lenses with no 'A' setting.</p>

<p>I love the simplicity and reliability of the MX, and the excellent optics of its viewfinder are a real asset for macro work. No modern SLR finder comes close (they can't -- they're inherently dimmer because the autofocus sensor mandates the use of a light-robbing, partially-silvered reflex mirror).</p>

<p>Minolta QT... loaded with BW400CN... don't know why I've gone back to 16mm in the present, but having a blast with the little thing! :)</p>

<p>I don't know if my cameras qualify as classics, but here is what I use: Olympus OM4 and 4T with a full set of Zuiko lenses, a Leica CM (my favorite street and vacation camera), and a Hasselblad 501CM with 50, 80, and 150. I shoot slide film (E100G and Provia 100) and project both with a 35mm and medium format projector.</p>

<p>I recently picked up a Kodak Ektra, 1 of my holy grail cameras. Amazingly, it seems to have a shutter that actually works. Haven't had the film developed, yet, but my fingers are crossed.</p>

<p>Here's the current list:</p>

 

<ul>

<li>Ikonta A (Novar), either with FP4+ or Provia 100F, though today it's got some Ektachrome EPY in, which I'm going to cross-process.</li>

<li>Spotmatic F, with Kodachrome.</li>

<li>Rollei 35 (Tessar), with Kodachrome or some hoarded Ektachrome EPR (yeah, I like old-fashioned emulsions).</li>

<li>Bolex B8 8mm movie camera, with Ektachrome 100D.</li>

</ul>

<p>Unfortunately for my bank account, I'm thinking of adding a Mamiya C330 to the list.</p>

<p>Lucky Leon. I really liked EPR.</p>

<p>4x5 Crown Graphic with the last of my Polaroid type 52 print film.<br>

Mostly, I shoot digital with a Canon Rebel XSi, and Leica CL/40mm/ Tri-X as backup.</p>

<p>Yesterday it was an Ihagee Duplex Luxus 9x12 with a Rada roll film back and a Nikon S2 with a 45mm f2 Planar from a Contax G that I put in a Nikon rangefinder mount.</p>

<p>Took a two-day vacation with family this past weekend to the Loess Hills in Western Iowa. The cameras of choice for the trip was a Pentax K2DMD and an MZ-S. Lenses used were the three limited, an SMC 135/2.5, and a Sigma 600mm mirror lens.</p>

<p>I just got back three cameras from three different repair shops, so I'm testing them out at the moment.</p>

<p>The first one to return was the Minolta XD11. This one came from e*ay for not much money; it was someone's workhorse, and it came to me in not-great condition: the mirror was broken, although I think that happened in shipping, the decal with the shutter speeds was missing, and it wouldn't wind. Garry Airapetov (sp?) does Minolta stuff, so he got that one. Came back in way better shape than it went there. Only thing wrong I can see so far is the film counter doesn't. I have to send in the roll I shot for developing and see how it works otherwise.</p>

<p>Then there's the Graflex Century-35 by Kowa (the revised version with the normal focusing, rather than the weird buttons of the original model). This was another e*ay purchase, back when I was a newbie and bid on lots of boxes of junk. Once in a while you got something worthwhile in there, and this was one. The shutter was badly sticky, but otherwise it was in good shape. Funny thing is, there was a sticker in the film compartment stating that it had been CLA'd by a repair shop in Coral Gables, FL, in July of 1976... I tracked down the former serviceman and called his new shop, still in the same town, but they're only a studio now and don't do repairs any more. That one went to Carol Miller, who's my first call for leaf shutter work, and she did her usual excellent job on it. Not many people like to tackle Seikosha shutters, from what I've read online, but she didn't mind taking it on. I like this one. It just feels good to use it, I can't explain any better than that, and the lens has the reputation of being sharp. It's pretty heavy, although lighter than...</p>

<p>The third camera, which was my grandfather's PraktiSix-II. Boy that one is heavy. Lovely CZJ glass. I last used this one in 1993 for a college assignment; since then nobody's used it. I finally tracked down where it went after my Zaide passed on, and loaded it up. Found that the shutter curtains were stuck. Eventually the first one loosened up, but the second one was still stuck. That camera went down to Leonid Treskunov, who's recommended on pentaconsix.com as the expert on Communist-bloc cameras, and has the advantage of living/working halfway between my house and my work. I just got that back, and I'm trying it out now. My grandfather bought the prism finder, but I think I like the waist-level better, it's easier for someone with my lousy eyesight to focus.</p>

<p>Oh yeah, I just remembered. Purim was last week, and I hauled out the old Polaroid 104 to take pictures of my 2-year-old son in his horsie costume. Amazed that it still works.</p>

<p>(I also used my wife's Nikon Coolpix S4 for that, which is off-topic...)</p><div></div>

<p>Super Ikonta IV with Tri-X Pro and Crown Graphic 4x5 with Efke 100</p>

<p>Past weekend: my late father's Konica Autoreflex T-C, with 40mm 1.8, 28mm 3.5 and 135mm 3.2. One 36exp. roll of Reala at a very sunny beach. My other SLRs are all Nikons, and the shutter on the Konica has a very different sound.</p>

<p>I'm amazed at all of the different responses, different types of cameras, and different levels of expertise on display in this thread. You folks are all a <em>huge</em> inspiration to me. Since my original post I've added a Minolta XE-5 with an MC Rokkor-X PG 50/1.4 to my photographic mix, and will be testing this one out extensively. So far it feels very nice, very smooth in use. My SRT-102s may be facing a challenge...we'll see!</p>

<p>Original Contarex with a still working light meter. Usually with Velvia 50. I've had it since 1970. I recently bought an Olympus OM-2n for print film.</p>

<p>I'm shooting with a nice old Exakta with 58mm f2 Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar. I picked it up for a song last week, and had fun with it last weekend:<br>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27723551@N08/sets/72157615202263379/show/</p>

<p>Reed</p>

<p>Classically speaking, I've been using a Kalloflex TLR, Mamiya Press, Mamiya-6 folding camera and a Spotmatic II. Its also time to get my Pentax ME and Canon A-1 out of hibernation. A couple of other more modern electronic cameras have also been getting some millage. Mostly I've been shooting street scenes and urban detail stuff.</p>

<p>Most of my professional work is, of course, with digital, although I used my Olympus OMs this past weekend to shoot player and team photos for a sports photo company I work with. They still find film easier to work with than digital. For personal stuff, I'm mostly using my Contax-mount Kiev-4A and Voigtlander Bessa R2C and a variety of CV, Jupiter, Helios and Nikkor lenses. I also have been using my Olympus Pen F and FT system bodies and lenses.</p>

<p>Rollei tlr, d70, nikon fm3a, and tachihara 45. I grabbed the rollei on the way out the door this morning, but I did not take any pictures today.</p>

<p>Last weekend, Chicago: Argus c-four loaded with Neopan 400; Brownie Hawkeye loaded with Fomapan 400...<br>

Last week: Kodak Starflex and Duaflex, both with Fomapan 100 rolled as 620...<br>

Still working on the Fairie Project, on 3 1/4x4 1/4 Efke 100 shot in my Preanny Speed...<br>

Today, maybe the Spartus FullVue with the lens removed and turned into a pinhole.</p>

 

<p>Last week: Contaflex I (45/2.8) loaded with Arista II 400.<br>

Today: Spotmatic F with SMC Takumar 55/1.8 and loaded with FP4.<br>

I'm shooting a lot of black and white in anticipation as I get my new B&W darkroom set up...</p>

Ok, just for now, I shoot with a Kodak V570 and a Kodak p880. in digital. For film, I shoot a Leica M3, and national graflex series II for MF fun. Beyound that I shoot with an Pacemaker Speed Graphic in 4x5, for more fun.

<p>This week I'm shooting wth Canon EF with the 35mm f2 Thorium lens with Fuji Provia 400 X.</p>