Which camera would you select in 1971?

<p>Les, you proved my point. Announced in 1972, available 1973, not available 1971.</p>

<p>In '71 I was shooting a Pentax Spotmatic. I bought it in 1967 and used it until it was stolen in the late 1970s. I only had two Pentax lenses, a 50mm f/1.8 and a 200mm f/3.5 and a 2.0x teleconverter.</p>

<p>Oh, I still had a Yashica 44 in my arsenal, but it was beginning to fall apart after around ten-years of usage. It made stunning 44mm square slides. I bought it with lawn mowing money when I was 11. The Pentax was my preferred camera, except for landscape, then the 44 was champ.</p>

<p>In 1971 I was eleven, so I would have bought a Halina Paulette, because that's all I could afford (and it's what I did buy when I was thirteen). It got the job done, and taught me how to use a camera.</p>

<p>I'm with John Burton, except I was nine in 71, and I had a Polaroid something-or other, I think, b/c that's what my family could afford. The earliest 35mm SLR I recall lusting for was some "Cambron" model you could get for $99 which was still way outside my income bracket. Never did get one. </p>

<p>Today it's a different story, and my favorite camera from that time period is Nikon's F2. I also enjoy Minolta's SRT-101 which predates 1971 by a bit.</p>

<p>In 1971 I was using a Canonflex and intending to upgrade to a Canon F1, which I finally did a year or two later. I used the original F1 until 1985, when it was stolen and I replaced it with another used F1. After a few years I replaced that camera with the new version of the F1, which lasted me until the digital revolution and a rapidly changing series of cameras that went obsolete and were replaced by "new/improved" models. Buying Canon F1s was a good choice, and, in retrospect, I would not have done anything differently.</p>

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<p>"Which camera would you select in 1971?"</p>

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<p>In 1971, when Nikon introduced the F2, I replaced my F body with an F2 body. The F2 was a new and improved version of the 20-year old Nikon F. Minor improvements included a top shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second compared to 1/1000th of a second; a top flash synchronization speed of 1/80th of a second compared to 1/60th of a second; an improved metering system; and a better ergonomic design. One major improvement was the F2 motor drive that was interchangeable with any F2 body whereas each Nikon F motor drive had to be custom fitted to each F body.<br /><br />Today, I still use that same Nikon F2.<br /><br /> </div>

<p>I owned a second hand Dacora Digna 6x6 cm camera at the time, but often borrowed my brother's newly bought Lubitel 2. I was starting to look at an Olympus OM-1, but couldn't afford one. A few years later I bought an OM-10.</p>

1971 was the year I bought my first quality 35mm camera. I didn't know a Nikon from a Canon from a Leica from a

Minolta, etc. I went to my local camera store where the camera guy showed me about everything they sold. After looking

at them all, I ended up buying a Canon FTb with a 50/1.4 lens. I do the same today.

<p>Very easy choice: The Mamiya RB67.</p>

<p>For 35mm i'd chosen the Canon F-1, no need for the cumbersome "nikon twist" needed with the pre-AI lenses back then.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hasselblad C/M, which was not affordable to me. Few years later I used to shoot with a Pentax 6x7.</p>

 

<p>I selected an M3 with a DR Summicron. Don't have that one but I'm staring at another now. <br>

Still shoots great</p>

<p>Here is what I was using at that time:<br>

Leica M2x (no self-timer) with Summicron 50 (still have these)<br>

Pentax Spotmatic with 35, 50, 135 lenses<br>

Mamiya C3 with 80mm (still have these, as well)</p>