35mm body to supplement MF equip. What are you using?

My old 35mm system is dead and I'm looking to get another one to

supplement my Hasselblad when it is just not practical to bring it.

I'm drawn to fairly manual cameas and I've been thinking about the

Canonet QL17 G-III.

 

 

 

1) Does anyone else have one and what do you think about it?

 

2) Out of PURE curiosity - what other 35mm systems are you MF users

keeping around? Is it all Leicas?

 

 

Richard

Canon A-1 and Canon EOS Elan

A Pentax MZ5 and a MZ5n; smc pentax 28-70 4.0AF, 28 3.5, 35 2.0, 40 2.8m, 50 1.4m, 100 2.8m, 200 4.0m, 70-200 4.0A.<br>

I like the way the camera handles - and the manual focus lenses are all very nice to work with.

<p>

Sometimes I dream about a rangefinder (yes, a Leica), but the Rollei 6008i has been enough for the last few months.

<p>

<a href="http://www.fotografieiwimvanvelzen.nl">Wim</a>

After a faltering start and initial experiences, I've grown very fond of a Hexar Silver. Once some of the unique controls are mastered, it's a very capable little rig that produces some solid, predictable results. I had one of the Canon QL's you mentioned and it was a nice little camera, too. I had a Minolta Hi-Matic E and Konica S-3 that were a bit better optically than the Canon but the Minolta was bit over-automated for me. Proper batteries aren't always easy to locate on some of the good old rangefinders, either.

Richard<p>When I started using a Hasselblad, I gave my old faithfull Nikon FE to my wife. Generous of me? No, I just wanted to make sure it was still around if I needed it.<p><a href="http://www.keithlaban.co.uk">www.keithlaban.co.uk</a>

QL17 G-III is a great camera, but fairly limited with its non-interchangeable lens and the PX625 mercury battery. I have the older original Canonet and it's fun to shoot with after you get used to the film advance lever.

Another vote for Canon A1, which is not much bigger than QL17. Mine has been a workhorse for the past 10 years. Very lightweight for what it does. Its basic 50mm/f1.8 lens is pretty sharp and contrasty and can compete with Leica's. Or, you can use the Zeiss/Pentacon/Pentax/Zenitar M42 lenses on it with a cheap M42/FD adapter from Adorama - camera meters in stopdown mode. I love the quality of pictures that Zenitar 16mm gives me (bought it for $100 brand new). I have also been using this camera with a laser-cut 50mm/f181 pinhole ($40 from Adorama). Canon T70 is also a very nice little camera.

 

Other option is the Voigtlander Bessa series. Or if you still want to shoot medium format, Voigtlander Perkeo II (6x6) folding camera. It's pocket sized.

Nikon F3 manual focus 35mm

Nikon F3 for telephoto and close up. Leica M6 for wide angle and travel.

I'm a Canon guy and you will not see me saying A1...*IF* I was looking for an older manual workhouse camera it would clearly be Olympus OM series, the 1 to 4ti are all very well built and small! Great lenses, reasonably priced but not as common as the K mount, FD mount or whatever the Nikons are. IOf I bought Canon it would be a much bigger F1n or the best manual focus 35mm ever built (I'm trolling for the bottem feeders here) the T90.

Like you, my old Nikon 801 body died before I ever got my Hasselblad last year. Since then, I have not had much temptation to replace the 801 with another 35mm film camera. For those that love the 6x6 square image, it is tough to consider downsizing again to 35mm. However, trying to get my kids on film with the Hasselblad, is not always possible, and there are times you just don't want to drag a heavy backpack with your MF gear.

 

I briefly considered the Contax T3 for a pocketable 35mm, but the price turned me off. (I have seen some nice fine art pix taken with a T3). Ideally, I would love to see a digital T3 (with the same fixed Zeiss lens) with a 5 or 6 MP sensor. I guess it will be interesting to watch some of the new pocketable 5 MP digital cameras in the next 6-12 months, which might be an alternative. Lastly, there were pre-PMA rumors about a small Nikon RF camera that could take F mount lenses. That would be sweet, or a Nikon version of an SLR that was similar in size to the Pentax *ist.

Hi Richard--I use a Minolta Maxxum 7. Its incredible viewfinder and meter complement my RB67 well (I often bring both of them along). I do most of my serious work on 6x7, but the Minolta just feels so perfect in my hands. No Leica, unfortunately.

A old F1 Canon with 28mm 50 85mm 200mm and winder. I found it all cheap.I like manual also.

Nikon F with the waist level finder that has also the retractable lupe for critical focusing and a M4 .

Olympus OM.

I still use 35 mm cameras quite a bit. I perfer rangefinders unless the job dictates an SLR, for example for macro or copy work.

 

OM-1 My first �good� camera and still a handy little manual camera. (the 50 mm f 3.5 macro is a superb lens)

OM-2n

Leica M6

Leica M3 One of my favorite machines of any kind.

 

Joe Stephenson

Leicaflex SL and SL2--- Simple, dependable, bright finder, spot metered, hand built and solid. David Muench used to use an SL2 and may still.

leica m3 and nikon f3

Nikon F3 or F4 (not F4s). Twenty-two years with my F3, and twelve years with my F4...not one single problem after many times around the world, in all kinds of conditions. The overwhelming "cameras of choice" for the world's photo-journalists.

 

I also am crazy about my Mamiya 645AFD, although were I going to Iraq, I would take the Nikons.

 

Good luck!

 

Bill

I presume that when you say supplement MF gear, you mean as

a serious camera and not a P&S.

 

An interesting consideration for you may be a Contax N camera.

The AF Ziess T* N lenses offer one touch manual focusing and

have aperture rings so you can go "old fashioned manual" if you

so choose. But the kicker is that you can use your Hasselblad

lenses ( C or F ) on the N cameras via a Hasselblad branded

adapter.

 

I use a N1, with the 35mm N lenses, any of my Hasselbad

lenses, and all of my Contax 645 lenses (which retain all AE and

AF functions).

Leica M, Leica R and Leica LTM.

 

 

feli

I have just two 35mm cameras left now ... Rollei 35S (well, I have four of them) and a Voigtlânder Vito B. The Rollei 35S is a joy to have in your bag for when you want a superb lens and manual control.

 

All my other small format work has pretty much disappeared ... I use a digital camera most of the time when I'm not shooting the Hasselblad.

 

Godfrey

Olympus OM-1's and Zuiko primes. Leica CL.

Back in the late 70's I ended up getting rid of my Mamiya C330 system for Hasselblad. I found that other than finer grain I was getting better sharper pictures with my M series Leicas than I was with the Mamiya lenses. The Zeiss lenses on the 'blad could finally show off the advantages of the 6x6 format. With today's improved films, both B&W and color negative, I seldom use the 'blad and just mostly shoot the M Leicas. The optics are superb!

I USED TO:

 

have Hasselblad, complemented by either Olympus stylus (zoom), or the wonderful Ricoh GR1. I could not possibly justify lugging around 2 complete camera systems and lenses - a good P/S does the job well indeed.

 

NOWADAYS:

 

I use a digital camera (Sony F717) complemented by the Fuji GSW 690. Wow, what a combo!!!

To supplement my Rb67 Pro-S I've got a Contax 139Q with a 50mm prime, a 24mm prime and a 28-135mm Tele-Zoom.

 

Simon