OT: Top 5 most fun cameras

[marc_lieberman1]

If you didn't make your living with your camera, and shot soley for

the fun of it, pick up to 5 cameras (any format and any price

range)based soley on how much fun they are to use. Rank the cameras

1-5, with 1 being the most fun. If you can, describe why you like the

camera and the ideal occasion to take it out. I have not used that

many differnt cameras, but so far here are my picks so far.

 

1. Leica 6/MP. I love the quiet "click" and the rangefinder focus

for low-light w/o flash. I can't focus wll on ground glass, and don't

get much pleasure from using auto-focus. These cameras have opened up

a whole new world for me. Best for family events and outings because

its small and unobtrusive.

 

2. Canon 10D. Auto white balance, lack of shuuter delay (for a

digital), ability to select "film speed," convience of "instant feed

back" and ability to see histogram, ability to use fast, quiet

auto-focusing, USM zoom lenses. With long, fast zooms or telephotos,

this camera is for great for kids events, like plays, recitals,

sporting events and candids in the park. The fact that its digital

lets you take a gazillion shots for nothing. While I prefer tof focus

manually, there are times when only auto-focus will do.

 

3. Contax G2. You know all those "decisive moments" you missed

because you could not set exposure and focus fast enough on your

Leica? You wouln't have missed them if you had a G2 (auto focus and

autoexposure). (But it's not as quiet as the Leica and not as much

fun to use).

 

4. Rolleiflex TLR. Great outdoor party camera. Puts people in a

good mood when you take their picture with it, because it is so

unintimidating. Waistlevel finder offers a unique perpective, and is

epecially good for photographing children (or seated adults) when you

have bad knees. When using a Rollei in public, seniors often want to

meet you and talk about how they used a Rollei (or Yashica-mat) when

they were learning photography. Big, ground-glass viewfinder is a

hoot to use and palm-sized negatives are fun to play with on a good

flatbed scanner.

 

5. Nikon FE. When I was a kid, my dad gave me his FE when he bought

himself an F3. For me, the FE is a "comfort camera." I don't have

one anymore, but I get warm fuzzies when I pick one up in the used

camera case at the local camera store.

[EricM]

why the discrimination Marc? i don't understand the relevance of making a living with ones gear.

 

1) pentacon 6x6, slow, easy, great lens.

 

2) 'blad 6x6, slow, easy, great lens.

 

3) f3, sentimental, 'what i always wanted when i grew up'.

 

4) f100, wow, the accuarcy, speed and dependability

 

5) d70, not quite sure yet

[shambrick007]

That I've used owned:<p>

 

Minolta Autocord - fist real camera <p>

 

EOS 1n - coolest autofocus film SLR

<p>

Nikon F2 (w/MD-2 and battery back) - Super 70s!

<p>

Leica M2 - Classic <p>

 

EOS 10D - After getting back my fist <a href = "http://s95017342.onlinehome.us/HIN/HIN42.jpg"> digital lab print </a>today, I'm very happy w/it.

[marc_lieberman1]

It's not discrimination. I just know many pro's who may use a particular camera because their clients insist on a particular format (35mm/MF/LF) or output type (film/slides/digital), but would use entirely different gear to shoot their "personal" stuff.

[terry_rory]

1) Olympus Trip 35

 

2) Ricoh GR1-V

 

3) Rolleicord Vb II

 

4) Contax 139Q & 45mm Tessar f/2.8 'Pancake' lens.

 

5) Nikon D-70 (A total blast! My first DSLR and such a feeling of liberation.)

[jeff_greenstein]

Come on, folks. The question was about "fun"!

 

- Polaroid SX-70 (unquestionably the Fun King of modern photography)

 

- Minox C

 

- Olympus Pen EE-3

 

- Konica Auto-Reflex (switches on the fly between full-frame and half-frame!)

 

- Canon Pellix with 38mm f2.8 FLP pancake lens

 

- Casio WQV-3 watch camera

[stuart_richardson]

1) Leica MP -- butter smooth, quiet and unobtrusive, people seem to notice the camera

less and work with it more, so it is great fun. <P>2)Canon F1-N -- Solid as a rock, very,

very bright laser matte focusing screen and match needle metering combined with f/1.2

lenses makes it an extremely fun, easy to focus SLR and great for experimenting (and

easily focusing) very shallow depth of field shots. <P>3)Canon T90 -- Probably my most

versatile camera. 3 types of very accurate metering, 4.5 fps and 1/4000th shutter speed.

Anything from fully manual to fully automatic (other than focus), it is also the most

ergonomic camera I have ever had. <P>4)Hexar AF -- Absolutely silent, discreet, very easy

to use with consistantly good results. The lens is awesome and the camera very well

designed. <P>5) Mamiya 7II. Quiet, great lenses and finder, massive negatives.

[r s]

1) Leica M3

 

2) Hasselblad 500c/m

 

3) Olympus 35SP

 

4) Kodak Instamatic 500

 

5) Olympus 35LE

[rayn]

"You know all those 'decisive moments' you missed because you could not set exposure

and focus fast enough on your Leica? "

 

Blasphemy! You'll smoke a turd in hell for that.

[madwand]

You guys are way too serious.

 

1. Lumix LC 33. Leica lens, y'know. Zooms with a lever, and makes a whirring sound. Cool!

 

2. Konica Auto S-2: Nice lens. I should carry a screwdriver with it for when it jams. And poke myself with it when I forget to focus.

 

3. Contax 645. So that I get remarks like: "That's a big camera". "Are you a real photographer?". "Wow that rock's gonna come out really big & sharp".

 

4. LG 5450. Won't leave home without it. Even though it takes messages.

 

5. Zeiss Ikoflex. So that I can run after digicam users -- saying "look! they had viewscreens before you were born".

[miguel_curbelo]

1. Olympus OM1. My first camera, and still with me almost 30 years later; small, light, well built.

2. Leica M4. Small, smooth and -I'm not ashamed to admit it- I enjoy a kind of sensual experience when I shoot with it.

3. Bronica RF 645. It's twice the size of the previous two, but it is as usable and its optics are great.

4. Hasselblad 503CX. It is the antithesis of the three above.

5. Olympus Stylus Epic. Hardly comparable to the other four, but it is within reach of my hand 24 hours a day.

[bas1]

OK,

 

1. Hasselblad 503CW, just fantastic when you have to time to work it

 

2. Leica M2, great feel

 

3. Leica M7, just a bit more practical

 

4. Deardorf 8 x 10, in case I ever get around to making my Avadon's of my family

 

5. LOMO

[huw_finney]

1. iiib & Elmar, pocket sized, nearly 80 years old now.

 

2. SX-70, love the whirr, hate the cost per frame

 

3. Moscow 5, pocket sized 6x9

 

4. Minox C, have I an obsession for pockets?

 

5. Technica 5x4, gets me out, keeps me fit (lugging 35 pounds on you back for a few miles) great for conversation.

[peter_evans4]

God, if She exists, appears to have got Florida and Japan mixed up today. I think a Nikonos might be rather fun for scenes more meteorologically dramatic (if less populated) than in Martin Parr's <cite>Bad Weather</cite> -- but with all the stuff flying around now, I wouldn't venture out without a crash helmet too. (Years ago, I took a Pentax ESII out in a typhoon. I was very careful with it indeed . . . but not careful enough. That turned out to be an expensive mistake.) Uh-oh, there was a flash -- I think the house in front is collapsing.

[alan c.]

1. Agfa Electronic Winder -- little known spin-off from the Optima 1035 types --

with a big happy orange shutter button, a 40mm f/2.8 lens, auto-exposure, auto-

winder, and zone focusing.

 

2. Olympus XA -- great lens, almost all manual controls, funny flash attachment

 

3. Meopta Corina -- 120 film, 6x6 type, Czechoslovak made plastic Diana-type

camera, but much sharper. (too sharp?)

 

4. Pentax Spotmatic SP II -- the essential M42 camera. got mine in an Italian hill town

for $80 with a russian lens. M42 is so mix-and-match and cheap, and reminiscent of

the '60s and '70s, that despite its potential "seriousness" i'd still consider it fun.

 

5. Polaroid Barbie camera. -- this is pink with flowers, how can you resist?!?

[over exposure]

Well, let's see.

 

1- Leica M, cause is a real pleasure

2- Nikon FM2, stylish and strong

3- Holga,or any camera of that kind..cause it's really funny

4- Polaroid instant, funny except for the film cost..

5- disposable cameras, possibly recharged.

[MTC Photography]

<ol>

 

<li> Minox TLX

<li> Leica R5

<li> Minox 35ML

<li> Contax T3

<li> Rollei 35S

</ol>

[leslie_cheung]

In random order:

 

 

Polaroid 250/ sx-70: Polies rocks though wish the films were

cheaper

 

TLR: Waistfinder and square framing

 

Zeiss Ikonta: Manual everything small 6x6 folder

 

Widelux: 140 degrees wide!! Plus it's almost small as a leica

 

Hexar AF: Autofocus leica w/ 'cron and it won't hurt as much if

you drop it plus it's quieter than a cloth shutter.

[michael_b.1]

1. Polaroid SX-70 (the folding one with manual focus)<br>

2. Polaroid 195 (with rangefinder and sharp Tomiyoka lens - great for big instant b&w negs!)<br>

3. Fuji S2pro DSLR<br>

4. Nikonos 3 but not for underwater<br>

5. old black paint and well worn MP I've got from my father.<br>

6. ... sh*t only 5!

[luisarguelles]

1. Leica M</p>

2. Rolleiflex TLR</p>

3. Konica Hexar AF</p>

4. Contax G</p>

5. Ex-equo: Olympus OM1 / Nikon F801S (N8008S)</p>

[gadge]

1) Minox ML - Shirtpocket sized with fun accessories and great results. Everything you need in a tiny 35mm package. Love it.

 

2) Nikon Coolpix 2500 - Only 2 mega pixels but matrix metering gives terrific P+S results from this totally cool digital camera. Paid for itself in developing costs saved in a single year with 1500 travel pictures taken all around the world. Swivel lens great for self/group portraits without a self timer or asking waiters/passers by. Can't understand why they stopped making this ace design so soon (fools).

 

3) Canon AV1 with ONLY a 50mm 1.8 lens - Simple AV only fun that gave me a love of photography that endures today.

 

4) Contax T2 - Fabulous Zeiss Sonnar lens and built in flash. Great take anywhere camera. Wonderful results rivalling ANYTHING out there (except MF!).

 

5) Rollie 35 - quality, slightly weird but still a design classic with nice Zeiss tessar lens.

 

Of course you all know what I haven't mentioned above and that probably should have been # 1. Leica M (any one).... THE beautiful tool, engineered to perform and designed for a lifetime of admiring looks from any one lucky enough to own and use one.

[andy_aitken]

1. MPP

2. M4

3. MX

4. Mju2

5. (O)M1

[charles_stobbs3]

1.Retina IIa, 2.Retina IIa, 3.Retina IIa, 4.Retina IIa, 5.Agfa Solinette.

[brambor]

1. Leica M - the intangibles are tangible2. Konica Autoreflex - use one and you will understand3. Canon 1DMkkII - hockey shots4. Large Format Linhof - I never used one but just having the time to learn would be a blast.5. Hasselblad system - I currently use Yashicamat and have a blast with it but I'd I had a choice for MF I would pick a Hassy with a set of lenses.

[c_d5]

1. My "unique" Leica M2

 

2. My black Nikon F2

 

3. Moskva 5/Koni Omega Rapid

 

If I have the money I would get

 

4. Nikon D70 or Canon 20D and lenses

 

5. Newest Rollei 6008