What camera or system are you becoming most fond of?

[Andy Collins]

<p>Just curious. As was pretty evident a year or so ago, I was neck-deep into Minolta stuff. Still am, I guess, as the XD11 is still my favorite classic camera. In recent months though, other cameras have begun to nibble at its perch atop the classic camera mountain with the mighty little OM-1/1n leading the charge. I've gone from just my first OM body, the OM-1n, to now having two of them, having recently added a pristine OM-1 MD to my arsenal ($40!). I absolutely love these cameras, from the way they sound to the way they look. I've already got my sights on a 35/2.8 for it as well as a 24mm of some type. I don't know if any camera could actually replace the XD11 at the top of the heap, but the OMs could certainly sit beside it. Another camera I'm growing increasingly fond of is my Canon EF. I enjoy using it more than the F-1. Didn't think I'd ever say that but there it is. It's a big solid camera with a full feature set and it delivers every time. Like Stuart, I'd be comfortable taking it on a trip as my sole camera. Next is the Pentax MX, a really cool but tough little camera that I seem to reach for a lot lately. While I love the big SLRs like my EF, Autoreflex T or SRTs, the compact bodies are nice to use and are much easier on my neck or shoulder. To be perfectly honest, on any given day my camera of choice might be something totally different from these that I've listed, but they're the ones that seem to excite me the most lately. Which one is exciting you the most?</p>

[graham_line]

<p>M Leicas, Leica and Voigtlander lenses. Nikons. Same stuff I've used for decades.</p>

[yann1]

<p>I bought a Rolleiflex 3.5F last year... If you have one, you understand.</p>

[brucecahn]

<p>There are so many of them. An above mentioned Rollei f3.5, Mamiya RB, Leica M6, Nikon FM3, Ebonys in 3 sizes.</p>

[gabor_szabo3]

<p>Slowly building a T3/Hexanon collection. I'm on my fourth set of T3's and various lengths of Hex's . I now actively search out Konicas for resale, keeping the choice specimens for myself. Just the right size for a "big" slr, wonderfully smooth film advance and shutter release, and aesthetically pleasing design with shoe-less prism.<br>

A sweet spot in my heart for the maligned Voigtländer Prominent. I like the 35/3.5 Skoparon as a walk-around lens. I never gave much thought to the 100mm Dynaron... I should dust it off and give it a whirl this Spring.<br>

Sadly the Nikon film bodies don't get much exercise... their Nikkors in rotation on the DSLRs, the 35mm film absent from their chambers for some time, reserved for RFs.<br>

When I feel snobbish I'll whip out the M3. Now only if I had a shiny Volvo P 1800 to go with the Leica......</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>It's a big question,<strong> Andy</strong> . I guess I've never been an equipment freak, and I'm not very good at weighing up the pros and cons of various cameras. At the end of the day, I'm more interested in taking photographs than thinking about the cameras, and there's such a vast range of cameras that take good photographs. The cameras themselves are a secondary interest; I find them interesting as examples of machinery representative of their eras, quite irrespective of their picture-taking abilities, though I enjoy putting them through their paces to see what they can do. This is fun stuff, collecting, a hobby....For the last week or so I've been playing with a superb little Voigtlander Vitomatic IIA, which must surely be one of the sweetest little rangefinders ever created.</p>

<p>For serious photography I'd reach for a SLR, but the choice is governed by whimsy. I prefer simple SLR's, with match-needle metering. I have a fair collection of the world's most forgotten cameras, the "B" series Practicas, which I really delight in using, but I guess if I had to choose just one classic camera and accessories to work with, I'd plump for the Spotmatic F with four Takumar lenses from 24mm to 135mm, and I'd probably be content. Well, maybe.</p>

[steve_bellayr]

<p>Leica & Nikon because of the lenses and ergonomics</p>

[starvy]

<p>om4 for me and cosina-voightlander bessa</p>

[jean_moxhet]

<p>No hesitation, my favorite is the Voigtlander Vitessa "barn doors" with it's accessories in original leather cases. A beauty!!! and those leather, waouw! And the Ultron lense gives such beautifull pics! It's truely pocketable and build as a tank.<br>

Now regarding what I use, I have to admit that the VC Bessa T with 15 or 25 lenses or the Canon EF with 85/1.8 are true pleasure to use...</p>

 

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p>I guess that the objective of your question is more like "why people favour certain cameras?" and therefore, get a view of the "most likeable features of that." To begin with I don't have a "collection", really. Have a few Exaktas, Prakticas, Zorkis and Feds. I really wanted to focus and learn how cameras were designed and put together. I did learn some by these. But I wish I had focused on just one make and learned dis-assembly, repair and re-assembly to the nut and bolt level. It requires more sophisticated tools than what I have now and it needs a hobby-workshop-like space that I do not have. I cherish the Exaktas for their simplicity and modular design; just opening up can give one a learning experience, as everything is apparent. I like the Prakticas for their simplicity and innovations in design; it is so easy to do a CLA on the Nova series, though the L-series needs some opening up. The Zorkis and Feds are delightfully simple to work on. Especially, they offer a challenge of presenting tough mechanisms. But when you work on them and tune them they can be butter smooth and can be renewed to look and operate like new. All of them use traditionally classic lenses and make excellent pictures. sp.</p>

[Matthew Currie]

<p>I must say that through the years I've never really found anything I prefer to the Nikon F family. I mess about with Konicas and Miinoltas and others, but the Nikons are still what I use most.</p>

[steve salmons]

<p>I have owned and sold lots of 35mm. The 35mm cameras I have kept are Nikon F and F2, Leica M2 and Leica Standard and a Pentax Spotmatic to give me access to great screw fit SMC Takumar glass.<br>

Medium format must for me be Hasselblad 500CM and Rolleiflex MX and 2.8B<br>

Large format, I would always keep my Crown Graphic as it is the nearest I can get to a point and shoot 5x4. I have also recently bought a Linhof 5x4 Kardan Bi view camera which I cannot envisage ever having to replace, short of fire, flood, earthquake etc.</p>

[ridinhome]

<p>Canon FD. In the past I've used a Yashica, a Pentax KA mount and a Canon Pellix, but gorwing up I always lusted after my Dad's A1 and T90 and . Have been building my lens collection over the last year and now have a 35mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8, Kiron 105mm Macro, 35-105 f3.5, 70-210 f4 and my most recent addition - an 80-200 f4l. I love each and every one of these lenses, the way they look, the way they feel in my hand, and most importantly the way my photographs come out on the rare occasions when I manage to pull it all together.<br>

That said, I also love my 5D and have just bought a Pentax Spotmatic and SMC Takumar 55 1.8. Don't have the Spotty just yet, but I'm *incredibly* excited to shoot with it and the Tak.<br>

Stupid camera addiction. If I'm not careful I'm going to end up a bum on the streets mumbling "Bokeh...bokeh..."</p>

[tomscott]

<p>The Canon EF has been my favorite for a while but, it recently has started having mechanical problems so the OM1 has become my main user. I have several Minolta SRT bodies and lenses but have yet to put a roll of film thru one of them. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I really like the look and feel of my recently acquired Argus C-4 with the Geiss mod but I just got it back together and I am waiting on a new leatherette kit for it so I haven't used it yet either. It's probably as close as I'll ever come to a Leica.</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

Was a Retina IIa for years. Now a Konica C35 EF3. Small, light, Fits in a small pouch (with a belt loop). Lens shade and spare film in pants pocket.

[richterjw]

<p>Certainly Canon FD. I have also had a long-standing affinity for the Bronica S series bodies and lenses, but have never owned any; I think those bodies are just really sleek and lovely. JR</p>

[vrankin]

<p>I most loved the Pentax M Series and their Super Takumars. Second was a Nikkormat FT2 with a sweet 35mm f/2 Auto-Nikkor that stayed on pretty much of the time.</p>

[furcafe]

<p>Currently, I've taken to using the Kodak Ektra & various Rolleiflexes more often. The Ektra because of its strange (to me) left-handed ergonomics, which forces me to think differently, & incredible pre-WWII build quality. Similarly, the Rolleiflexes have their strange (to me) waist-level finders & incredible post-WWII build quality.</p>

[Brad Cloven]

<p>I use my Nikon F3HP.......as a meter for my Rolleiflex Automat Tessar 3.5 1938. :-)</p>

[howardstanbury]

<p>I'll give a shout out for Minolta. I have several AF and manual bodies, and on the manual side the XD-7 comes top. Today I received a Vivitar series 1 24mm f/2.8 (made by Tokina) for £6 plus postage, and so another film will go through that, not to mention two rangefinders coming this way soon (an A5 and Hi-Matic 7). All this the week before the local Oxfam store starts another camera sale ...</p>

[sw12dz]

<p>I've concentrated on my Canon FD collection of cameras and lenses over the past year, so that's mainly what I have been using. I'm going to get the Rollieflex out and give it some exercise in the next week or so and maybe one or two others.</p>

[yefei_he1]

<p>Lordomat with 35, 50, 90 and 135mm lenses.</p>

<p>OK, so the above is a flippant statement from me. I'd say definitely the Cosina Voigtlander/Leica/Zeiss Ikon/Minolta/Konica Hexar RF range of M mount rangefinder cameras and lenses is the system that I use most. Next to it, the Pentax K mount system. After that there really isn't one that stands out. I did have several pleasant days in one early fall using a Braun Paxette Super II BL system. Probably the most pleasant surprise of using an unorthodox "system" camera, among candidates like Diax, Akarex, Agfa Ambi Silette, Voigtlander Prominent, and other oddball systems I haven't used such as Minolta Super A, Aires 35V, Olympus Ace, Retina IIIs, Retina IIIc, Voigtlander Vitessa T, Braun Colorette Super, King Regula III, Braun Paxette Super III, Argus C44, Argus C4 Geiss, Argus C3, Werramatic, Altissa Altix IV, etc.</p>

[andylynn]

<p>XD11. Great looking camera, simple to operate, very well designed body and controls, very well made, quiet and smooth operation and the Rokkor glass is fantastic.</p>

<p>But I recently acquired a Nikon F100 and I'm seeing that a newer film camera can also have its advantages.</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>Of all the great "system cameras" of the 1960-70's , I have to list my favorites in no particular order. Nikon, Canon, Topcon, Olympus, Minolta and Pentax. Each were well made, had a lot of accessories and glass available. And of course all made great pictures.</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>I've been recently enjoying a a 6x9 rangefinder, the Mamiya Super 23. Great optics and film flatness, rear movements with ground glass viewing.</p>