5 Best 35mm Cameras Ever Made

[Niels - NHSN]

I love lists, a typical symptom of OCD. I find lists to be not only satisfying but also comforting and a lot of fun - please think of this thread as no more than just fun.

 

If you are up to this challenge, please let us know your top 5 35mm cameras - preferably with a reason why - and if you supplement with photos, you will get extra credit ;-)

 

This is my list

1. Nikon FE (1977-1983).
   While this camera has a similar interface compare to Nikkormat EL/ELW/EL2, Nikon FE2 and Nikon FM3a - (which underlines the longevity of the design decisions made by Nikon) - I personally think the Nikon FE was the ultimate implementation of a 35mm SLR camera with AE automation.
   It is lighter than the Nikkormat equivalents. It has no disturbing diodes when exposure compensation is on; no limits on exposure when exposing prior to frame 1 (as the following models had), - just as it also had a battery check, which the newer variations didn't.
   I have no problems with the max top speed of 1/1000 and 1/125 flash sync shutter speed.
   If Nikon had implemented the same viewfinder display in the F3, the F3 would have been my all time favorite 35mm camera, but they didn't :-(
   
2. Leica M6 (1984-1998)
   I am still debating with myself if the M2 (1957-1968) is more attractive. The M2 feels and looks better, yet the lightmeter of the M6 just makes it a vastly more convenient camera. Had the M6 top plate been made of brass rather than a zinc alloy, the M6 camera would be at the top of this list (that is unless Nikon made an Nikon F3 with a FE finder).
   
3. Olympus Trip 35 (1967-84).
   This is the best P&S camera ever made IMO.
   I have owned/used Contax T2/Yashica T4/Olympus Mju-2 and countless other P&S cameras and I can't imagine any camera more robustly convenient than the Trip 35.
   During its more than 15 years production life, it wasn't necessary to make any changes - it is perfection with optimal simplicity!
   Economising with resources: 2 shutter speeds with automated aperture exposure (AE) driven by a selenium meter (no battery), AND 4 distance setting on an exemplary good 40mm Tessar-type lens.
   If you can figure out to set your ISO and one of 4 distances, this camera is the easiest and most responsive p&s camera you can imagine - and will provide you with amazing results only limited by your creative abilities.
   
4. Leica II (1932-1948).
   This is not a super convenient camera by today's standards, but it bears gulps of history and is really all you need to make perfectly focused photographs in the most compact package imaginable - especially if you own the 50mm/3.5 Elmar.
   The Leica II defined rangefinder cameras for decades. Its only real "revolutionary" 35mm rangefinder contender was the Leica M3 (1954)
   .
   
5. Olympus OM-2 (1975-1984)
   OK, Many will likely point to the OM-1 due it's mechanical properties, but I am not prejudice against electronic cameras - I'd rather have the convenience of aperture priority automatics.
   The OM-2 provides a Nikon FE interface AND a simplified +/- manual interface. I still prefer the Nikon FE "green lever" display. But the the ability to toggle between the analogue display and manual display on the OM-2 is simply brilliantly implemented.
   The extraordinary compact design of the OM-2 camera is the primary reason why this camera makes the list: It is extraordinarily tiny and capable.
   I sold my sample only because the many specific lenses I wanted were grossly overpriced compared to similar quality lenses in other systems.
   

What is your top 5?

[laurencecochrane]

Canon F1 New Not much else to say

[JDMvW]

NOT in order of quality or importance, but 5 of my personal favorites. I'd take the "latest thing" over most of them for actual, serious use; but these are my "preciouses"

 

Pentacon Super - the flagship of post-WWII Dresden SLR cameras

 

The Nikkormat EL - not necessarily Nikon's best but I love it still

 

Canon T90 - perhaps my favorite of all

 

 

But the Canon EOS 3 is a wonderful film camera

 

But, although I've gone on to later, more-pixels versions. That full-frame digital Canon EOS 5D was a wonderful breakthrough that made so many of my old manual focus 35mm lenses usable again.

 

 

I have another list of the "most beautiful", but that's another story.

[Mike Gammill]

I have a list:

Nikon F (choice of finder)- don't actually own this one

Minolta XE series

 

Konica Auto S2 (owned this one since 1974)

 

Any of the Minolta SRT series (bought this one in 1980)

 

Olympus OM-1

 

It's difficult to limit the list to five. I'd probably go with at least ten.

[Niels - NHSN]

It's difficult to limit the list to five. I'd probably go with at least ten.

Go ahead ;-)

Some rules are meant to be broken.

[Sandy Vongries]

Leica M3 the first fine camera I had access to and the one I learned on. Still have it, still works. Nikon F3 IMO the last handy top of the line Nikon film camera. Also still in hand and working.

[vilk_inc]

... puhleeeze, can i do six? :D

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by vilk_inc

[rick_drawbridge]

What an ask! This response involved quite some head-scratching... So many contenders, but here are a few of the cameras that have given me great pleasure and created some of my more pleasing photographs.

 

Canon T90 : Undoubtedly top of the list. Certainly my favourite SLR. Sensible, practical yet very fully-featured, and an absolute joy to hold and use. Possibly one of the most iconic and influential cameras of all time. Sit it beside the latest Canon 5D and the lineage is obvious.

 

 

Fujica 35 SE : A wonderful range of unusual rangefinder cameras with interesting and agreeable ergonomics and excellent Fujinon lenses.

 

 

Nikon FE : A handsome and rugged camera loved by so many enthusiasts

 

 

Nikon F4s : The Beast. Heavy but balanced, reliable and just so controllable.

 

 

Voigtlander Prominent : Unbeatable in terms of sheer ingenuity of concept and manufacturing perfection, and quality of lenses.

 

 

Minolta Alpha A7 : In my opinion, just about the ultimate development of the 35mm film camera. Electronically, the forerunner of today's Sony Mirrorless Digital cameras.

 

[Kent T]

1. Leica M3

2. Nikon F

3. Nikon F2

4. Canon F1

5. Kodak Retina IIa

[Kent T]

Canon F1 New Not much else to say[ATTACH=full]1429580[/ATTACH]

 

My favorite Olympus compact is the 35 RC. (I shoot a lot of film with mine) I love both the OM-1 and OM-2 (though I have never owned one myself). I love non Selenium metered Olympus Pen half frame cameras, and love the Pen F SLR family.

[flavio_egoavil]

Returning here after many years.

 

I'm glad to see the excellent taste of the people around here, I agree with everybody's list, although I don't have any love lost for Olympus SLRs (i love their compact cameras though). Other than that, I agree.

 

This would be my top 5, in no order:

 

- Canon New F1

 

The last evolution of the tough, all-metal manual focus camera. The F3, a competitor, is sadly flawed in many aspects. The New F-1 is the bridge between later plastic-clad all-electronic pro cameras and the prior all-mechanical cameras. The Canon New F-1 is a hybrid camera, an all-metal solid tank which is entirely mechanical in operation from 2000 down to 1/90 (plus B), while uses electronic control for the rest of the speeds and even manages to give aperture priority, shutter priority and variable meter patterns. An excellent viewfinder system, with awesome clarity and brightness, makes it a complete package.

 

- Nikon F2S or Nikon F2AS (your choice)

 

Probably the best all-mechanical 35mm SLR camera ever made, Nikon's highest achievement.

 

- Zeiss Contax II, and Contax IIa, and IIIa

 

The first truly professional 35mm rangefinder, the choice of pros like Robert Capa for going to the war -- leicas were then for amateurs. The first that had the combination of bayonet mount, combined rangefinder/viewfinder, and an extremely precise rangefinder that couldn't be knocked out of alignment. Zeiss lenses, all the way from the 1930s to the 1960s, were the best available for rangefinders.

 

In the guise of "Kiev" cameras the Contax II/III design was useful to be produced even until the mid 1980s.

 

In the 50's, Zeiss Ikon released their flagship Contax IIa and IIIa, more or less the same design but more compact, much better built, much better finished, more precise and more reliable. They also released some of their finest lenses for this system.

 

- Nikon SP

 

Nikon created their finest rangefinder combining Contax mount and almost the same shutter as in the subsequent Nikon F. That is, a bulletproof shutter. With a very advanced viewfinder that even had the provision for 28mm FOV. Perhaps their finest camera and the used prices reflect that. But then...

 

- Leica M3

 

But then Leica released the M3, a camera technologically even more advanced than the Nikon SP and the Contax IIIa. This was a milestone -- because then. Nikon directed all their efforts to the SLR system (the rest is history) and Zeiss also abandoned the Contax and focused on the Contarex system.

 

- Zeiss Contarex Bullseye

 

Probably best built, over-engineered 35mm SLR camera and lenses. A triumph of build quality (and optical quality) over... cost and even common sense. This system had probably the best performing lenses of their time.

 

Honorable mentions

 

Canon F-1

Pentax Spotmatic F

Pentax ESII

Pentax ME Super

Pentax MX

Pentax LX

Leicaflex series

Minolta XK

Minolta XE / Leica R3

Minolta SRT series

Letiz / Minolta CL

Olympus Trip 35

Olympus 35RC

Minox 35 series

Nikon EL2

 

I have another list of the "most beautiful", but that's another story.

 

You are quite a legend here and I love reading your posts in the last years.

Edited June 6, 2022 by flavio_egoavil

[James Bryant]

For me the Nikon FM2n. It is light and the battery MS76 or equivalent only is needed for the meter.

Next the NikonF6 when I need the internal spot meter and advanced features.

The Nikon F2as is a a joy to use.

The Nikkormat FT2 my dad purchased in 1975 began my personal experience with Nikon.

The Nikon F because it is the beginning of the Nikon SLR family.

 

The FM2n.

[JDMvW]

Aw shucks, it ain't much, but here is my pick for "most beautiful SLRs:

What are your picks for the most beautiful SLRs?

[Niels - NHSN]

Aw shucks, it ain't much, but here is my pick for "most beautiful SLRs:

What are your picks for the most beautiful SLRs?

Added my contribution to your beauty thread. - And it is not a camera from my "5 best" list.

(For some reason, I can't seem to browse past page 1 in that thread, so I'll add it here as well as I am not sure if people can see it)

The plain prism is overrated, I find the utilitarian aesthetics of the Photomic finder more beautiful.

[JDMvW]

For some reason, I can't seem to browse past page 1 in that thread,

 

When older threads were 'translated' into the "new and improved" photo.net, a lot of surplus, but empty, extensions were added. Usually new posts are inserted before the actual end, anyhow, but there's really nothing there.

[rodeo_joe1]

Like Vilk, I would place the two on the left at numbers 1-4.

The Spotmatic might make it to the top 20, but I'd squeeze this in at number 5.

Purely for its quirkiness. And the fact that it's still going strong after 62+ years with zero maintenance.

[charles_escott_new]

Restricting the list to those I own.

Nikon F6

Nikon F2AS

Canon F1

Leica M6TTL

Pentax LX.

 

Fine and dandy for me owning these cameras, bought at sensible prices over many years. What if I were starting today? What would give me the experience at much less cost? Again selected from cameras I own.

Nikon F90s

Nikon FT2

Canon EF

Canon P

Pentax MX.

 

Then it is down to lenses, I would buy the best 50mm glass I could afford.

Same applies to 120 cameras, Rolleiflex 3.5 or Ensign 820.

[john_cooper9]

Restricted to those I have owned:

 

1) Olympus Pen F purchased new in 1964

2) Minolta SR7 purchased used in 1972

3) Minolta XK purchased used in 1980

4) Minolta Maxxum 9 purchased used in 2021

5) (almost) owned a Zeiss Contarex but too expensive for me.

 

Also, using lenses from 35mm film days on digital: APS (Fuji) and full frame (Sony).

However, my preferred film camera/lens is LF today. In 5x7 and 4x10 formats.

Edited June 7, 2022 by john_cooper|9

[Rick Helmke]

Mine are mostly Nikon: F2, F4s, N90S, Nikkormat FT, FT2 and 3. Ok so it’s all Nikon.

 

Rick H

[Tony-S]

 

Fujica 35 SE : A wonderful range of unusual rangefinder cameras with interesting and agreeable ergonomics and excellent Fujinon lenses.

 

[ATTACH=full]1429667[/ATTACH]

 

 

I just put a roll of Acros II in my Fujica 35 SE last week. Still have a dozen frames to shoot.

[rick_drawbridge]

Tony-S said :

I just put a roll of Acros II in my Fujica 35 SE last week.

 

Great! Please post some samples when the film is complete.

[Matthew Currie]

It's hard not to put the Nikon F at the top of just about any list. I'm a lifelong fanboy of the mighty F.

 

Like many, I tend toward things I've actually had, and would add as close seconds, the F4, a great unbeautiful hulking beast that did just about everything better than anything else in its day, and is still pretty darned good; your choice of Barnack Leicas (mine, a IIIb, working perfectly after about 85 years without service); the Olympus XA (and its variants, especially the XA2), good pictures and you can literally run over one with your car; and a random dip into the Minolta bin for general good behavior, good lenses, and metering that always seems just a little better than everyone else's.

[Robin Smith]

1. Leicaflex SL

2. Nikon F

3. Pentax Spotmatic

4. Olympus OM1

5. Leica M4

[ph.]

Best= robust and reliable & with excellent optics (not necessarily the one with most features.) I would nominate M3 over the OM1 since boith were once submitted to the same intense rain and only the M3 survived.

 

Otherwise the Alpas certainly had some optics that could compete with Leitz. And the Nikonos type V is more or less indestructible. I found the SP less useful than the M6 I traded it for , mainly because I alrady had several Mlenses and none except the standard for the SP .

 

Although the SL2 (with its plastic lens release knob subtituted with the proper metal one) is an impressive piece of machinery with an excellent viewfinder (reportedly costing more to produce than they sold it for) I have not used it long enouigh to judge its solidity, neither have I used my R9 enough, but its optics are first class.

 

So with a number of caveats I will nominate M3, SL2, Alpa9f and NikonosV plus Nikon F based on its mechanical reputation although I have only used some of ithe lenses of it and its successors

 

p.

[royall_berndt]

Voigtlander Prominent I and II