10 Classic Cameras, in no particular order

Karl K

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This is a short list of my ten favorite classic cameras.
There are so many others, but I tried to narrow this list to just ten.
My criteria: each camera had to produce high quality images (in its day), be produced in reasonable quantities, and exhibit a high degree of innovation and craftsmanship.

1. Leica M3
2. Nikon F
3. Hasselblad 500C
4. Rolleiflex 2.8/3.5F
5. Canon AE-1
6. Minolta Maxxum 7000
7. Polaroid SX-70
8. Pentax 67
9. Olympus Pen FT
10. Minox B

Kindly add your favorite classics to my list and let's see how many are really "classic-worthy".
 

gone

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I had a Voigtlander Bessa II w/ a coated Heliar lens that was a classic. Later I bought an even older Voigtlander RF camera w/ an uncoated Heliar (see below). I liked the shots from the older RF more. To me, the further back in time the better the image quality. Now that I know what I'm doing, my $20 Pentax MV w/ a 50 2 lens can almost give those cameras a run for their money. Decades of experience can stretch the term "classic."

 

GRHazelton

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Voigtlander Vitessa L with f2 Ultron
Pentax LX
 

Paul Howell

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Argus C3, Topcon 100, consumer grade camera dating from the 60s with TTL and exposure preferred auto exposure, Spotmatic, Nikon F, Canon EOS 1.
 

AnselMortensen

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Speed Graphic
Graflex SLR's
Linhof Technika
Burke & James Press
Busch Pressman
Calumet CC-400 series
Calumet C1
Sinar F
Sinar P
Sinar Norma
Deardorff
Gandolfi
 

Kino

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Minolta SRT 101
Aires 35-V
Konica III A
Agfa Karat 36
Ricohflex Diamant L
Zeiss Icon Contaflex Super B
Ricoh 519
Pentax Spotmatic SP, Black
Pacemaker Speed Graphic 3.25 x 4.25
Kodak Retina IIIC
 
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MattKing

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Olympus OM-1.
 

GRHazelton

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Let me add the Minolta Autocord. Excellent f3.5 Rokkor lens, wonderful handling, perhaps the best of 6x6 TLRs.
 

Two23

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1. Kodak Retina IIa
2. Kodak Brownie Model F
3. Zeiss Super Ikonta IV
4. Voigtlander Bergheil
5. Nikon F3t
6. Gundlach Korona 5x7
7. Kodak 2D 8x10
8. E&HT Anthony 5x8 stereo tailboard
9. Rolleiflex MX
10 Rolleicord "Deco"

Really, I'm more of a lens guy, for large format. I especially love lenses made in the 1840s.


Kent in SD
 

alanrockwood

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Exakta VX iia with 58mm f/2 Auto Biotar
Argus C3
Kodak Signet 35
Rollei 35 (various models)
Polaroid Swinger (maybe a marginal choice in terms of image quality)
Stereo Realist
Sputnik Stereo Camera
Crown Graphic
Calumet 4x5 view camera
Canon Rebel T2 also known as EOS 300X (arguably classic camera, or maybe not)
 
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gone

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Konica C35.
Leicaflex
Nikkormat
Rolleiflex TLR
Rolleicord TLR
Zeiss Ikonta
Zeiss Super Ikonta
Zeiss Nettar
Nikon F4s
Leica M3 DS
Leica M4
Retina Ia
Polaroid SX 70
Norita 66
Graflex Series B & D
Voigtlander Brillant TLR w/ Heliar
Voigtlander Superb TLR
Zenit (classic door stop, just use the Helios lens)
Pentax MX
Pentax Spotmatic (Black)
 
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runswithsizzers

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This thread is posted under "Antiques, Collecting., and Photographic History." The OP does not mention if these 10 classic cameras should be functional and usable - or only collectable? And does the definition of "usable" include the requirement of being able to buy film in the necessary format?

I imagine the category of "people-who-have-cameras" as including both "collecters" and "users" - and a lot of people who do a bit of both. And I expect the "10 classic cameras list" may different for collectors than for users?

Here is a thought experiment: What are the 10 cameras BEING MANUFACTURED TODAY that are most likely to be called "classics" 50 years from now? Fifty years from now, will users even have any working cameras from our current era? Will classic camera users of the future be bidding up the last few remaining SD cards to absurd prices on eBay?
 

cliveh

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Reid and Sigrist 3
Leica II
Leica M2
Leica IIIF
Rolleicord VB
Hasselblad 500C with 2.8 Plannar
Rolleiflex with 2.8 Plannar
MPP 5" X 4"
Nickormat
Nikon F2

​

 

wiltw

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  1. Kodak, first commercial rollfilm camera
  2. Kodak Super Six-20 first fully autoexposure camera
  3. Asahiflex II, first commercial SLR with autoreturn mirror
  4. Topcon RE-Super, first SLR with TTL metering
  5. Olympus M-1/OM-1, SLR which started the mini body SLR craze
  6. Canon Pellix, first SLR using pellicle mirror in place of a moving reflex mirror
  7. Polaroid 95, first instant film camera
  8. Hasselblad 907X, first camera on the moon
  9. Fuji DS-1P, world's first handheld digital camera
 

guangong

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Seems like whatever old camera some have they consider a classic. For me a classic should have some significance with regard to camera history, yet manufactured in numbers sufficient to have been easily available. For example, the M3 spelt doom for other rf cameras, all other Ms are simply modifications. Likewise with the F.
If I didn’t miss it while reading the above lists, my candidate is the Rollei 35. That camera’s small size devastated most of the subminiature camera market with the exception of the tiny Minox.
 

Sirius Glass

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  1. Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash Camera
  2. Minolta SR-7
  3. Minolta SRT101
  4. Minolta X700
  5. Nikon F100
  6. 4"x5" Graflex Model D
  7. 4"x5" Pacemaker Speed Graphic
  8. Hasselblad 503 CX
  9. Hasselblad 903 SWC
  10. Leica M Series 35mm range finder cameras
No Canon cameras or lenses were damaged, broken or injured in the making of this post.
 
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