And now for something completely different..

Dr Croubie said:

the strangest thing is that I read all of it, thought "wow, these cameras sound weird", and then bought a few anyway...

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Ha ha ha! I read through your whole post and that last part had me rolling!

I have not got one, but a Agfa Flexilette makes a great weirdo camera.

My little 8x11 Minox submini. They don't ask what kind of camera but ask "What is that?" Often, if it is a model III, they will refuse to believe it's a camera at all.

Don't forget the Kodak 35 RF made in the 1940s, with the exposed gear in front for focussing and the ugly RF linkage. That camera is so ugly it's beautiful.

Mark Overton

Well there is a big difference between something that is 'different in a good way' vs 'bad design'. For instance the Vitessa is totally usable. The plunger is fast, the focus is done via a wheel at your right thumb position, shutter release at the right index. It collapses into a small compact package, and you can grip the camera well on both sides.
(whether or not it is reliable.. thats another thread)

On the other hand you have the inner/outer bayonet mount of the contax,nikon, and kiev rangefinders. This is pointless and outright aggravating.

So on the Kodak 35 mentioned above.. is the focusing gear pleasant to use or pita?

How about those bottom advance levers on the kodaks.. they have always scared me away from the later models (I have a iia). Are they easier to use, funky in a cool way, or do they make you want to drop-kick them in the ocean?

darinwc said:

How about those bottom advance levers on the kodaks.. they have always scared me away from the later models (I have a iia). Are they easier to use, funky in a cool way, or do they make you want to drop-kick them in the ocean?

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They are different - so therefor perfect for this thread.

I'm able to adapt to the one on my Retina IIIc, and I find everything on the right side of a camera somewhat awkward to use with my right hand.

The camera worked well for this, though:

Take a Sinar P 5x7 and a huge tripod to a well attended public event. Just for grins I usually take the Oly XA, too, because it weighs less than my 300mm f5.6 lens.

The Sinar will draw a lot of attention. You might even find someone who knows what it is.