Dream camera

John Bragg · Jun 17, 2016

So then ! What camera have you acquired in the post digital era that was once the holy grail for you when first released ? Mine is a Nikon F5 bought for a rediculously low price a couple of years ago, when 35mm cameras were at an all time low. There is no way I could have afforded a Pro Nikon when it was the newest best thing out there, but I am glad to have it now.

Thomas Bertilsson · Jun 17, 2016

My good friend Steve started talking to an older gentleman one day when he was out photographing. He noticed Steve's camera and saw somebody who had fun using it.

After some conversation he wanted to give Steve his Leica M3 with a dual range 50mm Summicron for free, in virtually mint condition. Steve wouldn't take it for free but the gentleman didn't want any money. After accepting 100 bucks for the Leica he gave Steve a mint condition Rolleiflex with a 2.8 Planar too.
You can't make stuff like that up.

Me, I'm really happy with two Hasselblad 500 setups, a Pentax 35mm SLR, and a Leica M2. The Leica is at service, but I have enough cameras. I don't need anything else. Those are my dream cameras.

Theo Sulphate · Jun 17, 2016

Minolta SRT-101 with 58/1.2 MC Rokkor.

It took me over 40 years to get one, though I got about 40 other nice cameras in the meantime.

Ap507b · Jun 17, 2016

Nikon F3. Considered one new in 1986 but couldn't afford it & got an FA instead. Have made up for it with now having 2 F3's. Got all the F series apart from the F6. Could never have afforded any of them new.

John Bragg · Jun 17, 2016

Ap507b said:
Nikon F3. Considered one new in 1986 but couldn't afford it & got an FA instead. Have made up for it with now having 2 F3's. Got all the F series apart from the F6. Could never have afforded any of them new.

I would also love an F6 !

David Brown · Jun 17, 2016

Minolta Maxxum 7.

And, not 35mm: Mamiya RB67, Fuji G645S.

Sirius Glass · Jun 17, 2016

John Bragg said:
So then ! What camera have you acquired in the post digital era that was once the holy grail for you when first released ? Mine is a Nikon F5 bought for a rediculously low price a couple of years ago, when 35mm cameras were at an all time low. There is no way I could have afforded a Pro Nikon when it was the newest best thing out there, but I am glad to have it now.

Mine: Nikon N75, Nikon F100, Hasselblad 503 CX, Hasselblad 903 SWC, Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Graflex Model D, Jobo Processor

And I own them with lenses, so no more GAS for me.

bdial · Jun 17, 2016

I need to quit dreaming, but the most recent is a Deardorff

Ap507b · Jun 17, 2016

John Bragg said:
I would also love an F6 !

Going to pass on an F6. It doesn't do enough over the F5 for me & as it is, I rarely use the F5 lately. Got an F2 a couple of years ago & it stole my heart & now shoot that most. Added a 2nd F2 last year.

OptiKen · Jun 17, 2016

I still can't afford my dream camera. lol

benjiboy · Jun 17, 2016

Canon New F1 with AE finder, when they they were current I sold them for a living at a leading professional dealers but couldn't afford one of them because I had a wife and a young family to support, I now have four of them.

cuthbert · Jun 17, 2016

When I was a kid any Canon looked like a "professional" camera, of course the F1N was the king of sport photography those years, but I never saw one in real life, just professionals had them.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jun 17, 2016

benjiboy said:
Canon New F1 with AE finder, when they they were current I sold them for a living at a leading professional dealers but couldn't afford one of them because I had a wife and a young family to support, I now have four of them.

I would have to say it's my dream camera that I had for over 30 years. I bought my first one with an AE finder new and I bought another one with a standard finder 25 years later on Ebay. With both, the black paint has worn down to the brass at the corners, but they work just as good like when they were new. They're built like tanks. Now being olders, they like an old friend that gets heavier every year carrying them

Gerald C Koch · Jun 17, 2016

Thomas Bertilsson said:
My good friend Steve started talking to an older gentleman one day when he was out photographing. He noticed Steve's camera and saw somebody who had fun using it.

After some conversation he wanted to give Steve his Leica M3 with a dual range 50mm Summicron for free, in virtually mint condition. Steve wouldn't take it for free but the gentleman didn't want any money. After accepting 100 bucks for the Leica he gave Steve a mint condition Rolleiflex with a 2.8 Planar too.
You can't make stuff like that up.

Me, I'm really happy with two Hasselblad 500 setups, a Pentax 35mm SLR, and a Leica M2. The Leica is at service, but I have enough cameras. I don't need anything else. Those are my dream cameras.

I hate people like Steve.

Years ago a friend would always manage to tell me of all the photography deals he had managed to get

narsuitus · Jun 17, 2016

John Bragg said:
...What camera have you acquired in the post digital era that was once the holy grail for you when first released ?

I acquired my holy grail back in the pre-digital era -- the Nikon F2 Titanium body. I owned two of them until I discovered in the 1980s that the Titanium bodies were rapidly increasing in value because they were rare and collectors wanted them. When the price rose so high that I feared the wear and tear of using my cameras would devalue them, I sold them for a profit and replaced them with a used F3 and a used F2.

Ricardo Miranda · Jun 17, 2016

John Bragg said:
So then ! What camera have you acquired in the post digital era that was once the holy grail for you when first released ?

I would say the Nikon F4.
I have 2 now: a F4 with the MB-20 and a F4S with the larger MB-21.
They're heavy and I can only carry one at a time.
But they're nice to use.

MattKing · Jun 17, 2016

OM-4T.

ciniframe · Jun 17, 2016

At one time I thought it was a Leica M. Then I obtained a M4-2 as a retirement present to myself. Found out I like my SLR viewing too much. Mostly the Leica just sits, I'll grab a Pen F first. Also have more fun building pinhole and other cameras out of parts cameras and other odd photographic bits laying about in several photo related junk boxes. I don't really have a dream camera anymore.

Ko.Fe. · Jun 18, 2016

As new Canadian I wanted locally made Leicas. First was fully working M4-2. And few weeks ago working M4-P, but it will need new lugs and VF cleaned, re-glued. I was also dreaming what one day I'll be able to CLA my parents FED-2 and this year March I did it!
And it will be nice to have at least one made in Canada 35mm RF lens as well

Mick Fagan · Jun 18, 2016

Toyo-View 45G II. About 30 years ago I was using one of these and its identical bigger sister version with the 8x10" bellows, in a work environment. Not only did I never think I could afford one of these, I didn't think I could ever afford the lenses, even if somehow, I could get one.

Mick.

MartinCrabtree · Jun 18, 2016

A pristine Nikon F5 acquired from a APUG member. Wonderful piece of work.

guangong · Jun 18, 2016

I got my dream camera，a leica m4，about when they first came out. Traded in my whole pentax system. Some time later a used（maybe three rolls of film at most）rolleiflex f2.8 at a price that could not be refused. In truth，every camera that i have bought since have their purpose and are used but have not achieved dream status. Perhaps not fitting for this thread but I do have another dream camera：arriflex s16.

Jim Jones · Jun 18, 2016

While enjoying a Navy career I bought several dream cameras overseas while they were still in production andaffordable: Nicca III, Leica iiif, Miranda G (perhaps more of a nightmare), Nikon FT, Leica M2, Leica M4, and various lenses for all.

RalphLambrecht · Jun 18, 2016

Thomas Bertilsson said:
My good friend Steve started talking to an older gentleman one day when he was out photographing. He noticed Steve's camera and saw somebody who had fun using it.

After some conversation he wanted to give Steve his Leica M3 with a dual range 50mm Summicron for free, in virtually mint condition. Steve wouldn't take it for free but the gentleman didn't want any money. After accepting 100 bucks for the Leica he gave Steve a mint condition Rolleiflex with a 2.8 Planar too.
You can't make stuff like that up.

Me, I'm really happy with two Hasselblad 500 setups, a Pentax 35mm SLR, and a Leica M2. The Leica is at service, but I have enough cameras. I don't need anything else. Those are my dream cameras.

Me too;I own all my dream cameras now it's time to use them or I'll feel guilty.

Chan Tran · Jun 18, 2016

Ap507b said:
Nikon F3. Considered one new in 1986 but couldn't afford it & got an FA instead. Have made up for it with now having 2 F3's. Got all the F series apart from the F6. Could never have afforded any of them new.

I don't think the prices between the F3 and FA are that much different in 86. At one point back then I think the FA was more expensive.

Dream camera

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