Holy Grail cameras

frank

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If you already own them or are still looking for them, which camera(s) do you consider your personal holy grail?

One I've got: Paubel Makina 67W
Still out there: Hasselblad SWC

(Inspired by Paul's thread about his holy grail cameras)
 

Kyle M.

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I've got mine I actually got both of them in the past 3 days.

Mamiya RZ67 Pro with the 110mm 2.8
Hasselblad 500C with the Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 2.8C
 
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Richard S. (rich815)

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Hmmm, I'd like an SWC too someday but I do I have unbelievable 40/4 CLE FLE Distagon for my 500CM and have a hard time justifying it. I know they're different but a bit too close for me to justify. And I can justify GAS!
 

TheTrailTog

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Tough question!

HAVE: Nikon F2 Photomic... a camera that I had never thought of as a "Holy Grail", but for me this camera just fits like a glove. The first camera that I think I can honestly say I will never sell.

WANT: Leica MP a la carte... I've owned a few Leicas over the years, but never had the funds for a metered model. An MP with a 35mm Summilux will be my gift to myself after student loans are finally paid off.
 

CropDusterMan

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My Holy Grail would be to re-acquire a Leica M6 TTL with 35mm Summicron. I have alot
of other gear, and I'm definitely not a gear-head. If I could only have one camera, it
would be that one.
 

ToddB

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I own Leica m3. But like to get Nikon S3 rangefinder. Gorgeous camera!
 

Ko.Fe.

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Fanny tittle on day like today
I have my family camera, which was CLA'd few years ago, it is made in sixties as I'm.
I'm using it. It is nothing fancy and prestige, the rest is nothing, but tools to me.
 

Dan Fromm

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Ko.Fe. said:
Fanny tittle on day like today
I have my family camera, which was CLA'd few years ago, it is made in sixties as I'm.
I'm using it. It is nothing fancy and prestige, the rest is nothing, but tools to me.
Click to expand...

Oh, dear, not another person who thinks that reaching the final destination is much more important than the journey. I'm with you, except that I was made in the forties and use cameras that were made in the forties too.
 

TheToadMen

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Already owned:

Mamiya C330f - a magnificent TLR camera
Hasselblad SWC (from 1964) - wide angle perfection

On my want list:

A nice wooden ULF field camera
A technical mint Nikon F with 50 mm lens made in February 1967 (when I was born)
 

Nokton48

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The Minolta SR-M motorized camera, with 250 exposure SR-M Film Back.
I've had the SR-M for a while (have 2). Recently I got the 250 Back.
 

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removed account4

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maybe a mandelette post card ( ferrotype ) camera
with the developer in powdered form so i could take it ot a lab
and figure out what it was so i could make it myself.
 

Michel Hardy-Vallée

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A quality, new film camera that I could buy at any reputable photo store in a major city, that would have simple manual controls, lenses of the highest quality (howsoever you define that quality), be mostly made of metal, have an interesting industrial design aesthetics and decent ergonomics with just enough quirks to make it unique...

I think they used to make cameras like that, but not anymore.
 

Theo Sulphate

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Richard Sintchak (rich815) said:
Hmmm, I'd like an SWC too someday but I do I have unbelievable 40/4 CLE FLE Distagon for my 500CM and have a hard time justifying it. I know they're different but a bit too close for me to justify. And I can justify GAS!
Click to expand...

Yes, I was faced with that choice also. That's why I got the 50/4 CF FLE. The only Hassy lens I want now is the 100/3.5 CF.

As for my Holy Grail camera, it's a mint-condition fully-functioning chrome SRT-101 with chrome shutter-speed dial and mirror lock-up. I've already got the 58/1.2 MC Rokkor for it.
 

Theo Sulphate

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The closest to that today may be the Cosina-rebadged Voigtländer R and M series. They are technically interesting and many of their lenses are astoundingly good.
 

Sirius Glass

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Hasselblad 503 CX
Hasselblad 903 SWC
Pacemaker Speed Graphic
Graflex Model D
 

Sirius Glass

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Richard Sintchak (rich815) said:
Hmmm, I'd like an SWC too someday but I do I have unbelievable 40/4 CLE FLE Distagon for my 500CM and have a hard time justifying it. I know they're different but a bit too close for me to justify. And I can justify GAS!
Click to expand...

This can be justified several ways:
  1. The SWC 38mm Biogon lens is rectilinearly correct while the 40mm f/4 CLE FLE Distagon lens is not.
  2. You want it.
  3. When all else fails see number 2.
 

Amfooty

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Probably a dual-stroke M3 or M6 for small format, Mamiya 7 with 80mm for medium format, and the Chamonix 45N-2 for 4x5.

Lucky enough to already be shooting with a 500cm, so I am content... for now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

TheFlyingCamera

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Probably a Rolleiwide to complete the Holy Trinity - I have the Tele and the Standard. Other than that there's really nothing I NEED. I have a Sinar Norma 5x7 now, a trio of Canhams (5x7, 5x12 and 14x17), and a Contax RTS III. I did have a Hasselblad SWC/M for a while, and loved it, but it wasn't getting enough use at the time. I contemplate getting another one in lieu of the Rolleiwide considering they're cheaper, but then it's another separate system.
 

Luis-F-S

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Richard Sintchak (rich815) said:
Hmmm, I'd like an SWC too someday but I do I have unbelievable 40/4 CLE FLE Distagon for my 500CM and have a hard time justifying it. I know they're different but a bit too close for me to justify. And I can justify GAS!
Click to expand...
No one buys the 40 CLE when U can get the 38 Biogon.
 

Aron

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I can't really think of any camera as being the Holy Grail for me. Sure there are many I'd love to own and use but past experience taught me, no new to me camera can fundamentally change the quality of my work.

That said, I enjoy using Leica M cameras a lot and find great inspiration in my point-and-shoot 9x12 cm camera with 90 mm lens. Sometimes it feels like using anything between 35 mm and 9x12 or 13x18 is a waste of effort.
 
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