How many systems do you use?

one90guy · Nov 4, 2017

Two Nikons, F4s and FM-10 and two Canon P's.

David

Paul Howell · Nov 5, 2017

As the thread is in 35mm I will leave out M and LF. My basic system is Minolta A mount, 5 bodies including 2 9000s and a Minolta 9, a dozen or so lens including primes. Motor drives and winders for the 9000, complete flash set up, and 100 foot film bulk back. M42 with a couple of Spots, a Chinon CM3 and CE3, Pentax lens from 24 to 400, don't have the 120mm along with a range of other makes. Miranda EE and Sensormates lens from 25mm to 300, various finders, waist and critical finders.

guangong · Nov 5, 2017

Limiting myself to system 35mm cameras only: Leica ltm & M, Contax rf, Nikon F (only recently added F2) & Nikkormat, Leicaflex. Many I bought new (dealer’s specials) or practically new. I didn’t buy these all at once but just accumulated them over the past 60 years. Bought several mf nonsystem cameras recently. The only camera I would still like to get is a Minox BL in good working order.

anfenglin · Nov 5, 2017

Olympus OM and Pentax 6x7 / 67.

trondareo · Nov 5, 2017

for 35mm - Leica 3 and 4.2 with 50 and 90mm
for digital - Fuji X-E1 with 50 and 90mm equivalent
for 120 - Mamiya 7 with 50 and 90 equivalent
for 4x5 - Horseman HD45
with 50mm (so far)

I think I see a pattern emerging...

Theo Sulphate · Nov 5, 2017

guangong said:
... I didn’t buy these all at once but just accumulated them over the past 60 years. ...

That's a good point. Buying one camera even every five years eventually produces a sizeable collection. That's especially likely to happen with the relatively low prices we've had with film equipment and then encountering a camera or lens that one has always wanted or is intrigued by.

mooseontheloose · Nov 6, 2017

For 35mm I only really use my Nikon FE (and sometimes F100). For MF I use multiple (too many!) systems.

Wallendo · Nov 6, 2017

Too many.
4 Minolta manual focus series of varying reliability - two functional, one needs shutter lubrication
4 Minolta Alpha Series - all work perfectly but of very different capabilities
3 Nikkormats - one perfect, one with a failed meter, and one with "quirks"
2 FEDs - one doesn't focus properly and the other has a light leak
1 Canon 7 rangefinder
1 Canon AE-1 - received as a gift, but I felt obliged to buy more lenses.
several point-and-shoot and underwater cameras.
And that's just 35mm.

At times I think I could have saved my money and simply bought a Leica and settled on one SLR.

skorpiius · Nov 6, 2017

My 'active' system is Nikon, as I have several bodies and lenses of both the film and non-film persuasion.
My Pentax system is sort of 'inactive' as in the PZ-1 and the few lenses I have for it will not be expanded. It's basically just there as a backup, or if I wanted to bring a second body to a shoot with a different film, although really I should just buy more cheap Nikon bodies. My PZ-1 was my first SLR.

Outside of that, I have a Yashica LM TLR and a Polaroid Auto 250 which both get regular use, with the Polaroid having a number of accessories, but the Yashica pretty much just has a cable release and lens caps.

P.johnson14 · Nov 6, 2017

Canon FD for 35mm (currently a T70).

Polaroid 100 series for packfilm

Heavily modified Polaroid 800 with a 600se back for packfilm, instax, and 120.

cooltouch · Nov 6, 2017

I have more systems than I can easily use, but I do my best to rotate them. I have:
Canon FD
Canon EOS
Canon LTM Rangefinder
Contax
Minolta MC and MD
Nikon F, both manual and AF
Pentax M42
Pentax K, both manual and AF
Pentax 67
Bronica ETRSi

And I consider Tamron a system, since I use my Tamron Adaptall-2 lenses with all of the above systems, except the Canon RF, the big Pentax and the Bronica

Plus a bunch of non-system stuff.

Cholentpot · Nov 6, 2017

Too many like others have said

In order of use

Nikon F
Canon EF
Pentax K
Canon FD
Olympus OM

The Nikon and EF battled it out for a while but when I got a Nikkor 135 2.8 the Nikon moved ahead. I use primarily a F3HP and a N70 as backup with a Nikkormat playing 3rd fiddle.

With Canon it's an A2 with a N500 as backup and a 550D playing 3rd fiddle.

Pentax is a K1000, ME Super as backup and a Promaster something3000yippie as bench warmer.

FD is my AE-1 with a T50 backing it up. OM Is an OM-1 and an OM-G looking on from the bleachers.

Theo Sulphate · Nov 6, 2017

cooltouch said:
I have more systems than I can easily use, but I do my best to rotate them.
...

I remember asking you around 15 years ago about when the next edition is coming out and you said you didn't think it would happen. Still true?

I have the edition before the last:

blockend · Nov 7, 2017

Assuming film body(s) with two or more lenses is a system:

Nikon manual focus
Nikon AF
Canon manual focus (F, A and T series)
Yashica-Contax
Minolta AF
Kiev
Voigtlander Bessa

Digital:
Fuji
Canon

All except the Minolta AF have been used in the last year. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

cooltouch · Nov 7, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
I remember asking you around 15 years ago about when the next edition is coming out and you said you didn't think it would happen. Still true?

I have the edition before the last:

The '95-96 (5th) edition was a real struggle because I had gone back to school to finish my degree by then. And '96 was my senior year, so I had lots to do then. The 2000 edition (6th) was even a greater struggle because I was witnessing the sudden early boom of digital cameras. And I did my best to cover the better ones that were on the market back then. Laughable stuff now. But I saw the writing on the wall and realized that cameras had become electronic appliances, with six-month to a year product cycles and that there was simply no way for me to keep up. I mean, I didn't have a staff the way these modern price guides do nowadays. It was just me. Sometimes the wife would help out researching prices, but that was it. I had also greatly expanded the large format section and added quite a bit to the medium format section as well. But the explosion of digital cameras was what really gave me pause. So, when I turned in my 2000 manuscript, I let my publisher know that it would be my last.

I made a decent amount off the royalties, but if you broke it down by the number of hours I spent on each edition, I was probably right at minimum wage.

I like your Steve Gandy quote. I remember him from back when I was a dealer at the camera shows. He wasn't a dealer, just a customer and he made it to most of the local shows. He was sort of a geeky type of guy, but very intense in his pursuits, which back then was mostly Nikon Rangefinder as I recall. I admire him for the website he's managed to put together; it's a great resource.

benjiboy · Nov 7, 2017

I use only one, Canon FD cameras and lenses, it greatly simplifies things when all your lenses and accessories fit and work correctly on all your bodies.

polka · Nov 8, 2017

What I understand you mean by "system" is when you use a lot of lenses and accessories of the same kind.
So in MF I use Araxes tuned by Gevorg Vartanian : two bodies four backs, the Zodiac fish-eye, 40mm, 80mm, 150mm and 250mm lenses plus a prism and macro rings.
In 35mm I use a Konica AutoReflex II with 28mm, 50mm and 200mm lenses
and two Spotmatic bodies with several 42mm lenses which I may also use on a Canon EOS and my Olympus PenF with adapters.
But I often use also other 35mm and MF cameras for which I own only single lenses - however no hassle-blads nor like-ass.
Polka

narsuitus · Nov 8, 2017

polka said:
So in MF I use Araxes tuned by Gevorg Vartanian...

What is an Araxes?

Is that the same Gevorg Vartanian who prevented the assassination of Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill?

macfred · Nov 8, 2017

narsuitus said:
What is an Araxes?

Is that the same Gevorg Vartanian who prevented the assassination of Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill?

...

Arax Photo is a Ukrainian company located in Kiev - owner is Gevorg Vartanyan.
http://araxfoto.com/cameras/

Jon Buffington · Nov 8, 2017

Too many systems.

Nikon - numerous MF and AF bodies spanning 30 years
Canon - EOS and FD, numerous bodies.
Minolta MF and AF bodies, numerous
Leica, 3 bodies (1 ltm, 2 m)
Pentax
Olympus

I think that is it, oh and a Konica system trying to sell in the classifieds. That should do it.

TheTrailTog · Nov 10, 2017

Right now I have 2 systems going. For 35mm I use Nikon with 4 bodies and 7 lenses. For MF I have a Bronica S2a body with 3 backs, 3 finders, and 5 lenses.

KingJon · Nov 12, 2017

Leica M
Olympus OM
Canon LTM
Canon EOS

Also Bronica MF and have recently been bitten by the LF bug and am looking for a reasonable way to try that.
Jon

Kodachromeguy · Nov 12, 2017

Ah, too many cameras, and I need to reduce the inventory.

For 135 size:
Pentax Spotmatic recently cleaned with 4 lenses.
Leica M2 with 2 lenses
Leica IIIC with Summitar lens (recently repaired and lots of fun!)
Yashica Electro 35CC - amazingly competent

For 120 film:
Rolleiflex 3.5E
Hasselblad 501CM with 50 and 80mm lenses
Fuji GW690II camera

For 4*5:
Tachihara with 135 and 180mm lenses - rarely used; I am embarrassed

David T T · Nov 12, 2017

Mamiya RB67 with numerous lenses and backs

EOS 1N with three lenses

Couple of Olympus XAs... If I have one loaded with color, and one with B&W, does that make it a system?

Toyo · Nov 13, 2017

MartinCrabtree said:
Nikon F and Canon FD.

Same here.
I began photography with Canon FTb and I have stuck with that over the last 45 years.
When I acquired a digital SLR it was a Nikon D300 bought second hand from a friend. This came with some lenses and so naturally I have picked up some Nikon F bodies to go with them.
If I am shooting film only I tend to take the Canon but if I am also toting the DSLR - then Nikon for both so I can share the lenses.
There are some lenses (focal lengths and zooms) that I have for Canon FD that I don't have for Nikon and vice-versa
Sounds strange I guess, but it works for me.
T

How many systems do you use?

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