In your opinion, what are the best modern 35mm film SLRs ever built?

[Cholentpot]

Just out of curiosity, which camera is Bruce Davidson using here (to photograph his ‘Subway’ series)?

View attachment 310071

That is a wide, fast lens.

 

[benjiboy]

That is a wide, fast lens.

I think the lens is a Canon FD 20 - 35 mm f 3.5 L zoom, because it looks just like. the one I have.

 

[miha]

Just out of curiosity, which camera is Bruce Davidson using here (to photograph his ‘Subway’ series)?

View attachment 310071

Its'a SUNPAK camera, it's written on the part that extends above the lens. Easy.

 

[haliderollei]

Hands down F2 or the FM2/3

 

[Huss]

Hands down F2 or the FM2/3

you think an F2 is a modern camera?

 

[Cholentpot]

you think an F2 is a modern camera?

I'm gonna jump on the pile on.

The F2 is a +50 year old camera.

1971.

Is there anything released in 1971 that would be considered modern now?

 

[Sirius Glass]

you think an F2 is a modern camera?

I'm gonna jump on the pile on.

The F2 is a +50 year old camera.

1971.

Is there anything released in 1971 that would be considered modern now?

It is 25 years younger than me so damned straight it is modern.

 

[Paul Howell]

Other than the F6, (2020), Canon 1V (2018) what were the other full system 35mm that were what late, I think Olympus OM4, and Pentax MZs were made until the early 2000s. When did Leica pull the R9 off the market?

 

[gone]

I'd love to have many of the cameras people have mentioned here (and have owned many of them), but probably wouldn't want to carry them anymore. Leicaflex SLR's, R9's, pro Nikon cameras, etc are built to amazingly high standards, but they're tanks. The little Pentax SLR's are a lot more pleasureable to bring w/ you.

According to the article below, 2009 was the end for the R9 and the end of the Leica R lineup. For studio portraits, an R9 w/ a motor drive and a 90 Summicron would be hard to beat.

The End Of An Era (Leica R9 w/ 35mm F2 & 90mm F2)

Back in 1964 Leica noticed that rangefinders weren't the hot ticket they once were and an emerging market of SLR bodies coming out of Japan were slowly taking over their turf. So what was a hoity-toity German camera company to do? Well, after trying for 12 years with the awkwardly designed...

www.setadelstudios.com

 

[Huss]

When did Leica pull the R9 off the market?

2009

 

[Huss]

I'd love to have many of the cameras people have mentioned here (and have owned many of them), but probably wouldn't want to carry any of them anymore. Leicaflex SLR's, pro Nikon cameras, etc are built to amazingly high standards, but they're tanks. The little Pentax SLR's are a lot more pleasureable to bring w/ you.

Yes, the Auto 110 is a joy to use. And interestingly the only Pentax SLR that I still own. I sold the LX, the MX, the K2, the P30T, the SuperA, the ME. Which then obviously means the Auto 110 is the best Pentax slr made.

Out of the 35mm Pentax slrs, the most basic one - the ME, was the most fun to use. It was just so right feeling.

 

[Huss]

I'm gonna jump on the pile on.

The F2 is a +50 year old camera.

1971.

Is there anything released in 1971 that would be considered modern now?

Hamburger Helper was introduced in 1971. You can still buy it. Therefore it is modern, ergo the F2 is today's Hamburger Helper.. Useful for pounding meat into hamburger shapes, but for pics grab an F6.

I think I got that right?

 

[Cholentpot]

It is 25 years younger than me so damned straight it is modern.

A camera that is 25 years younger than me...closest would be F6.

Hamburger Helper was introduced in 1971. You can still buy it. Therefore it is modern, ergo the F2 is today's Hamburger Helper.. Useful for pounding meat into hamburger shapes, but for pics grab an F6.

I think I got that right?

See, I do love the classics but I'm not going to go and convince someone that my 1990 Toyota is a modern car. In the overall history of automobiles, yes it is thoroughly modern and so is the 1981 Buick that I learned to drive in.

 

[Paul Howell]

The F6, as long as you get G lens is a best bet, still serviceable by Nikon for a another few years, then there may be parts available. The EOS 1V is still be serviced by Canon in Japan, not sure how long.

 

[Paul Howell]

The F6, as long as you get G lens is a best bet, still serviceable by Nikon for a another few years, then there may be parts available. The EOS 1V is still be serviced by Canon in Japan, not sure how long.

 

[wiltw]

Substantial. In my experience the jump in quality from 35mm to 6x4.5 is bigger than the jump from 6x4.5 to 6x7. Math (considering area increase) supports this as well.

Now, when using a very very good film like Fuji Acros on both formats, the jump isn't as dramatic, but it is still there, particularly in the crispness of details.

Indeed

• 135 = 24mm vertical, 645 = 43mm vertical, 6x7 = 56mm vertical
• so 645 vs 136: 43/24 = 1.79x
• so 6x7 vs 645 56/43 = 1.30x

To make the same 8" (short dimension) print, 135 takes 8.47x enlargement, 645 takes 4.72x enlargement, 6x7 takes 3.63x enlargement.

 

[benjiboy]

Its'a SUNPAK camera, it's written on the part that extends above the lens. Easy.

It's a "SUNPAK" flash, the camera is a separate entity.

 

[Besk]

What bothered me with the Nikon FM, FE, FG, FG20, FM cameras was camera shake at the handheld speeds.
This was based on Modern Photography tests from years ago. Damping just wasn't equal to the pro-cameras or later cameras. I still have my FM but now use a couple of F2''s and a N75 for snapshots in addition to a Leica RF.

From my perspective - for landscape photography large format (or at least medium format) has the advantage of tonality. And since you most likely going to use a tripod anyway - may as well use the biggest format you can bring.

 

[benjiboy]

In my humble opinion, the Canon New F1 must be considered to be one of the best 35mm film S.L.R cameras ever made, based on my almost forty years of experience of faultless use with it.

 

[jtk]

In my humble opinion, the Canon New F1 must be considered to be one of the best 35mm film S.L.R cameras ever made, based on my almost forty years of experience of faultless use with it.

I nearly wore out my pair of ORIGNAL Canon F-1 then discovered I'd ignored corroded batteries in the three years I'd abandoned 35mm entirely (continued to shoot Toyo G 4X5). I do wish I'd held onto the oldest of my Nikon F which I'd purchased for chump change as a backup to my then-brand-new FtN (which I dumped in favor of Canon F1.

 

[mshchem]

I'm an F5 user. I must say I started with a screw mount Pentax SP 500, not to long ago I acquired a perfect example of the same camera, and a 8 element Super Takumar 50 1.4. One of the nicest designs ever,

I carried a different Spotmatic with me on business trips all over, never failed to deliver nice color negatives and prints.

 

[benjiboy]

I nearly wore out my pair of ORIGNAL Canon F-1 then discovered I'd ignored corroded batteries in the three years I'd abandoned 35mm entirely (continued to shoot Toyo G 4X5). I do wish I'd held onto the oldest of my Nikon F which I'd purchased for chump change as a backup to my then-brand-new FtN (which I dumped in favour of Canon F1.

I have 2 Canon New F1- AE's and 2 Canon F 1n's, and will be happy to enjoy using them for the rest of my life, I have no desire for anything else.

 

[Radost]

Modern SLR should have AF. IMHO

 

[cliveh]

Pentax K1000

 

[Huss]

I think the interpretation of modern reflects on photrio’s demographic.

Same people here would classify a modern car as something that runs on those new fangled pneumatic tires.