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Largest 35mm SLR

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Llamarama

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35mm
Hello everyone, I've been on a few photoshoots with friends and they all comment on how small my Pentax ME is, and that it looks like a toy compared to my friends Nikon DSLRs. It got me thinking though, the largest 35mm SLR I have is my Prinzflex M1. I have a Yashica 230AF that's pretty hefty, but it doesn't have the bulk of the prinz. Are there any larger ones around (in traditional black and chrome, rather than plastic)?
 
Those original Ihagee Exactas aren't exactly petite. I think a Nikon F4 or F5 with the vertical grip, a Canon EOS 1/1n/1v with the vertical grip are also pretty massive. Probably the biggest I can think of would be a Nikon F3 with the motor winder, booster and 250 frame magazine. But that's slapping a lot of accessories on the camera, not the camera itself. Also quite hefty is my Contax RTS III, but I think that it's smaller than a comparable F4 or EOS 1N with vertical grip.
 
The largest non-motorized SLR I got is the Petri TTL.

Smaller in height and width is the Zenit E. But it has as the Petri high shoulders, and even higher knobs on them.
 
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Leica R8/R9 are pretty bulky. Apart from that, any 80s/90s SLR with motor winder. Leica R8/R9 with winder beats them all I think...
 
The old Russian heavy iron always seems large and heavy to me. The Zenith series with M42 mount all seemed to share that same body style, big and clunky. Of course one could add a heavy motor drive and 250 exposure back to several of the mid 70's professional systems and make them into a monster camera.
 
Hatchetman said:
Never held one, but the Contarex is supposed to weigh like 10 lbs.
Click to expand...

There are some older cameras like the Canon F1 high speed, Nikon F2 High Speed or even with motor drive they are big. The biggest camera in its smallest configuration is the Nikon F5. When others with accessories can be bigger. The F4 with the MB-20 is smaller but with the MB-23 is bigger. The F3 with the MD-4 is about the same size but without the F3 is significantly smaller. Same goes for the F2 series. With the motor drive the F2 can be bigger than the F5 but without it's smaller.
 
ciniframe said:
The old Russian heavy iron always seems large and heavy to me. The Zenith series with M42 mount all seemed to share that same body style, big and clunky.
Click to expand...

But the Zenit E can be held better than the Petri.
 
You can buy a 35mm back for the Bronica ETRSi (and probably other medium format systems). Does that make it a 35mm SLR? By the time you add the motor winder and the metered prism finder it's a fairly hefty beast.

If you're finding the ME too small then look for a Winder ME II, they're not expensive and I find it helps the balance with larger lenses.
 
Compared to my New F-1 with motor drive and 12-cell AA battery pack or my 5DII with the Wi-Fi grip, my EOS 1N-RS feels kind of big and clumsy, like it was just designed for bigger hands.
 
Not the largest, but this picture makes the Rolleiflex SL35M look like a medium format SLR compared to the little Yashica FX-3. There is similarity in the cameras in that they both accept a similar line of Zeiss lenses (but in different mounts).

three.jpg
 
My camera is the biggest SLR you can find. An pentax attached to 10 lbs kodak fluro ektar 111 f:1.5 and that is attached to 7 lbs LOMO Anamorphic Cinema Lens. Around more than 10 kilograms.
 
I should point out that it's not so much that my Pentax is too small, I think it's great, it's more a case of it looks a little silly stuck on a tripod for a photoshoot, a couple of models have pointed this out. Apperently it's "sweet".

A few people have mentioned Zenits, however I find my Zenit 12XP to be quite small, it's probably due to my massive meat fists (That broke someone's hand giving them a high five, I'm such a good friend).

As far as size goes, going by photos the Praktica VLC series seem quite large, and indeed my MTL5 seems to be the largest I have, but not the heaviest.

I guess a trip to my local friendly second hand photographic dealer is in order :smile:

Thank's for the help, anyone with a VLC 1/2/3, can you measure it :D
 
Many cameras in the early 1960s did not have published specs. I had to measure one of my Topcon Super D with 58mm f/1.4 lens...
148w x 95h x 102d, tipping scale at 1181g
Bodysize-1-8491_zpsdad1bce9.jpg
Bodysize-2-8493_zps9e0761c7.jpg


Nikon F with PhotomicT finder and f/1.4 lens specs list it as 147w x 106h x 104d, tipping scale at 1049g

Both cameras had motor drive option and capability of 250exposure film magazines, greatly increasing size (especially) and weight.
NikonF250_zpsf03139f4.jpg


Today's dSLRs are grotestquely overly large in girth and ponderous in comparison even to the largest and heaviest of the film SLRs which were aimed at the photographic professional (Nikon F, Topcon Super D)!

The Pentax ME was only a millimeter or so smaller than the OM-1, which is pictured along with the Topcon Super D. Sure, the OM-D is about the size of the OM-1, but it records on a sensor which is only 50% of the width and length of the 135 format!
 
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Which Pentax do you have? I have a ME super, which is actally a bit too small. However with the motor drive, it really gives it a substantial feel and makes it "just right". And pentax put the button on the motor drive exactly where it needs to be. (glares at olympus)
 
Llamarama said:
I should point out that it's not so much that my Pentax is too small, I think it's great, it's more a case of it looks a little silly stuck on a tripod for a photoshoot, a couple of models have pointed this out. Apperently it's "sweet".

A few people have mentioned Zenits, however I find my Zenit 12XP to be quite small, it's probably due to my massive meat fists (That broke someone's hand giving them a high five, I'm such a good friend).

As far as size goes, going by photos the Praktica VLC series seem quite large, and indeed my MTL5 seems to be the largest I have, but not the heaviest.

I guess a trip to my local friendly second hand photographic dealer is in order :smile:

Thank's for the help, anyone with a VLC 1/2/3, can you measure it :D
Click to expand...

According to http://www.marriottworld.com/praktica/vlc.htm, the VLC body only weighs 730g.

These are the heaviest in my collection. For non-interchangeable finder it is the Ricoh Singlex @ 826g. For interchangeable viewfinders it is the XK @ 882g. The diminutive ME Super only weighs 448g.

xlarge.jpg


Depending on the attached finder, it can make a difference. For instance the Nikon F2 with the plain prism weighs 724g. Change the finder to a DP11 - which makes it an F2A, and it weighs 834g.
 
PentaxBronica said:
You can buy a 35mm back for the Bronica ETRSi (and probably other medium format systems). Does that make it a 35mm SLR? By the time you add the motor winder and the metered prism finder it's a fairly hefty beast.

If you're finding the ME too small then look for a Winder ME II, they're not expensive and I find it helps the balance with larger lenses.
Click to expand...

If you can find a very hard to find 35mm Hasselblad film back, then put it on a Hasselblad or motor driven Hasselblad.
 
Les Sarile said:
For interchangeable viewfinders it is the XK @ 882g.
xlarge.jpg


Depending on the attached finder, it can make a difference. For instance the Nikon F2 with the plain prism weighs 724g. Change the finder to a DP11 - which makes it an F2A, and it weighs 834g.
Click to expand...

Since the topic is SIZE not weight...how does the Minolta XK with that prism stack up for overall height, compared to Nikon F with PhotomicT finder ( 147w x 106h)
 
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