Looking for the perfect mechanical SLR

[George Mann]

What is the list of features and specifications required to be a high end camera?

Features and specs don't matter as much as the cameras ability to reliably serve as a tool in a professional environment.

With that said, the Nikon F801/F90 models is one of the best slr series conceived for the job.

 

[Radost]

The least you could do is tell me what I should be looking for so I can distinguish a high end camera from an ordinary camera or a low end camera. Is it that it has both manual and automatic exposure, spot and average metering, takes a motor drive, has auto focus, a 1/8000 top shutter speed, blah, blah, blah? What is the list of features and specifications required to be a high end camera?

" more FPS - more finder, spot metering and and more complicated metering"

 

[removed account4]

" more FPS - more finder, spot metering and and more complicated metering"

so those cameras have no plastic parts and can hold a CLA for 15 years of constant use ? you never answered my question why those cameras you mentioned
were so much better than a M3... ( as mentioned I and speaking for my personal experience with a camera I own, not gobbledygook I read and reposted on the internet ).

 

[Radost]

so those cameras have no plastic parts and can hold a CLA for 15 years of constant use ? you never answered my question why those cameras you mentioned
were so much better than a M3... ( as mentioned I and speaking for my personal experience with a camera I own, not gobbledygook I read and reposted on the internet ).

They are better designed with modern technology and materials and will last a long time being banged and dropped. Not only compared to older rangefinders but also older SLRs.

 

[removed account4]

IDK. I won't trade my M3 for a injection molded plastic electronic camera. Maybe you would, but I'll keep snapping away with what I have.
Thanks for your response.
John

 

[faberryman]

They are better designed with modern technology and materials and will last a long time being banged and dropped. Not only compared to older rangefinders but also older SLRs.

I have never owned a plastic blob camera, and have no desire to do so, but I do know that their plastic bodies can crack if dropped. A friend of mine has one and he has black tape covering the cracks to keep out stray light. Maybe black tape is like patina to plastic blob camera enthusiasts.

 

[Pioneer]

I have never owned a plastic blob camera, and have no desire to do so, but I do know that their plastic bodies can crack if dropped. A friend of mine has one and he has black tape covering the cracks to keep out stray light. Maybe black tape is like patina to plastic blob camera enthusiasts.

Yeah. I'm not too sure any camera, plastic or not, likes being dropped. I know I have gotten away with that mistake a couple of times but I certainly don't intend to make a habit of it.

 

[Chan Tran]

as mentioned, im not familiar with those cameras and at the risk of seeming argumentative, I will apologize in advance.
there's no plastic on them, and they are all metal bodies ? and a cla on the shutter and lenses will last 18-20 years?
that's how I would compare a modern camera like you have examples of, and a m3 ... not really sure how else to compare them other than materials and reliability / how often they need to be CLA'd ..
I don't have experience with any other M3's other than the one I own. the shutter is spot on, it was CLA'd probably in 2003
and when I asked the person who did it when I needed to bring them ( the camera and lenses ) back he said when my kid graduates college ( she was 3 at the time ) ...

My Nikon F5 which was the earlier version of the F6 which I think you can consider them of equivalent in durability. It's 19 year old now and it looks and works like when it was new. Now it's not 100% metal. It's made of many different materials.

 

[Huss]

What is the name of this thread again?

Oh yeah.. "Looking for the perfect mechanical SLR".

I think I am going to go to a barbecue website and tell everyone they should be eating veggies.

 

[choiliefan]

Difficult to imagine the perfect mechanical SLR made out of plastic.

 

[Radost]

IDK. I won't trade my M3 for a injection molded plastic electronic camera. Maybe you would, but I'll keep snapping away with what I have.
Thanks for your response.
John

Difficult to imagine the perfect mechanical SLR made out of plastic.

Lets see leica survive this:

 

[Radost]

What is the name of this thread again?

Oh yeah.. "Looking for the perfect mechanical SLR".

I think I am going to go to a barbecue website and tell everyone they should be eating veggies.

All I said "which started this whole thing" was when it comes to SLRs, modern once with autofocus and alll bells and whistles is IMHO a better choice.
Unless you want to look cool to the people passing you buy.

 

[removed account4]

Lets see leica survive this:

I am supposed to be impressed by a YouTube video of someone lighting their camera on fire?
Is it supposed to simulate someone being stuck in a volcano or in a house fire ? I don't really see the point.
I don't plan on wasting effort on that, I'd rather waste my time making photographs, thanks.

and computer / electronics driven cameras that you say are the best, really aren't mechanical cameras. they don't work without
batteries and electronics, have motor drives ( it seems ). .. nothing really mechanical about them.
I don't really photograph so people will notice me, or try to look cool when people pass me by / consider them bling ...

as I said, im glad you like your cameras, I'll be more than happy with mine.

 

[Huss]

All I said "which started this whole thing" was when it comes to SLRs, modern once with autofocus and alll bells and whistles is IMHO a better choice.
Unless you want to look cool to the people passing you buy.

Better choice for you.

But not for someone looking for a mechanical SLR.

Why is that concept so hard for you to understand?

 

[Huss]

Lets see leica survive this:

What did those DIGITAL cameras survive? Did you notice that the back screens were instantly broken. And more telling, did you notice that he did not show if they actually took pictures? ie he just showed that they made clicking sounds.
He did not show any results...

And even more telling, those cameras were deemed so worthless that he had no problem taking a blow torch to them! Frankly, I don't blame him.

 

[Radost]

What did those DIGITAL cameras survive? Did you notice that the back screens were instantly broken. And more telling, did you notice that he did not show if they actually took pictures? ie he just showed that they made clicking sounds.
He did not show any results...

And even more telling, those cameras were deemed so worthless that he had no problem taking a blow torch to them! Frankly, I don't blame him.

The shutter and winding worked. imagine it is a film camera.

 

[Huss]

The shutter and winding worked. imagine it is a film camera.

How do you know? I didn't see any pictures taken with the cameras. Did you?

 

[Horatio]

What did those DIGITAL cameras survive? Did you notice that the back screens were instantly broken. And more telling, did you notice that he did not show if they actually took pictures?

That's one way to stop "chimping" with a DSLR.

 

[Radost]

I am supposed to be impressed by a YouTube video of someone lighting their camera on fire?
Is it supposed to simulate someone being stuck in a volcano or in a house fire ? I don't really see the point.
I don't plan on wasting effort on that, I'd rather waste my time making photographs, thanks.

and computer / electronics driven cameras that you say are the best, really aren't mechanical cameras. they don't work without
batteries and electronics, have motor drives ( it seems ). .. nothing really mechanical about them.
I don't really photograph so people will notice me, or try to look cool when people pass me by ...

as I said, im glad you like your cameras, I'll be more than happy with mine.

Again... It was not a "like a camera" argument. You can like any camera. I fell a certain way shooting with certain cameras.
It was an argument about the supirior durability of modern SLRs compared to old mechanical SLRs.

 

[choiliefan]

Just not pertinent to the OP's query.

 

[George Mann]

Lets see leica survive this:

Does anyone have a digital Leica M that you can donate to this spectacle of putting these monstrosities to good use?

 

[MattKing]

Folks,
1) they are cameras, not your first born;
2) perfection is a dangerous goal.
Perhaps we could lower the temperature a degree or two here?

 

[removed account4]

Again... It was not a "like a camera" argument. You can like any camera. I fell a certain way shooting with certain cameras.
It was an argument about the supirior durability of modern SLRs compared to old mechanical SLRs.

and as I said I would rather have a solid metal bodied camera, not a piece of plastic, I would rather have a mechanical camera not something that runs on batteries
that might get fried electronics if I use a flash. not sure how a plastic slr could be superior compared to a M3.

 

[Huss]

.. not sure how a plastic slr could be superior compared to a M3.

You just don't get it, do you? You don't...

 

[removed account4]

You just don't get it, do you? You don't...

nope I don’t cause I’m not a fanboy and think it’s hilarious that a plastic electronic camera would be more durable &c than a metal camera that is completely mechanical… not worried about it I’m used to being wrong. Lol