of all your cameras, which one do you use most often and why?

RalphLambrecht · May 15, 2017

jnanian said:
so many people here have more than one camera. they picked them up cheap at yard sales, at flea markets,
at goodwill, off of eBay, from friends/family, an impulse buy or maybe it is something self-made, like
a frozen turkey pinhole camera ..

we've all read the nikon brag thread and seen how many nikon camera bodies we own, or the
camera porn/brag threads about hasselblads or exotic antique/vintage optics or xyzzy large format
camera bodies ...

you can't use all the cameras at once, and obviously there are formats and lenses one gravitates to.

what is the camera you use most often and why ?

mine is one of 2 box cameras i feed with sheets of paper ( a delmar that takes film holders, and
a cyclone #3 that uses "falling plate" septums ) ... i use them because i have too much expired photo paper
and i like their menisucs lens optics.

what about you ?

My Hasselblad501c is my all-time favorite for general and model photography; very reliable and great Zeiss optics.sometimes,I take it out just to cuddle it.

Alan9940 · May 15, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
sometimes,I take it out just to cuddle it.

And I thought I was the only one! 500C/M for me.

Sirius Glass · May 15, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
My Hasselblad501c is my all-time favorite for general and model photography; very reliable and great Zeiss optics.sometimes,I take it out just to cuddle it.

Alan9940 said:
And I thought I was the only one! 500C/M for me.

I am just plain addicted to my Hasselblad 503 CX and Hasselblad 903 SWC. Like ones own children, I do not lavish more care on one over the other.

Craig75 · May 15, 2017

Patrick Robert James said:
I have lots of fancy cameras, but the reality is the camera I probably use the most is a Contax TVS. I can put it in my pocket, use it with one hand, and it does everything else just right including mounting filters and has exposure compensation right on the top. It is set for the flash to be off as a default so I never have to deal with any button pressing. Just turn it on, and go. The lens is as good as a modest zoom (28-56) can be for a point and shoot which is good enough for an 8x10, and even larger if the light is bright. It is also Titanium housed so I never have to worry about it bumping into things.

The second most used camera is a Hexar RF. Not quite as convenient as the TVS, but I carry it on a climber's sling so it is always there behind my right arm when I have it with me. Can't beat the lenses either.

Absolutely brutal camera. Always blows me away how powerful it is

Harry Stevens · May 19, 2017

I rotate them but I love the fully manual folding cameras, I used a Kodak Box Brownie and a Kodak Retina in the last week.

RalphLambrecht · May 19, 2017

MyHasselblad 501c because, it never lets me down and feels like an extension of my arm and brain.

Wayne · May 19, 2017

The most recently purchased one, of course. In this case the Mamiya C330s. In fact except for some insect shots with d***** its the only thing I've used for 3 months. But I've only shot about 5 rolls in that time, and havent developed them yet.

macfred · May 20, 2017

120 : For me it's my FUJI GA645 (Fujinon 60mm f/4 lens) - good portability, reliable AF and exposure metering, excellent image quality. It's in my bag every single day.
--
35mm : A Konica III rangefinder - a little gem with the remarkable Hexanon 48mm f/2 lens and a very bright viewfinder.
Mine is from 1956 and comes - unlike the later models - without an EV coupling (an interlock between the shutter speed and aperture rings) - makes it easy to use.

benjiboy · May 20, 2017

Canon F1N-AE because it handles so well and after more than thirty years of using this model ( have three of them) I can use them without conscious thought.

brent8927 · May 20, 2017

Another vote for the Hasselbald 501c. It's the only camera I own. But I've tried so many others and it remains my favorite. It's just such a pleasure to use. I have learned that 6x6 WLF is my favorite way to compose an image and for me, just incredibly enjoyable. I at one timed owned a Bronica S2a and a Rolleicord, and while they were both fantastic cameras, I find the hasselblad more ergonomic and easier to use. I definitely get more detailed/sharper/contrastier images with the Hasselblad compared to the Rolleicord, but the S2a had really great lenses that also took phenomenal photographs. The reason I sold the Bronica S2a and three lenses to buy a Hasselblad 501c with just one lens was I felt the experience was that much better. I know I should probably think a bit more about the end result, but if I was going to do that then a dslr would win as it's far more efficient--I shoot 6x6 MF because of the experience.

I will say that the Arca Swiss 4x5 F-line I owned for a few months when I was learning large format photography was a beauty. But as sharp/detailed as those images were, I learned LF just isn't for me. For me, 35mm was "too fast," LF "too slow,", MF "just right."

Craig75 · May 20, 2017

i forgot the why on mine....

minolta 16ii - small enough to wear as keychain and allows one to make super fine grain 8x10s from microfilm or gritty moody grainy shots with fast film and rodinal. Really great lens which comes into its own the infinity focus attachment, epic street shooter, very easy to reload, will take slit film, really nice build quality and gives a greater scope for negative effects than 35mm for me at 8x10.

JPJackson · May 21, 2017

Deardorff 4x5 Special with the 5x7 back. 210mm or 120mm lens most of the time. Have had this camera for over 30 years and it feels good when I use it. I like the format very much!

Ai Print · May 21, 2017

It all depends.

For a run out the door or meet a friend for coffee camera it is usually my M6TTL with a 35/2 or if I am feeling longer, my M3 and 50/2. For the days I am feeling square it is my Rollieflex 2.8D.

But for all out missions or jobs, then the choice really broadens. It can be Nikons with film and digital in the mix, Leica with film and digital in the mix, Hasselblad with film and digital in the mix or a Chamonix 45N2 in a pack with a Leica or Rollieflex around my neck. Soon to add a spectacular custom built Gibellini ACN45 to the latter.

A couple of toys but a ton of great tools...

narsuitus · May 22, 2017

jnanian said:
what is the camera you use most often and why ?

My large format pinhole film cameras because the images I am able to obtain from such simple cameras never cease to amaze me.

Pinhole Cameras by Narsuitus, on Flickr

bain · May 22, 2017

Olympus Stylus Epic, it never leaves my side.

anfenglin · May 25, 2017

Its a tie between my Pentacon Six and the Pentax 6x7.
The 6x7 is all about quality, sharpness and absolutely perfect optics. When I go out shooting to lets say some old industrial places, I'll take the Pentax.

The P6 is all about emotions, I cannot explain it, with all its flaws it just it a wonderful camera.

John_Nikon_F · May 29, 2017

Either my F or my F2AS. The F2AS for quite some time - bought it in 2011 (that's right, I've actually owned a camera for a few years). The F is a much more recent acquisition, being the latest in a series of F bodies that I've gone through. The F5 is a parts camera, the FT2 is waiting to be picked up from the repair shop, and the F3P is waiting to have work done to it.

-J

of all your cameras, which one do you use most often and why?

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