REAL Camera Bling!

[removed-user-1]

This post was inspired by the "Camera Bling!?" thread from a few days ago. This time, the question is "What piece of serious, but mostly useless, and probably very expensive camera gear would you own, if money was no object? I'm not asking about things like gold-plated Nikon FA bodies, this is not about flashy stuff but serious tools that only a photographer would love.

Mine would be an underwater housing for, say, my F100. I don't dive, but it would be nice to have one. And I might even use it once or twice... My fiance would be very unhappy if I bought one (unless I was also buying SCUBA gear).

 

[bobwysiwyg]

I wouldn't mind trying this for a few hours.

 

[archphoto]

A Linhoff Aero.....with some extra's.....

 

[removed-user-1]

I wouldn't mind trying this for a few hours.

Wow.

 

[flatulent1]

A fellow of my acquaintance bought a 5D last year, then a few months later a 1DS3, then a 5D2 a few months after that. He has now something like eight L-series lenses, and just bought a Gossen Starlite 2. In between, he's been pumping me for information about exposure control, how aperture affects the image, and so on. Top-o'-the-line cameras with white lenses are jewelry to some people. Oh, he's learning how to use it, but for him it's something to be seen with. :rolleyes:

 

[2F/2F]

"serious, but mostly useless, and probably very expensive camera gear"

Canon 1Ds Mk. II or III

 

[removed-user-1]

I remember a few evening students in my college photo classes in 1992... they always had the latest cameras and lenses. At the time I had a Nikon FG with a 50mm and a cheap crappy Soligor 200mm, and a Yashica 635 medium format camera, and these guys (mostly) were always saying "When are you going to switch to AF? and specifically the Nikon N90s or the Canon Elan IIe with eye control?" None of this mattered to me, we were in a black-and-white printing class not a camera competition.

Those are the people now using D like a drug, and giving me funny looks when I drag my RB67 down the street on my big ole' Bogen tripod. I guess the RB67 (WITH a lens hood and two cable releases, thanks very much) is MY camera bling!

 

[jordanstarr]

I'd get this with all the gold lenses from 40mm-500mm, even though I don't think they exist.

 

[B&Jdude]

Those of us that still shoot B&J's, Deardorffs, SRT-101's, Super Ikontas, Mamiya M645's, and Kodak Panorams are having so much fun that we don't think about those expensive cameras.

What was that white lens, anyway? I have never seen a white lens before.

Smiff

 

[Shmoo]

I'd get this with all the gold lenses from 40mm-500mm, even though I don't think they exist.

oh wow...yeah, that would do for me...

 

[sombertattoo]

Those of us that still shoot B&J's, Deardorffs, SRT-101's, Super Ikontas, Mamiya M645's, and Kodak Panorams are having so much fun that we don't think about those expensive cameras.

What was that white lens, anyway? I have never seen a white lens before.

Smiff

I'm not sure of the name myself. My friend had one very similar. Very large and clunky. Not very fast either. But was image stabilized I believe. Fun to play with. Not fun to hold!

 

[Moopheus]

One of these with one of Dead Link Removed

And some dark skies to go with, please.

I mean, you did say price no object?

 

[MattKing]

A dedicated darkroom, fully equipped, with colour processing equipment, and enough time to create the volume necessary to do it justice.

Matt

 

[stealthman_1]

oh wow...yeah, that would do for me...

I'd get that red/gold Hasselblad too. There is one on fleabay right now...
Gold Hasselblad
They come up fairly often...world wide depression, gloom and doom, two wars, 12 trillion debt, social security impending meltdown...donnn't do it!

 

[Jeff Searust]

12x20 "lightweight" Wisner.

http://www.wisner.com/12x20p.htm

A friend bought one a couple years back, and it is just a mind blowing camera... Of course I would need a 1000 sheets of film. A larger darkroom and enough paper to practice.

 

[AutumnJazz]

A fellow of my acquaintance bought a 5D last year, then a few months later a 1DS3, then a 5D2 a few months after that. He has now something like eight L-series lenses, and just bought a Gossen Starlite 2. In between, he's been pumping me for information about exposure control, how aperture affects the image, and so on. Top-o'-the-line cameras with white lenses are jewelry to some people. Oh, he's learning how to use it, but for him it's something to be seen with. :rolleyes:

Is he a dentist or something?

Me? Oh, probably an F6, RZ67 Pro II, Mamiya 7, or whatever.

 

[ChrisC]

For me 'bling' would be an M7 with an f1.0 Noctilux. Yeah, it's hardly bling and probably no normal (non-camera loving people) would even take notice, but considering the price I'd kinda consider it bling. Although I'd carry it everywhere so I'm not really sure it counts.

 

[phaedrus]

ouch, my back!

A fellow of my acquaintance bought a 5D last year, then a few months later a 1DS3, then a 5D2 a few months after that. He has now something like eight L-series lenses, and just bought a Gossen Starlite 2. In between, he's been pumping me for information about exposure control, how aperture affects the image, and so on. Top-o'-the-line cameras with white lenses are jewelry to some people. Oh, he's learning how to use it, but for him it's something to be seen with. :rolleyes:

Does he rent the sherpa who carries his gear on a day-to-day basis or does his manservant deign to carry it for him?
For me, it'd be a Leica MP LHSA in hammertone lacquer in the set with a matching Summicron f/2.0 35 mm and Rapidwinder. I'd carry it myself in a dainty little Billingham bag ...

 

[bobwysiwyg]

What was that white lens, anyway? I have never seen a white lens before.

Smiff

It's a Canon 600mm. They actually have another even longer;

Canon's longest production telephoto lens (a 1200/5.6L is probably still available on special order at a price around $75,000!)

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

What was that white lens, anyway? I have never seen a white lens before.

Smiff

They're a big hit with guys who always wanted a "Huge white thing".... ;-)

Also, it makes them more visible at the edge of sports events.

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

For me 'bling' would be an M7 with an f1.0 Noctilux. Yeah, it's hardly bling and probably no normal (non-camera loving people) would even take notice, but considering the price I'd kinda consider it bling. Although I'd carry it everywhere so I'm not really sure it counts.

Yep, this. But maybe an MP, instead of the M7...or one of those titanium M6's. No, one of those Ferrari M6's...

 

[Prest_400]

A dedicated darkroom, fully equipped, with colour processing equipment, and enough time to create the volume necessary to do it justice.

Matt

Same for me. Goodbye expensive lab that makes prints digitally. Hello E6 & BW
Plus a pair of rolleiflexes, a rolleiflex 2.8 Xenotar without meter, and a 4.0 FW. And at last, a tachihara 4x5 kit. with normal and wide lens.

 

[removed-user-1]

And some dark skies to go with, please.

That is one sweet telescope! If I owned one I probably wouldn't find time to photograph with it as I'd simply be looking through it, especially if it did come with nice dark skies!

I mean, you did say price no object?

Yes, price is no object, and the point is something worth the money. To me, that's the real way to show off anyway... if you must show off, have some class. i.e., I'd have the Aston-Martin DB-5, NOT the Lamborghini.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Probably the exceedingly rare Nikkor 1200-1700mm zoom... $75K in 2000, who knows how much it would be today. Either that, or the Reflex-Nikkor 2000mm.

-J

 

[Chazzy]

They're a big hit with guys who always wanted a "Huge white thing".... ;-)

Also, it makes them more visible at the edge of sports events.

But does it help them get interest from the fairer sex? That's what I want to know. I keep hoping that my equipment will turn out to be a babe magnet, but apparently I'm using the wrong stuff.