Top 10 classic 35mm film cameras

[Roger Cole]

You're wrong there. 35mm film is 35mm across its entire width; it has nothing to do with frame size.

Ok but Ricardo is still being obnoxiously pedantic.



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[Ricardo Miranda]

Ok but Ricardo is still being obnoxiously pedantic.



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My dear boy,

I will not descend to your level and trade insults.
I've just corrected your mistake. Instead of just admitting that you were wrong as I did above, you resort to school boy tactics and start insulting people. It isn't nice in a grown up man.
Have a nice day!

Best regards,
Ricardo Miranda

 

[TheToadMen]

In say 20 or 30 years’ time, which 35mm film cameras do you think will be thought of as the top 10 classics?

After so many years? When asked one might say: "wasn't there a Bolex or something that Felini used?". Since almost no one will know what a film camera was anymore, beside something from the cinema...

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

P.S.
I myself would also vote for Leica M, Nikon F4s and Nikon Fm3A. But the Olympus Mju II is also very nice as a point and shoot camera. And may I add the Zero Image 135 pinhole camera as well?
http://www.zeroimage.com/web2003/EntryPage/entryFrameset2012.html

 

[Les Sarile]

I don't think that any of the Zero Image would be considered a classic but I certainly am interested in it so thanks for the link.

The more appropriate title for this should have been "My top 10 classic 35mm film cameras" . . .

 

[Couesbro]

I'd like to add the Contax rf to the list. (I'm rusty on the models.)

Contax IIa and Contax IIIa for the later models.

 

[Clay2]

I'll vote for:

Nikon S3

Nikon F

Nikon F2

Nikon Fm

Canon F1

Minolta SR-T101

Topcon Super D

My personal kit.

Best regards,

/Clay

 

[Roger Cole]

My dear boy,

I will not descend to your level and trade insults.
I've just corrected your mistake. Instead of just admitting that you were wrong as I did above, you resort to school boy tactics and start insulting people. It isn't nice in a grown up man.
Have a nice day!

Best regards,
Ricardo Miranda

I didn't call you names. I said you were "being" a certain way - that's a subjective judgement of behavior and I stand by it. It isn't name calling.

But speaking of that, I am not your "dear boy."


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[JW PHOTO]

Roger,
Don't pay any attention to those "directed" comments. I've seen the same ones over on a certain digital talk forum and they almost sound identical and maybe they are. I know it's almost impossible to ignore them when intentionally made to aggravate, but the ants will go away if they have nothing to eat. Then we can have a nice picnic. JW

 

[Charles Wass]

Unfortunately according to general consensus of opinion on this thread electronically controlled cameras can't be considered classics and although my Canon T90, Canon EF and 2 Canon New F1's are all important developments in camera design and have given faultless service for more than 20 years and are still perfect they are considered children of a lesser God.

That's a little hard on the EF and New F1, both of which offered mechanically controlled shutter speeds without a bettery; the EF from 1/1000 to 1/2 and the New F1 from 1/2000 to 1/90.

 

[benjiboy]

That's a little hard on the EF and New F1, both of which offered mechanically controlled shutter speeds without a bettery; the EF from 1/1000 to 1/2 and the New F1 from 1/2000 to 1/90.

I was being ironic Charles, the New F1 is my favorite camera of all time I have 3 of them.

 

[cliveh]

Would this qualify, although isn't this a bit silly when it hasn't even got a coupled rangefinder?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSFy6yebMJ4

 

[alexfoto]

-Nikon F2, the perfection in mechanical SLR.
-Nikon f6 the perfection in automation SLR.
-Leica m6 the perfection in mechanical rangfinder.
-The rest is the middle road.

 

[TheToadMen]

Would this qualify, although isn't this a bit silly when it hasn't even got a coupled rangefinder?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSFy6yebMJ4

Just "WOW" this auction! Can't even imagine how many mouths I can feed and backs I can cloth with this kind of money ...

But yes, I was thinking about the Ur Leica too. It was the first real 135 mm camera after all, so it deserves a spot on the list I guess.
Barnack still rules

BTW: I hope someone reeeeealy checked is wasn't a Russian copy or something like that in this auction? Just like Han van Meegeren did with the old masters??

 

[benjiboy]

The lunatics have taken over the asylum, I'm not a bleeding heart but there's something deeply immoral about paying such a vest amount of money for a camera that belongs in a charity shop when two thirds of the world's population go to bed hungry every night so somebody as rich as Croesus can keep in a bank vault only to take it out and fawn over it occasionally.

 

[fstop]

If we don't preserve prime examples and allow the masses to use and abuse them, there won't be any examples left for future generations to appreciate.

 

[benjiboy]

If we don't preserve prime examples and allow the masses to use and abuse them, there won't be any examples left for future generations to appreciate.

I doubt it was a museum that bought it, that wouldn't be so bad.

 

[K38]

OK, I'll bite,,,,,,,,,,, Leica Screw Mount, Leica M, Leicaflex SL, Canon F1, Nikon F, F2, F3, F4, F5. Nikon SP, Canon EOS 1n or 1v.

I think the hands down most infuential camera of the second half of the 20th century is the Nikon F. It is the yardstick against which all professional 35mm cameras are measured. The Canon EOS 1 series was a driving force in the autofocus revolution. I own and use all of these except the EOS 1v and the Nikon SP. I am 53 and I have been collecting cameras since I was about 9. The whole photography thing has changed so much in just the last few years, I am still trying to cope.

Dwight

 

[BradleyK]

Oh, all right...but with some hesitation...and in no particular order of preference:

1. Leica Barnack - Not mentioning the Barnack would be remiss.
2. Leica M3 - Ditto.
3. Nikon F - Revolutionized reportage.
4. Nikon F2 - overwhelmingly, the professional 35mm camera of choice back in the 1970s.
5. Nikkormat FT2/3 - one of two cameras (almost universally) used to introduce middle school kids to photography. In a word: Durable.
6. Olympus OM-1 - proof that a professional camera system didn't have to be cumbersome. Ergonomically superb and intuitive.
7. Canon AE-1 - brought photography to the masses.
8. Pentax K1000 - see "5."
9. Nikon F3 - Nikon's longest production model (1980-2001). Pros resisted its introduction (willingly paying a higher price for the F2 to buying a new F3) and then likewise hesitated to adopt its replacement.
10. Canon FTb - for those who had no need for the fire-power of the F1 or its innumerable system variants. A basic, well-constructed, reliable 35mm gem.

 

[AgX]

Well, the OP's question was what camera we think will be thought of classical.

So, I leave this now to mention an interesting camera not mentioned so far:

The Minox.
It was successful but not to the extent to become a mass camera. However it become the raw model for a series of cameras that well became mass cameras: the 110 Agfamatics.

 

[TheToadMen]

Oh, all right...but with some hesitation...and in no particular order of preference:

1. Leica Barnack - Not mentioning the Barnack would be remiss.
2. Leica M3 - Ditto.
3. Nikon F - Revolutionized reportage.
4. Nikon F2 - overwhelmingly, the professional 35mm camera of choice back in the 1970s.
5. Nikkormat FT2/3 - one of two cameras (almost universally) used to introduce middle school kids to photography. In a word: Durable.
6. Olympus OM-1 - proof that a professional camera system didn't have to be cumbersome. Ergonomically superb and intuitive.
7. Canon AE-1 - brought photography to the masses.
8. Pentax K1000 - see "5."
9. Nikon F3 - Nikon's longest production model (1980-2001). Pros resisted its introduction (willingly paying a higher price for the F2 to buying a new F3) and then likewise hesitated to adopt its replacement.
10. Canon FTb - for those who had no need for the fire-power of the F1 or its innumerable system variants. A basic, well-constructed, reliable 35mm gem.

Nice list and motivations. Maybe not The List for everyone, but al least it made me think about each camera on it.
Thanks
Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

 

[kintatsu]

K1000?

Not the best in the K lineup, but surely one of the longest runs of a more 'modern' SLR-- 21 years.

I just bought my daughter one yesterday. Nice camera, and a good way to learn metering and composition. Her camera is the original design with AOCO logo over the pentaprism from about 1975-76.

 

[kintatsu]

What about the original Canon 7, or the Voigtlander Vitomatic II.

 

[f/16]

Another vote for the Nikon F2.

 

[Shootar401]

Lets end this thread here....

Nikon F
Nikon F Photomic
Nikon F Photomic T
Nikon F Photomic Tn
Nikon F2
Nikon F2 Photomic
Nikon F2 Photomic S
Nikon F2SB
Nikon F2 Photomic A
Nikon F3HP

Mods: You can close this thread now.

 

[BradleyK]

A little partisan, perhaps? lol