Top 10 classic 35mm film cameras

[cliveh]

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

 

[Jeff Kubach]

One them would be the old Canon F-1.

Jeff

 

[Maris]

Cliveh I'm dying to know, before this thread gets real long, which one you'd put at the top of the list. My pick is the Pentax MX.

 

[cliveh]

Cliveh I'm dying to know, before this thread gets real long, which one you'd put at the top of the list. My pick is the Pentax MX.

Leica II

 

[Rick A]

Lets not skip over the Olympus OM-1.

 

[snapguy]

top

The M Leica and the F Nikon.

 

[frank]

Canon F1n
Nikon F, F2
Olympus OM1
Leica M2, 3, 4
Leica llla
Rollei 35

In 20 or 30 years time, the classics would have to be mainly mechanical cameras because electronic ones won't be working by then.

 

[DannL.]

The Canon IIS2. Oh wait, it's already on the list.

Canon IIS2

 

[onepuff]

Ilford Witness
Olympus OM-1
Olympus Pen-F
Leica M3
Werra (1-4)
Zeiss Ikon Contax
Nikon F2
Voigtlander Vitessa L
Topcon RE Super
Kine Exakta

 

[fstop]

Minolta SRT 101
Minolta XD-11

 

[Hatchetman]

Pentax Spotmatic

 

[frank]

I'll throw in the Nikon F3, the first electronic pro camera.

 

[gone]

I wonder if many of them will still be around 3 decades from now, so I guess the last men standing will be the classics. The Model T was a car that was known for simplicity and toughness. People said that you couldn't wear it out. When was the last time you saw one of those on the streets?

 

[Colin DeWolfe]

Maxxum 9

 

[lxdude]

I'll throw in the Nikon F3, the first electronic pro camera.

What about the Minolta XK?

 

[fretlessdavis]

K1000?

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

 

[Les Sarile]

I'll throw in the Nikon F3, the first electronic pro camera.

At least from Nikon anyway . . .

 

[lxdude]

I wonder if many of them will still be around 3 decades from now, so I guess the last men standing will be the classics. The Model T was a car that was known for simplicity and toughness. People said that you couldn't wear it out. When was the last time you saw one of those on the streets?

No joke- three days ago.

 

[frank]

What about the Minolta XK?

You got me. 1973 vs 1980.
How about the first widely accepted electronic pro 35mm SLR?

http://minolta.eazypix.de/slrtable/

 

[benjiboy]

How do you define a classic camera It's a matter of opinion,there are no absolutes.

 

[frank]

It's a matter of opinion,there are no absolutes.

Of course.

 

[Alan Gales]

How about the Contax RTS with looks and ergonomics designed by Porshe?

 

[Tom1956]

Nikon F, F2, Nikkormat, Pentax Spotmatic, Olympus OM-1, Canon F1, Kodak Retina, Contax RTS (maybe), Exacta, That's nine. But to appease the Leica crowd, any Leica of your choice.

 

[elekm]

An interesting question with many possible answers. Most important? Highest selling? Best pro camera? Highest quality?


Possibly (most important) ...

- Leica "O" - here comes 35mm photography

- Retina Type 117 - brings 35mm photography and the daylight loading cartridge to the masses

- Ihagee Exakta - the first SLR

- Argus C3 ("The Brick") - America's favorite family camera ... millions sold

- Zeiss Ikon Contax D - the first SLR with a fixed pentaprism

- Pentax Spotmatic - popularized the M42 mount so much that it came to be known by many people as the "Pentax screw mount"

- Rollei 35 - photographic excellence in a tiny package

- Nikon F - set the standard for rugged and became linked to the Vietnam War, the space race and photojournalism

- Olympus OM-1 - as cameras got larger, this camera made others think smaller

- Canon EOS 650 - angered many of its users when it dumped the FD system of cameras and lenses but in the end turned out to be the right move


Runners up

- Konica 35 AF - first autofocus point and shoot camera (as I recall)

- Minolta XD 11 - first multimode 35mm SLR

- Canon AE-1 - was a H-U-G-E seller for Canon in the mid-1970s, despite being known as a "plastic camera"

- Zeiss Ikon Contax I - gave Zeiss Ikon a foot in the door to compete with the Leica

- Zeiss Ikon Contaflex (TLR) - claimed to be the first camera with a built-in light meter

- Contax RTS - after the demise of Zeiss Ikon, it gave Zeiss a premiere platform for its lenses

 

[elcabezagrande]

Olympus Trip 35
Argus C3
Pentax Spotmatic
Nikon F
Kodak Retina
Yashica Electro 35 G
Canon F1
Contax RTS 3
Konica C35 AF
Leica III