Ugly cameras that you love

[88E30M50]

Does anyone have a camera that has way more patina than it should, yet still works well? For me, that would be my Canon FTb. I picked this up as a parts camera for $12. At some point in it's past, it was dropped hard and the top cover was pushed in behind the advance lever as well as on to top of the pentaprism. The frame counter was bent inside too. The breech mount was also loose. I was able to reform the top cover enough to clear the frame counter and was also able to straighten the frame counter wheel out. I tightened the breech ring and have been shooting it successfully. I matched it to an equally patina macro lens and they work well together. I'm using this as my go-to for close up work and it's working well in that regard for me so far.

What beat up old cameras does everyone else have around that just keeps working?

 

[AnselMortensen]

I no longer have it, but the black Nikon FE2 I bought NEW in 1985.
The first week I had it, I was hurrying through the house to get an accessory for a photo shoot in 'perfect light' outside.
The strap caught on a doorknob, the camera got yanked out of my hand, and swung down and caught the prism cover squarely on the edge of the door.
Big ugly dent in the prism cover in front of the hot shoe.
I said a few BAD words, then went & took the photos in the 'perfect light'...
The camera worked fine, no problem from the impact.
That camera got me through 2 college photo programs, got lots of use, lots of brassing, and finally became unreliable after a few years of freelance work.
Replaced by an F3HP.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

I don't know about ugly but homely might work.

 

[tjwspm]

This Minox is so ugly that I wanted it immediately.

You can find the whole story here:

The ugliest Minox A I've ever seen ...

... now belongs to me. When I saw this Minox, I couldn't resist. It's so run down that it's almost beautiful again: It was built in 1954, so it is a Type A IIIs. Damage caused by impacts, heavy abrasion everywhere and even pitting in the housing: After carefully pulling it apart - very...

www.photrio.com

 

[maltfalc]

most of my gear is beat to hell. why pay three times as much for nicer gear that i'd have to be more careful with?

 

[ant!]

I bought not too long ago a Fuji GW690II in super beat up condition, scratches, rusty screws etc. The lens in clean and everything works. Still have to replace all the light seals before I can film test it though. It was about 1/3 of the usual price... I'm a bit afraid of the rust, which indicates wet, not sure if I want to know how it looks inside. But as I say, runs smooth...

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Does anyone have a camera that has way more patina than it should, yet still works well? For me, that would be my Canon FTb. I picked this up as a parts camera for $12. At some point in it's past, it was dropped hard and the top cover was pushed in behind the advance lever as well as on to top of the pentaprism. The frame counter was bent inside too. The breech mount was also loose. I was able to reform the top cover enough to clear the frame counter and was also able to straighten the frame counter wheel out. I tightened the breech ring and have been shooting it successfully. I matched it to an equally patina macro lens and they work well together. I'm using this as my go-to for close up work and it's working well in that regard for me so far.

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What beat-up old cameras does everyone else have around that just keeps working?

I love them all;that's why I bought them.'love' is my #1 pyrchase reason. I never 'needed' any of them.

 

[88E30M50]

I love them all;that's why I bought them.'love' is my #1 pyrchase reason. I never 'needed' any of them.

I know what you mean regarding 'need'. If I only bought what I needed, I'd stopped buying cameras with my F-1N. I love bringing a broken camera home, fixing it and then putting film through it. If there's a 'need' involved, it's my need to engage my brain in solving problems and old camera's scratch that itch quite well. Plus, I have a soft spot for Canon A-1s. There's a 6th broken A-1 en-route from Japan right now. Do I need 6 A-1s? Well, yes. Yes I do

 

[Michael Howard]

My Koni-Omega is so ugly she spends most of her time at the back of the shelf. I'm afraid to take it out, people always comment on it being some kind of radiation detector or some such thing. Besides, it weighs a ton.

 

[guangong]

In perfect condition, but upon first encounter far from an attractive design, I have grown to appreciate using my Kodak Medalist.

 

[Cholentpot]

I was gifted a black Nikon F with the unmetered prism and a motordrive from a photographer who's had it since '59. He's an architecture photographer now but did everything from PJ to skiing with it.

It still works fine. A bit bashed up and some of the tolerances are a bit loose but honestly it's a joy to use. I know we all say and agree that it's the lenses that make the photo but for some reason this body consistently gets me the best shots.

As for ugly design, people hate the Univex Mercury and I think it's stunning. It is a pain to load these days though. I put a roll or maybe two through it a year because of that. But it is quite pretty in an oddball kind of way.

 

[nosmok]

As for ugly design, people hate the Univex Mercury and I think it's stunning. It is a pain to load these days though. I put a roll or maybe two through it a year because of that. But it is quite pretty in an oddball kind of way.

Love the Mercury half-frame model! Though I should mention that "One or two rolls...", if they're 36 exposure ones, would normally take about a year to shoot.

 

[Cholentpot]

Love the Mercury half-frame model! Though I should mention that "One or two rolls...", if they're 36 exposure ones, would normally take about a year to shoot.

Oh yeah. If you're bulk loading you can cram nearly 45 frames in a roll. I've gotten close to 90 shots in my Pen F. Depends on how thin the film is. The FSU stuff out of Ukraine is super thin.

 

[LibraryTroll]

Yes, I definitely have a beat up stray that I took in and gave shelter a few years ago. It was given to me for free in a big jumbled box of photographic equipment, kids toys, and household items by a co-worker. I was told to "take what you want and we'll trash the rest." Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a rough looking Topcon RE Super with equally rough looking 135mm lens. It looks rough, but works well with the exception of a dead light meter. I honestly can't tell if it was originally black and someone used a lava rock to scrape off the paint or if someone painted it black and decided to strip it off again with a wire wheel brush or same said lava rock. Both theories are possible! I bought a 58mm f/1.8 lens later, which I sent for a CLA. It is amazing how silky smooth all the controls are on that 58mm post-CLA. Amazing quality!

 

[88E30M50]

Yes, I definitely have a beat up stray that I took in and gave shelter a few years ago. It was given to me for free in a big jumbled box of photographic equipment, kids toys, and household items by a co-worker. I was told to "take what you want and we'll trash the rest." Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a rough looking Topcon RE Super with equally rough looking 135mm lens. It looks rough, but works well with the exception of a dead light meter. I honestly can't tell if it was originally black and someone used a lava rock to scrape off the paint or if someone painted it black and decided to strip it off again with a wire wheel brush or same said lava rock. Both theories are possible! I bought a 58mm f/1.8 lens later, which I sent for a CLA. It is amazing how silky smooth all the controls are on that 58mm post-CLA. Amazing quality!

Wow, that's rough looking. I love that it's still working though. Definitely a save on that one.

 

[mshchem]

Yes, I definitely have a beat up stray that I took in and gave shelter a few years ago. It was given to me for free in a big jumbled box of photographic equipment, kids toys, and household items by a co-worker. I was told to "take what you want and we'll trash the rest." Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a rough looking Topcon RE Super with equally rough looking 135mm lens. It looks rough, but works well with the exception of a dead light meter. I honestly can't tell if it was originally black and someone used a lava rock to scrape off the paint or if someone painted it black and decided to strip it off again with a wire wheel brush or same said lava rock. Both theories are possible! I bought a 58mm f/1.8 lens later, which I sent for a CLA. It is amazing how silky smooth all the controls are on that 58mm post-CLA. Amazing quality!

I have always loved the Topcons. I had a D-1 50 years ago. My Dad had an Auto 100. "Meter on the Mirror!"

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I was gifted a black Nikon F with the unmetered prism and a motordrive from a photographer who's had it since '59.

But that can't be the one he had in '59 I'm afraid, as it doesn't bear the Nippon Kogaku logo.

 

[Cholentpot]

But that can't be the one he had in '59 I'm afraid, as it doesn't bear the Nippon Kogaku logo.

You're right! I've been bamboozled! I think I have to give it back now.

 

[George Mann]

I always thought that my chrome Nikon FG was a bit of an ugly duckling.

 

[Cerebum]

I recently picked up a samoca LE35 for £8. The samocas were really odd but this one is fairly normal. I have added it because it is deeply unloved, bless it. Well, it works beautifully. The aperture was a bit crunchy so i drizzled some surgical spirit through it. The light meter is spot on and it has the quietest shutter i have ever not heard. Ok, the rangefinder patch is almost invisible and it has a double stroke (which i like but others hate). The lens is a four element 50mm f2.8 and is amazingly sharp. Not bad for something made in 1957

 

[Cerebum]

Have you ever put a flash on a Rollei 35b? God that's weird!

 

[Philippe-Georges]

There are no ugly cameras, just quirky designs.
And some are just heavily used and/or beaten up but that doesn't make them 'ugly'...

 

[Mr Flibble]

There are no ugly cameras, just quirky designs.

"De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum" as they say.

 

[guangong]

With the unattractive look of the usual Kodak camera, my Kodak Medalist is a practical handheld camera capable of superior results.

 

[loccdor]

My Canon T90 looks like someone took sandpaper to it. Performs like a dream, had a CLA. I don't know who used it before me, but they really put it through its paces.