What Are Your GOAT Cameras?

[djdister]

The Canham MQC57 with 5x7 and 4x5 backs + the Canham 6x17 automated rollfilm back.

 

[flavio81]

The Pentacon Six is the 80s Corvette of cameras.

I guess this means that the 80s Corvette broke down easily? Because the film transport mechanism on the Pentacon Six is made of hardened bubblegum.

The Kiev 60 is the tow truck she rides upon.

Yes, the Kiev 60 is a more reliable machine. And contrary to what one would think, it has nothing in common with a Pentacon Six or Praktisix.

 

[eliadesqu]

Nikon F100

 

[loccdor]

I guess this means that the 80s Corvette broke down easily? Because the film transport mechanism on the Pentacon Six is made of hardened bubblegum.

80s sport cars are sexy, but usually unreliable, yes. My friend who enjoys working on cars bought one and sold it out of frustration a few years later.

 

[benjiboy]

I only have five cameras, all of which are Canon F1s, two F1ns, and three New F1 AEs.

 

[ivan35mm]

yashica t4 (the original, not the super / super d variant)

the leica C3 (however, this camera is actually a piece of crap. i bought one NOS a few years ago. used it daily for no more than 3 months, and then it completely died. but wow, the images i took with this camera are really something special. was worth bringing back from the dead. it’s currently being torn apart and the 28mm vario-elmar lens will be re-housed to use on Leica M mount cameras)

Plaubel peco jr 6x9 monorail (a true workhorse. good size, lightweight, and just super fun to use)

 

[skahde]

The camera I knew I should have bought some time after I got my first SLR in 1985 and finally bought used in 1996. The only film-camera I never sold. It never let me down and there is no picture I had in mind and didn't get because I only had this camera: my Nikon FE2.

 

[Cholentpot]

The camera I knew I should have bought some time after I got my first SLR in 1985 and finally bought used in 1996. The only film-camera I never sold. It never let me down and there is no picture I had in mind and didn't get because I only had this camera: my Nikon FE2.

I use the original FE extensively. I prefer it over my F F2 and F3.

 

[mrosenlof]

Answering before reading any but the first post.

Most Reliable: Mamiya TLR no body issues in 40+ years of ownership, I've had sticky shutter lenses, easily repaired and I have duplicates.

Best Utility: Hasselblad 501CM and most lenses from 40mm to 250mm. It's my do-everything system now.

Most Elegant: Zeiss Icon Contina III. This was my dad's camera through most of my childhood. Specs don't sound like much, fixed 45mm 4/2.8 Triplet, uncoupled selenium meter, scale focus, really a humble camera. But the feel of the film advance and the soft click of the shutter are smoother than any Leica that I own. Second place to a Nikon F2 with the plain pentaprism.

Most Beautiful: Leica iiif. The last of the screw mount, bottom load leicas. Some don't like the look of the finder illumination window, but the view through that finder makes up for it. I'm trying to decide if this also fits "Weirdest".

Most Innovative: Olympus OM-1. Started a new fad for smaller and quieter SLRs. I might have named the OM-2 for OTF exposure and flash metering, but I've never used one. Similar thought for the Leica M-3.

Best Output: Arca Swiss 8x10 f-line. Quality, not quantity. I'm only able to contact print these negs.

Weirdest: Fuji GW690iii. My oversized clown camera. A great lens bolted to a super basic body that proved to be a little bit fragile in my hands. 6x9 was once common in basic rollfilm folders but less so in the last 70 years or so. I broke this one, twice, and have replaced it with a gw690ii that I've been more careful with.

Most Beloved: Mamiya TLR, I have C330fx2 and C220f bodies and all of the black lenses except the 250. Yeah, a duplicate. They have been with me on my honeymoon, the birth of both kids, multiple trips to Japan, Europe, and Australia. My intro to medium format, used some, but not a lot since I got the Hasselblad.

 

[chuckroast]

Most Beautiful: Leica iiif. The last of the screw mount, bottom load leicas. Some don't like the look of the finder illumination window, but the view through that finder makes up for it. I'm trying to decide if this also fits "Weirdest".

Good list, but I think the last of the bottom load SM Leicas was the IIIg, not the IIIf, right?

 

[GregY]

Answering before reading any but the first post.

Most Reliable: Mamiya TLR no body issues in 40+ years of ownership, I've had sticky shutter lenses, easily repaired and I have duplicates.

Best Utility: Hasselblad 501CM and most lenses from 40mm to 250mm. It's my do-everything system now.

Most Elegant: Zeiss Icon Contina III. This was my dad's camera through most of my childhood. Specs don't sound like much, fixed 45mm 4/2.8 Triplet, uncoupled selenium meter, scale focus, really a humble camera. But the feel of the film advance and the soft click of the shutter are smoother than any Leica that I own. Second place to a Nikon F2 with the plain pentaprism.

Most Beautiful: Leica iiif. The last of the screw mount, bottom load leicas. Some don't like the look of the finder illumination window, but the view through that finder makes up for it. I'm trying to decide if this also fits "Weirdest".

Most Innovative: Olympus OM-1. Started a new fad for smaller and quieter SLRs. I might have named the OM-2 for OTF exposure and flash metering, but I've never used one. Similar thought for the Leica M-3.

Best Output: Arca Swiss 8x10 f-line. Quality, not quantity. I'm only able to contact print these negs.

Weirdest: Fuji GW690iii. My oversized clown camera. A great lens bolted to a super basic body that proved to be a little bit fragile in my hands. 6x9 was once common in basic rollfilm folders but less so in the last 70 years or so. I broke this one, twice, and have replaced it with a gw690ii that I've been more careful with.

Most Beloved: Mamiya TLR, I have C330fx2 and C220f bodies and all of the black lenses except the 250. Yeah, a duplicate. They have been with me on my honeymoon, the birth of both kids, multiple trips to Japan, Europe, and Australia. My intro to medium format, used some, but not a lot since I got the Hasselblad.

ML...one minor correction.... the iiig was the last of the screwmounts ....& a killer at that

 

[Don_ih]

I think he meant the IIIg - it's the one with the finder illumination window.

IIIg

IIIf

 

[Cholentpot]

Answering before reading any but the first post.

Most Reliable: Mamiya TLR no body issues in 40+ years of ownership, I've had sticky shutter lenses, easily repaired and I have duplicates.

Best Utility: Hasselblad 501CM and most lenses from 40mm to 250mm. It's my do-everything system now.

Most Elegant: Zeiss Icon Contina III. This was my dad's camera through most of my childhood. Specs don't sound like much, fixed 45mm 4/2.8 Triplet, uncoupled selenium meter, scale focus, really a humble camera. But the feel of the film advance and the soft click of the shutter are smoother than any Leica that I own. Second place to a Nikon F2 with the plain pentaprism.

Most Beautiful: Leica iiif. The last of the screw mount, bottom load leicas. Some don't like the look of the finder illumination window, but the view through that finder makes up for it. I'm trying to decide if this also fits "Weirdest".

Most Innovative: Olympus OM-1. Started a new fad for smaller and quieter SLRs. I might have named the OM-2 for OTF exposure and flash metering, but I've never used one. Similar thought for the Leica M-3.

Best Output: Arca Swiss 8x10 f-line. Quality, not quantity. I'm only able to contact print these negs.

Weirdest: Fuji GW690iii. My oversized clown camera. A great lens bolted to a super basic body that proved to be a little bit fragile in my hands. 6x9 was once common in basic rollfilm folders but less so in the last 70 years or so. I broke this one, twice, and have replaced it with a gw690ii that I've been more careful with.

Most Beloved: Mamiya TLR, I have C330fx2 and C220f bodies and all of the black lenses except the 250. Yeah, a duplicate. They have been with me on my honeymoon, the birth of both kids, multiple trips to Japan, Europe, and Australia. My intro to medium format, used some, but not a lot since I got the Hasselblad.

Good list but no Argus C3

 

[mrosenlof]

yes iiig, I knew that, fat fingers. sigh

the Argus C3 was my first 35mm camera, I found it in a box after a move at age nine. I learned a lot from having it, but no, it doesn't get my vote in any of these categories. On my 11th birthday, my parents gave me a Minolta Auto-pak-something 126 camera that never took a sharp photo in its life. I took the C3 apart.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Nikon F100

One of my go to cameras.

Welcome to Photrio!

 

[Beevo]

I'll play...


Most Reliable: Any of the screw mount Pentax Spotmatic series

Best Utility: Canon Elan 7e and Canon XS720i (digital)

Most Elegant: Leica M2/M3, especially when the 90mm Summicron was mounted

Most Beautiful: My Tachihara 4x5 with the dark green bellows

Best Output: 4x5's

Weirdest: Holga!

Most Beloved: Pentax 6x7 and Pentax ES (my first NEW camera purchased)

All that are listed are cameras I now have or have owned

 

[xkaes]

Let me think.

Give me a minute.

Oh yeah, the Minolta XKAES.

 

[abruzzi]

I posted on a previous page just my favorite, but it looks like we’re supposed to use a bunch of these categories, so here are mine:

Most Reliable: Nikkormat FTn - my first camera. That and the 50/2 are as old as me, had spent years in a drawer when I thought digital what’s where it was at, and was pulled out and worked perfectly. (The mercury cell was still good. I eventually put a diode in the circuit to work for silver cells, but that the only service it has ever had.)

Best Utility: Sinar Norma. It a camera and a bunch of other things. Really the Swiss Army Knife of cameras (the while Sinar system.)

Most Elegant: Arca Swiss F-series. Just beautifully designed in every way.

Most Beautiful: Not sure the difference between beauty and elegance in this context, so, once again the Arca Swiss F series.

Best Output: not a camera, a lens, or rather a series of lenses—the Goerz Dagor. I have a bunch from a 90mm WA Dagor that covers 4x5 to a 355mm Kern Dagor for my 8x10. I recently tried using a 12 inch uncoated American Dagor on 5x7 E100 slide film and it was beautiful, and the Compound shutter was dead accurate.

Weirdest: Probably the Cirkut (spelling?). I don’t own one, but the idea of doing a full 360 panorama with 8inch wide film is just crazy.

Most Beloved: Cameras are really fun things and I enjoy them, but I don’t get that kind of attachment to objects. I have my father’s Minolta, and my grandfather’s Argus, but they are still just things—not beloved.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Most Reliable: Nikon F3 & FM2, though I still have the Agfa Solina I had in 1962 and it still works. And there is my Mother's Zeiss Nettar from 1950 and it also still works. Now, the most unreliable - Hasselblad 500, hands down.

Best Utility: Nikon FM2

Most Elegant: Rollei SL66

Most Beautiful: Rollei SL66

Most Innovative: I'm old school - I don't do innovative; I like my cameras plodding and reliable. The most modern - Nikon N75. Some might think the N75 would also be the most innovative of my small store of cameras, but innovation and modernity aren't correlatives.

Best Output: Shen Hao 8x10, nothing beats square inches.

Weirdest: Anything Russian - I have long since tossed all mine into the garbage.

Most Beloved: Rollei SL66, though I sold it soon after I acquired it. It was like a high school girlfriend: you only remember the good times; and you don't know what you had until it is gone. If I had kept it, I am sure it would have battled the 'Blad for most unreliable. If I had kept my high school girlfriend - well, best left unsaid.

 

[lobitar]

Rangefinders: my well-used Leica M4-P with 35mm Summaron and 90mm Tele-Elmarit.
SLR: a Nikon FG with 50mm E-series 1,8 (for light-weight convenience - especially the 2-stop contre-jour button!)

 

[blee1996]

A Leica M3 is both beautiful, elegant and innovative, and a reliable utility tool that churn out high quality photos. Same can be said about Rolleiflex 2.8/3.5 TLRs, and Nikon F/F2/F3 SLRs. Same can be said about Arca Swiss F-Line Classic 4x5 for studio use, or Chamonix F2 4x5 for field use. They are all my GOAT cameras.

There are other cameras I use a lot: Nikon FA and Leica R5. They are dependable daily drivers like Honda Civic, which nobody will call a GOAT car.

And there are elegant and beautiful cameras that are more suitable for fondle; e.g. a Voigtlander Vitessa comes to mind.

 

[benjiboy]

As I rationalised my camera collection about thirty years ago, so I don't have many and varied ones, I decided not to become a camera museum curator and concentrate on the Canon F1 series of SLRs that have over the years, fully fulfilled my needs, and been absolutely reliable.

 

[DWThomas]

Strictly considering film cameras owned and used, I smiled at Cholentpot's list, as I own an Argus C3 purchased new with Christmas money at the end of 1957. I was a junior in high school. It served me well and I learned a lot using it. I did a bit of work to it in this millennium, but it still takes decent pictures. It's certainly a winner on reliability and perhaps an Art Deco sort of elegance.

For utility, a Canon A-1 and assortment of FD lenses has done well in 35mm.

Beautiful? Well (immodestly) some folks have been impressed with my 8x10 pinhole camera (but there's a bias, as I designed and built it!)

Best output? Probably my Bronica SQ-A system. (The minimalist approach when I started is now a backpack worth of stuff.)

Most beloved? I try not to get too hooked on mechanical widgets. But for the last decade or so, my hands reach most often for the Yashica Mat 124G. besides good results it gets positive comments in public.

 

[Cholentpot]

Strictly considering film cameras owned and used, I smiled at Cholentpot's list, as I own an Argus C3 purchased new with Christmas money at the end of 1957. I was a junior in high school. It served me well and I learned a lot using it. I did a bit of work to it in this millennium, but it still takes decent pictures. It's certainly a winner on reliability and perhaps an Art Deco sort of elegance.

For utility, a Canon A-1 and assortment of FD lenses has done well in 35mm.

Beautiful? Well (immodestly) some folks have been impressed with my 8x10 pinhole camera (but there's a bias, as I designed and built it!)

Best output? Probably my Bronica SQ-A system. (The minimalist approach when I started is now a backpack worth of stuff.)

Most beloved? I try not to get too hooked on mechanical widgets. But for the last decade or so, my hands reach most often for the Yashica Mat 124G. besides good results it gets positive comments in public.

Argus C3 will outlast them all.

 

[MattKing]

Argus C3 will outlast them all.

The Volkswagen Beetle of cameras?