What is the most fabulous piece of film gear you've ever owned?

film_man · Jan 5, 2017

Most impressive:

The one that was the most impressive to look at it and hold: Hasselblad 501.
The one that had the coolest sound when fired: Hasselblad 500ELX.
The one that was amazingly smooth to operate (and produced amazing results too): Leica R8.
The one that produced the best image quality I've experienced: Mamiya RB67 ProSD (with KL lenses).
The one that is a miracle of engineering: Nikon F3HP.

Actually to qualify the last point a bit, I think the Nikon F system is simply amazing. You can buy a lens from 1970 and put it in a modern camera and it works. You can take a modern lens (ok...needs an aperture ring) and use it in a 40 year old camera. You can take a modern speedlight (say SB800 or 80DX), put it on a Auto mode, shove it on an F3 and not only you get proper exposures but even the flash indicator in the finder works. You basically have a system that ensures compatibility over 40+ years. You can even put a modern eyepiece on it.

jdsanika · Jan 5, 2017

Linhof Super Technika 23 (6x9), slightly edging out my Contax iia w/Sonnar 85mm f/2.

Sirius Glass · Jan 5, 2017

film_man said:
...

Actually to qualify the last point a bit, I think the Nikon F system is simply amazing. You can buy a lens from 1970 and put it in a modern camera and it works. You can take a modern lens (ok...needs an aperture ring) and use it in a 40 year old camera.

Do not try this at home with a Canon camera.

RichardJack · Jan 5, 2017

Very hard to answer.
My Nikon 600mm f5.6 EDIF AIs telephoto. It produces images as sharp as a normal lens, it's much smaller and lighter than the f4 versions. It's amazing on a full frame body and one of the best lenses I've ever used with a modified IR DSLR for astrophotography. It's a real sleeper and still affordable. It's only drawback is not having AF, but I don't shoot anything moving.

flavio81 · Jan 5, 2017

film_man said:
. You can take a modern lens (ok...needs an aperture ring) and use it in a 40 year old camera.

Modern Nikon lenses are almost always without aperture rings. So they are downright unusable on all Nikon mechanical cameras and most of Nikon classic cameras.

I can't use some of what I consider the best nikons like the FE2, because they can't mount pre-AI lenses. That means all Nikon lenses from 1959 to 1977 (18 years) are plainly unusable on most Nikon film cameras from about 1980 onwards, with very few exceptions. And let's not bring "AI conversion" to the topic, because that's butchery, unless you can source the appropiate conversion kit, which sometimes doesn't even exist.

Sirius Glass said:
Do not try this at home with a Canon camera.

All Canon EF lenses work perfectly in all Canon EF-mount cameras, from 1987 till today(2017). That is 30 years of PERFECT, FULL compatibilty. Even image stabilization will work.

99% of all Canon manual focus lenses made from 1959 (R mount) to about 1993(end of FD mount) will mount on all canon manual focus cameras from 1964 (FL mount) to 1993. That is... about 30 years of compatibility as well, not bad.

In any case the REAL winner in the compatibility game is Pentax. Pentax loves photographers.

flavio81 · Jan 5, 2017

Well done chip j, this is a great topic.

rthomas said:
After thinking it over, I decided to interpret "fabulous" as "film gear that I lusted after for years, and that fully met my expectations once I got it."

That would have to be the Mamiya RB67. I regret selling mine.

Great criteria. In my case is the Canon New F1 in the 1984 LA Olympics edition. It is true love.

The Mamiya RB67 is my favorite medium format camera but i did not lust for it initially. It was just after handling the Hasselblad 500C and immediately afterwards handling a RB67 (for comparison) that I decided to buy one, and I am so happy!!

Gerald C Koch · Jan 5, 2017

This is a bit like asking someone which of your children do you love the most.

frank · Jan 5, 2017

My fabulous four

TheTrailTog · Jan 5, 2017

The most fabulous piece I have owned and my one true regret for gear sold was a radioactive collapsible Summicron. Absolutely stunning lens which I will own again one day!

And as for gear/supplies no longer available, I really miss Fotokemika Varycon. Loved that paper.

Theo Sulphate · Jan 5, 2017

Of course, the Leica M mount has existed longer than the Nikon F mount.

Same for Hasselblad C (CF, etc.) lenses.

MartinCrabtree · Jan 6, 2017

I'm rather fond of my Nikon F5. Not having ventured into other formats it's the epitome for me.

BMbikerider · Jan 6, 2017

Duplicate post, so this one has been deleted

BMbikerider · Jan 6, 2017

So much but so little time to remember. A long time ago it was my 1st reflex - my Pentax SV

In between time my 1st Nikon F2a

Most recently My Nikon F6. It never fails to impress me what a beautiful piece of combined electronic and mechanical equipment. It is a very late one and must have all the updates since the 1st one was made. It is SO economic with batteries too. I have had close on 400 films though the camera since I bought it 2nd hand and have only recently replaced the set it came with. It knocks digital cameras into a cocked hat.

Ai Print · Jan 6, 2017

BMbikerider said:
It knocks digital cameras into a cocked hat.

Why do people insist on this kind of hyperbole??? A purely mechanical camera has an edge over a digital one because it does not need batteries. Once they are both electronic that advantage disappears.

Jim Jones · Jan 6, 2017

My Leica M4 bought new in 1970 has never let me down, even at -60 degrees F in Greenland. Through hard use the chrome is dented and scratched and the vulcanite is chipping off, but the camera works like new. Its five lenses are just as good. Other cameras come and go, but the Leica endures.

flavio81 · Jan 6, 2017

Ai Print said:
Why do people insist on this kind of hyperbole??? A purely mechanical camera has an edge over a digital one because it does not need batteries. Once they are both electronic that advantage disappears.

There are other advantages. For example, even if both depends on batteries, the film camera will be able to be used for far more time (hours of operation) than the digital camera. If you put a digital camera on idle (but "on") mode, looking at the viewfinder with the AE and AF locked, waiting for a shot, batteries will still be drained and energy consumption will be higher, because of the bigger amount of electronics inside - including the sensor. If the camera has an electronic viewfinder, then battery consumption is even higher!

Other advantages are, of course, the greater latitude of negative film and, once in a canister, the good resilience of film to environment hazards like water, rain, electrical shocks, magnetic fields, dust and corrosion.

Another advantage is no sensor cleaning problems (although digital cameras have improved significantly on this)

Yet another advantage is better edge/corner performance (i.e. less chromatic aberration) with lenses, because there is less need for lens "telecentricity".

I think the list can go on!

I tell you, if i was a press photographer going to cover a war or a conflict, and the press agency would make me choose between the latest pro DSLR and a mint Nikon F6 and all the film i want to carry, then i'd choose the F6 without hesitation.

Marcelo Paniagua · Jan 6, 2017

Ai Print said:
Why do people insist on this kind of hyperbole??? A purely mechanical camera has an edge over a digital one because it does not need batteries. Once they are both electronic that advantage disappears.

And then again, mechanical cameras need film, so there. If you forgot/ran out of film thats the end of it. I don't think that (needing batteries) is something that gives or take the edge from something. Sure, electronics can fail, but so do the mechanical devices. I love film cameras for what they are and what joy they bring to my life, not because they have an edge or are better than digital.

Just my before-coffee rant

Regards

Marcelo

Marcelo Paniagua · Jan 6, 2017

flavio81 said:
There are other advantages. For example, even if both depends on batteries, the film camera will be able to be used for far more time (hours of operation) than the digital camera. ....

Not if you ran out of film, no . On the same issue, if you have spare batteries (I got 2 spare for my 6d), this is not really an issue. Not that I use digital that often but never had any batteries problems. I do (quite often) run out of film and then its game over

Not arguing, just pointing out a fact.

Marcelo

frank · Jan 6, 2017

It's weird but I get annoyed when a camera battery goes dead, but not when a roll of film is filled.

flavio81 · Jan 6, 2017

Marcelo Paniagua said:
Not if you ran out of film, no . On the same issue, if you have spare batteries (I got 2 spare for my 6d), this is not really an issue. Not that I use digital that often but never had any batteries problems. I do (quite often) run out of film and then its game over

Not arguing, just pointing out a fact.

Marcelo

LOL! this is true, but memory cards also run out of memory... This has happened me too many times. Reviewing back images (to delete images to free-up space) is power hungry as well.

Ai Print · Jan 6, 2017

Marcelo Paniagua said:
I love film cameras for what they are and what joy they bring to my life, not because they have an edge or are better than digital.

I totally agree, that is why I called out the other poster's need to drag digital into it.

flavio81 · Jan 6, 2017

Ai Print said:
I totally agree, that is why I called out the other poster's need to drag digital into it.

Agree with you both as well. I do own two full frame DSLRs, but i think i use them once a year. Last year i didn't really make any photo with them!
DSLRs are nice, but film is what i like to use.

R. Johnson · Jan 6, 2017

I don't own much high quality eduipment. But my new canon f1n with eye level vf and the canon 28 3.5 is amazing.

images39 · Jan 6, 2017

My Nikon F100... no, wait... my 45mm 2.8P Nikkor... no... my Mamiya 645.... um, actually my Saunders LPL 4500 enlarger... shoot, this is too difficult!

Dale

kb244 · Jan 6, 2017

I'm just gonna lump together my rangefinders... by far not the greatest I had as I had to sell many in the past, but just what I managed to get back together.

Far as something you might not normally carry around, I have a Hyede photo telemeter.

What is the most fabulous piece of film gear you've ever owned?

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