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

[mweintraub]

 

[nosmok]

Ensign Autorange 820. That lens is in a class by itself. So is the viewfinder, best of any folder I have used.

 

[RattyMouse]

Ensign Autorange 820. That lens is in a class by itself. So is the viewfinder, best of any folder I have used.

I never heard of this camera so I had to look it up. DAMN but does that camera sell for big bucks!! Wow............

 

[OptiKen]

This is hard for me to choose, having owned some incredible mechanical jewels over the years but I think the most fabulous piece of film gear I've ever owned was a Kodak Instamatic 126 camera. I've owned several so can't remember which one totally blew my mind when I got it somewhere around age 12 or 13.
It did everything. 4 flashes on a cube (battery not required). Automatic shutter speed adjustment from 1/90 down to 1/40 simply by inserting a flash cube. Auto-focus (well, fixed focus). TWO aperture settings. Square negatives from 35mm film. Instinctive, intuitive controls. Cartridge ease of loading.
Fool-proof. Small enough to always have with me. Light weight. Did I mention bright frame lines?

It was so impressive and took such excellent shots on Kodachrome that it didn't even matter that it cost over $30 - it was THAT good!

I'm not sure if I've received as much pleasure from any camera since.
I'm not even sure if the quality of my pictures is that much better than those created with that plastic lens.

 

[OptiKen]

Ensign Autorange 820. That lens is in a class by itself. So is the viewfinder, best of any folder I have used.

I have the Autorange 120 and it has a light leak which I paid $120 to have never fixed (and never offered a refund, redo, or credit). It is a wonderful, unusable camera for me. <sigh>

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

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

Yeah, I know what you mean. When the battery runs out is like "ow bummer". When I finish a roll of film is like "Good, I'm done, good job", something like this.


Marcelo

 

[flavio81]

Ensign Autorange 820. That lens is in a class by itself. So is the viewfinder, best of any folder I have used.

You are very lucky! I wish i had one.

I had the Selfix 820 and it was really well built, even better than a german camera, but i could never get satisfactory sharpness all over the field, despite aligning the focus ring twice; unless stopping down to f16.

The Epsilon shutter, often maligned, is smooth once serviced.

 

[NB23]

Minolta x-9.

It was so extraordinary and fabulous when I got it, new, at 16.
Ever since that camera it was all an attempt to burry a hole. Lust and imaginary dreams of glorious cameras making me better.

X-9 is my king.

 

[blockend]

Ensign Autorange 820. That lens is in a class by itself. So is the viewfinder, best of any folder I have used.

Favourite camera of Edwin Smith: http://www.fine-photographs.co.uk/index.php/edwin-smith-articles/4-edwin-smith-photographer

 

[Paul Goutiere]

I have to list 4, in the order of my pick for personal fabulousness:
1) Rolleiflex 3.5 mx evs
2) Hasselblad 501CM
3) Hasselblad Super Wide C
4) Leica M2

 

[sportster44]

Too many Nikon and Blad lovers, so I'm throwing out the Canon F-1N, and Mamiya RZ67

 

[chip j]

What about enlargers & enlarging lenses too? They're my favorite items.

 

[Sirius Glass]

And then again, mechanical cameras need film, so there.

I would not have it any other way. So what is YOUR PROBLEM????

 

[Sirius Glass]

Nikon F100, the best film camera that Nikon built.

 

[Harry Stevens]

A roll of Tri-X .

 

[ransel]

If you forgot/ran out of film thats the end of it.

Not so - every single film camera I own will still "take pictures" even with no film loaded. I can shoot hundreds (thousands) of pictures without any film - it's an enjoyable experience...just don't get to enjoy the results

 

[John Wiegerink]

View attachment 170323 My fabulous four

Frank,
I owned all of those except the Rollei SLR. Still own several Rolleiflex cameras and a SWC. I know some folks swear by the Leica M3 DS or M3 SS, but having owned both and then some, my favorite is the M2 you have pictured. Alas, the Leicaflex SL and a worn IIIa w/ flash sync added from 1936 is the last on my Leica cameras. I could sell all my cameras and be happy with just two. The Kodak Medalist and the SWC.

 

[frank]

Frank,
I owned all of those except the Rollei SLR. Still own several Rolleiflex cameras and a SWC. I know some folks swear by the Leica M3 DS or M3 SS, but having owned both and then some, my favorite is the M2 you have pictured. Alas, the Leicaflex SL and a worn IIIa w/ flash sync added from 1936 is the last on my Leica cameras. I could sell all my cameras and be happy with just two. The Kodak Medalist and the SWC.

I was considering including an SL and a Barnack, but then I'd have to also include one of the single digit Nikon F's, and then it would read "my fabulous seven" and that may be over-reaching the parameters.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Shkolnik.
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?2113815669

 

[chip j]

Nikon F100, the best film camera that Nikon built.

SH*T! The plastic back catches on mine broke and now it's a paperweight.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Nikon F100, the best film camera that Nikon built.

SH*T! The plastic back catches on mine broke and now it's a paperweight.

Did it just happen on its own or was it an Operator Assisted Failure?

 

[frank]

Sirius, while I respect your choice of MF SLR, I found the F100 to be too plastically toy-like for my taste.

 

[Bill Burk]

My best friend had a Rolleiflex SLR he'd gotten from an uncle who took it in as trade-in on a car... I got to help him load it at Point Lobos once upon a time (this was before I met my wife, who is from Carmel)...

To continue... she once told me I could get any camera in the world that would make me happy.. so I got this...

 

[etn]

I like the 100mm Hasselblad lens better than the 80mm lens.

Now I will agree that Rollei TLR has the bling factor when walking down the street with a wide angle Rollei, 80mm Rollei and a Tele-Rollei hanging around one's neck, assuming one could stand up straight wearing three cameras.

Yes, I too like the 100mm better than the 80. And I also prefer to walk with a Hassy and 1-3 lenses (depending on how much weight I want to carry on that particular day) in my bag rather than with 3 Rolleis hanging around my neck! Nowadays one Hasselblad already provides quite of a bling factor, no need to overdo it

 

[Toyo]

The space between my ears.
When I use it, my images always come out better

T