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

skucera

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The most amazing machine I've ever owned was my beloved BMW 750iL. Oh, photographic equipment....

I think it is a tie between my Leica M3, a gift from my wife's uncle, and my "old" Canon EOS Elan 7e.

The Leica had been my wife's grandfather's camera, and her uncle knew I would love it and use it, and I am. It turns in amazing photos, all with that unquantifiable "Leica something."

I got the Elan 7e as a replacement for my old, ever faithful EOS 650. Unfortunately, one of my kids pulled the 650 off of a dining room table and shattered the lens and focusing screen. I'd already mostly switched over to digital photography, which was novel in the late Nineties, but a few years later I found the Elan 7e on steep markdown in a camera shop in downtown Portland. I bought it, ran some rolls of film through it while learning its charms, and then put it away when we got a new 3 megapixel camera to replace our old Nikon Coolpix 950 (which was 2 megapixels). I dug the Elan out after receiving the Leica as a gift and started to realize all over again just how intuitive and clever the Elan is, especially with its eye control. It's just magic. Also, even though I've owned it for 15 years or so, I used it so little back in 2002-2003 and has been in storage so long that it seems new to me again.

Scott
 

Nodda Duma

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The most fabulous piece of gear I own is my brain!

It does all my thinking and creative work for me
 

carylee2002

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My Leica M3 DS, Nikon F2 and my Ebony 4x5 camera. But my 2 Kodak 2D's 8x10 is up there too. The funnest one I like is my Ansco Speedex 4.5 medium format folder that is just fun to use and people will stop and ask about the camera every time I use it. I replaced the bellows for very little cost and even picked the color green for added fun.
 

bdial

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The Bullet Brownie that I got at around age 7 that started me into this long road of capturing light.
 

benjiboy

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My Canon FD 85mm f1.2 L lens. I bought it new about thirty years ago, it cost more than a months salary at that time, and it's such a wonderful portrait lens they will have to prise it out of my cold dead hands.
 

seezee

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It's always the latest acquisition. Right now it's a Rolleiflex 2.8c, but I'm sure that will change when the next shiny thing comes along.
 

eddie

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Mine would be the LPL 4550XLG with the Heiland Splitgrade and Comfort Control Interface. It is a remarkable piece of equipment.
 

RalphLambrecht

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chip j said:
I put this in the 35mm category, but it applies to ALL equip. My vote goes to the 50mm 3.5 Komuranon-S enlarging lens.
Click to expand...
the Gossen LunastarF2;just a great and reliable meter for ambient and flash.saw one used for as little as $90;easily worth twice that.
 

E. von Hoegh

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Let's see, it could be the Contax II with all the original accesories from 1937. Or maybe the Linhof ST IV factory 3 lens outfit. Then of course there is the Deardorff V8 and some Dagors. Let's not forget the Rolleiflex. Then the pair of M3s, one with Summarit, one with Canon 50 f:1.2; which I no longer have, the IIIg with Summarit ditto.
But, the prize must go to a Nikon F2 from early 1972. I coveted the F2 for over fourty years, finally the right (Soverised) one came along - it's all I hoped for and then some. No "ping" either!
However, in the strict sense of "fabulous" (that which exists only in fables) the laurels must go to my pair of Kievs, a 4 and a 4a. They're not the cameras I read about on the internet.
 
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Michael Firstlight

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Miy mind's eye, of course. But, if I had to pick only one, that is just plain 'ol mean to do to a photographer.

For gear currently in full service in the darkroom, it would have to be my near-mint condition Fujimoto CP32 dry-to-dry color processor.

Regards,
Mike
 

LeftCoastKid

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Tough one: Either one of my F2s with either a 35mm F1.4 Ais or 85mm F1.4 Ais, or my M4 with my 50 F1.4 ASPH (arguably the sharpest 50mm I've ever used). Leicaphiles talk up the M3s, but the M4...
 

Luis-F-S

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In cameras it would be my V11!

 

Frank53

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eddie said:
Mine would be the LPL 4550XLG with the Heiland Splitgrade and Comfort Control Interface. It is a remarkable piece of equipment.
Click to expand...
I can agree with tha. Well its LPL 7452 in my case, but the Heiland stuff is really amazing.
Regards,
Frank
 
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