Who prefers 35mm SLR over all other kinds of cameras?

R.Gould · Apr 12, 2015

I enjoy using 35mm as much as I enjoy using MF, In use them both, depending on the mood I am in sometimes I feel like taking a 35mm, the next day I might be in a 120 mood,also, it depends what I am shooting, if I am shooting street then 35mm is king, for my sea scapes or studio work then for me 120 is king, the only thing is I personally prefer to shoot with rangefinder/viewfinder/folder cameras, or my Rolleis, which for me is the studio camera of choice, it is horses for courses

railwayman3 · Apr 12, 2015

I started with an ancient 120 Zeiss folder as my first "serious" camera as a schoolboy, then a simple 35mm when I wanted to try colour slides. After that, I mover to a s/h Exakta, the ultimately a 35mm Pentax LX and MX outfit which I still use. Also a Yashica 124G 120 which comes out a few times a year when I'm seriously intending to photograph a subject where I want larger format quality. And a 35mm Minox for times when I didn't want to carry the full kit....but that's recently gone to Minox heaven after a fatal attack of the shutter illness which affects these models.

I think that the decision to go for the Pentax outfit and 35mm was for the reasons already suggested by others, being mainly a combination of practicality, versatility and the prospect of bring able to, gradually, afford to build up a comprehensive outfit. On the whole this has been successful for me, but, OTOH, I have bought some lenses and accessories which I've never really used fully and, with hindsight, probably didn't really need. Maybe I've learnt how much can be done with a simple camera and standard lens, whether it be 35mm or 10x8 !

Paul Howell · Apr 12, 2015

GaryFlorida said:
what about Pentax 6x7 or Pentacon Six? Wouldnt they be just as good for sports and wildlife? but better because of bigger flm area?

Lack of fast motor drive, 250 exposure back, and long lens, say the equivalent of a 500mm or the classic Cannon 70 to 200 2.8, not to mention high speed AF.

ambaker · Apr 12, 2015

Which is better, a Ferrari or a Mack Truck? Depends on if you are moving a houseful of furniture, or racing on a twisty country road...

My new-to-me Canon EOS RT, is a joy. It makes my 6th EOS camera. What is really cool, is it can use the EF-S lenses. I have a Tokina 12-24 crop frame zoom.

At 12mm I get vignette on the RT, but is gone by 15mm.

I also really enjoy my Elan 7e. I like the eye control for sports, and other fast action.

I like my Mamiya 645 Super for landscapes and portraits.

My Pentax 67 does not get enough use, but it is ready to go.

I've never shot my Busch Pressman D, but I really want to this summer.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

blockend · Apr 12, 2015

When film was the only game in town, I disliked 35mm. A medium format or larger silver print gave a depth and luminosity that was rare in the smaller format. My reassessment of the 35mm negative came when I began to prefer making books to producing fine prints few if any people ever saw. At normal sized reproduction, a 35mm colour negative scanned at 3200dpi fulfils all of my expectations of what a colour image looks like.

One can try ideas out, shoot casually and generally make photographs without the aesthetic burden of making a piece of photographic art. Don't get me wrong, as a one-off artefact a fine print is a beautiful object and one I spent decades chasing, but for sequences and serial concepts 35mm film, printed and bound has a lot going for it.

Sirius Glass · Apr 12, 2015

GaryFlorida said:
Do any of you prefer 35mm SLR over all others?

1. what you see is what you get.
2. interchangeable lenses
3. small but not too small
4. reliable, strong
5. cool looking, vintage, retro etc.
6. film available and reasonable priced
7. feature rich
8. accessories galore
9. very inexpensive now on used market.
10. Big enough film for nice size prints but not huge blow ups.

Im not saying I like them better than all others, Im just wondering if any of you do?

Not me. 35mm slrs are ok but 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" and 4"x 5" slrs produce negatives with more potential. Furthermore 4"x5" slrs have an almost infinite selection on barrel lenses available.

carousel0 · Apr 12, 2015

I think it depends a lot on the lens... I don't really like changing them around too much, but I'm completely enjoying shooting (casual portraits & townscape) with my recently acquired 105/2.5 and 135/4 Nikkors on FE and FM. Just great for clarity and and color (slides).

For normal focal lengths my favorite cameras, strictly as an amateur, have always been the Rolleiflex and Rollei 35...

Gerald C Koch · Apr 13, 2015

ciniframe said:
Because the negative is little bigger than a postage stamp. That means that any errors in focus, camera motion, etc will be magnified more because of the increased magnification needed to get an enlargement to some standard size. What may look acceptable in a 4X6in. proof could be shown to be not quite up to standards in a 8X10 or 11X14 enlargement.

However 8x10 and larger ARE possible with good technique. Consider the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson whose photos were all taken with a hand held Leica. The format is a challenge not an obstacle.

John Bragg · Apr 13, 2015

I have a fondness for all 35mm cameras, and I guess the SLR is the most versatile of these. My leica M6 is invaluable for low light use, and the SLR has its place too. I would not say I prefer one system to the other, so I just like all 35mm cameras equally.

flavio81 · Apr 13, 2015

Answering to the original poster:

1. what you see is what you get.

-> Also achievable with TLRs and with large format studio cameras.

2. interchangeable lenses

-> also achievable with TLRs and rangefinders

3. small but not too small

-> i feel rangefinders are better in this regard

4. reliable, strong

-> TLRs are even more reliable and strong

5. cool looking, vintage, retro etc.

-> TLRs are even better looking

6. film available and reasonable priced

-> agree

7. feature rich

-> agree

8. accessories galore

-> agree

9. very inexpensive now on used market.

-> agree

10. Big enough film for nice size prints but not huge blow ups.

Disagree!!

Hahahaha... For me the main reason to use 35mm is whenever i want a light camera that is versatile and very quick to operate. But to be honest i don't really prefer 35mm SLRs.

Tom Taylor · Apr 13, 2015

I shoot with all formats from 35mm to 8x10. Saturday morning I set-up the 8x10 alongside a river bank waiting for the light which never appeared. While waiting I noticed the wavy reflection of a bare vegetation over hanging the rivers edge and went back to the car and got the F6. Perfect 35mm shot.

Thomas

GaryFlorida · Apr 13, 2015

flavio81 said:
Answering to the original poster:

1. what you see is what you get.

-> Also achievable with TLRs and with large format studio cameras.
not with TLRs. Parallax error the closer you get to your subject.

2. interchangeable lenses

-> also achievable with TLRs and rangefinders
only one TLR i know of that does that. not counting the 'auxillary lenses" for some bayonet mount tlrs.

sure with some rangefinders can interchange lenses but have to use work around adapter attachments to get the frame right and then its so small.. ah well. How much money do you have to throw at it?

3. small but not too small

-> i feel rangefinders are better in this regard
indeed they are

4. reliable, strong

-> TLRs are even more reliable and strong
true enough. especially the simpler ones.

5. cool looking, vintage, retro etc.

-> TLRs are even better looking
cooler looking. I wouldnt say better.

6. film available and reasonable priced

-> agree

7. feature rich

-> agree

8. accessories galore

-> agree

9. very inexpensive now on used market.

-> agree

10. Big enough film for nice size prints but not huge blow ups.

Disagree!!

not big enough for nice size prints? or big enough for huge blow ups? What is your point of contention?

Hahahaha... For me the main reason to use 35mm is whenever i want a light camera that is versatile and very quick to operate. But to be honest i don't really prefer 35mm SLRs.

responses in bold. Also 35mm SLRs meet ALL of the points. Some others only meet some points. Im starting to like 35mm. One thing TLRs have is that they are more subject friendly. Set it on a tripod. Look down, hold the cable release glance down time to time, pre focus and nobody feels threatened like aiming an SLR around like a mad gunman. Less creep factor.

Nathan King · Apr 13, 2015

flavio81 said:
Answering to the original poster:

10. Big enough film for nice size prints but not huge blow ups.

Disagree!!

Hahahaha... For me the main reason to use 35mm is whenever i want a light camera that is versatile and very quick to operate. But to be honest i don't really prefer 35mm SLRs.

I just made two 9x13 prints from 35mm negatives for a good friend yesterday from our New York vacation. You have to almost touch your nose to the print to see any grain. Even then, the slight grain and resulting image is very sharp with a carefully aligned enlarger. I used 400 speed film. Would medium format have been easier to enlarge? Yes. Would I have come back from my trip with either of those images had I used a medium format camera? Unlikely.

How large do you print on a regular basis?

GaryFlorida · Apr 13, 2015

Nathan King said:
I just made two 9x13 prints from 35mm negatives for a good friend yesterday from our New York vacation. You have to almost touch your nose to the print to see any grain. Even then, the slight grain and resulting image is very sharp with a carefully aligned enlarger. I used 400 speed film. Would medium format have been easier to enlarge? Yes. Would I have come back from my trip with either of those images had I used a medium format camera? Unlikely.

How large do you print on a regular basis?

35mm is starting to look pretty good. Nikon F2 has waist level finder available.

flavio81 · Apr 13, 2015

Nathan King said:
I just made two 9x13 prints from 35mm negatives for a good friend yesterday from our New York vacation. You have to almost touch your nose to the print to see any grain. Even then, the slight grain and resulting image is very sharp with a carefully aligned enlarger. I used 400 speed film. Would medium format have been easier to enlarge? Yes. Would I have come back from my trip with either of those images had I used a medium format camera? Unlikely.

9x13" is not too large, to be honest. I agree that 35mm can give good results, however I can get even better results from medium format. Not just sharpness, which can be easily obtained with 35mm, but also tonality, creamy tonality.

flavio81 · Apr 13, 2015

To GaryFlorida, some answers:

Answering to the original poster:

1. what you see is what you get.

-> Also achievable with TLRs and with large format studio cameras.
not with TLRs. Parallax error the closer you get to your subject.

My answer: Mamiya and Rollei TLRs have viewfinders with parallax compensation devices. I never had any problem with parallax.

2. interchangeable lenses

-> also achievable with TLRs and rangefinders
only one TLR i know of that does that. not counting the 'auxillary lenses" for some bayonet mount tlrs.

sure with some rangefinders can interchange lenses but have to use work around adapter attachments to get the frame right and then its so small.. ah well. How much money do you have to throw at it?

My answer: But such TLR machine we're discussing is one of the most widely used, well-liked and highly-regarded TLRs: The Mamiya C-series. Which I use; and the lenses are just fine.

I do agree with you in the other points, though. As for image quality; i feel 35mm image quality, particularly with Ilford Delta 100, is pretty good. It's just that i can also fit Delta 100 in my RB67 and then the quality gets jaw-dropping...

ME Super · Apr 13, 2015

35mm SLRs are convenient, especially for shooting slides. I have a fondness for the square format too, though, and would love to see a 35mm camera that took 24x24mm pictures on 35mm film (with 35mm spacing so you could use 35mm slide mounts). I primarily shoot a 35mm SLR.

On the other hand, bigger and square is nice too. I'd love to get ahold of a good 6x6 TLR in good working order.

narsuitus · Apr 13, 2015

GaryFlorida said:
Do any of you prefer 35mm SLR over all others?

The 35mm Nikon F2 SLR with a non-metered viewfinder is my favorite camera over all others. It is rugged, reliable, and versatile. Therefore, it is the camera I prefer over all other kinds of cameras.

However, there are times when I prefer to use medium and large format cameras for better image quality.

There are also times when I prefer to use rangefinders for quiet operation and no mirror slap.

Also, the cameras that give me the most pride are my do-it-yourself pinhole cameras.

https://flic.kr/p/aBohWo

Sirius Glass · Apr 13, 2015

Sirius Glass said:
Not me. 35mm slrs are ok but 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" and 4"x 5" slrs produce negatives with more potential. Furthermore 4"x5" slrs have an almost infinite selection on barrel lenses available.

I use 35mm cameras when I am in situations when I do not have the luxury of time to compose and play with the light, such as when I am traveling with others.

GaryFlorida · Apr 13, 2015

ME Super said:
35mm SLRs are convenient, especially for shooting slides. I have a fondness for the square format too, though, and would love to see a 35mm camera that took 24x24mm pictures on 35mm film (with 35mm spacing so you could use 35mm slide mounts). I primarily shoot a 35mm SLR.

On the other hand, bigger and square is nice too. I'd love to get ahold of a good 6x6 TLR in good working order.

if you want the spacing the same, couldnt you just make a paper mask and put it in front of the film plane?

GaryFlorida · Apr 13, 2015

flavio81 said:
To GaryFlorida, some answers:

Answering to the original poster:

1. what you see is what you get.

-> Also achievable with TLRs and with large format studio cameras.
not with TLRs. Parallax error the closer you get to your subject.

My answer: Mamiya and Rollei TLRs have viewfinders with parallax compensation devices. I never had any problem with parallax.

2. interchangeable lenses

-> also achievable with TLRs and rangefinders
only one TLR i know of that does that. not counting the 'auxillary lenses" for some bayonet mount tlrs.

sure with some rangefinders can interchange lenses but have to use work around adapter attachments to get the frame right and then its so small.. ah well. How much money do you have to throw at it?

My answer: But such TLR machine we're discussing is one of the most widely used, well-liked and highly-regarded TLRs: The Mamiya C-series. Which I use; and the lenses are just fine.

I do agree with you in the other points, though. As for image quality; i feel 35mm image quality, particularly with Ilford Delta 100, is pretty good. It's just that i can also fit Delta 100 in my RB67 and then the quality gets jaw-dropping...

yes the Mamiya C-Series is the one I had in mind. its the only one that I know of. And what of its parallax compensation feature? Does it only show where the top edge of the frame will be? It cant show the whole corrected frame can it?

I have seriously courted the Mamiya C series TLR on occasion. I have not yet pulled the trigger on one though. Im having too much fun with my Ciroflex F, laugh if you will, but Im loving the Raptar and the simplicity. Made in USA when there was a USA. God help us all, the nations been hijacked while we were asleep, tolerant and generous.

Les Sarile · Apr 13, 2015

It does seem that I prefer a 35mm SLR over all other kinds of cameras as that appears to be what I have the most of . . .

I have also come to discover the elegance of the uncluttered viewfinder prism . . .

GaryFlorida · Apr 13, 2015

narsuitus said:
The 35mm Nikon F2 SLR with a non-metered viewfinder is my favorite camera over all others. It is rugged, reliable, and versatile. Therefore, it is the camera I prefer over all other kinds of cameras.

However, there are times when I prefer to use medium and large format cameras for better image quality.

There are also times when I prefer to use rangefinders for quiet operation and no mirror slap.

Also, the cameras that give me the most pride are my do-it-yourself pinhole cameras.

https://flic.kr/p/aBohWo

Why did you take the Nikon badge off the black one?

GaryFlorida · Apr 13, 2015

Les Sarile said:
It does seem that I prefer a 35mm SLR over all other kinds of cameras as that appears to be what I have the most of . . .

I have also come to discover the elegance of the uncluttered viewfinder prism . . .

Do you have an FT3? What are your thoughts?

Les Sarile · Apr 13, 2015

GaryFlorida said:
Do you have an FT3? What are your thoughts?

I do . . .

It's an AI version, full featured and typical robust build.

Who prefers 35mm SLR over all other kinds of cameras?

Attachments

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency