Your Dream Camera

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 22, 2005

Unfortunately, I had a plane to catch when the auction ended, so this one will have to remain a dream--

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7561174689

Claire Senft · Nov 22, 2005

I already own it:Contax RTSIII with nine primes. Nicest camera I have ever used.

Vincent DiPietro · Nov 22, 2005

My dream camera became a reality a few years ago-- it's the Contax RX followed by the Contax Aria, followed by the Contax S2, followed by the Contax 139 Q. These attach to 6 Zeiss primes and 2 Zeiss Zooms. But I mostly use primes.

matchat · Nov 22, 2005

No gnashings you haven't missed the point of the thread, in fact your spot on (perhaps I wasn't quite articulate enough when phrasing the question). This is the sort of insightful reply I was hoping to achieve from this post.

I have to say on the otherhand that whilst your choice of car is good it is no comparison to the Italian Job Mini's or for that matter the VW Beetle (surely there isn't a person on earth who could dislike the original Herbie)

gnashings · Nov 22, 2005

But bandit's car had that cool mural of a phoenix on the hood! How cool is that!?!?!?!?
Perhaps a little short on the world wide recognition points appeal,

.... you're right - anyone capable of disliking the original Herbie has to be questioned - there has to be something wrong with them

elekm · Nov 22, 2005

A few years back, I was thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if they came out with an updated Contax rangefinder?" It's been my favorite camera for about three years.

Well, seeing that Zeiss Ikon had been out of business for three decades, that wasn't going to happen. But lo and behold, Carl Zeiss goes and makes the Zeiss Ikon. So sometimes, dreams do come true. (http://elekm.net/zeiss_ikon)

Surly · Nov 23, 2005

Since were dreaming, and elekem whipped out that gorgeous Zeiss Ikon I want a Ducati rangefinder. Every discerning motorcylist/camera nerd needs a Ducati rangefinder.
http://cameraquest.com/ducati.htm
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Charles Webb · Nov 23, 2005

I would be perfectly satisfied with a new Deardorff 5x7, with a 10 inch Pinkham and Smith autofocus lens. Charlie..........

Flotsam · Nov 23, 2005

elekm said:
A few years back, I was thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if they came out with an updated Contax rangefinder?" It's been my favorite camera for about three years.

Well, seeing that Zeiss Ikon had been out of business for three decades, that wasn't going to happen. But lo and behold, Carl Zeiss goes and makes the Zeiss Ikon. So sometimes, dreams do come true. (http://elekm.net/zeiss_ikon)

Now they have to start thinking about designing and marketing a new SLR body that will mount the existing CZ lenses.

elekm · Nov 23, 2005

Surly said:
Since were dreaming, and elekem whipped out that gorgeous Zeiss Ikon I want a Ducati rangefinder. Every discerning motorcylist/camera nerd needs a Ducati rangefinder.
http://cameraquest.com/ducati.htm
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That Ducati is a sweet little camera. Oh, now I have to fine one!

gr82bart · Nov 24, 2005

I have a tendency to actually buy my dream cameras, so I don't really want to have dream cameras.

A year after my Dad gave me a Pentex ME, I wanted the Pentax Super Program and bought it at 14. I wanted a Pentex LX when I was in highschool, bought one. I wanted the shiny new Nikon F4 in university - bought 3. After I learned to SCUBA, I wanted the Nikonos - bought it. A few years ago, I wanted a Hasselblad, so guess what? I bought a shiny new yellow one with 4 lenses and a host of accessories.

My dreams are getting more expensive. This past summer, I wanted a 4x5. Still haven't bought one yet, but the little field Arca has been looked at many, many times....

Hobbies are evil!

Art. (Also won't explain that I have a Nikon D2X which I wanted, I want an F6, but I really want the Hasselblad H1 with a Leaf Aptus 22 back...)

Uncle Bill · Nov 25, 2005

Look on the bright side Art, this mental illness...I mean hobby is safer than schedule A narcotics, not cheaper.

Bill

Nicole · Nov 25, 2005

XPan II & M6 with various lenses for each.

Oh and a matching accessory - a Mini Cooper Chilli

Nicole

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 25, 2005

Well, I lost the auction for the 6x9 Technika with three Zeiss lenses, but I did finally manage to cross this lens off the wish list (and had I just won the Technika, I wouldn't have been able to afford this one, so maybe it's fate)--

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7565200015

rbarker · Nov 25, 2005

Nicole Boenig-McGrade said:
XPan II & M6 with various lenses for each.

Oh and a matching accessory - a Mini Cooper Chilli

Nicole

Wouldn't you also need matching shoes and purse? But then you might be mistaken for an expat Oakland Raiders fan (silver and black).

Nicole · Nov 25, 2005

rbarker said:
Wouldn't you also need matching shoes and purse? But then you might be mistaken for an expat Oakland Raiders fan (silver and black).

An expat what?

Wouldn't have money left for shoes and the purse would be empty. And that's ok.

matchat · Nov 27, 2005

Although the Mini idea is ok (ish) it's nowhere near as good as an original shape Mini Cooper in British Racing Green.
Actually on this note a Caterham 7 would be even nicer & a 1 series Land Rover for off road. Cant remember the name of it but according to Top Gear (BBC 2) a road legal 1950's formula 1 car has just been re released (with engine & brake improvements e.t.c) - Now that is nice, shame its 50000 GBP (I think)

lee · Nov 27, 2005

matchat said:
Although the Mini idea is ok (ish) it's nowhere near as good as an original shape Mini Cooper in British Racing Green.
Actually on this note a Caterham 7 would be even nicer & a 1 series Land Rover for off road. Cant remember the name of it but according to Top Gear (BBC 2) a road legal 1950's formula 1 car has just been re released (with engine & brake improvements e.t.c) - Now that is nice, shame its 50000 GBP (I think)

Doesn't have Lucas electronics does it?

lee\c

Paul Sorensen · Nov 27, 2005

David A. Goldfarb said:
Well, I lost the auction for the 6x9 Technika with three Zeiss lenses, but I did finally manage to cross this lens off the wish list (and had I just won the Technika, I wouldn't have been able to afford this one, so maybe it's fate)--

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7565200015

Nice lens David!

I have also managed to get one of my dream cameras, a Pentax MX. The MX was my first real camera. I got it when I was about 15 and decided to sell it for a "better" camera in college. I am really sorry I sold it, so now I have finally replaced it about 20 years later. All I need is a few lenses.

jvarsoke · Nov 27, 2005

johnny9fingers said:
I would go with the Konica Hexar AF. Small, fast and quiet...some day I'll have one...

Yep, just got a Silver off eBay. You won't be disapointed with this dream. Only thing wrong with it is no-manual focus (well, not usable anyway).

Surly · Nov 27, 2005

Ahhh yes, Lucas. The Prince of Darkness. I used to have some British bikes. Your headlight had three settings-dim, flicker, and off.

Charles Webb · Nov 28, 2005

When I dream in todays world, it certainly is not of BSA's, Norton,Triumph or Royal Enfield along with a few others equipped with Lucas Electrics. I have however been giving some thought to an 8x10 with all the movements cell phone. Charlie...........

Roger Krueger · Nov 28, 2005

My Mamiya Universal with f2 lenses, the Zeiss 110 Planar and Schneider 80 Xenotar, (the Rollei versions with shutters, not the lame shutterless Hassy 110), perfectly coupled to the rangefinder of course, and with appropriate brightframes replacing the factory ones.

I know they probably won't cover 6x7, but open the mask up enough so I can choose 66x44 or 56x56 or something in between after I shoot, on a 6x7 neg.

Give it a projected reverse-rangefinder option like some of the Graphics had, and an interlock that would extinguish the light right as you fired. Make it a green laser, so it would have longer range than the incandescent solution in the Graphics, and yet wouldn't cause the oh-shit-a-sniper reaction you can get with red laser spots. An intensity dial would be good too.

Make it auto-advance slowly and quietly, without giving up the great film flatness of the non-reverse-curl Mamiya backs.

This is all probably possible, although getting the helical pitch/rangefinder sync right might be tough.

For pure fantasy, I'll dream a 4x5 "overgrown Universal" with a 150/2.8 Xenotar. (It'd probably have to be a design from scratch, everything's just barely in the wrong place to let a real Universal be adapted to full-frame 4x5) It'll have a 5 inch roll back that somehow still lets me get my eye to the eyepiece. Best of all (since this is a fantasy) there'll be Delta 3200 loaded in it.

Another fantasy would be an 8x10 version of the Cambo Wide. I wouldn't care so much about movements, but I'd need real scale focusing, not the preset hyperfocal of the Hobo. Also, a 120-degree lens that's just a little too short to cover, like my 35mm APO Grandagon on 4x5, so I can get a 120 degree angle of view with any aspect ratio I want.

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 28, 2005

Roger Krueger said:
Another fantasy would be an 8x10 version of the Cambo Wide. I wouldn't care so much about movements, but I'd need real scale focusing, not the preset hyperfocal of the Hobo. Also, a 120-degree lens that's just a little too short to cover, like my 35mm APO Grandagon on 4x5, so I can get a 120 degree angle of view with any aspect ratio I want.

I've mounted my 8x10" Gowland PocketView on a pistol grip--more like a Sinar Handy than a Cambo Wide. I still need to make a proper viewfinder for it. I use it with the 120/f:14 Berthiot Perigraphe, and in place of the camera's regular rail, tripod block, and standard bearers, I've made a short cherry wood rail with two focus positions--infinity and 8 ft. The lens needs to be stopped down to cover 8x10", so that handles most situations.

Rick Haug · Nov 28, 2005

Dream camera, huh? Boy, I don't know. I've been using the same Canon F1N since 1989. I would feel a bit unfaithful for even thinking about another 35mm camera.

Your Dream Camera

David A. Goldfarb

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Claire Senft

Vincent DiPietro

matchat

gnashings

elekm

Surly

Charles Webb

Flotsam

elekm

gr82bart

Uncle Bill

Nicole

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

rbarker

Nicole

matchat

lee

Paul Sorensen

jvarsoke

Surly

Charles Webb

Roger Krueger

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

Rick Haug

Your Dream Camera

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