Your Dream Camera

wonderlustking · Oct 1, 2011

Bessa L and the 12mm!!!! I wish I had the money for one of these.

Paul Goutiere · Oct 1, 2011

wonderlustking said:
Bessa L and the 12mm!!!! I wish I had the money for one of these.

There are two things about the Bessa L that are very fairly good; The built in meter and the shutter. The rest of the camera is unfortunately not very well made. I threw mine in the garbage.

If you are just wishing anyway, why not wish for the 12mm and a good Leica iiif or an adapter and a Leica M.

My Voigtlander 15mm is usually mounted on my Leica iiif and the combination is excellent.

vpwphoto · Oct 1, 2011

zsas... That's great to know... I just don't have the panache to hang it all out there on a paying assignment to do something that off the wall.
I used to use a Widelux which humored sitters... and last time I brought the view camera to an assignment, the professor thought I was too eccentric.

Sorry if my comment marginalized the meniscus/ pinhole users crowd.

I have earnestly apologized and clarified my point... again I AM SORRY and am done...

To the OP and a few others I like cameras with buzzy little gears to time shutters, 9 bladed aperatures and, purple and blue tinted mult-coated lenses and throw in some leather bellows... many cameras pull my strings... I like Roland Barthes description of a camera, "CLOCKS FOR SEEING"

images39 · Oct 1, 2011

A couple of dream cameras that don't exist:

1) A Nikon F3HP with the same match needle viewfinder display as the FE/FE2/FM3A.

2) A Nikon F100 with a quiet shutter and silent motor drive. Impossible, but would be great!

Dale

images39 · Oct 1, 2011

... Or to put it another way: A Nikon FE2 with the viewfinder of the F3HP.

Dale

vpwphoto · Oct 1, 2011

images39... I agree a Nikon F3 without the finicky electronic regulation... I have had two gently used F3's that were occasionally "gonzo". I know many will say F3's are rock solid... I have just been around 2 personally and a half dozen of colleagues that were less than reliable performers .... they are lovely devices thought.

lxdude · Oct 1, 2011

I have several dream cameras. All of them are digital.

It takes one digit to wind the film, two digits to turn the focusing ring...

Jeff Kubach · Oct 2, 2011

^

^

Jeff

André E.C. · Oct 2, 2011

I have my dream system, my Hasselblad V, to that, I would add a SWC and that's it, perfect, the ultimate camera system...

André

Pumalite · Oct 3, 2011

lxdude said:
I have several dream cameras. All of them are digital.

It takes one digit to wind the film, two digits to turn the focusing ring...

You must dream small then; unless we are talking Hasselblad Digital: @$38.000 bucks

lxdude · Oct 3, 2011

Pumalite said:
You must dream small then;

My MX's and ME's are really small-and I'd like to have some OM stuff too.

unless we are talking Hasselblad Digital: @$38.000 bucks

Maybe you are, I'm not!

TheFlyingCamera · Oct 3, 2011

I already have most of my dream cameras, some in better working condition than others. In small formats, I have my Contax G2 outfit, and a Rolleiflex 2.8 E with the Planar lens. In large formats, I have a Canham 5x7/5x12 and a Canham 14x17. If I were looking for one other film system today, I'd probably re-acquire a Contax SLR set, like an RTS III and a few fast primes, but the budget isn't there these days as I have too much to spend on feeding the existing stock, I've got lenses that need shutters overhauled, and my W. Watson & Sons 12x15 that needs rebuilding.

flatulent1 · Oct 3, 2011

I already have two of my dream cameras, a T90 and an RTS III. I'd also like a FF digital that wasn't made of plastic, with either an FD or a C/Y mount. But I guess I shouldn't admit that...

Saganich · Oct 3, 2011

Leica MP with an M3 rangefinder. But really, it would be an M9 with a killer B&W sensor for about 2K...OK 3K.

tomalophicon · Oct 4, 2011

Fuji GX680

Laurent · Oct 4, 2011

In 35mm, that would be the EOS3 WITHOUT all modes but manual, all meterings but spot and WITH adjustable diopter in the VF (and may be with 1Kg less)

In MF, the Rolleiflex 3.5 is all I need (the 'Blad is nice, but doesn't do better)

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 4, 2011

Laurent said:
In MF, the Rolleiflex 3.5 is all I need (the 'Blad is nice, but doesn't do better)

I agree with that. I have negatives printed, side by side, from Hasselblad and Rolleiflex, and there is nothing between them in picture quality. Nothing.
But, it is easier to change lenses on the Hasselblad.

André E.C. · Oct 4, 2011

And backs and pretty much everything else, the blad offers amazing flexibility...

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 4, 2011

André E.C. said:
And backs and pretty much everything else, the blad offers amazing flexibility...

And for those wanting a super high quality travel camera, the Rolleiflex is very convenient. It's also a lot quieter and I think easier to shoot hand held.
I owned a Rolleiflex for a few years and was super happy with it. Then when I acquired the Hasselblad I sold the Rollei, and have regretted it a little, to be honest. I miss it.

- Thomas

Chris Lange · Oct 4, 2011

My dream camera? My current Hasselblad 500C, except with the reinforced mounting feet for the film backs from the 503CW, and the larger non-vignetting mirror. I love the fact that it's a 1962, the original age of leaf-shuttered Hasselblads. I'd also like the full complement of lenses in CFi and original C versions.

I love my EL/Ms, but can't beat that old C with my 80, 150, and 250.

oh and I'd like it all in triplicate.

with 300 rolls of HP5+, Delta 100, and 3200, hundred of each respectively.

parkpy · Oct 4, 2011

I want a Leica M6. Or Leica M3.

I'd settle for a Minolta CLE, or Konica Hexar RF.

These desires would go away immediately if I ever held one. These are impossible to track down locally.

benjiboy · Oct 9, 2011

If I haven't got my dream camera after nearly sixty years of photography, I'm never going to .

deleonjayson · Nov 1, 2011

I'd say a Leica MP and a good old Nikon FM - also a Mamiya RB67 for medium format.

panzerfaustnl · Nov 1, 2011

digital:

The Canon D6000, 1Dx, Leica M9, Fujifilm X100

analog:

the original Nikon 1, a Leica i or ii and some Japanese copies of the Leica, the Canon for an example.

jali · Nov 1, 2011

A mint, meterless Nikon F with serial number from 1959, a black Nikon F2/T with a "Titan" inscription. Then I can die in peace...

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