Your Favorite 35mm Camera?

Nikon F3
Olympus OM2n + Winder II
Contax RTS I

I've had a lot of cameras over the years (there are 3 SLR cameras sitting on the desk next to my PC as I write). I don't go out the door without a camera, and during my lunch breaks I can often be found either at the nearby camera shop buying film, or at one of the nearby parks looking for things to photograph.

My first 35mm SLR was a Nikon FE, and after than I owned pretty much every F model that Nikon has made, from the F to the F5. Not so long ago I acquired a Canon A1 (the "dream" camera of my childhood, many of you can probably remember the A1 ad on the back cover of the old National Geographic magazines) and a few FD lenses. I then picked up at AE1, an FTb, and then an F1. All of these cameras work wonderfully, and I've gotten great pictures out of all of them.

Whenever I go out for the weekend, I grab my camera bag. As all of you know, pro-level SLR kits are heavy. A Canon F1, a few decent lenses and other gear, it gets to be a pain to carry. Since I don't have a car, I walk for many miles with each outing, and it isn't long before I get sore shoulders.

Not long ago I found an Olympus OM4Ti sitting at a thrift store. I knew nothing about Olympus cameras, having been both a Nikon and Canon fanboy (who would believe it?), I never considered Olympus gear to be on the same level. But I asked around about the OM4Ti, and found that no one had anything bad to say about it, and many people spoke of it in glowing, almost mythical terms. I took a closer look at it, and found it to be very compact, and very lightweight. It was a jewel of a camera, and I decided to buy it.

As I became use to the Olympus, I found it to be quite superior to the Nikon and Canon gear that I had been using. The meter in the camera is simply phenomenal, and easier to use than the sophisticated meter in my digital D300.

I quickly put together a collection of lenses for the Olympus (I love Japan for it's used camera shops and their huge collections of the common and obscure), and found the lenses to be superb quality as well.

There is no comparing the OM4ti to my Canon F1 or Nikon F3 (or F4). It is smaller and easier handling, meters better, and is sheer joy to use. I typically carry a camera body (sometimes 2) with 3 or 4 lenses. My Olympus kit weighs almost half of what my comparable Nikon or Canon kits weigh.

Before buying the Olympus, I was looking at getting a Leica M7 kit. I borrowed one from a shop owner I know, and played around with it for a week. Had I not bought the Olympus, I would have the Leica now. But I find the OM4Ti to be no less compact than the Leica, and a bit lighter in weight. I love the bright OM viewfinder, and the the variety of low-cost but high quality OM lenses. Most Leica glass is superior to the Olympus stuff, but I have a few Zuiko lenses which are astoundingly good (though not cheap).

Given the incremental increase in quality one gets with a Leica compared to the more-than-incremental difference in price, I'll stick with my Olympus for now. If the shop comes down some more on the M7, I may go with it, just for the sake of having it, but I honestly don't think it's capable of taking better pictures than my current kits.

Olympus OM4Ti kit

This is a very difficult one, like asking which of your children is your favorite, I have thought long and hard and mine is probaby my Canon EF , ( The one they call "Black Beauty")http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EF_camera, since I got it I've used it more than any other camera I own.

Definitely my Nikon F5 is my favourite. Big, imposing, fast and capable, solid and heavy, who could ask for more???

2nd would be my motley collection of Olympus Stylus compacts. Each of them has it's own strengths, they can be great fun, especially the Epic or the 28-80 with it's retarded fake pano mode

My OM-4 would be my favorite, followed closely by my OM-1n

pcyco said:

eos 1 v (powerfull)
zorki 4 (slow ;-) )

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EOS 1v

Leica M6 (am I a snob?)

For about 40 years I loved and used Minolta MC and MD cameras. Then as fate would have it, my girlfriend won a Tameron f/3.5 - 6.3 Macro 28 - 300mm AF Aspherical XR lens. Since the lens would not work on the Minoltas, I was forced kicking and screaming to buy a Nikon. [It is a tough life but someone has to live it.] Now I have two Nikons: an N-75 for color prints and a F-100 for black & white [including HIE]. The F-100 is also used as a spot meter for the Hasselblads.

Steve

My latest toy is a Minolta XD-7 with 7 lenses and Flash

For me it has to be the Canon T90, it just oozes confidence, plus with all the wonderful FD lenses how can you go wrong.

lukee4 said:

A great but slightly rare camera is the Nikon EL2. It's the last of the Nikkormat series. It has nice Nikon type weight, mirror lock-up, aperture priority automatic, with automatic exposure lock capability. I got mine in near new condition on Ebay for a song.

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I like the EL-2 so much that I buy them whenever I find them available. Mostly, they are given to family members but they also exist to provide spare parts for my personal favorite EL-2.

The only knock against the EL-2 is the rate at which it drains expensive batteries if you leave the light meter on.

I really don't have a favorite, so much as a current favorite.

Currently, I'm really digging my Contax IIa again, a Rolleiflex SL 35 E and a Vivitar XC-3.

glockman99 said:

My favorite camera is my pair of Nikon F3HP's...Those are total "workhorses". I have MD-4 motordrives hooked to both of 'em, and although that makes for a rather heavy camera to pack around, it feels very good and solid in my hands.

My 2nd favorite is my (black body) Nikon FA, with MD-15 motordrive.

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Well, it looks like it's time to update this. My all-time favorite is my Nikon F4s, followed by my F3HP's. The FA is gone to Illinois in a trade for a Nikkor 24-120mm AF-D lens...As soon as this lens arrives (on Tuesday), it'll be living on my F4s.

I have just dusted off my Minolta XD11 and an SR1, neither have seen action for a long time. To be honest I was/am thinking of selling my old manual focus kit, but after holding them again .... I just can't decide whether to keep or sell them :confused:

I used to be indecisive now I'm just not sure

My favourites were the XD11 & SR1, with minolta/rokkor lenses. But I do really live my Minolta 800si with the VC700 grip.

glockman99 said:

Well, it looks like it's time to update this. My all-time favorite is my Nikon F4s, followed by my F3HP's. The FA is gone to Illinois in a trade for a Nikkor 24-120mm AF-D lens...As soon as this lens arrives (on Tuesday), it'll be living on my F4s.

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Update...I received the 24-120mm lens a couple days ago, and I really cannot think of a better set than my Nikon F4s, Nikkor 24-120mm lens, and SB27 Speedlight...Perfect!

F2 !! Since day one.

Nikon F5. Easy to use, fits my hand well, metering is excellent, etc. etc.

It's a toss up between my M5 and my F5. Hey maybe the number 5 is my lucky number LOL.

My favorite camera, film or digital, is the EOS 1v. I have also grown to love the Minolta XD-11, XE-7, and the Canon F-1, but the one vying for top honors with my 1v (ok, maybe a close 2nd) is the Nikon FE2. What an outstanding camera!

Nikon F from the start.

My 35mm cameras have been Nikon F. I have a 50mm lens, and a 100-300 Vivitar Series 1 zoom. I have two camera bodies, a WLF and a SportsFinder. No batteries. No winder. No meter in the camera. Lots of brassy bits on the bodies (old news cameras).

my leica m4.

A hard one this.

I guess overall after owning 3 of them the Nikon FA for me has been my favourite but I love my Contax G2 I mainly use these days just as much. Then how could I leave out at the very least a mention for the Nikon F2A, Olympus OM-2, Leica R8 or my very first SLR that was the old Canon EF.

In 35mm, I love my Minolta X-700. I love the bright screen. I love the quality of the lenses. It's a nice camera., but I have an XD-11 coming to me. So that may topple the X-700. We'll see. It looks like I'll have to fix a sticking shutter first, though.

Brian
http://www.365cameras.com

My favorite would be my Zeiss Ikon Contarex. I don't know that I would recommend one to others, but for me it is the ultimate 35mm. 2nd coice would be my Nikon F. Both are a lot of fun to shoot, the Nikon is probably much easier to get lenses/accessories/repairs, but the Contarex is just amazing to use--it has a feel and sound like no other 35mm camera.

Nikon FA by a mile and I only got rid of it because the eyesight necessitated a move to autofocus