What’s your favourite film camera?

[Tom Axford]

I too love the Xpan. I also like using an old Russian Horizon panoramic camera. Technically, the Xpan is a lot better but for me there is some fun using this clockwork old-timer.

Horizon camera

Both very good panoramic cameras, but the Horizon produces a completely different type of image as it uses cylindrical projection rather than the conventional rectilinear projection of non-rotating cameras.

 

[Etienne R. Werner]

The Fuji GW690II next to it's smaller and younger brother Fuji Xpro2.

 

[Winterfrost]

The Fuji GW690II next to it's smaller and younger brother Fuji Xpro2.

Lovely, one of those famous 90's "Texas Leicas" from Fujifilm. ;-)

Best,

Marc

--
"The Best Camera is the One That's with You" ~ Chase Jarvis

 

[Cekon]

I have my OM-2n since the 80s - very cute compact body, a great viewfinder, even for today standards (although not very bright), great little lenses - I always had a lot of fun with her...

I am happy to use the glas on my Nikon Z6 too (but that's another forum....)

C:

 

[Bob Janes]

Ok so, I’m not what you think is the “best” (whatever that means), which of your film cameras do you like the most? The one that feels like the default choice. The desert island camera (assuming there was a supply of film on said island etc...)

Oh, and pictures, please. #filmcameraporn and all that...

BTW, mine is my Leica M4-P - it looks like crap, but it’s a wonderful thing!

I have too many.

I have particular soft spots for my original Konica Autoreflex T3, but also love the Spotmatic F I picked up a few years ago.

I have a lovely Auto S3 which is about as good as fixed lens rangefinders got, but also love the Contax G1 with its zooming viewfinder.

I've got a great Rolleiflex TLR, but also like my Microcord (a British-made Rolleicord copy with some 'flex' features and a very good lens)... I also liked the Zeiss Super-Ikonta ^x6 that I picked up up for my dad some time ago (he used to repair them while on active service in Korea).

Also in contention would be the little Minox 35EL - rudimentary focus setting, but a lovely sharp and colourful lens.

--
Save a life, become a stem-cell donor.
Hello to Jason Isaacs!

PoTB - Bob Janes

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[John Michael Winterbourne]

Well, you did say it didn't have to be the "best"...... It's my favourite because it shares a lot of DNA with the 35mm film cameras I started with - Praktica M42 and then the PB Praktica BC1 - and all that nice CZJ glass.




Ludlow Castle, Shropshire with CZJ 50mm f/4 wide angle lens

 

[Jorri]

I'm trying to get my hands dirty on a lot of different types. My first Pentax MX will always be my workhorse, I expect. I love my new Olympus 35RC for how compact it is, while still manual. It's my favourite daily carry. And I'm really enjoying 6x9 on a Zeiss Ikon folding camera.



but my desert island camera has to be the Olympus Pen FT. Such a fine piece of work, and a joy to handle. I can snap away all day and the half-frame vertical orientation is perfect for me.

 

[jeremy north]

Contax G2

 

[rodrigopaixao]

Ok so, I’m not what you think is the “best” (whatever that means), which of your film cameras do you like the most? The one that feels like the default choice. The desert island camera (assuming there was a supply of film on said island etc...)

Oh, and pictures, please. #filmcameraporn and all that...

BTW, mine is my Leica M4-P - it looks like crap, but it’s a wonderful thing!

My Baby.

Black Canon AE-1 with lens FD 50mm 1.4

 

[photophile]

...just because those happened to be the first two cameras that I owned by myself.

 

[drolo61]

I still have (and not use for literally decades) my trusted Nikon FM2 - kept under the idea that if we lose all electronics through an EMP, this little beauty will still get marvelous shots. Fully mechanical metal shutter up to 1/4000, great ergonomics (for the time) and a compact little pack.

 

[drolo61]

Double thumbs up to this nomination

 

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Yeah. Two. Sorry, I can't really choose one over the other. I carried both. A lot.

The FE as-is. No motor drive. The FA with the MD-15 motor drive and the MF-12 data back. So that made for a small camera with M and A modes, and a large, heavy camera with M, A, S and P modes. I opted to let the MD power the FA (it went thru the coin cells rapidly), so it wasn't used without the motor drive.

Eventually, I got an F4 to replace the FA, but it never really did. My first FA lunched the titanium shutter, so I got the F4. Then, I got another FA.

The FE still works. And, I had two of those for a long time. Usually one with B+W film and the other with color film.

Stan

 

[Another birder]

Not sure why exactly, but I just adore the Minolta X700. So smooth to use, and one of the best viewfinders Ive used.

The Nikon F3 is next on my list - bit heavy, and if you get a working LCD display it is fun to use.

The LX is a wonderful machine, but seems to be prone to sticky shutter - I spent ton to get mine serviced. The MX is great as well.

Love the OM series, although the later ones (OM2 spot, OM4 spot) seem to be battery hogs.

 

[Sabud]

I have many cameras (film) but my Leica M6 with Summicron 35/2 ASPH is my most used camera.

 

[doner_man]

Tough question.


Not exotic or special but i really liked my Canon A-1. In fact it was my first SLR. I always found it to be better than the AE-1/P or other A series bodies. Even after using a Canon F-1 New nothing came close to the feeling that the A-1 gave me. It has everything one can ask for (except mirror lock if i remember correctly) and it looks sexy IMO. I also found the chronic squeaking sound to be satisfactory. It sounds like a pistol straight out of a video game to my ears.



Even if i now have a Nikon dslr and a F4, i seriously think on buying a fully loaded A-1 (with the motor drive ma, data back and an angled eyepiece attachment) as my F4 is broken. Or i might go get an F3 as i never owned one.

 

[athensGA]

Olympus Pen-F!

Originally created because color film was so damn expensive. Well guess what? Things have come full circle. A roll of portra is like $7 and develop/scanning is another $15ish. So by extending a roll to 72 frames it makes film photography a more economical prospect. Plus the camera is a beauty, is built like a tank, and has some good lens choices with interesting 'vintage' rendering. There is a little bit of drop off with ultimate IQ due to smaller imaging surface but nothing dramatic or deal breaking. It's akin to aps vs full frame, and I doubt we need to litigate that here!




Olympus pen F, Fuji superia 400, Washington Square Park



I am also a big fan of the japanese consumer rangefinders of the 60s. Canonet et al. My personal fav is the Olympus 35rc which is not much bigger than a deck of cards and has a sharp little lens. I took one to England on a wing and a prayer a few years back and was over the moon with the overall experience and very pleasantly pleased with the resulting images.




Olympus 35rc Fuji Superia 400, Blakeney Norfolk UK

 

[athensGA]

For me it was the Hexar AF (Black)

incredible sharp 35mm f2 lens, whisper quiet leaf shutter

could AF on black tux in complete darkness due to IR focusing

flash used automatically calculated GN and distance info from AF instead of TTL so someone wearing black (or white) was not over or under exposed.

Silent mode - slowed down the transport AND would not advance until you lifted finger off of the shutter button.

Manual focus mode (not really - more like AF lock, so it wouldn't try to reacquire focus from picture to picture - allowing you to prefocus and snap quickly

small - unobstrusive - rangefinder like viewfinder with moving parallax bars for framing closer objects

You could set your max longest shutter speed so that auto modes wouldn't allow camera or subject blur

crazy good battery life

bought mine used for $400 - used it for probably 8 years - sold it for $500, now they sell for $850-$1000 - wish I had hung on to it.

Closest digital version to it would have been the Fuji x100 series - but... the 35mm f2 lens on the Hexar was for a full frame and it "could" focus in the dark and always correctly exposed with flash AND balanced the background exposure with the leaf shutter in two positions (one stopped down for flash exposure and the other opened up for ambient back ground exposure) all in a single exposure - brilliant! The only times my direct flash didn't look absolutely horrible (I always had my hexar flash on a bracket)

Yes, the UI was un-intuitive, and yes the top shutter speed was only 1/250 forcing you to use slower film (had a very useful tails out rewind function) - or use an ND filter.

Yes the Hexar Af was/is an absolute jewel.

But you did mention a couple of ridiculous quirks ie the 1/250 max SS. Plus with the external (not TTL) metering to use wide open apertures in good light one had to use ND filter AND manually adjust the iso down x stops, and then try to remember to set it back if you removed the filter ugh. it was a pain!

I owned two. My silver one 'bricked' which highlights the major risk of ALL the top of the line 90s era compacts on offer today (contax t, minolta tc, ricoh gr1 etc). Once the electronics give up the ghost you got yourself a pretty $1000 paper weight. My second copy developed sticky shutter. Oh well they were brilliant while they lasted.

I made this with the Hexar AF and Kodak portra and it is one of favs of all the cameras i have ever used. A fairy dust lifetime memory of my niece.

 

[George1958]

Olympus OM1n is my personal favourite. Its a really solid but small SLR with manual settings and a joy to shoot with.

 

[F-1]

The Canon F-1/ New F-1 takes my pick because they are built like brass tanks, can still operate without a battery, manual match-needle metering, take multiple accessories and they look great.





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Canon FD gear & reviews

http://www.canonclassics.com/alpha/50-2802/