....and ONLY one vintage 35mm camera.
What would you choose, and why?
(I ask because I'm looking for a cool usable and practical antique 35mm. 35 simply because of the availability of film.)
Tie between Nikon F & Nikon F2 in the 35mm SLR type. Attributes: quality, reliability, durability. Nikon F2 gets my nod as a better user but the Nikon F looks better in my humble opinion. Now let's here from the Pentax, Canon, Minolta, Oly
My vote would be for the Leica M3, very durable solid and easy to cla. Don
Pentax Spotmatic original in black. I just love how it looks and how the shutter sounds. Mine has the perfect amount of brassing to make it look like a legend. So many great lenses from many great manufacturers. Maybe some of the later Spotmatics where be
I of course LOVE my Olympus cameras and all their accessories. :-)
But what about the earliest 35mm cameras made? Such as the Argus, The Kodak 35, Robot and others.
Which do you think was (and is) the most reliable?
As much as I'd like to be patriotic, I can't think of many 35mm American cameras that get rave reviews or much actual 'practical' use today. If you want older, say 1930 technology then the early Leica III series is one way to go. Then there'
Reading this post, I suddenly feel guilty.
http://www.luxcamera.co.uk/pages/Antiqua/London%20in%20love/IIIf.htm (http://www.luxcamera.co.uk/pages/Antiqua/London%20in%20love/IIIf.htm%20target=_blank)
[url=http://www.luxcamera.co.uk/
No need to feel guilty. The Leica is a beautiful piece of work. I like the old retro styled ones better than the modern models. They have much more character. I'm leaning toward getting one myself as my antique user camera.
Hi Olly,
if you do decide on an LTM vintage Leica model, it will need a decent new service or a recent service history. There are a few eccentricities with the camera (such as the film loading, however this enables a shorter camera height co
Thanks for the tips Rj.
Here's another fine mess I've gotten myself into,....
My biased stock answer: if you want a great classic that is entirely usable, practical, easy to find lenses for and easy to keep running, it's hard to beat a Nikon F. For the purist, an F with a plain prism, for the ultra-purist with some cas
I can beat the Nikon F with Topcon RE Super AKA Super D and the slightly later Super DM. The Topcon has better metering system and more useability.here are some sites with information:[url=http://www.vermontel.net/~wsalati/CasualCollector/topcon.htm targ
Retina IIIC. I like rangefinders, it has some really nice lenses and I wouldn't be worried about being robbed every time I took it out of the house.
I own several Pentax Spotmatic II's and love them for the operability. I have the all black version, and love the look. I also have a Contax 137MD, and really have fun with it; best part is it's light, not bulky, with autowinder that runs on A
Why has no one thought of the Canon A1? Just about every photographic specification any enthusiast could want! I've had mine since year dot, and results are terrific. Only needs to have a mechanical shutter mechanism to be just about perfect, but th
Hi Barnum,
Welcome to the forum.
It is not that 'no one has thought of the Canon A1'.
Generally, the spirit of the 'vintage' camera extends to the mechanical and classical camera, characterised by the absence of electron
No matter what criteria you use to define a classic camera, the Canon A-1 has got to be included in any list of classic cameras. To paraphrase Rj's words - it has an ongoing relevance and has design virtues that still allow me to occasionally use one
Dear RJ,
My mistake. Should I go and stand in the corner, or is a new boy allowed one gaffe?
Regards,
Barnum
Hi Barnum,
I was just wondering what others thought about plastic SLR's and pop classic cameras of the 80's.... no intention to hold an ultra-conservative role in defining the 'classic' or 'vintage' age of cameras as mutually exclusi
It's an interesting question. I think eventually they'll all be classics just due to age, but the term is arbitrary and a little ambiguous. To be counted a classic something usually has to have some quality that is both gone from current offerings
A Leicaflex original , because of the super bright viewfinder and focus area like the rf m3. with a set of top grade leica lenses including noctalux F1, 21mm, 80mm 180. Oh well I can at least dream. Don
Hello RJ!
Guess I'm just an old fuddy-duddy by nature, but I like the feel of metal cameras. Favourites
of mine include early Exactas, to the extent that the one on display here is where it is a lot of trouble to get at. Before that I had to h
Hello all,
My old, black Canon FTBn keeps on ticking since I bought it new in 1973. Mechanical everything, except the meter. There are a ton of FD mount lenses available, making it very usable for just about any situation. Rugged metal cons
Only one?
Canon F1, I think. Mechanical shutter, rugged, takes the FD lenses, used by pros; trouble is finding one that doesn't appear to have been rolled down the side of a mountain.
Second choice: Minolta SRT 101. I have two, use heari
>...as time shifts by, the era of the 1980's SLR will doubtlessly be considered 'vintage'.
I already consider that era to be vintage. During the last two years of regular street shooting, I haven't seen even one other person using a chr
As I still use my 1971 Nikon F2AS, any one of
these 3 would be great to have:
Canon F-1 (went for the Nikon instead for lenses)
Nikon F with photomic viewfinder
Bessler Topcon Super D
/Clay
Guys,
Does everybody agree here on the definition of vintage and classic cameras? Like they have for cars in vintage and classic car rallies?
Is it: pre-1960 is vintage
1960 - around-1980 is classic ?
That would make the Cano
Anirban
100% agree. Nikon made thier last real MF Mechanical cam an instant classic. If you really want one you should not wait. The numbers are moving in the wrong direction for this model.
Andy
Either a Univex mercury II or speed graphic just because they both look cool.
A Pen FT. How can you beat the smallest 35mm SLR ever made, complete with excellent lenses and other accessories?
If you want full frame, an OM-2. It's a tough call over the OM-1, but the 2 gives you OTF metering for amazing night shots
Vintage...Dictionary says of rare and unrepeatable quality Which One ? Well it must fit your hand like a glove, without taking your eye from the viewfinder you should be able to see, exposure under/over, shutter speed, aperture, and preview dept
Miranda Sensorex. Rugged, reliable, easy to work on, interchangeable prisms, excellent lenses, very quiet and you won't be carrying a Nikon or Canon like all the other nostalgia freaks. Plus, it has that super-neato Lincoln Continental gri
Hi, here imho any of the next are a vintage classic:
Nikon F, F2, S, Canon 7, F-1,n, N (all), Leica IIIf (or g), Contaflex super, Retina II or III, Vitto, all old Rollei. None expensive.
Good time.
IMHO one of the great 70's useable classics has got to be Konica Autoreflex T3. Good solid construction, shutter priority AE provided by an ingenious mechanical system, and uses cheap button cells, no expensive 6V batteries to worry about. The onl
Well, Olly, you didn't say SLR or RF. I get the impression the older the better or more classic funky looking the better is what you are intending.
Ok, for SLR that would limit you to the Exakta or Praktica. The oldest usable Praktica woul
How about a Pentax SV? I have one and I consider it photographic jewelry.
http://images44.fotki.com/v1535/photos/4/1233394/7430481/IMGP7285b-vi.jpg (http://images44.fotki.com/v1535/photos/4/1233394/7430481/IMGP7285b-vi.jpg%20target=_blank)
My Choice Would be the Nikon F or Photomic as I
have owned and used both..But alas They slipped
thru my fingers when I switched to 120..Now I use
the Pentax K 1000 with with all the lenses and
extra bodies,if the Nikons are Cadillacs of the
My favorite 'fixed lens' 35mm rangefinder from the 50's is the Konica III series; great optics, high build quality, still repairable.
My dream cam is the Alpa 10D with the kern macro switar 1,9/50.
Pentax SP2, preferably all black, but I'm flexible on that. I have an SP1 and love it, but I'd really love to upgrade to a Spottie with a hot shoe at some point.
A good copy of... Zorki (e.g. 4).
Before you eat me: it's a structurally simple rangefinder with removable back (!), easily adjustable with simple tools (!), has no half-mirror that can get desilvered with age (uses beamsplitter prism) (!) and ta
It might be helpful to define terms.
In Australia and the UK, an item is an antique if it is 100 years old.
i crazy about Nikon d90 bundle (http://nikond90info.com/Nikon-d90-bundle.aspx)
!
but i know that it isn't vintage
MPP Mk.7
There is nothing more that I need to say.
Oh sorry, I didn't read the first post properly. 35mm? Nikon F of course.
Since I have been a photographer since the early 1970s and have collected cameras since the late 1970s, my two workhorse cameras are the Minolta XD-11 (I have most ALL the bells and whistles and a nice collection of different lenses for it), and for a
A full metal box. Brass. A lens from a reputable manufacturer. An optical viewfinder. A shutter release knob, like Leica.
A full frame, er, electronic sensor thingo that only does RAW.
Manual focus. Strong tripod bush.
... but, to be serious about vintage cameras. For me, it would have to be one of the Leicas, either M2 or 3. But it's a close race between the Leicas and the Nikon F2. Built like a brick dunny, it will suffice under all circumstances.
Her
I guess after a lot of thought I would put forward Nikon F2 with Photomic head and Olympus OM1.Both are a joy to use.They are both in my eyes quite different cameras and I feel lend themselves to different subject matter.This may sound strange but that is
I'd like the last camera to leave my hands will to be my Nikon FM. First SLR I owned, and still have. It will still do everything I need.
If that is not vintage enough, my Zeiss Contina III that my mother passed along to me to encourage me
Karl. Fully agree about the F2 and OM1. However, if I had to choose, I'd go for the F2. A true workhorse. It's a close race, though! Yeah, OK, I'll withdraw the Olympus XA.
The Nikkormat has to be one of Nikon's most under-rated c
My dream camera: Konica Auto S 1.6 w/ a 45mm 1.6 lens in it's original leather...oh wait! :D
It's too hard for only 1 my 2 Dreams, are the
Nikon F2 & the Zeiss Ikon Contesa. I can sit &
stare at these beauties for hours. The plus is they both work & take beautiful pictures.
Mike
My favorite 35mm SLR has always been, and remains, the Original Canon F-1 (second version, often referred to as the F-1n, not to be confused with the New F-1). It is followed closely by the Nikon F2 -- I prefer the F2A. However, if I had to ch
Easily, a Nikon F2S. And I finally got one last year. I don't use it enough though, what with all the time spent fixing and testing other cameras.
PF
A mint or excellent Nikon SP with the titanium shutter. As jewelry ? for my taste ? it beats the Leicas. More refined than the Contax II and III. I don't suppose I'll ever own one. Don't suppose I might ever find one in the condition I'd find ac
This isn't really an antique, but it has most of the features of an antique (including full functionality minus the meter if the battery dies), and if I had to pick ONLY ONE 35 mm camera it'd be the one that I actually use most of the time - Conta
have the following fully functional cameras: zeiss ikon contaflex I w/fixed tessar 45mm/2.8 synchro-compur, bessaflex tm, nikon fm2n, nikon fm3a. guess all of these qualify as classic slrs?
You don't get more practical or cool than a Nikon F. It's great to have an in-camera meter, but the Photomic head adds significantly to the size and weight (and you'd need to come up with a battery workaround, like hearing aid batteries), so
No question, I'd be willing to part with any of my cameras except for the Mamiya C220 (medium format 'tho) and my Pentax K1000 with the SMC-A f3.5 35-105mm lens. There's a reason it was in production for 21 years.
Nick wrote:
> You don't get more practical or cool than a Nikon F.
I just achieved that very long held dream. Some months ago someone gave me a Photomic F with a standard 50mm H series F.2 lens that was completely fogged up with mold. And the
Jimmyh wrote:
> If that is not vintage enough, my Zeiss Contina III that my mother passed along to me to encourage me in photography.
I think mine is a Contina II, and I've had it since 1971. Photography at it's simplest ? zone focus
My Contina II meter is still active and accurate!
And I agree with your sentiment, it's a very well put together camera.
Why not a Minolta SRT , built like a brick , especially a black one , even better , a black Minolta SR1s - like the SRT , no meter [ I wish ] still have several .
Classic simplicity - Leica IIIc - plentiful , must have been serviced ,
A complete bullseye Contarex kit with lenses, that works! It's that last bit that's problematic.
This is easy. A circa 1936 Kodak Special camera, an art deco masterpiece folder with an f2 Ektar lens.
The tough question is which of the 50 film cameras I now own would I be willing to part with...?
Gray paint Leica IIIc K with MOOLY motor drive and Never-ready case probably tops the list.
I'd like to add a large format wood and brass travel camera to my collection one day and shoot some tintypes with it.
When anyone says the dictionary says... it is best to check to see if you wallet is still in your pocket. The last time I looked there were 17 dictionaries in the English language and they don't necessarily agree with each other. A dictionary represents