What is, was your favorite Camera?

[Derwent]

My favourite is my Rolleicord V from 1954.

My second favourite is my pair of Fujica screw mount SLRs with Fujinon lenses (although I don't have a full set of Fujinon, so I've got some Takumar ones too), the ST705 and the ST801.
Something about them just makes me happy.

Kinda wish I didn't sell my Bronica ETR 645...but no regrets seeking the Leica R5...the glass was superb, and it was beautiful and easy to use and the best camera I owned...on paper.
But, it never sparked the joy that the Fujicas do when I pick them up.
Objectively, it was amazing...but I have no regrets about turning it into cash.

I still have a couple of Canon EOS RT with the pellicle mirror, and a 630 and one or two other early EOS... but I rarely use them.
Got an original 1965 Pellix too.

Built a full set of Contaflex stuff with swappable backs and lenses and filters and all the stuff...nice to use and beautiful to behold, but I'll probably move them on soon.

Plan is to keep the Rollei, Fujicas, and maybe one EOS body, sell the rest, and get a 5D body to use with my EF lenses.

 

[Valerius]

My favourite rangefinder cameras are my Leica M6TTL, M4, M4-P and the IIIf red dial. Paired with the classic 21, 35, 50 and 90 mm lenses. The SLR camera I use is my old Nikon F from the ladt production run of that model. I have never aimed to a DSLR. Looked once in a camera shop but found the models from Canon and Nikon to be far too clumsy for my taste.

 

[Shaving like a boss]

My favorite was and is my Olympus OM-1 with a simple 50mm lens installed. Nothing automatic or fancy like the OM-10.

 

[Hms123]

I started with the OM-1, bought a second OM-1, and followed up with way too many lenses. The sharpest by far was an 85 mm…unbelievably sharp. I went on to get an OM-3 manual with a built-in light meter. Wonderful camera.

The digital era arrived and I sold all my equipment, but remained loyal to Olympus. I now own two OM-D EM-5 bodies and (big surprise) way too many lenses. It turns out (who knew?) that you can also collect way too many camera bags.

 

[Tirvine]

I loved the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, my first camera, but my favorite was the little Nikon FM. It felt good in my hands, and adjusting speed and f stops always made more sense to me than the digital world. I have a digital Nikon, but I use the phone way more.

 

[Kaldane]

I had originally planned to say "Minolta X300" : probably the one I used most back in the day.

But @Alum Ladd is right again. My first SLR.

 

[Capt. Pat]

Canon F1, now that was a tank, second favorite was a Nikon F4s

 

[Rudy Vey]

Contax RTS2, great with the Zeiss lenses - my favorite is the 1.4/85 mm. But for the last years, I only used digital and lately mainly my phone, times are changing.....

 

[MarkM10431]

Nikon D7100. even though it was not full frame the controls were identical to the full frames. i love my D600, but the oil issues are too much. eventually I'll change up but I just don't know if I want to stay dslr or jump completely mirrorless.

 

[Jay21]

The camera that I enjoyed the most, and was also my tool during a special time of my life, was the Canon 20D. I still have it but it’s no longer in use.

 

[Viko]

Two wonderful cameras

1. Nikkormat FT-3. What a tank!
2. My Dad’s Leica lllG with the dented,but optically perfect, collapsible Zeiss lens!

 

[Elliot]

I’ve used quite a few, but here’s my list:

- Bronica s2a will always hold a special place in my heart (and is tattooed on the left side of my chest)
- Nikon f5 the most consistent
- Nikon D90

 

[Old Navy_1]

I've used a bunch. Mainly 35mm, 2-1/4" film cameras, then, digital. Currently I have a Sony Mirrorless (rarely use) and my Smart Phone.

My favorite camera of all time? Canon F1. That was a tank. Mine rolled down a flight of concrete steps and the only mark on it was a tiny little scuff on the Prism Housing. Now, that was a camera!

b/r

ON_1

 

[Tony Miller]

I have probably owned 30+ cameras in my nearly 50 years of photography, I have shot 35mm up to 4x5 and even did wet-plate collodion on home built cameras. lately I have paired things down to my old Nikon F, a Nikomat FTN, a Leicaflex Standard, a Leica M9 & an M Monochrom. There is also Leica SL Type 601 on the way. I use a few vintage lenses on these from the 1950s and 60s as well as a few more modern renditions.

 

[Old Navy_1]

Here's the first image using my new "Puluz" 40cm x 40cm Lightbox. It's a pretty good rig. It was recommended by a fellow B&Ber. At first I thought it might be too flimsy, but once set-up it's very sturdy. The quality of light is excellent - at least I think so. This will certainly help with those highly reflective subjects, i.e., knives, jewelry, razors, etc.

Galaxy S23C phone.

b/r

ON_1

 

[DEgeezer]

My phone!

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Interesting question, and I’ve never thought about this before. The one that comes first to my mind is my Olympus OM-4 Ti. Was a very expensive camera, and against the fashion at the time, but it was perfect for me. Did everything I wanted, exactly how I wanted it to, and it did nothing that I didn’t need or want. At the time I did mainly travel photography and the Olympus was unobtrusive in black, superb lens system, and fully manual with a precise, reliable and quick to use lightmeter. It was such a great feeling camera to use, and wonderful that Olympus developed it when everyone thought the OM system was long gone and the market had moved to auto-everything, plastic SLRs.

Thinking about it now, I really do believe this is a better camera than any Leica, Contax, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, or Minolta that I ever had. Depends what you want to use the camera for, of course. Fast auto SLRs with long zoom lenses have their place too, as does my iPhone, but I’ve never taken a shot with the OM-4 Ti that wasn’t pin-sharp, perfectly exposed, and exactly as I intended.

 

[Spy Car]

Back in High School to Photography Class, Mr. Mitchel was instructor. We made Pin Hole Cameras out of Coffee Cans.

The first image I created got me hooked on photography.

Also got the Photography bug watch Charles Bronson in series about Freelance Photographer Mike Kovacs.

Now everything is digital, and film is not in vogue.

I used to shoot a fair amount of pinhole photographs. My pinhole camera takes a 4x5 Polaroid back, so I'd take instant B/W shots. I have a little stock of now discontinued film that I used with the pinhole camera and with Speed Graphics.

The film is otherwise extinct. Sob.

One time, while staying in a hotel in Mexico City, the curtains were drawn is such a way that only a pinhole of light came through. It projected the outside world onto the wall of the room. Even understanding how camera obscuras work, it was really an odd experience.

Bill

 

[SamplingNature]

My favorite camera of all time was probably the Olympus OM-10. My Dad bought mine at a pawn shop in '94 just before my senior year in college.

Unfortunately, Olympus had gotten completely out of the SLR business by that time, so lenses were almost impossible to get a hold of.

I went to a Canon AE-1 because I could get aftermarket lenses from Ritz at reasonable prices (I forget what they called their store brand). For the longest time, I carried two bodies, a 50mm, 70-300mm and a flash.

Eventually, I upgraded to the EOS Rebel 2000, then to the digital Rebel. Then I went to the lowest tier of their pro line (the model name escapes me) for quite some time. I got out of photography for a while.

I bought a Rebel level camera again just before the pandemic hit, and haven't had a chance to use it.

 

[FarmerTan]

It's hard to beat your first. Mine was a Minolta XG-1

Many years of service.