List your favourite MF film cameras...

sandokan · Joined: 27 Apr 2011 Posts: 7

Zeiss Ikon ZM (its what the M7 should have been) with Voigtländer 50mm Nokton
Leica M3 with 50mm pre-hysterical
Hasselblad 503Cxi with 120mm Makro or 180mm
Hasselblad 2003fcw with 150mm f2.8
Canon T90 with 105mm or 24mm or 35-70 zoom
Olympus 2n with 85mm
Nikon F100 with Voigtländer 58mm or Zeiss 25mm
Leica R9 with 60mm macro or 90mm apo
Leica R4 with 35-70 f3.5 zoom

The combination of lens with camera viewfinder is the most critical. One camera with a lens can be awful (50% missed focus) but with another lens can be sublime with instantaneous perfect focus. Next most important criteria is ergonomics.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Welcome Sandokan!
I wish to see many samples taken with those by you , these are rare birds here.

TijmenDal · Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Posts: 206

Big Dawg · Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 2530 Location: Thach Alabama

1. Pentax Spotmatic F

2. Pentax K1000

3. Pentax 645

4. Kodak Medalist.

5. Kodak Retina IIIc

6. Kodak Signet 35

7. Arette C

8. Aires Viscount

9. Voigtlander Vitomatic IIa

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3438 Location: Netherlands

1. Minolta XE-1
2. Minolta XD-7 (aka XD-11)
3. Minolta X500
4. Yashica Electro 35CC
5. Yashica Electro 35GL
6. Canon new Canonet QL 19
8. Fujica ST 705
9. Olympus XA4
10. Voigtländer VSL-1

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

What is it about rangefinders? Some people love 'em, others hate 'em. I'm sorry to say I'm firmly in the second bracket. I've given it a fair go - I've tried a Zorki, my father's old Beauty Light-o-matic and a Konica Auto S2 but I still keep going back to my SLRs.

I've recently become the owner of another Pentax K2, this one in tip top condition apart from needing seals and a clean. I must say, even though I love the Minoltas, the K2 is so nice to use. It's the heaviest and most solid camera I've ever used, which makes the camera absolutely rock solid when the shutter fires, just a very nice Leica-like click. Its ASA setting goes up to 6400 and it has shutter settings from 1/1000 right up to 8 seconds plus B. With just a few extra add-ons, namely a viewfinder blind, interchangeable focus screen and a motor drive connection, this camera would be truly professional quality.

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3438 Location: Netherlands

When you have had some training on the use of a RF, you might prefer it for several kind of pictures.
Some emotion may play a role in my case. I once started with a Ricoh S3, it was an enormous step forward after my fathers Wirgin Auta. The 6x9 folder had a frame finder ("sportsfinder" Very Happy

) and such odd mirror thingy in which my father was capable to frame his pictures Shocked

Never understood how.
The Ricoh had a good, clear viewfinder, fast transport, fast lens (45mm 2. Cool

. It served me some years before I could afford a SLR (minolta SR-1). But I kept using the Ricoh, later a Canon new Canonet QL19 and an Olympus 35SP, with lightmeters built in. Great for P&S work IMHO. Zorki and Fed never were my real love.

Ofcourse I cannot force you to like the handling of RF camera's.
I don't like modern P&S digis without a decent viewfinder. Sad

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

Leica M5 with Nokton 50/1.1
Minolta XG-9 + MD 50/1.4 or MD 50/2

They are both a joy to use
Leica is more fun to use and more precise to focus with 50/1.1 than XG-9 with 50/1.4. But it costs a lot more Wink

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

My current fave is a worn black Nikkormat FTn with a Zuiko 35mm f2.8 lens. Great combination.

sonyrokkor · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:12 pm Post subject:

1- Rolleiflex GX 2,8

2- Alpa 10 D (with green "skin", please)

3- Leica M3 (D.S.) with preview.

4- Nikon F

5- Minolta XK

6- Canon F1

7- Leica SL 2

8- Konica "T" series (spec. T3 and T3 n)

9- Spotmatic

10- Olympus OM 4.

If can afford the firts three, my sony nex 3 will be at home almost for ever.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

at present:
Kiev 4 (though a Contax IIIa is being repaired, and I think I will like it better)
Olympus OM2
National Graflex
Autocord

Each of these has a 75-85 mm lens, so maybe I just like that focal length Laughing

yinyangbt · Expire: 2012-12-27

At this moment :
-Kiev IIa great combo with Jupiter 8
-Minolta X-700 great combo with CZJ Flektogon 20
-Konica FT-1 great combo with Hexanon 24 or 40
-Pentacon six great , and I mean...big combo with the biometar 80 (the only lens for P6 ,so far)
-Canon T70 I've used it mainly with FD 70-200 so far

I also own and use an Agfa Isolette in very good condition , that I still have to get used with. I also like my Fed5B , but the rangefinder patch is much clearer and handling better on the Kiev .

I am using also EOS bodies with manual focus lenses , but more rarely , because of the lack of accuracy of the chipped adapters . When I'll get a 2.3x viewfinder magnifier ,it's possible to come back to the 50e ,wich is also a beautiful camera .

sonyrokkor · Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:48 pm Post subject: