What camera for ....

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I would like to know your experience, opinion about what is your choice for different subjects, shoots and why.

Here is my practice for starter...

For landscape , cityscape shoots distance is infinity or near infinity.

At home

Pentax 645+Carl Zeiss Flektogon 50mm f4
Stunning image quality, nice easy scan 6x4,5 slides. Not too big, easy to carry and one of the cheapest medium format SLR option. Very good light meter easy shoots in every situation.

Nikon FA+Nikon 20mm f2.8 AIS
Same than above except more wide and 35mm film allow more shoots on one roll. Small size perhaps my most perfect combo.

Koninca IIIA 1:1 RF

A piece of industrial art makes great ,sharp images 1:1 finder is a joy really.

Any kind of medium format folder + tripod if I have more time , they are such a simple cameras with stunning image quality.
Best ones what I like really.

Voigtlander Bessa RF Skopar, Heliar lenses,Bessa I, Bessa II, Color-Skopar, Color-Heliar lenses, Welta Weltur Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar lens,
Franka Scheider Kreuznach, Zeiss Ikon Novar etc.

Sturdiest tripod what I have.

Key for above largest size slide film what I can afford + tripod.

On Holiday

I like to risk less valuable stuff on holiday, but without compromises in image quality due on Holiday I can't go back to repeat shoots.

One old folder + one small camera with wide angle lens.

Konica Pearl + Bessa L + 15mm Heliar for example.

For any other type of shoots I prefer digital cameras + lenses.

With low quality sensors , small size ones like 4/3+m4/3 shooting in raw and post processing is essential especially at infinity shoots.

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

erm this thread will be confusing as there will be so many combos and choices being posted, and whom is to judge which one is better or worse.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Rolf · Expire: 2015-12-26

Ok, here my experiences - no difference between "at home" or "vacation"

Cam - what you have there - relatively similar

Lenses -

Landscapes - 16-35mm, tripod, ND filter (mainly graduated), lowest ISO, high aperture, longer exposer time
Portrait - 85, 135 or 180 mm, wide open, only lenses with perfect bokeh
Flowers etc - min. 180 mm or more, wide open, only lenses with perfect bokeh
Birds, wildlife, sport etc - minimum 300mm, better 400mm, 500mm or 600mm, fastes lenses
Special effects - Fisheye 15mm

Wink

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

What kind of ND filter do you use ? Graduated one or not ?

Nesster · Expire: 2014-02-20

Unfortunately, I'm no good for a thread such as this Laughing

As many may have seen, I'll use any camera for any purpose, damn the "suitability".

About the only rule I can determine so far: I never take the P645 when I'm going to be out most of the day on foot. I rarely take the K100D then either, although I've been known to.

Work Bag

I nearly always have a film cam in the bag. I have the inside stuffing from an old camera bag in the bottom of my back pack for the purpose.

Which camera I have with me depends:
a) what's new and needs a try
b) what hasn't been used in a while and needs use
c) what film is in what camera

This camera can be a 35mm SLR or RF, auto or all manual... or a P&S... or a 120 folder, or sometimes even a TLR

Sometimes if I'm planning something I may have 2 cameras, or 2 lenses.

Around home

I won't let the lack of a focus aid stop me from using a camera... but if I really want reliable focus, I'll pick one that does have a focus aid.

Again it's mainly a/b/c above, though I use the K100D more often, and a SLR more likely than the others.

I can't really say I have one favorite between the SLRs.

I may pick a type of subject based on which camera I need to use - ie. I won't be shooting bugs with a folder!

trips

Again, a/b/c, though usually the internal discussion goes like this:
- which 120 cam do I want to use... if so, which SLR would go with it? Which lenses - this can drive which SLR... Or do I take the K100D, and if so, wouldn't a Pentax 35mm make more sense than the Nikon?

This goes on a while. Sometimes I put stuff in the camera bag, think better of it, and take stuff out and put different stuff in.

Rolling Eyes

Let's say I'm planning to go to the Jersey shore, or into some part of Manhattan, early before sunrise. What do I take!?!

Do I take the Bessa I or another folder, or one of the TLR's? B&W or color or slide? Or two 120's?

In 35mm form, the K100D or one of the film cams? Both? Then I'd only take one 120 cam, probably a folder.

But: I really should try the P645 on this type of trip - it worked out the last time - and if so, I'd probably only take one other camera, maybe the digital.

But: even then, there's always a slot left I can slip a folder into...

As you can see, I'm no good at this! Laughing

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I face different shootings situation, that I can not divide only into at home and on vacation, I need more categories.

Vacations
I will start with vacations, because it's the simplest one. On vacation, I shoot slides exclusively. There are two main reasons for this. One, I love making slideshows of my vacations at home after many years, and slides are unbeatable for that. Two, I don't want to risk expensive digital equipment when I'm on vacation. I don't use digital P&S, so my choice is to take with me two film cameras and a restricted set of lenses. The reason of bringing two cameras are multiple: I have a backup with me in case of failure; I can load one with slide film the other with B&W for occasional print shots; or I can load one with a slow ISO slide film and the other one with a fast ISO slide film, for those situations when you move from outside to inside (e.g. visiting a museum or castle then going outside).
Until a couple of years ago, I took with me SLR film cameras. For instance, in Budapest in 2007 I had with me the Voigtlaender Bessaflex TM with a few M42 lenses: Flektogon 4/20, Tamron 2.5/28, MIR 2/35, Rollei Sonnar 2.8/85, Jupiter-37AM 3.5/135, Jupiter-21M 4/200.
Since I bought my Contax G2 rangefinder set, this is what I take with me on vacation. I have two Contax G2 cameras, plus the Biogon 2.8/21, Biogon 2.8/28, Planar 2/35, Planar 2/45, and Sonnar 2.8/85 lenses. Thanks to the small rangefinder sizes, this whole set fits inside a very small and lightweight bag - and this makes it the very best part, because on vacation, my priority is having a good time with Monica and my friends. Photography accompanies, but it's not the protagonist, so it can not get in the way of my movements, my walking, et c.

I will add the other parts later Smile

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

A bit looks to me full emotional rather than practical , right ?

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

That's an excellent simile, Orio.

I'd like to use six categories:

1) at home, playing around
2) on a city-photowalk with a friend (or alone)
3) on family holiday
4) on a photo holiday (perhaps with my dad)
5) on a short (city) trip
6) in the zoo

ad 1)
Everything I have. Wink

ad 2)
A huge backpack with at least the 5D and the 40D, mostly another cam as well and maaany lenses in order to play around with them and share them with my buddy.

ad 3)
Lumix FX37 and perhaps the 40D with the 18-125 plus a compact film cam (Leica C2 or Minox 35GL...)

ad 4)
EOS 5D and 40D, probably Yashica Electro 35GS or my Spotmatic with 35, 50, 105 and 135mm (perhaps also 20 and 28mm).
Lenses: 8 to 10

ad 5)
EOS set-up (5D and 40D) with perhaps 5 or 6 lenses and a rangefinder cam.

ad 6)
EOS 40D with 24-200 and Tamron SP 8/500 (and perhaps the 15-30).

kansalliskala · Expire: 2016-12-30

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

hexi · Expire: 2011-11-18

Interesting subject.

I choose my cameras by lightness, by weather, by mood ... well . If it rains i take the tougher : Praktica , not the compact one, and not the discreet, but it does its job well.

For quick shots : the Contax Aria. Might it be outdoor, indoor, drunk or sober ( same applies to the RX ). I take to time to do a proper composition though.

The stated above is totally anihillated by the fact that i'm using much more the 5D lately for ALL shots !

I explain this by two factors : laziness or IQ, and the fact i don't know the camera well yet.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I guess six categories what Carsten started cover best this subject, thanks!

hexi · Expire: 2011-11-18

I think it's a matter of nowadays cameras availibility of the markets due to the digital switch.

At times , people don't even asked them the question : they had one camera and done all shots with, as the whole was pricey ! So they took good care of.

Nowadays, and i'm a bit exagerating things, which applies more for SLR's than DSLR due to the price, you can buy about 10 cameras a month, use once and then resell to buy others.

What i think, is that you use more a camera that you enjoy using and are familiar with.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I wrote about the holidays, now on to the other categories:

Live Events
For live events I always take with me two DSLRs, one loaded with a short tele (85 or 90 mm), the other one with a longer tele (135 or 180 mm). One of the two DSLRs is an APS-C one, the other one is full frame. The longer tele goes on the APS-C camera.
I usually have four lenses with me, the aforementioned three teles, plus the Distagon 1.4/35 that I keep in my photojacket's pocket ready for the need.
If I shoot in a narrow environment, I also put the Distagon 2.8/25 in another pocket. If I know I am shooting outside with a lot of sunlight, I may also take with me the Vario-Sonnar 80-200 - if I take it, I leave at home the 135mm or 180mm. Of course, if I know I shoot at night, the Vario-Sonnar stays home and the Planar 2/135 takes it's place in the bag.

Model portraits/nude/glamour
I take with me one or even two DSLRs and the Contax 645 medium format SLR. The lenses for small format are a fast short tele (85, 90 or 100 mm), a fast medium tele (usually the Planar 2/135), a fast normal lens (usually the Planar 1.4/50) and a fast wide, usually the Hollywood Distagon 2/28, in case I need to have the whole room or ambient in the frame.
The Contax 645 comes with the three lenses I have (Distagon 45, Planar 80, Sonnar 140), so far I only used the Planar because it was the only lens I had for the format, now I expect to use a lot more the Sonnar 140.

Macro (for my job)
Sometimes I need to take macro photos of vegetation for my job. In that case, I take with me one DSLR equipped with the following lenses: a 60mm macro (either the S-Planar 60 or the Macro-Elmarit-R 60), a 100mm 1:1 macro (the Makro-Planar 2.8/100), a long tele for those distant parts (usually the Vario-Sonnar 100-300), and a wide lens to capture images of whole trees (usually the Distagon 2.8/28 or the Distagon 2.8/25). Plus the tripod of course.

Landscapes and architecture
I usually take with me one full format DSLR. The lenses that I always take for this type of shots are the Flektogon 4/20, because of it's absence of distortion, the Distagon 2.8/25, Distagon 2.8/28 (but if I plan to shoot indoors I take the 2/28 Hollywood instead), Distagon 1.4/35 and Planar 1.7/50. As you notice, I take the full battery of wides. This because I don't like much to shoot wide zooms, due to their inherent distortions. The lenses I mentioned are all relatively small (except for the Distagon 1.4/35, which I can however replace with the 2.8/35), so they don't take much space in the bag. To this wides battery I sometimes add the Distagon 3.5/15, in case I know I need an ultra wide lens. When I go to a place where nature is more important than architecture, I leave the Flek 4/20 at home and take with me the Distagon 2.8/21 instead.
For tele work, I take with me the Apo-Lanthar 3.5/90, which is small, is Apo (so no fringes on the naked trees), and can focus close for those occasional statue details. And finally, if I have room in the bag, I also put a 180 or 200 mm lens for those occasional long distance details - the chosen one usually is the Apo-Telyt-R 3.4/180, always because of the Apo (and because of the great sharpness). And finally, I take the tripod with me.
Yes, the landscape/architecture is my busiest setup. Maybe for this reason I don't do that much! Laughing

Anyway when I feel lazy I leave most of the wides home and only take with me the Vario-Sonnar 40-80 or 35-70 or 28-85 plus the Flek 4/20

City walks
City walks for me are rangefinder only. The Leica M9 is what I use now, but I also still like a lot to use B&W film with film cameras like the Contax G2 or the old Contax IIA. The lenses are the rangefinder lenses that I currently have: the Biogon 2/35, Apo-Lanthar 3.5/90, and Hektor 4.5/135 for the Leica M, and the Sonnar 1.5/50 (or Sonnar 2/50 or Jupiter-8 2/50), Jupiter-9 2/85, and Jupiter-11 4/135 for the Contax IIA.
Thanks to Amedeo's adapter, now my gorgeous Sonnar 1.5/50 for the Contax IIa can also be used with the Leica M9 Very Happy

.
For the Contax G2, the lenses are what I already described for the vacations setup: Biogon 2.8/21, Biogon 2.8/28, Planar 2/35, Planar 2/45 and Sonnar 2.8/90.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

If I had an M9, that would be my city walk camera as well. Wink

One day I really need to visit you, Orio. If for nothing else, then to see the M9.
The day I come, I will bring a lens for it as a guest present. Smile

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Carsten, you're always welcome, also without the lens Smile