Cameras you will always own/cant live without

[trondareo]

I was looking into culling my camera collection the other day and started thinking about cameras I can not live without. It may be because of emotional attachment, usefullness, or inherent rightness.
Looking through my drawers, here is my short list, and why:

1. Nikon FE because I bought it during art college 30 yrs ago, and it does everything just right, without fuss. I could wax poetic about why it is just right.

2. Contax III given to me by my mother, who got it from my grandfather who used it from new in 1930s until the end of his days in the 1980s. I am having it fixed so I can use it.

Then things get more difficult and we have to be strick here...
3. Lomo LC-A I picked it up from a local just to see what could spark the Lomographic society. It has that special something to it, and its so cheap and small there is no need to get rid of it.

4. Leica M3 because I love the feel and the identity. Might I guess be the end of the list.


What is your absolute must have camera that you own. The one you will never ever get rid of?

 

[maitani]

Nikon F3-P, Leica M4

 

[Kwesi]

Fuji XPro1 - for reminding me how integral the Leica M is to my process.

 

[edge100]

MP, Mamiya 7

 

[sinisaostojic]

M6, Rolleiflex 3.5F Planar... and maybe M2. I prefer the M2, but have more sentimental attachment to the M6.

 

[Harryo1962]

Rolleiflex 3.5, Leica IIIf, and my Hexar AF are the core.

 

[daveleo]

Nikon FM3A, Konica Hexar AF, Leica Digilux-2 ( & Fuji X100? - time will tell).
Plus several Minolta MC/MD lenses.

 

[Peter_S]

My black Contax T3.
Unmatched in 135 for size/performance/style. And a gift of my father.

 

[zuikologist]

Pentax MX, Olympus 35SP, Sony Nex7.

 

[leicapixie]

So many choices..
My M3 of course.
The Collapsible Summicron almost welded to the M3.
Ziggy Leitz (M3) my constant companion, thru life events.

Pentax Spotmatic that became a pro camera..
The Nikon-F kit thru so many pro shoots.
The Rollei Automat when I need creamy color and sharpness.
Finally my Rollei 35T that my late Dad gifted me.

Sadly I added as gits or so inexpensive older SLR's. I became a Hoarder. Cameraholic.
OK! C'mon just one more..

 

[Roger Hicks]

My first Leica (a 1936 IIIa, bought in 1969), for sentimental reasons, even though it doesn't work any more. A rusty, barely-functioning Kodak box camera that my father bought before I was born.

The rest? They're just cameras. Most are worth so little that I've little incentive to sell them, and the cameras I use... Well, they're cameras I use, so why would I sell them?

Cheers,

R.

 

[rbelyell]

nothing can replace my xpan, whether its the singular engineering, what it does, how it does it or the quality of images it produces.

 

[johannielscom]

* Super Ikonta B 532/16
* Rolleiflex Tele
* Hexar AF

I also own a Hasselblad 500C/M and a Horseman Convertible that are dear to me, and I have to say that owning an old Imacon scanner is what makes all of them worthwhile with regards to resolution, color and sharpness.
If it weren't for the Imacon, I might as well shoot DSLRs only 😱 😱

 

[awbphotog]

Fuji G690BL

 

[segedi]

An M7 a la carte that was a gift from my wife. Other than that, I agree with Roger, the rest are just cameras.

 

[Livesteamer]

My Nikormat, bought new, sold to my brother, bought it back. My first Nikon F, my Leica IIIc and M6. Joe

 

[Godfrey]

I own some cameras that I use a lot, some cameras that I use infrequently, and some that I wish I had time to use but own for the purposes of fulfilling nostalgia more than anything else.

I don't know what "inherent rightness" is, nor do I own anything that I "can't live without" ... They're all just cameras. It's the memories they inspire that make me happy, but I have those whether I have the camera or not.

G

 

[seakayaker1]

My only camera that I would put into this classification is my MP. The size and feel of the camera in my hands is perfect. The rest I love but would/could part with them if need be.

 

[narsuitus]

What is your absolute must have camera that you own. The one you will never ever get rid of?

Years ago, after regretting the sale of some of my cameras, I bought most of them back. I also vowed to never sell them again.

 

[HuubL]

The first Leica I got: M4. It will be the last one I'd ever loose. I hope one of my kids will take it after I'm gone. Not for shooting probably, although it would still function, but they only use iPhones for transient images.
Lately (well the last five years or so), I find pleasure in using Barnack Leicas. My good-looking black II and III are running up for keepers. ....Ahh, but then I would feel terrible to loose the Leica-CLA'd IIIb, the black upgraded Leica (I to) IIIa sync or the IIIf red dial or the.....