disapointment/overated kit

jpberger said:
another vote for contax IIA It has sentimental value because it was my grandfathers, and I love the f/1.5 sonnar just wish it was attached to an m3.

also my speed graphic-- (never drink and ebay at the same time) I never seem to be able to motivate myself to lug it out in the field, and knowing that each trip of the shutter is $6 or so doesn't inspire creativity. However freestyle has some bw sheetfilm for about 50 cents a sheet which is a little less intimidating.
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As an aside can I suggest Era 100 for the Graphic ... you'll find it on eBay from seller issac.chen ... it's the same or less than the cheapie Freestyle stuff ($12.00 for twenty five sheets) and it performs like Ilford FP4 ... you also don't have to pay Freestyle's shipping and handling charges which can kill small film orders. :)
 
Several FSU cameras, though they opened up a new world of Nikon Range Finders to me so I have a hard time feeling as frustrated as I was when it first hit.

My Mamyia 645 was frustrating as I thought it had an electrical problem, went to trade it in, new battery and it worked fine.

B2 (;->
 
The biggest disappointment when using equipment has always been my user error, but in terms of having a camera not live up to it's specifications is the Canon 1D mark III. Absolute dog of a camera. Canon replace my set 5 times, which was great service to their credibility.
 
bwcolor said:
All of my expensive pro and prosumer Canon DSLRs.
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Same here! I have almost 40 film cameras and none off them disappoint me like my Canon digital kit did. However, it was a learning experience and it brought me to film... :)
 
Olympus cameras. Fantastic lenses, the mechanics of the bodies did not live up to expectations. OM series, third time is the charm. Prior two are for parts. Busted shutter strap on an OM-1md, bad electronics on an OM-2P. Olympus SP: hair-thin spring for the film advance clutch. It broke, I replaced with a stronger one. Olympus RC, shutter-speed dial easily comes undone. Olympus EC- bad electronics, low-light lamp shorted out and drained batteries. Several more fixed-lens Olympus RF's with electronic shutters- shorts.
 
Canon 7: a brick of a camera. We never bonded. It's got its plusses, to be sure, but learned from owning it that I place a high value on compactness...
 
Keith said:
As an aside can I suggest Era 100 for the Graphic ... you'll find it on eBay from seller issac.chen ... it's the same or less than the cheapie Freestyle stuff ($12.00 for twenty five sheets) and it performs like Ilford FP4 ... you also don't have to pay Freestyle's shipping and handling charges which can kill small film orders. :)
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... Thanks for that information !! :)
 
Hasselblad 500 c/m. Ok, but did not live up to the hype (for me, anyway).
Minolta Autocord. Nice at f8, but ridiculously soft at 5.6 or below.
 
Canon P, the vertical alignment of rf was constantly going off...

Yashica electro, terrible ergonomics...

Contax G series, fiddly stupid autofocus system, would be the best system ever if they were all traditional manual...I missed a roll of beautiful shots in my trip to mexico. focus was off in every shot...never forgive it!
 
Olympus OM system. Loved the whole idea of it, compact, light. I went shooting with a friend who had a Contax system and when we compared slides side by side on the lightbox, I was so blown away by the Contax lenses, the color saturation, sharpness, I went out the next day and bought an Aria and a few lenses.

I have also had Zuiko lenses fall apart on me. Especially the 135/3.5 and the 28/3.5. The 50 macro was amazing though... Zuikos had the cheapest rubber focusing rings.
 
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Alpa 35mm cameras -- ergonomically weird (at least to me), mechanically not the greatest, and really not that impressive. Much prefer Exakta!
 
Hasselblad 503CX with 80/2.8 - nice enough kit, but painfully slow to focus and use. How on earth do people use these for shooting on the street? Hasselblad should be spelled "Hassle" blad :eek:
 
Anything medium format. For me, that was a Hassleblad and an Rollieflex.
Nothing against the design of the cameras, but they just don't work with my shooting style. They seem to require far too much plodding and deliberation...
 
Canon (L) glass. Yes its good, but rediculously over priced and over hyped in my opinion. Not to mention huge, heavy and white. I know not all of it is white but too much of it is.
 
Leica M3.

Not really trying, but got one cheap, had it CLA'd, and found it to be just... meh.
Very ordinary compared to what I read about it, nothing exceptional. Sold it, I'll keep my M4-P, thanks.
 
Olympus XA. The camera was talked up all over the place but I just don't get images I love out of it.

By contrast, I instantly fell in love with the Olympus 35DCs lens... and then tracked down a 35RD and paid to have it serviced. I don't like the aperture ring at all but other than that I love the camera. I also picked up a cheap XA4 which I seem to like as much as others like their XAs. :)

The FED 2 is a perfectly nice camera but every time I use it, I find myself wishing I was using a Leica IIIc instead. It just fits my hands better though the FED 2 is in better condition and is a bit more reliable. Once I have another working screw mount body, I'll probably sell the FED 2.
 
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