Dream camera for 2010

[Frank Petronio]

Face it, the camera phone is the ultimate, democratic street photography camera... it's like Walter Benjamin's wet dream.

After thinking about it, what would really be great is a decent camera built into a phone, like a photography optimized iPhone (but sold by Verizon). Nothing exotic, just make it the best possible camera that still fits into the iPhone platform.

And the kicker? A tiny remote lens, the size of a penny, with Velcro or a clip, that would communicate with the camera via Bluetooth. Let it be fired by either voice or gesture commands.

Haha how that would f@#k with the anti-photography authorities ;-)

 

[cplkao]

To: Olsen

I was thinking about the same thing, and possible alternative may be ALPA 12TC/Fotoman 69+38/5.6 Super Angulon XL/35/4.5 Apo Grandagon+Digiback, but I had sold my SWC, and had never got a chance to touch a digi back.

The 38/5.6 Super Angulon XL is advered as to have the same level of optical performance as 38 Biogon, and a new lens is even cheaper than a SWC (10xx GBP brand new), and it covers more than 6x6. I am saving money/selling lens at the moment to assemble this kit, with fotoman and 6x9 film back.

My dream camera in 2010 will be an Entry Level Medium Format Digital back with at least 15MP, build in battery and cost less than 2000GBP...

 

[totifoto]

A new film scanners that has Imacon quality but the pricetag of a Lomo camera 😛

But really I would just like to see a full frame rangefinder camera with good ISO quality up to 3200 for less than 2000 $

 

[Olsen]

To: Olsen

I was thinking about the same thing, and possible alternative may be ALPA 12TC/Fotoman 69+38/5.6 Super Angulon XL/35/4.5 Apo Grandagon+Digiback, but I had sold my SWC, and had never got a chance to touch a digi back.

The 38/5.6 Super Angulon XL is advered as to have the same level of optical performance as 38 Biogon, and a new lens is even cheaper than a SWC (10xx GBP brand new), and it covers more than 6x6. I am saving money/selling lens at the moment to assemble this kit, with fotoman and 6x9 film back.

My dream camera in 2010 will be an Entry Level Medium Format Digital back with at least 15MP, build in battery and cost less than 2000GBP...

Lucas,

If you look up all the interior decorating magazines or yachting/boating magazines and brows through all the pictures, you will still find that the photographers in this business are still using film Hasselblad SWCs. - The pictures coming out of these cameras are very easy to recognize. So are the analogue film reesult. (Compare that to all the cheap photo work you see in real estate advertising, often done by amateurs and small digital cameras with no field of view beond what is typical of a 28 mm lens).

The SWC is an outstanding camera for interiors. Ranging from churches to sail boat interiors. At the same time it is small and compact. Such a camera must be greatly missed in the digital world among pro photographers. What pro's in the interior business needs is a camera which both optics and sensor is optimised for eachother. I have no idea, but what is the max field of view possible without dark & and soft corners in the digital world?

 

[aizan]

the digital hassy swc already exists: alpa tc.

 

[Borghesia]

My dream camera's already exist, these are the Bessa-T, the Oly Om series, Hexar AF, Rolleiflexes and hasselblad.
My wish would not be for a camera, but for the continuance of production of good dedicated scanners.
I have a Multi Pro and a Coolscan 5000, but if they give up, I would be in trouble.

 

[rbiemer]

Couple of thoughts on this.
First, this thread from 2007 is pretty close to something I'd like.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42642

Second, the mentions above about optical VFs with electronic overlays of frame lines and focus/meter spots seem like a very good compromise between a true RF system and the EVF. I figure if those Aimpoint sights worked 20 some odd years ago, a similar system--smaller and more detailed thanks to advances in miniaturization, and no worries about shotgun recoil--ought to be possible by now.

Third, as long as digital cameras are only trying to be an analog of film cameras, no one is really going to be satisfied with them; time for some serious innovation, I think.
Rob

 

[KM-25]

If I were still into digital, I would like a digital XPan body that would take my current XPan lenses.

 

[amateriat]

Second, the mentions above about optical VFs with electronic overlays of frame lines and focus/meter spots seem like a very good compromise between a true RF system and the EVF. I figure if those Aimpoint sights worked 20 some odd years ago, a similar system--smaller and more detailed thanks to advances in miniaturization, and no worries about shotgun recoil--ought to be possible by now.

Hey...it worked well, to an extent, on the Contax G system (and even better on my Contax Tvs, in fact).

Third, as long as digital cameras are only trying to be an analog of film cameras, no one is really going to be satisfied with them; time for some serious innovation, I think.
Rob

Depends on what you mean by "innovation." I would want a system that worked better from a photographer's POV. I switched from Auto-everything SLRs to manual-focus (but still relatively high-tech...I am talking Hexar RFs here 😉) rangefinders because I got tired of the weight and technological protocol of the modern SLR (both film and digital). The RF gestalt is a good one for me, and, other than stuffing a decent sensor in a Leica M body, I've yet to find a proper digital equivalent to the "classic" RF system. But then, I'm not the guy they call on for focus groups.


- Barrett

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I thought the Nikon D40 was the ultimate camera for starving students and discriminating black-and-chrome collectors alike...

 

[Harry Lime]

- Digital Leica CL
- Same size and functionality as the analog model.
- Live view
-12MP APS-C sensor like in the Nikon D300 (or better)
- interchangeable lenses
- smaller, cheaper APS-C (APS-H coverage for the future) lenses down to f1.4 (1.4/28, 2/28, 1.4/35, 2/35, 1.4/50, 2/50, 2/90 (35mm equivalent))

I don't care if it is made in China.
It can be a plastic body, with a metal chassis.

$2500-2999


I would also like to see replacements for the Nikon scanners that were discontinued.


I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Tom Rymour]

If only my XA had an aps sensor! Maitani's ultimate pocketable design. No screen, becuse I'd rather fight than chimp.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I don't care if it is made in China.

I utterly do. Not only is lead bad for your health, but I don't want the $2500 camera falling apart within a year of purchase.

"Made in China" is a guarantee of "must replace within two years of original purchase"

 

[Brian Puccio]

I utterly do. Not only is lead bad for your health, but I don't want the $2500 camera falling apart within a year of purchase.

"Made in China" is a guarantee of "must replace within two years of original purchase"

How about Japan, like so many other cameras and lenses these days that last much longer than two years?

(I'm still baffled how one things that every single item made in one country can be described this way. Broad brush, eh?)

 

[GoodPhotos]

Some device that would allow me to use an aux VF with a Canon S90 would be nice. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with what I've got now.

 

[Harry Lime]

I utterly do. Not only is lead bad for your health, but I don't want the $2500 camera falling apart within a year of purchase.

"Made in China" is a guarantee of "must replace within two years of original purchase"

That's nonsense. Yes, a lot of junk is produced in China, but they are perfectly capable of producing goods that are as good as anything produced in Japan or the west.

Most cameras by Nikon and Canon are no longer made in Japan, but China or other parts of Asia. Same for Apple and are sticklers for quality.

 

[bene]

Pretty happy if i can get an M9

 

[Roger Hicks]

What I have been hoping for, for years, is a specialized digital Hasselblad 905SWC.

Dear Olsen,

As others have said, this already exists: Alpa. They'd do a new Biogon run, too, if there were the demand. So far there have been 100 in two series of 50; I have one of the first series with the Compur shutter.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

That's nonsense. Yes, a lot of junk is produced in China, but they are perfectly capable of producing goods that are as good as anything produced in Japan or the west.

Sort of. A tradition of fine mechanical engineering and a trained time-served workforce makes it a LOT easier to make (e.g.) rangefinder cameras, but people can be trained.

The point is, training costs money, and the main reason to make stuff in China is to save money. A lot of people who 'outsource' stuff to China are therefore looking to save a penny here, a penny there, and to hell with quality. This refers mainly to non-Chinese investors.

What amuses me about this thread is that once you remove the fantasies that are technically impossible (the equivalent of the 10-300mm f/1 zoom) or financially risible (M9 for $3000) there are not very many entries.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Sort of. A tradition of fine mechanical engineering and a trained time-served workforce makes it a LOT easier to make (e.g.) rangefinder cameras, but people can be trained.

The point is, training costs money, and the main reason to make stuff in China is to save money. A lot of people who 'outsource' stuff to China are therefore looking to save a penny here, a penny there, and to hell with quality. This refers mainly to non-Chinese investors.

What amuses me about this thread is that once you remove the fantasies that are technically impossible (the equivalent of the 10-300mm f/1 zoom) or financially risible (M9 for $3000) there are not very many entries.

Cheers,

R.

Agreed Roger, prior to retirement I was a toolmaker - producing and repairing plastic injection moulds, or tools - as we call them, when you see little cabinets and boxes with drawers and compartments for DIY, fishermen etc. chances are it's been on my bench. Tools were made by a string of skilled and reputable small engineering firms around the UK, but in the last few years more and more are being made in China, they usually arrive needing ( after trial ) various amounts of fine-tuning, modification, correction....but cost about a third of a UK made equivalent.
Cheers Dave.