Dream Camera?

[ray_g]

Here's the body I would "design": 🙂

- Hexar RF titanium body and shutter (to 1/4000), preferably self-adjusting like the Nikon F5/F6. Hexar RF's rubberized body covering.
- Leica M3's smooth gearing, film advance (no autowinder), and shutter lag.
- Interchangeable VF (ala Canon VI-L): M2's 0.72x 35mm framelines, M3's 50mm framelines (but 1x), 1.5x for 90mm.
- manual and AE mode like M7 or Hexar, but also with smart P mode of the Hexar AF.
- meter: spot, matrix (for P and AE modes)
- Hexar AF flashmatic system
- Manual focus, M mount, in black paint.
- No CLA or RF adjustment needed, ever.

 

[mitspooner]

My Dreams will come one day

My Dreams will come one day

Nikon Medium Format Rangefinder with the 105mm F1.4 with cold weather body (damn cold in town right now) plus they can throw in a motor drive. Black or Chrome....or both. It's my dream. Oh they also ship me the 85mm F1.4 to start me off and for thanks to get them making a 120 camera. That is my happy dream day.

 

[sf]

Here is a good one for LF users :

An 8x10 format digital camera which allows you to pinpoint an autofocus spot with a little palm pilot type pen on the ground glass. It then sets focus on that spot, you can check it for accuracy, and you insert the digital film slide. And the sensor has three times the dynamic range of current CDDs and at least that many times the color density.

Or in rangefinder land :

The Leica medium format camera - to battle the evolution of digital sensors. 6x6 squeezed into a body like the RF645, with that F2 lens, twice as long baselength, and with a silent mode (to hold off on the recocking sound until you choose). Made with the same care to design and materials and craftsmanship as the M3.

 

[ch1]

It's interesting that a bunch of you guys are going "strenght and light" via carbon fiber and titanium etc.

These are very "mechanics" oriented approachers. Sounds as if we're all still "believers" in the idea that cameras should "last" and be made "well" etc.

C'mon - we're talking $350 million here. We're in pocket change land. All you should really want is the latest monthly "best" digital camera with all optional gadgets etc. from the cover of Pop Photo to be delivered to you just prior to retail sale roll out!! 😀

 

[RJBender]

Nikon Medium Format Rangefinder with the 105mm F1.4 with cold weather body (damn cold in town right now) plus they can throw in a motor drive. Black or Chrome....or both. It's my dream. Oh they also ship me the 85mm F1.4 to start me off and for thanks to get them making a 120 camera. That is my happy dream day.

How about a Makina 67?

source: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~ka-suke/sisyou[3].htm

R.J.

 

[yossarian]

2007 will be the 75th anniversary of the Contax, but there won't be a Contax around
to mark the occasion, which is tragic.

My new Contax would utilize titanium for all outer body panels. It would have a hybrid electro-mechanical shutter like the FM3A. The finder would be a zoom-type,
like the G series, but it would be a manual focus rangefinder. The standard lens would be a 40mm f/2 Biotar (name picked just for historical purposes). Other
lenses to include 25mm f2.4 Biogon, 50mm f/0.85 Planar, 85mm f1.2 Planar
and 15mm f/4 Hologon. Effective base length of the RF at least 65mm. As with
previous Contaxes, back would be interchangeable, and the initial digital offering
might be 16.7 mp (I don't care if it's CCD or MOS, or FF or 1.33x--whatever).
The manual film advance would be ratchetted, and would NOT be used to activate
the meter--that job to be done by light pressure on the release. Viewfinder displays
would be LED (not LCD), with variable brightness control. Shutter release pressure
would be user-adjustable by a control concentric with the release button. If we
absolutely must, TTL flash, but as some Leica shooters have said "Flash? That's
why we have Nikon". The external finish color could be specified by the buyer, with
options including Gloss Black, Matte Black, Satin Chrome, Anthracite, Dark Gun Metal
Gray (like the OM3-Ti), and Pearlescent White. Trim covers would mostly be leather,
but high quality synthetics would be available. Straps would be made by Luigi of Leicatime, again with color, shape and length to customer's spec.
As with the 50th Anniversary Contax RTS II the only commemorative ID would be
a cover for the PC terminal--NO permanent markings on the body.
Body width approx. 140mm, weight no less than 600g without batteries. NO ergonomical design functions such as permanent grips, thumb rests, and so on,
but I would consider add-on grips a la OM4T.
Here's where I solicit ideas. Would you like for the lenses to use traditional methods
for optimization, or do you believe that aspherics would be necessary? BTW--all
lenses would be required to deliver at least 60% contrast at 50 line pairs per mm
at full aperture.
OK, this is all just off the top of my head, so I'm sure there's a lot I missed, but this
is just the prelim, right?

Fred

 

[mitspooner]

Pretty and a nice shooter

Pretty and a nice shooter

That is one camera that I would like to have but what I see for my Nikon looks more like the S3 or the SP. I know it's greedy but it's a dream.

 

[wlewisiii]

George:

<very big raspberry>

Who are you kidding! My son's great-grandson will shoot that camera! 😀 He may well make the film at home but that's a different endless thread... :angel:

Slightly more seriously, I keep my 4 year old son away from advertising to try and avoid that kind of mental contamination. I have a 10 year old car and hunt deer with a flint lock rifle as well... 😱

William

 

[RJBender]

2007 will be the 75th anniversary of the Contax, but there won't be a Contax around
to mark the occasion, which is tragic.
My new Contax would utilize titanium for all outer body panels. It would have a hybrid electro-mechanical shutter like the FM3A. The finder would be a zoom-type,
like the G series, but it would be a manual focus rangefinder. The standard lens would be a 40mm f/2 Biotar (name picked just for historical purposes). Other
lenses to include 25mm f2.4 Biogon, 50mm f/0.85 Planar, 85mm f1.2 Planar
and 15mm f/4 Hologon. Effective base length of the RF at least 65mm. As with
previous Contaxes, back would be interchangeable, and the initial digital offering
might be 16.7 mp (I don't care if it's CCD or MOS, or FF or 1.33x--whatever).
The manual film advance would be ratchetted, and would NOT be used to activate
the meter--that job to be done by light pressure on the release. Viewfinder displays
would be LED (not LCD), with variable brightness control. Shutter release pressure
would be user-adjustable by a control concentric with the release button. If we
absolutely must, TTL flash, but as some Leica shooters have said "Flash? That's
why we have Nikon". The external finish color could be specified by the buyer, with
options including Gloss Black, Matte Black, Satin Chrome, Anthracite, Dark Gun Metal
Gray (like the OM3-Ti), and Pearlescent White. Trim covers would mostly be leather,
but high quality synthetics would be available. Straps would be made by Luigi of Leicatime, again with color, shape and length to customer's spec.
As with the 50th Anniversary Contax RTS II the only commemorative ID would be
a cover for the PC terminal--NO permanent markings on the body.
Body width approx. 140mm, weight no less than 600g without batteries. NO ergonomical design functions such as permanent grips, thumb rests, and so on,
but I would consider add-on grips a la OM4T.
Here's where I solicit ideas. Would you like for the lenses to use traditional methods
for optimization, or do you believe that aspherics would be necessary? BTW--all
lenses would be required to deliver at least 60% contrast at 50 line pairs per mm
at full aperture.
OK, this is all just off the top of my head, so I'm sure there's a lot I missed, but this
is just the prelim, right?

Fred

Fred,

I wonder how much cash you'd need to buy the old Kiev factory and start making something like this:

source: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7591200861

R.J.

 

[yossarian]

RJ, while I believe in being faithful to the concept of the Contax, my dream baby
would have to be more svelte, and the hump in the middle HAS to go.

BTW, a technical blunder regarding lenses--60% contrast @ 50 lpm wide open would be impossible; I should have said at "optimum" apertures. And I know a 50 f0.85
would block the RF. Even dreams must have some boundaries.

 

[ch1]

George:

<very big raspberry>

Who are you kidding! My son's great-grandson will shoot that camera! 😀 He may well make the film at home but that's a different endless thread... :angel:

Slightly more seriously, I keep my 4 year old son away from advertising to try and avoid that kind of mental contamination. I have a 10 year old car and hunt deer with a flint lock rifle as well... 😱

William

William,

You must understand - I am now one of those "chosen" by Pop Photo to take part in their reader survey.

Now I "understand" that they consider themselves to be the "cutting edge" and want to know how to become even more so!

Heck, they asked me if they should drop "Imaging" from their "official name" since clearly all they report on is "photography"! Amongst other things - they wanted to know if I wanted MORE digital camera reviews!

Do they do anything else?

All is tongue in cheek - m/l.

Oh, if you really do go hunting with flintlock, I find that obscenely "modern". What is wrong with bow and arrow such that you "need" to use gunpower and lead? 😀

 

[dostacos]

Bessa R4A= an R3A with the ability to use the camera as all manual without batteries like an R2. frame lines for 21/25/28/35/50/75/90, removable back that interchangable with a full frame digital back or 35mm film back.

lenses 21/25/28/35/50/75/90 all 1.4 AND second set 2.8ish range color, olive/black both lens and camera. and all coupled

and a matching SLR that also will use the same interchangable backs, and include antishake lenses [like the various canon big guns 😀] several zooms from 15mm to 300mm several primes [24/28/50/85/100/135/200 all 1.2 or 1.4]

and of course a TRUSS to protect myself when I try to lift the camera bag 😱

 

[wlewisiii]

Oh, if you really do go hunting with flintlock, I find that obscenely "modern". What is wrong with bow and arrow such that you "need" to use gunpower and lead? 😀

There is nothing quite like teaching yourself how to not flinch when that big as*ed flash goes off right next to your eye...

(There is a good reason for the phrase "a flash in the pan" and it isn't a nice reason... 😀 )

:angel:

Willaim

 

[kvanderlaag]

Leica M2-style body, 1:1 viewfinder with framelines for 40/50/75/90/100/135 (and their digital equivalents) with the viewfinder edge as the 35mm frame. (Assuming this is possible.) Manual switchable framelines like the Bessas. M bayonet mount, with a meter next to the lens mount (so I can still mount collapsibles and recessed rear element lenses) Aperture priority auto, but fully mechanical operation. Long RF base. Interchangable backs, one for 35mm and one for 1.3x crop digital. (Even if it means the back has to protrude a bit.) That dead silent Leica focal plane shutter. Metering in the VF, like the M7.

All in a matte black finish. Dark red leather.

 

[yossarian]

What the hell...nobody else has dream camera?

 

[darkkavenger]

Hmm hmm...

Pre-war Contax-II with 21/4.5 Biogon *drools*

 

[remrf]

After a bit I thought I guess I have to say I already own at least one of what I would think of as a"dream" camera. But my current favorite is.........the Mamiya 645.

My Leica IIIa exhibits the finely crafted qualities I admire in mechanism. It is small, light and easy to carry on a regular basis.

My Rolleicord exhibits some of those same qualities in 120 format with a bigger neg area and an easy to use shutter.

My two Minolta X-700 bodies and lenses have the modern exposure computing capabilities as well as rapid sequence capability required for news/documentary style shooting.

My view cameras are ...view cameras and do all of that very well. I have 22 two sided film holders for them as well as roll film backs in two formats.

But right now my favorite is the 645. In the last two months I have aquired a body and four lenses ( 55mm, 90mm,150mm,210mm) (5 filters) plus 2x extender, 3 120 film inserts and shoulder strap for about $500.00. ( Go Ebay!)

The camera while heavy is intutitive to use, makes a huge image capable of serious enlargement without detail loss. The electronicly controlled shutter is crisp and accurate. If the batttery should fail it defaults to a 60th which also happens to be its flash sync speed.

It has mirror lock up and changing film in the field is a snap (if you have additional film inserts) but no big deal if you don't. The insert is solidly made and not hard to load.

I have the basic eye level finder for it but there are also AE finders that will couple to the lenses for auto exposure mode. Not something that has much appeal to me. I have a good meter and usually have it close by.

This to me is a "dream" camera. It can cover almost any type of shooting I am likely to try.

 

[yossarian]

George, when you do the Pop Photo thing, could you Please beg them to include MTF
graphs along with that stupid SQF? I did one of those surveys several years ago and
I believe they ignored everything I suggested, and I wasn't even rude.

Fred

 

[Bobbo]

I'd say a Contax II reworked with a better shutter (no ribbons), the basic finder from a M4 (35/50/90/135 framelines) but with a longer VF baseline and better eye relief, TTL metering, and a few good lenses like a 35/1.4, 50/1.4, and a 90/1.4. Of course made of solid brass body plates and a stainless steel chassis. Oh, a hinged back as well.

For my SLR, my F2 Photomic with a less chunky-looking prism with LED metering but Non-AI coupling (everything with a prong will give full-aperture metering, but you have to turn it to set the max aperture every time you change lenses...so hard🙂), fully illuminated displays, and maybe a hybrid shutter like a FM3A so the camera could have aperture priority AE, but reliable enough to live in a F2. A 1-degree spotmeter would be nice, too. Weather sealing is necesary. No titanium needed...IMO it doens't really add that much to the camera except bragging rights and price.

Oh, a clip-on 10mp digital back capable of 5fps would be nice. Make it the same size or a bit smaller than a MD-2 with MB-1 and a stop-back, too.

I don't ask for much. It isn't impossible, just improbable...not a huge market.

 

[yossarian]

Bobbo, I freely confess...I have a titanium fetish. That doesn't necessarily make me a bad person, though. I was a bad person before that. But if I had to, yeah, I could deal with brass.

Fred

ps--please keep this stuff coming; I didn't start this thread but it sure is fun...