favourite cameras

[FrankS]

My family is beginning to plan a trip to England next summer and the cameras I'm contemplating taking with me are the ones I have most recently bought, and interestingly, 3 out of 4 are rangefinder types. They are: Rolleicord lll with f3.5 Xenar, Minox GT, Konica Hexar AF, and Fuji GS645W.

What are your fav's and what would you take travelling?

 

[GeneW]

I like to travel light. Often I'll take only my Stylus Epic which I can carry in my pocket.

Gene

 

[Tim]

Favourites? For me, easy!

In spite of the collection of cameras, there are only 3 that get used all the time.

The Leica IIIf gets carried pretty much everywhere local. Usually loaded with Ilford HP5.

If I'm going on a trip somewhere, or up into the mountains, or hiking, I carry the Bessa R2. I have a LowePro bag, small one with a shoulder strap, that just fits the R2+Ultron, and the 21 and 75 lenses. Loaded with (usually) Velvia 100. This is without a doubt my favourite kit - it's not too heavy or bulky, and is really versatile.

If I'm backpacking for more than a day, the R2+Ultron goes - no extra lenses. (every bit of weight counts when your basic pack is about 22-24kg)

And if I'm travelling for work, again, space and weight are at a premium, and I usually don't have a heap of time, so I take the Minox 35GT. (and usually curse that I haven't got the R2!). It's small and light, fits in a pocket, looks like a toy, and has a lens and metering system good enough to get nice transparencies.

Of course, if my mate and I are just out on a Sunday morning to take pictures - then I've got a backpack full of 4 or 5 other cameras as well.........

Tim

 

[rover]

I just returned and only took my two Bessas. The R was the home for my 21mm and R2 sported the 40 Rokkor. I my 35 Ultron and 75 Heliar in my Adoroma slinger bag with a little Metz flash. All in all a compact setup. There is enough room in the slinger for my wallet and a couple other things and it carries well.

 

[back alley]

rover, what do think of that slinger?

i'm always looking for something 'better'!

joe

 

[rover]

The Slinger is nice. I don't think I would want to put anything more in it than I did last week, it was starting to sag a little. With a one camera outfit though it is perfect. It carries very well and is very easy to slip around infront of you to get to it. I don't know how I look with it on. Being a big guy with a little bag slung over my shoulder, I may look a little, well, I never was much for fashion. There is plenty of room too for other stuff. I give it a thumbs up.

 

[back alley]

thanks for the info.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

...in my Adoroma slinger bag with a little Metz flash. All in all a compact setup.

Should I assume, then, that you're no longer carrying the diaper bag? 🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Sorry... forgot to answer the question.

I'm fickle, and my favorites are usually the latest I've purchased. However, I've chosen my Canonet over my Contax to travel (less electronics=more reliable or predictable), and my Leica over my Canonet... and my SLR.

Focal length? To me, nothing beats the 35mm.

 

[jdos2]

Mamiya Universal. Hands down. Best.. Pictures... EVER. (And Polaroids, too!)

Of course, I might be a tad bit biased.

 

[hoppinghippos]

Favourites? For me, easy!

If I'm going on a trip somewhere, or up into the mountains, or hiking, I carry the Bessa R2. I have a LowePro bag, small one with a shoulder strap, that just fits the R2+Ultron, and the 21 and 75 lenses. Loaded with (usually) Velvia 100. This is without a doubt my favourite kit - it's not too heavy or bulky, and is really versatile.
Tim

Dear Tim, how do you get accurate exposures for the velvia? do you base entirely on the bessa's meter or use external meters or sunny 16? Would appreciate if you could share your experiences! :O)

 

[Doug]

I would take my Bronica RF645, surely! If important to have lighter weight, then the Fuji GS645S.

 

[Russ]

I just returned and only took my two Bessas. The R was the home for my 21mm and R2 sported the 40 Rokkor. I my 35 Ultron and 75 Heliar in my Adoroma slinger bag with a little Metz flash. All in all a compact setup. There is enough room in the slinger for my wallet and a couple other things and it carries well.

What is an Adorama Slinger?

Russ

 

[RML]

Adorama Slinger

Sounds like a drink to me! 🙂

 

[back alley]

here's a pic but it's not the same bag that i thought it was.

joe

 

[P C Headland]

If the need is to travel light, and only one camera is allowed, it would be my Minox 35GT. In fact this was what I used the most during the past few years.

If size/weight is not quite so restricted, then I'll take the Iskra and Leningrad meter (as I almost always have used Velvia in this, and don't fancy guessing exposures..)

Usually we go on holiday now it is with the Iskra and a Minolta A1, although the 35GT being so small is often brought along too. Of course, if we take the car, then we can take all the cameras!

Favourites? 35GT and Iskra.

 

[Tim]

Dear Tim, how do you get accurate exposures for the velvia? do you base entirely on the bessa's meter or use external meters or sunny 16? Would appreciate if you could share your experiences! :O)

Well.....I use the R2's meter, but I don't just point it and take it's advice. I tend to meter off different parts of the scene based on the way the R2's meter works (I have a chart which shows it's centreweighting) and then make a judgement on that. The R2 meter is pretty accurate once you understand how it's weighted.

😕

OK, that didn't really make sense, did it?
I'll frame the shot. Look at what the meter tells me. Then move around the scene to the highlights and lowlights, look what the meter says, and make a judgement call based on the variance. Sounds complex but is actually simple and works pretty well, I find. Typically you end up 1/2 stop under what the meter tells you for pointing stright at a "typical" landscape scene.

This probably STILL doesn't make sense. I know what I'm talking about, I'm just having I/O problems.....😡

Tim

 

[rover]

Should I assume, then, that you're no longer carrying the diaper bag? 🙂

Hey...that was an LL Bean Wide Mouth Duffle Bag, my version of a macho diaper bag. Sammy is old enough to wear a backpack, so he carries his own extras now.

 

[rover]

here's a pic but it's not the same bag that i thought it was.

joe

It looks kinda small in that picture Joe because that is a jumbo mama DSLR stuffed into it. The Bessas and compact RF lenses fit comfortably into a third of the bag with room on the bottom of the compartment for an extra lens. There is movable padding to protect everything nicely.

 

[hoppinghippos]

Well.....I use the R2's meter, but I don't just point it and take it's advice. I tend to meter off different parts of the scene based on the way the R2's meter works (I have a chart which shows it's centreweighting) and then make a judgement on that. The R2 meter is pretty accurate once you understand how it's weighted.

😕

OK, that didn't really make sense, did it?
I'll frame the shot. Look at what the meter tells me. Then move around the scene to the highlights and lowlights, look what the meter says, and make a judgement call based on the variance. Sounds complex but is actually simple and works pretty well, I find. Typically you end up 1/2 stop under what the meter tells you for pointing stright at a "typical" landscape scene.

This probably STILL doesn't make sense. I know what I'm talking about, I'm just having I/O problems.....😡

Tim

Dear Tim, I understand what you're trying to say, thanks for trying so hard to explain! I have seen the centre weighted diagram on cameraquest, and I have also read that bessa's meters aren't good if the sky is included in the metering (prob due to the way the top and bottom is also included in the metering pattern), that coupled with my assumption that most pple would be using wide angles like 35 and below means its difficult to get specific readings similar to spot metering, hence my curiosity.

but if you can get great exposure taking "spot" readings with your bessa, its a big inspiration to me! but I must get the courage to try slides with my bessa first! thanks!