Have you ever bought a camera just because it was so beautiful?

[wolves3012]

But I have been yearning for a Zenit-S for a while now. There are so many reasons not to buy one, but it looks sooooo nice. Shame Leica never made an SLR this dinky, based on their screw mount cameras.

I liked the Zenit enough to buy two. I was quite shocked at just how small it is too. One downside I find is that the screen is set quite close, optically, so I need reading glasses to use it. One of the two was boxed and in excellent condition, the other is tatty but it was cheap. Both work fine...

(IIIC in photo for size comparison)

 

[Carterofmars]

Yes I have.

 

[TheHub]

Sure, a Contax II.

 

[shadowfox]

Yes, of course.
Those who think that they are immune to the seduction of a pretty camera needs to lighten up

... and many more.

In fact, here's a weird thing, a few years ago, I created a group on flickr specially for those of us who took the time to create a still-life with cameras as the subject. It was merely just to try creating groups on flickr really. I *never* promoted it, told no one, and to my surprise people started to put their photos in the group.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/cameraparade/

 

[shaunmlavery]

I literally just ought a black chrome M4 because it kept staring at me. You know the feeling, every time I went to my mac, I would somehow find myself looking at that M4. I didn't "need" it but I justified it by telling myself it was a backup to my backup.

My Black chrome M6 with the MP finder used to be my camera. Loved it, the feel, everything...I'm hoping this M4 will take it's place. The digital M's don't quite have the soul nor the handling of the film counterparts.

Oh, view cameras can be pretty attractive as well. I used to have a 8x10 setup in my studio. Problem with that guy, it cost me to much money to shoot so it, so the camera ended up developing an alter ego of "ha, look but don't touch." I got rid of it after that.

 

[apodeictic]

If I had the money to pursue such an expensive pastime, I'd get into making daguerreotypes. Not only are they exquisite, but the cameras are absolutely gorgeous:

 

[RanceEric]

Definitely! My Contax I(b)

 

[reuno]

I think every camera i bought after my first one were just bought because they were too beautiful. Who needs more than one camera finalky ? Color in one, b&w in the other, 100iso in one, 400 in another.. That will not help us to take photos. Buuuuut... to answer to the question i think the one i bought because it was so beautiful and cheap (i bought it in tokyo), is the Nikon 28 TI.

 

[thegman]

I think it's played a role in almost all my purchases, but it's never been exclusively about how pretty the camera is. It's really quite important to me though, how a camera looks and feels.

 

[FrankS]

the Black Beauty:

 

[HuubL]

Ditto. When the Canon EF came out, I was a poor student and there was no way I could afford it. I got the sexy camera brochure Canon brought out on the EF and after drooling all over it for a week or two I could virtually feel the camera in my hands. After two months of lusting I bought it and was so broke I couldn't buy a roll of film to put through it for another two months.

I've had many other Canon (D)SLRs after the EF, but none ever gave me the same feeling of deep satisfaction.

I think the average Canon camera is rather clunky, missing some of the subtle cosmetic appeal that e.g. the average Nikon (D)SLR has slightly more of. But with the EF Canon did everything right! Not only was it a good looker, it was ahead of its contemporaries functionally and ergonomically also.

Here is mine, next to the A-1:

the Black Beauty:

 

[dave lackey]

Absolutely!

The M3 shown at left in the avatar...the Nikon S3 2000 and the black Nikon SP that I haven't found yet.