Perverse pleasures

[wray]

The 'new to me' Mamiya Press super 23 is no treat to use.

Same for me!

 

[aniMal]

I rarely use cameras that I find too cumbersome, but sometimes carrying a bag of Mamiya RX 67 gets awfully heavy... One could say that it is not the easiest camera to work with hand held, but I find it quite nice after getting used to it. Especially when using a remote control, released with my left hand after the mirror has risen.

View cameras are another thing... I have just about started doing 4x5 on a small wooden folder, and that is of course hard work. So far so good, no fouled exposures - thanks to working very systematically and slowly.

But the worst are digital Nikons!!! More than one time there has been some setting that has been wrong, and I have not been able to keep up with the models! Once my D300 froze completely - things like that NEVER happen with a decent, mechanical camera...

The M8 is also not perfect in this matter, but it still wins because it operates just like a film M - with only ISO in need of being changed in the menu.

So, clearly D200/D300 wins on this scale for me!

 

[Tom A]

Alpa! Virtually any of the 35mm Alpa's. The early ones had the dimmest finder this side of a politicians memory. The later ones were reasonably bright - but still ergonomical disasters! Great lenses though - which was why I had them.
Linhof Technica - trying to change focusing cams without loosing fingertips. The much lauded Deardorf - wood is not a stable compound!!! Trying to pull the front standard out and having it stick - or even worse - trying to fold the damn thing up and have it stick!!!

 

[mark-b]

I miss my Pentacon 6 TL all-mechanical evil slr with pentaprism finder. It was so big, muggers kept a fair distance from me, because they thought I was carrying around an armored tank. It had a frame overlap problem that you remedy by keeping the shutter pressed down while you advance-and-cocked the shutter. That was really awkward, especially while hand-holding the camera. I didn't mind the weight, since at that time, I was also a gym rat. If I can find another one that has the overlapping issue fixed, I'd start saving up.

 

[Bob Ross]

The quirky Kodak Tank is my love/hate object. This is the one that I have now, a Medalist I. It and its original owner spent WWII in the Aleutian Islands on an Army Airforce bomber base. I also had a Medalist II that I sold to a Bail Bond Agent who wanted to intimidate his clients

Bob

 

[Trius]

Tower 51, aka Iloca Rapid. The viewfinder is dim but the patch is quite contrasty and useable, at least on mine. The film counter on mine doesn't work, and the film advance keeps going AWOL. But oh, the Steinheil Cassar 50/2.8, despite flare!

Java Joe's, Rochester Public Market

Two Oly 35SP, shot on Tower 51.​

 

[Bob Ross]

For me it's the Bronica S2A - I had about ten years ago, just could not get on with the entire mechanics of it!. The Nikkor lens produced superb negs, especially when used on tripod, as I suppose it really was meant to be, very nice looking thing, and I occasionally think about having another try with one - I don't like to be beaten!. Incidentally - I wonder if anyone does hand-hold one of these successfully? - I never could!.
Cheers,Dave

Hi Dave,
Out of the archives here is the kid and his S2 in the early 70s somewhere on the California coast, taken with an Olympus 35RC, if I remember correctly. I traded it for an M5, but missed it enought to get an ECTL, which I still have in the collection. As you can see I was caught in the hand holding mode.
Bob

 

[Trius]

Tower 51, aka Iloca Rapid. The viewfinder is dim but the patch is quite contrasty and useable, at least on mine. The film counter on mine doesn't work, and the film advance keeps going AWOL. But oh, the Steinheil Cassar 50/2.8, despite flare!

Java Joe's, Rochester Public Market

Two Oly 35SP, shot on Tower 51.​

 

[Trius]

My Crown Graphics...after shooting Leicas I wonder why I bother with the big cameras, until I develop the negatives....

Ain't it the truth? I'm fortunate in that the Toyo 45A is easy to set up and get the shot. Not as fast an RF, but for its purpose, it's fast.

 

[Bob Ross]

But the worst are digital Nikons!!! More than one time there has been some setting that has been wrong, and I have not been able to keep up with the models! Once my D300 froze completely - things like that NEVER happen with a decent, mechanical camera...

Of my digital cameras, the Coolpix 5000 which has controls specifically designed for the multi armed Hindu God Visnu makes any DSLR feel good. Nice size though and vesitile, if you can take time to control it.
Bob

 

[Roger Hicks]

What intrigues me about many of the responses are that they concern Great Cameras, the sort of thing some people dream of owning without ever considering that they may have drawbacks.

Another thought: a Hasselblad with an 80mm is great. Put anything else on and it's suddenly nothing like as well balanced.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Vadim]

My Kiev 60 fills the gap between too many 35mm cameras and the Mamyia Rb and Speed Graphic I preferably use at the moment. It is extremely unelegant, super loud and the the mirror shakes like an earthquake.

But it mounts the Sonnar 180/2.8, a dream lens (not for every situation, flares like hell). But boy, this combo is huge! The CZ 80mm is not bad either and this combo then almost a walk-around camera. But every time I use it I swear saving some cash for a Hasselblad (I just love Zeiss lenses). Because of it being that crude tank...

 

[starvingjack]

For me, the fuji ga645 series.
its a love/hate affair.

Its' VF is vertically orientated, does cause confusion.
It's autofocus, can't tell if it is in focus as its a rf.

but man, it gives me great negs.

 

[Bike Tourist]

Exakta Varex series: wonderful all-mechanical gadget, and capable (with the right lens) of delivering surprisingly good results. Mine also has a metered prism with a direct-vision finder built in.

Don't forget its most exciting feature — the trend-setting, avant guard, never-to-be-duplicated, all-time great innovation: The film knife!

 

[anglophone1]

Graflex XLSW , this is my "superwide lens" for 6x9, I use a Fuji GW & GSW for the rest , which are huge but leicalike, so OK.
Its a bugger to use, but 47mm on 6x9 gives geat negs.
Actually my Razzle 5x4 is just as bad, but even better!
Clive

 

[dee]

Leica Digilux 3 - squinty viewfinder , boxy , won't focus , enormous lense .
Iffy resolution ... but I like the images .
Love the trad controls ... and using my Rokkors ...
Loading a Rollei B 35 - never did get the hang of it .

 

[bindie]

Zorki 4K - it took the skin of your fingers when rewinding, but I miss it and want one again.

Ricoh 500RF and Olympus XA - for the life of me I have no idea what happened to them; if I sold them then more fool me as I have bought back the XA and am looking for a Ricoh.

 

[sepiareverb]

My 620 Brownie Hawkeye. When it works I love it. The rest of the time I hate it.

 

[dee]

Honestly ? The Prima Donna Contax III with heavy Crown in the clouds when a Kiev IV does it all so easily LOL ... but she will not be dee'nied !
Will the forced marriage twix Contax Queen III and rash Kiev IV newcomer head , cast a shadow over her crown ?

 

[hans voralberg]

For me it's the Bronica S2A - I had about ten years ago, just could not get on with the entire mechanics of it!. The Nikkor lens produced superb negs, especially when used on tripod, as I suppose it really was meant to be, very nice looking thing, and I occasionally think about having another try with one - I don't like to be beaten!. Incidentally - I wonder if anyone does hand-hold one of these successfully? - I never could!.
Cheers,Dave

I do, although it's the EC, but they're quite similar. I love hand holding one actually, feel very pleasant to me, though it's a little heavy.

My love/hate relationship is the Mamiya 7, fantastic lens, great negs, just couldn't get on with holding the massive camera in front of my face.