Sigh...
For me, it's a "pretty is as pretty does" thing. My long-gone Canon F-1s sort of epitomized what an SLR
should look like (along with the Nikon F, which I got to later, ironically).
For RFs, believe it or not, my main shootin' iron rules in terms of pared-down elegance:
I like to think of the Hexar's design as "purposeful beauty." Of course, I happen to gravitate toward things like Lamy fountain pens (I own a Persona and 2000, as well as a "vintage" Lamy 99), as well as Alex Moulton bicycles, so my idea of "pretty" might be a bit out-of-turn.
As far as other cameras I regard as beautiful:
- Nikon SP
- Leica M2, MP3
-
Tessina
- Contax RTS III
- Contax G2 (black)
As far as digital cameras go, the closest thing I've found to aesthetically-pleasing is the upcoming Pentax K7. I mentioned to a friend that if I were in the market for a dSLR, I'd pick the K7 in half-a-heartbeat. This camera seems to come closest to nailing the dSLR
zeitgiest for me, and I'm baffled as to why it's taken so damn long for this to come about. It's almost as if someone had the
cojones to say "Look, forget what Brands N and C are doing right now, let's go for something
special." And, somehow, it
looks the part, too. Maybe dSLRs
don't have to suck as much as I think they do? Here's hoping!
- Barrett
