Second-string and knockabout cameras...

All this talk of the beach has me dusting off an old Nikon EM w/ 50mm E series lens for use on my vacation that starts this weekend. Thanks for the tip all.
 
The GR1 has always been my secondary camera. That was until I bought a cheap Yashica-mat. Now I'm beginning to think it's now my M8. 😱

We'll you live and learn. And what I've learned is that I don't need to spend £££££s on a backup to my backup's backup! 😛
 
Who doesn't would be more like it! 😛

It's a trap though because it just becomes an excuse for gas realisation. I did this with my OM's ... a mint OM-2 to love and one to drag around, never happened, I coveted them both equally. Same with my OM-1 intil I forced myself to sell the so called user to encourage me to use the nice black one overhauled by Camtech at some expense.

As for my M bodies ... it's a constant rotating mind set where cameras constantly change their level of importance to me ... depending on the position of the stars, who knows!

When I use my Fed-2 I put it in a Luigi case and suddenly it becomes something else aside from the forty five dollar piece of FSU flotsam it actually is ... WTF?

There's no such thing as second string cameras in my rather OCD world ... the ideal cabinet would only have one very large top shelf where they all could live so none of them had to feel inferior in any way, or worry about their place in my pecking order!

😛
 
Re-read your post and read the article.

Two cameras come to mind if they must be expendible. XA and F3. XA works well enough, but patch is barely there. F3 is a beater but works well. The 50/1.4 SC is squeeky, scratches on the front element, but still captures images fine.

But truth be told, I don't use these cameras anymore. In fact, I'm only using M's these days and Panasonic digitals.
 
IIIf with a J8 if I'm worried about conditions or with a summitar/summaron if not.

an X100? it would be a waste for me. I'm hoping some folks fall so deeply in love with theirs that they decide to sell some classic user film kits cheaply enough that I can add another M, barnack or even a Nikon S2 to my gear. for now, my M8 is all the digital I need or can afford.

anyway, for some strange reason the M8, which I love, got me to fall back in love with film.
 
None of my rangefinders are in a price range where I have worry too much - mainly FSU gear, Voigtländers and (of course) some Konicas. When hiking I sometimes bring my old faithful 10D - build like a tank, but no sealing, so I have a camera shaped "rain coat" to wrap it in.

Just ordered a 5D Mk II - most expensive camera I have ever owned, and I can't foresee anything more expensive coming my way in the near future. As I do not want to worry about it, I have taken out insurance, that will cover almost anything from theft to hot coffee being poured inside or dropping it from a plane...
 
Got my X100 yesterday because I wanted a camera for my briefcase that I could have with me during workdays. At Xmas time I decided I wanted something small and looked at all that was available and then read up on the impending release of X100 and decided to wait for it because of the retro styling that I miss since I sold my M8. It won't replace anything for me. Can't understand why it has to replace something. And I didn't buy mine because I didn't want to risk $7k either, was about to push button on M9 last year but chose a 5D2 and 2 TS-E lens instead for the same money as the M9 body. I bought mine to add to my options and so I have a picture taking device that can take a high quality pic with me at all times.
 
If there's a chance of my gear getting beat up I will grab the Nikon F2a...it used to be the carry-all camera that stayed in the car...lately, it's been the Spotmatic or a Nikon F4 w/WLF and Nikkor-Q 135mm...
 
It was a Nikon Lite-Touch until it went underwater at the beach. Now it is a Leica Mini or an Olympus Epic. The latter was a thrift-store find. It will probably be the next beach camera.

I pulled the 28/3.5 out of the Lite-Touch. Someday i will find a dead Orion 28mm to transplant the optic.
 
Encouraged by discussions here on RFF about always having a camera with you, I started carrying one in my briefcase and keeping one in the car. I just cannot imagine always having my best equipment at hand, though, since it is too valuable to me and I kind of obsess over taking good care of my camera equipment - especially the expensive items.

Luckily, the take-everywhere cameras (an Olympus XA in the briefcase and an Olympus OM-2n in the car) are high quality instruments that don't require an insurance policy to protect. I am not a professional photographer though, just someone who enjoys taking pictures. If I were a professional, or a lot better at photography, I'd find a way to always have the very best equipment within easy reach.
 
My second string camera is actually a beater version of one of my first string cameras; the Leica M5.
I like the idea of having the same camera in different flavors- clean collector model, everyday street cruiser, beach beater.
The look and feel is consistent and all I have to do is think about the image. For me, it is the lens that matters most.
After a winter of record snowstorms in NYC, I bought the mother of all Humvee/ M4 Sherman Tank/ Mack Truck cameras; the Nikonos III with a 35mm lens.
It is a KEH bargain, $80 shipped (the Nikkor 35mm f2.5 lens was $9.00) and built for extremes.
 
No second stringers for me; they are all knockabouts! Due to a natural lack of fleetness of hand and foot (and mind!) having expensive gear does not make sense for me. 🙁 I do enjoy good equipment so I tend to buy old and used and cross my fingers!
 
If I was concerned about the safety of where I was going I'd probably either take my old Ricoh 35mm P&S or my Nikon F3HP w/50mm f/1.4.

I tend to be more likely choose which camera I'm taking based on how much gear I want to lug around, or what I'm shooting. Now that I have a pretty good selection of lenses for my M6 TTL, it's getting hard to choose something else. 🙂 If I need good digital & long reach I take my D300. I'm starting to realize a M9 is better suited to my shooting preferences than a D800 (when it's released). 😱 I think I might start saving this year. 😱
 
In winter or really poor weather, I'll take my FM2 with a Nikkor 35/2 out, rather than my M6/Cron.

I don't doubt the quality or durability of a Leica, I just don't want to risk the extra wear, repair bills, etc. for that versus a Nikon. And, frankly, an FM2 or FM you can hammer nails with and it'll still work.
 
When I'm going downtown and I'm going to be out in the street at night, I sure as hell don't bring my BP M4, I just bring one of my Canon A2Es which I bought for $22 (for both, broken, I repaired them). I've never been mugged, but my city isn't the safest one, so I take reasonable care of my Leica and my Contaflex (although I got the latter for $9, but it's a keeper) I've never bought a camera for this purpose though, all of my cameras have been my main users at a given moment. (except my old Kodaks)
Also if I'm going to be at a party, I bring my 10D, I don't wanna get booze all over the Leica.
That said, I use the M4 90% of the time nowadays, I just leave it at home when there's a high probability of my camera getting damaged (my 10D already took a drunken 6ft fall to the ground, only got a bent hotshoe which I fixed with a hammer 😀 ) or stolen.
 
I've always brought my "beater" Nikon FM2n out to Burning Man, so in my book it qualifies as both second string and knockabout. Every year it gets subjected to enough heat to gum up the adhesive on the light seals, and enough dust to warrant a full cleaning by one of my trusted techs when I return. I've seen people shooting with Leicas and Hasselblads out on the playa, and certainly many with weather-sealed DSLR bodies. I just can't bring myself to subject the M8 to the conditions out there. And I've always been happy with the results I've brought back from those adventures.

Don't get me wrong: it is a great camera in its own right. I've been using it since purchased new in 1985 and it's served me well. It is however well-worn - so much so that it's simply not worth trying to sell at this point. What passes for brassing on a Leica simply looks like age on a Nikon!
 
dof said:
I've always brought my "beater" Nikon FM2n out to Burning Man, so in my book it qualifies as both second string and knockabout. Every year it gets subjected to enough heat to gum up the adhesive on the light seals, and enough dust to warrant a full cleaning by one of my trusted techs when I return. I've seen people shooting with Leicas and Hasselblads out on the playa, and certainly many with weather-sealed DSLR bodies. I just can't bring myself to subject the M8 to the conditions out there. And I've always been happy with the results I've brought back from those adventures.

Don't get me wrong: it is a great camera in its own right. I've been using it since purchased new in 1985 and it's served me well. It is however well-worn - so much so that it's simply not worth trying to sell at this point. What passes for brassing on a Leica simply looks like age on a Nikon!
Click to expand...

I vote for the FM2n with a 50/1.2 as the best knockabout camera ever made...
 
My IIIc and Summaron or Kiev & Jupiter 12 (35 Biogon copy) They're a back up to my M/F cameras. They are quick and easily slipped into a pocket when needed.
 
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