Stilish cameras

[Erik van Straten]

Top view.

Erik.

 

[Particular]

The exceedingly rare, but soon to be ubiquitous iphone 5. Very stylish this week.

This could end up being a long thread.

 

[River Dog]

Rolleiflex, hands-down hipster gold.

 

[giellaleafapmu]

Not being digitally minded I'd not heard of the ricoh tc-1 before, wow it's incredible what they can do with plastics these days!

I think you mixed together two cameras: there is a cheap digital Ricoh PX, which is a small beginners' camera mildly waterproof and there was a very expensive Minolta TC-1 which, as the name said (TC standing for Titanium Shell), was not made of plastic and uses regular 135 film.

Minolta TC-1:

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/MinoltaTC1.html

Ricoh PX:

http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/px/px/

Probably the only links between the two, besides the fact that I mentioned them in these posts, are the fact that are made in Japan, that they are small and that they are kind of rectangular.

By the way, even the Ricoh does not seem to be too plasticky, I have never held one in my hands but the top part seem to be some sort of metal.


GLF

 

[rhl-oregon]

It wasn't clear whether film or digital was preferred. If it's about film + ease of use (i.e. autofocus priority) + great glass, I concur with the Contax G opinion. It's elegant,

The Pen FT is more venerable, also has fine lenses, and allows greater manual control plus a unique metering approach for newbies (the conversion of f-stops into a simple 0-7 scale)--but is not much use unless you have access to half-frame processing.

Barnacks and Rolleis and such require steeper learning curves plus real devotion--you have to want to learn how to make them do their best. They won't just give it away.

But if it's about digital, that's another conversation. (I like the idea of a digital analogy to the simple black dress --a GRD, for me. What is your 'simple black dress' digicam?)

 

[Argenticien]

Voigtlander Vitessa with the pump film winder and the doors on the front. VERY stylish.

I think the early Bronicas -- S, S2, S2A, C etc. -- are really great looking cameras. I love the chrome stampings, the nameplate, the way the lens is set so far in the body.

w00t! No one ever calls me stylish, but I must indirectly be so, because I have a Vitessa and an S2! Seriously, these are both great cameras. The Vitessa could be perceived as slightly small and fiddly (not terrible) especially by someone relatively new to photography. The S2, being medium format and fully manual, unsurprisingly has large, easy-to-use controls. The output is not typically lomographic, though, as the Nikkor lenses are dead serious. No plastic rubbish there. As I understand it, the S2/S2a/etc. are considered somewhat the hipster accessory in Japan. (Where are you located?)

--Dave

 

[Rico]

For those with a sense of style Teutonic, consider the Contax RTS III:

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Besides the purposeful and austere demeanor, the controls are analog in design and intuitive in placement. There are no sliders or menus.

 

[tunalegs]

Nobody mentioned the Exakta? Surely the most stylish 35mm SLR ever made?

The Contarex Electronic, Regula Reflex 2000CTL, almost all of the Petri rangefinders from the green window era. Topcon Super D. Braun Paxette. Canon Dial 35...

 

[Paul Jenkin]

I always think about stylish as something that the item makes you feel rather than simply how it looks. My favourites right now are my Olympus OM2n and my Rolleiflex 3.5t - though my M6TTL is also a classy little number......

 

[farlymac]

Two more, from extreme ends of the spectrum. The first one is designed like a refrigerator.

Revere Electric Eye-Matic EE 127 Front by br1078phot, on Flickr

The next one is more classy, with a titanium body shell.

Canon Sure Shot Classic 120 Front Open Wide by br1078phot, on Flickr

PF

 

[gavinlg]

Anything modern contax.