Ok we have had whats the best Leica ever made, so the question is whats the best camera Leica never made. not confined to rangefinders.
For me Its the Nikon F4.
Yet another vote for the F4. Greatest tripod SLR I think. Nice clear, traditional controls, that can be read withouthaving to wake the camera up. Exposure compensation that can be adjusted with positive clicks. I shot F4's for my stock photography work- and they proved to be quite bulletproof, going strong in the desert or in 35 below zero F.
My formative years with 35mm were in the pre-autofocus era with a Nikon F3HP and MD4 drive - about 500,000 frames in three years working for a paper. I had an FE2 during this time as a backup which shot maybe half that many frames.
I'll have to go with the F3HP - a mechanical and automatic genius of a camera. I still envy the 85mm/f2 AIS images and wish my pre-asph 90mm Summicron was as good wide open.
I would have to say the Nikon F3HP for all the reasons above, but in the eighties and early nineties I just loved the feel of the Nikon FM2 in my hand with a 50mm f1.4. Shweeeet!
I think the Olympus OM system is the most Leica-like SLR. I picked up an OM-2 with 50mm, and am thinking of adding another lens or two--even though I have a Leica R outfit. My OM-2 fits the hand just like my my Leica IIIc. It feels even smaller than an M. Now the question is how good are the lenses. And the prices! $700 for a 40mm f/2!
I might also vote for the XPAN as the best camera Leica never made.
I'm fond of the Pentax Spotmatic cameras, tough and dependable. I was not as fond of their M42 screw mounts, but, as with bottom loading Barnacks, you get used to it. Superb glass and stop-down metering. Plus all the M42 lenses will fit right onto the Pentax DSLR cameras with the addition of a $20 adapter.
In the SLR category, IMHO, OM-1 and the Nikon F2 tied for different reasons. The OM for it's small size and low noise, the F2 for it's robustness and flexability.
Essentially all the Canon LTM rangefinders after Canon started down the road of making modern-like 35mm cameras with hinged backs and rapid winders. Canon sort of picked up where Leica left off and kept going.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.