What film camera should I get next?

Personally, I have never thought analogue photography was about the "beauty of grain." Street photographers often have to work in lower light, often favor higher shutter speeds, and have had to use faster, grainier film, so they have essentially been forced to find beauty in grain. I have always shot fine-grained film and I shoot mainly medium format. (I'm don't do street photography.)


The most mobile medium format cameras in 6x7 would be the RFs, so Mamiya 7/7II, Fuji GW670i/ii/iii, or the Makina 67.


Moving up to 6x9: Fuji GW690i/ii/iii (normal lens, I think 90mm) or GSW690i/ii/iii (65mm f5.6 wide angle lens, equivalent to 28mm in 135 format).


- Murray
 
Second (third) the idea of trying a large format. For something different you might want to make it a 9x12 folder. Surprisingly there are still some good ones around at decent prices.
 
There is something about the classic Voigtländers. The best are really well made and finished. If you can get on with the unorthodox film advance and thumb wheel focus a folding Vitessa with 50mm Ultron is rather special. For SLRs if you are open to something really different a classic Exakta comes to mind. So do ALPAs albeit at a higher price point in most cases.
Cheers
Brett
 
a Bessa 667 or 667w (or the fuji equivalents to them)

6x7 and 6x6 in one package
stunning lens
whisper silent shutter
a moder day makina easy to use as a Leica M7
 
I’d suggest an Xpan. A completely different way of seeing and composing. No, not cheap, but worth every penny. Easy to carry all day. Exceptional lenses. Superb build quality. It’s the camera I find most inspiring and the one that produces the most ‘keepers’ for me.
 
Hmmm, why not buy the next one you see at under (say) US$5 ? You might get a pleasant surprise...


Regards, David


PS And don't touch analogue cameras, stick to film ones.
 
giganova said:
...I am loving these tiny point & shoot cameras because they are with me all the time and are almost invisible.
Click to expand...

Then maybe you should truly embrace "tiny" and get either a Minox C or LX or, if lens options are important, a Pentax Auto 110.


Rob
 
Regarding your F3, yours need a major service..
The rough winding! Yikes! I NEVER know if mine is winding film.
It is so smooth! THe noise more than my early F Nippon Kogaku.
Having an RB that's noise.

Truth tell, i have more than 10 cameras and love most of them..
Do self favor and maybe shoot Leica one year, no extra lenses, just film.
The F3 and FE use on a similar project, thus knowing your beasts..
 
You seem to have all you need. But if you're looking for something to own just because it's so nice, I suggest a Contax I or II. Some of the most beautiful cameras IMHO, especially the I. They just all need their shutters rebuilt... but that's still fairly affordable compared to new Leicas.
 
Adding to your collection...

Have some crazy inexpensive Fun, Get a Holga
Adds a different Atmospheric dimension to what You have
and You are never quite sure what that’Holga’ will do
 
Makina 67. A very much walkaround medium format camera for your street scenes in DC! It has a couple quirks but otherwise is a very satisfying experience.
 
You’re always running out of film you say.
One word; half-frame.
Get a Olympus Pen D (or D2 or D3), or perhaps an original Pen (limited shutter speeds, a 4 element scale focusing 28mm f3.5 (FOV about a 40mm on FF).
A Pen F is nice, if a bit loud, but better focusing screen than FT or FV (it’s all matte).
At least 72 exposures on a 36 exp roll and with modern T grain films the 1.33X enlargement factor is less an issue than it used to be.
The leaf shutter Pen’s are very soft sounding for shutter release and wind on.
The 6 element 32mm f 1.9 lens of the Pen D is very good, and the 43mm filter size is easy to find accessories for.
 
giganova said:
How shall I continue my journey to film camera nirvana and what should I add?
Click to expand...

I like the way you phrased that, it made me think. Also about my own journey. Here are my two cents:

If by "continuing your journey to film camera nirvana" you mean ever expanding your camera collection, either because you just love the unique sensorial experience different cameras give or the way each tool influences your way of doing photography, then whatever you don't already have may be worth trying. My suggestion in this case is get a pinhole camera. It's a whole different world from the cameras you have.

If, on the contrary, by "journey to camera nirvana" you mean reaching a state where you've broken the circle of "reincarnation" (read: buying and selling, buying and selling..), having realised that it only causes dissatisfaction with what you have, frustration and furthermore takes your focus away from what really counts (photography, and life), then the first suggestion you got, above, gives the best advice. Simplify, declutter.
 
There is a bunch of format overlapping in your list, with so many 35 mm cameras. Let go of the F3 (rough winding? Must be something wrong with it, seriously), the FM2 and one of the M4 cameras. Four of the Minox? - well, they break or malfunction easily, but still ...

If you want to expand your vision, try large format, like an Intrepid or maybe you can borrow something? Pinhole makes sense too, since it is at the other end of "capture the moment". With both of these variations, I tend to really "be there", in a very different way compared to winding and snapping off shot after shot.

Or pack everything up except one camera and do a project with that one instead. Limitations can be liberating.

EDIT: Reading your comment on MF/LF - well, then keep to 35 mm and get rid of anything that slows you down or disturbs the flow of capturing moments.
 
Jerevan said:
There is a bunch of format overlapping in your list, with so many 35 mm cameras. Let go of the F3 (rough winding? Must be something wrong with it, seriously), the FM2 and one of the M4 cameras. Four of the Minox? - well, they break or malfunction easily, but still ...

If you want to expand your vision, try large format, like an Intrepid or maybe you can borrow something? Pinhole makes sense too, since it is at the other end of "capture the moment". With both of these variations, I tend to really "be there", in a very different way compared to winding and snapping off shot after shot.

Or pack everything up except one camera and do a project with that one instead. Limitations can be liberating.

EDIT: Reading your comment on MF/LF - well, then keep to 35 mm and get rid of anything that slows you down or disturbs the flow of capturing moments.
Click to expand...


Got to agree; so a different SLR and you have a small pocket camera or two and a RF etc. Those three should cover everything...


Regards, David
 
giganova said:
Regarding MF or LF:

Isn't analogue photography all about embracing the flaws of film and the beauty of grain? If I wanted tack sharp photos, wide tonality and great resolution, I would buy a 47Mpix Leica Q2 which gives me all of the above plus mobility and being able to react quickly. I find it hard capturing "the moment" with my RZ67 because it is simply too slow, I always seem to run out of film when something interesting happens (despite three 120 backs) or I simply don't have that monster with me (weight/size) when I should have taken a camera. Don't get me wrong, I am able to create beautiful pictures with my RZ67, but all my best photos have been taken with 35mm cameras because I was able to react quickly to interesting events. I am therefore reluctant to embrace MF or LF, unless I give my creative art a completely new direction towards more static objects (e.g., landscapes, buildings, portraits). The above reasons are why I am loving these tiny point & shoot cameras because they are with me all the time and are almost invisible.
Click to expand...


A lot of using MF to get interesting candid shots is learning to anticipate an interesting scene. And let's be honest, if you're "reacting" to an interesting situation, you're already too late for the best shot.



Tourists by Berang Berang, on Flickr


Tokyo Night (remix) by Berang Berang, on Flickr


lake by Berang Berang, on Flickr


All of the above were taken with the very primitive Pilot 6 cameras in my collection. It has no automation of any sort. No automatic aperture stop down, no instant return mirror, no auto film stop, etc. etc. One must survey the scene and anticipate where people are going to be, and what they're going to do. In all three instances (and many more not shown) I observed what people were doing in the scene, preset the camera, then waited for the interesting moment to occur.



However, I'll second the advice of getting a Holga. Set it, and forget it. Go out and get snapshots on medium format.
 
This is what I’d do. Sell and buy things until you end up with this:

Leica M-A
Your Minoxes
Leica R6 or some other 35mm SLR

Mamiya RZ67

Nikon One Touch
Fuji Instax
Polaroid OneStep 2 or Fujifilm SQ6

A toy camera
A panoramic camera
An underwater camera
A stereo camera
A 126 camera
A 110 camera
An APS camera
A pinhole camera
A box camera
A falling/drop plate camera

Fujifilm X-T3
 
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