What is your most tactile camera

[Jamie Pillers]

And maybe a close second would be the Leica III with one of the Voigtlander Color Skopar lenses mounted.

 

[mgrinnan]

I fondle/molest my Zorki 1 w/collapsible Industar lens quite frequently. My other cameras are more for actual picture taking.

 

[splitimageview]

Nikon F2A became extremely familiar, easy to change shutter speed with the tall dial on the top with the camera at the eye, and easy to count stops with the aperture ring. And the match needle is very predicable, easy to see how many stops over or under. Operation completely by feel...

That said, the Contax RTS feels more refined in the hand.

 

[lynnb]

Love the feel of my IIIc. Currently using a borrowed CV 35mm f2.5 LTM and that's very well suited to this camera (has a focus lever). A joy to handle.

plain prism Nikon F with Nikkor-S 5cm f2, solid mechanical indestructible feel
OM1, all the controls fall easily to place
Perkeo II because it's a beautiful, precision, tiny MF camera that fits in a pocket. I should name it 🙂

EDIT: This is my 5,000th post!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pioneer]

Interesting question.

Not much of a "fondler but there are a few cameras that "feel" good when used. Some of it is probably a "learned" response to cameras that are used a lot.

The three top cameras for me from the "tactile" perspective are the Pentax K1000, the Zeiss Ikon ZM and the Pentax 645Nii.

 

[FrankS]

Okay, I'll add the Perkeo ll to my list, and the Pentax Spotmatic and SV.

 

[vitaly66]

Brownie Hawkeye Flash:





With surfaces of both smooth and scalloped bakelite, ribbed control plungers, textured handstrap, and exquisitely knurled film advance, the BHF is a tactile delight like no other.

 

[clayne]

Definitely a Nikon F, F2, or F3 with special emphasis on the F2.

 

[KM-25]

Bunches, like my F3, FM3A, currently for sale Mamiya 6, Hasselblads. But by far my fave is my custom Griptac covered M6TTL which uses a 28/2.8 Asph and 35/1.4 FLE with Griptac focus rings....that sucker is just outstanding!

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Violin has no electronics, it is up to musician to makes it sound. Good musician, good violin - good sound.

So, M4-2 (or almost any film M) with tabbed Leitz (and only Leitz) lens on it. Only this kit makes sense in terms of "fiddling" to me.
I'm taking it slightly forward from "holding and playing", but taking pictures with. 🙂 This is where "tactile" is.
IIf I used to have and use has special feel in it. But it handled bad in cold for pictures taking. Kind of cold metal camera to me.

 

[Pioneer]

...and the Grand Prize goes to...

the Brownie!!

 

[FrankS]

Dang! I forgot the Hasselblad 500cm. Have to add it to the list. I think it's complete now.

 

[FrozenInTime]

The Leica '0' series - you can see, feel and hear the camera working:

Extend the lens to taking position; see the aperture blades ; see the shutter tension spin round after the shutter is pressed; feel the curtains arresting.
Become at one capping the shutter before feeling the film as it is wound on
Finally when all is done feel the film spinning the shutter release when winding back.

 

[mfogiel]

There are many great cameras to fondle. The Leicas are front of the line, but boy, try to shoot a quick round with a motorised F2 or F3 ! The F3 with motor feels like brick and is also a work of art. Then there are the Rolleiflexes, Hasselblads, with the SWC having an appeal of its own. I find that cameras with a mechanical central shutter are really in a separate class...

 

[Addy101]

The Sony A900 😱

It is the digital equivalent of the Minolta Dynax 9. I sometimes find the Dynax 9 a bit on the heavy side, the A900 is lighter by 50 grams. I find it never gets in the way of taking a picture - I think the A900 is an underrated camera: it is surely aimed at the photographer, no useless bells and whistle's.

70's and 80's film cameras are nice too, there is something about that manual film advance.

 

[lxmike]

thanks for the great replies here chaps

 

[Keith]

My 1930 Leica 1a closely followed by my black OM1 ... there's just something about them that makes them special.

 

[karlin]

Leica iiif . Rolleiflex 3.5F ,spotmatic.

 

[lxmike]

The Leica '0' series - you can see, feel and hear the camera working:

Extend the lens to taking position; see the aperture blades ; see the shutter tension spin round after the shutter is pressed; feel the curtains arresting.
Become at one capping the shutter before feeling the film as it is wound on
Finally when all is done feel the film spinning the shutter release when winding back.

what a stunning camera

 

[maddoc]

Leica M, Spotmatic, Nikon S2.