What's Your "Desert Island" Camera?

[Gabriel M.A.]

Let's say you're given an unlimited supply of film. What one camera will you use?

Hmm, that's a trick question. Ever seen the Twilight Zone episode with the guy that has all the time left in the world to read all the books he wants?...

 

[kiev4a]

Hmm, that's a trick question. Ever seen the Twilight Zone episode with the guy that has all the time left in the world to read all the books he wants?...

....and breaks his glasses

 

[Benjamin Marks]

35mm - A toss up-I assume the desert island feature means no electricity.
M3-w/a 50mm Summicron
or (heh, heh)
A Nikon F with a 50/1.4

MF:
Rollei 3.5F (Xenar)

If you're on a desert Island, the sunny-16 rule might occaisionally be the sunny-22 rule. And I'd want a lens-shade for whatever camera it was. Can't Ginger and Mary-Anne both be there? What kind of a fantasy island is this anyway (to mix 70's tv metaphors, pace the late Bob Denver and the short Herve Villachez)?

 

[back alley]

didn't we just do this?

joe

 

[Doug]

I think Richard and Glenn are on the right track... and what's there to shoot on a desert island anyway? 🙂

 

[kbg32]

Whatever Tina Modotti might be holding at the time.

🙂

 

[xcapekey]

m2 and tri-elmar

 

[kjoebek]

😎 I would bring my good old Nikon FM with a 24mm on.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

....and breaks his glasses

Submitted for your approval: no developer (or fixer, or...), no temperature control, no darkroom, no clean running water.... what would you do with all that unlimited supply of unprocessed film?

 

[Igor.Burshteyn]

Oly OM1n and 35mm

 

[jaapv]

Can we have an everlasting battery or does it run out ?

What battery? Let's have a Leica M3 with a selenium exposure meter! and collapsible Elmar 50!

 

[Hektor]

Hi jaapv, -- with that Hula Girl around, I think I'd need the battery for my pacemaker !!

 

[Hektor]

Or a set of jump leads and a younger man !

 

[ray_g]

This is easy: Polaroid. At least I can see the photos I took. And don't forget the flash to signal planes and passing ships. 🙂

 

[ray_g]

And a polarizer.

 

[jaapv]

Hi jaapv, -- with that Hula Girl around, I think I'd need the battery for my pacemaker !!

Does that refer to my collapsible Elmar?

 

[Hektor]

Yeah, Eventually Leitz learned with the Summicron, they stopped using the collapsible one and got better results with rigid ones.

 

[Hektor]

Sorry all, -- family show and all that.

 

[fgianni]

A nice polaroid would solve the problem of the Lab, and time zero film allows manipulation, so the fun is double, I'd say a polaroid SX-70.

 

[sf]

hmmm

hmmm

that is not so easy to answer. Problem is, how do we ever see our pics?

Can't print them

We'd have to have some developer, etc just to see the negatives, but the temperatures would be all wrong. Too complicated really.

Perhaps you mean just for fondling. Just to stroke and love and cuddle with?

Hmmmm. Just the hottest camera on the planet. Alpa all the way baby - with tilt and shift - and the very most rare and exciting lens that is offered. No batteries needed. 100% mechanical lovin'. And I could use the lens to start fires.

I suppose a digital with a satellite uplink would be good, then I could get OFF the island and buy more cameras and actually use them to make pictures.

Hey! Ray-g has the idea too - with the flash to signal ships and planes. Of course it is not that bright - maybe if you had a number of flash bulbs, you could set them off in SOS fashion. And the polaroid idea - good one - can see the pics, but really, what do pics matter when no one else can see them, and the chances are, they are of things that you will see every day for the rest of your life anyway?