What's your personal holy grail camera?

Started out on a Nikkormat FTN circa 1971, moved to a Nikon F3 and lots of handhelds (Rollei 35s, Minox,etc). Had use of a OM-4ti for awhile then onto RF's Bessa and ZI. Oh yeah, them digitals. For me it is the ZI.
 
for me rf cameras are all that matter. so a pair of leica mps would be "it"; a mp .58 and a mp .85 🙂

but the holy grail of bodies does not compare to my holy grail of lenses --- note the plural 😉
 
My first camera was a Praktika (made somewhere in East Germany), Rolleiflex 35, Nikon FM and then F3HP. I still have the Nikons ... After that DSLR and now Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, and recently some Leicas. Holygrail ? None of them. Still the F3HP is my favorite camera but having problems focusing a SLR, I stopped using it. The Leicas are close but so is the Hassy, which is close to perfect for me if it wouldn't be that large and heavy ....
 
Frank, you're a mind reader - I was just asking myself the same question. The problem I've run into is that I've tried just about every camera I've ever wanted and have kept my top picks. But now that the gear chase is over, what to do for fun? Take pictures? - nah, way too simple... 🙂
 
An M series Leica. Too bad there's no SLR matching in feel and handling..
 
MP3. And it just arrived the other day.
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Does this mean I need another Holy Grail now?
 
Taking it as the camera you use most/like most, always Leicas. First fancied one in my 'teens in Bermuda in the 60s; in those days, there was quite a choice for 20 quid/$50. Got my first Leica in 69-70 (IIIa, thirty quid, still have it); first M in about 74.

Mind you, I have or have had most of the other 'Holy Grails' too. I'm still very fond of Alpa, Gandolfi and Linhof, all of which I own.

And it's still M-series Leica. Which one? Well, they keep bringing out new ones...

Cheers,

R.
 
FrankS said:
When I first sarted out in photography, it was a Nikon slr. Later on it was a Hasselblad. Then it was a Leica. How about you?
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When I first got serious about photography, the Nikon F and the Leica (RF or SLR) were the holy grail.

I've learned to live (and to photograph) without either.

Now my personal holy grail is a so-far-unmade reasonably-priced camera with the option to use either film or digital, with the digital being full frame.

I'm not holding my breath.
 
I'd like a nice, simple, compact digital with some resolution and a fast lens. Doesn't have to be a RF, but so far the only things to come close have been the M8 and RD-1, and both are too expensive and troubled for me to justify.
Full frame would be nice, but even APS sized sensors could be O.K. given short lenses to go with.
Pretty common sentiment, isn't it?
 
The Holy Grail, in this case, is a metaphor for the almost, but not quite obtainable. The search for the grail can lead to enlightenment when one realizes that the Grail is truly in oneself.

Typically then, I've searched for, and never found, the Grail camera. It still waits for me glistening, on the shelf of that magic camera store.

I gave up. Alas I just take pictures now, with whatever unholy tool is at hand.
 
literiter said:
The Holy Grail, in this case, is a metaphor for the almost, but not quite obtainable. The search for the grail can lead to enlightenment when one realizes that the Grail is truly in oneself.

Typically then, I've searched for, and never found, the Grail camera. It still waits for me glistening, on the shelf of that magic camera store.

I gave up. Alas I just take pictures now, with whatever unholy tool is at hand.
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Superb post. Thanks very much indeed.

But then again, the phenomenal Leica is never the noumenal Leica.

Cheers,

R.
 
Literiter, phenomenal Leica is a bit of a stretch....my first Leica was an M3, my last a M6 and several models in between. The most over rated camera of all time! Their product today is average at best. 🙁
 
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