Assuming we want to be restricted to the 35mm format, without further complicating things with MF cameras, I find the following quite handy:
RF
1) A body for lenses wider than 21mm - I use ZI Wide. It has a double shoe to house both the external VF, AND a spirit level at the same time. A pity that CV never made a second run of their spirit levels, without the issue of alcohol evaporating. They were very handy, as you could frame and see the level at the same time.
20093901 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
2) A body for lenses from 21 to 28mm. In my case, it is the Bessa R4A. I tend to use it with a 25 or 28mm and mainly for shooting from a 1,5 - 2,5 meter distance without looking into the VF, although some framed shots happen as well. An excellent tool: small, easy to carry, and which opens a whole world of visual possibilities.
20137703 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
3) A body for the 35mm lens. I actually use two: An M7 0.58x with motor drive and a Summicron or Summaron for daylight:
20111709 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
And a ZI with the 35/1.2 Nokton, for night shooting:
20128807 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
Both cameras are also excellent one body solutions for travel, when space is at a premium.
4) A body for the 50mm lens. My grand favourite is an 0.85x M7 with 75mm frame removed, which I tend to use most often with a motor drive. This is by far my most used camera, and the one I would never like to part with. Thanks to Keith for selling me this one a few years ago. This camera with the "new" 50/2.8 Elmar M, should make part of every man's dress, just like pants !
😀
20133911 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
5) A body for 75-135mm lenses
I have bought an MP 0.85x, which also gets used for occasional portraiture with fast 50mm lenses, when I don't need to shoot in a hurry. I deem this camera unfit for street photography, but it's just me, and Roger will certainly disagree strongly. I use it with an old and heavy motor winder, for extra stability, and for avoiding to lose contact with the subject while shooting.
20123655 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
6) A body for slow shooting, like landscape - I use an M4 with a set of matched lenses:
Slow_Food by
mfogiel, on Flickr
for low contrast, high resolution, which is what I like in B&W.
20102202 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
SLR
Here, things get a bit more complicated, because I keep certain bodies primarily because they match some lenses that I like, so let's try to rationalize this a bit. I use SLR's mainly for things I cannot do with a RF: tele, close up, portraiture with longer lenses, but also for anything, where precise framing is important, and for anything that requires fast autofocus. Generally, I do not use them with lenses shorter than 50mm, unless I want some particular feature, like autofocus, or extreme close ups with a wide angle.
1) A body for M42 lenses - I have a Spotmatic and and old Zenit, which came free, but in all honesty, a pentax MX or ME Super with the SLIM M42 adapter, that lets you keep the auto stop down and infinity focus is much more practical. There are several M42 lenses that stand out, and some of them are simply not available in any bayonet mount. A group of lenses I have been hunting down for some time includes the 58/2 Biotar, Helios 44-2, Takumar 58/2 and Primoplan 58/1.9. Yes, I am very fond of 58mm lenses - they are great for portraiture.
201213007 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
2) A body for non AI Nikon lenses. There are several of these lenses, that still have strong merits: the 5.8cm/1.4, 85/1.8 105/2.5, 135/3.5 - early designs, often on the Sonnar optical scheme. An F2 with the plain prism is in my opinion the body of choice for these, which is what I use.
201212732 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
3) A body for Zeiss ZF lenses. I chose the F3, because of the availability of many focusing screens, that let you match the lens to screen for optimum focus - important in close up, portraiture and tele alike.
4) A body for Leica R lenses - here, in my opinion, the most rational choice would be the Leica R4s, for its price, accuracy of focus with most lenses, good vf coverage and compact size, however the shutter lag drives me crazy, so when I cannot stand it any more, I pull out the Leicaflex SL2, which with some lenses is simply great.
20133331 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
5) A body for autofocus shooting. I use the Nikon F100. As much as I would always prefer to focus manually, sometimes, there is a clear advantage in being able to shoot very fast.
20129820 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
6) Bodies for special lenses. In my case, one of these lenses that are worth as much as the whole lens line, is the Rokkor PG 58/1.2. I keep a Minolta XD7 for it, and keep at swearing for the shutter lag it has.
201211501 by
mfogiel, on Flickr
