Which company has the best looking cameras?

[semilog]

Leica M2/3/4/6/MP. They're all gorgeous, but especially the M2. Note: in my opinion, Leica really has only one supremely pretty camera design, the M3. But what a design!

Among SLRs, my favorites are the Pentax Spotmatic, MX, and LX. The K1000 is not bad either. Pentax for the overall win, although they've made some dogs, too. I like many Contax designs as well, especially the S2.

No DSLRs that Nikon or Canon or Leica have ever shipped come close, in my opinion. Honorable mention goes to the FM (in black), the F3, and the F100 as the prettiest Canikons.

Among compacts, the Rollei 35's, the Olympus XA, the Fuji Klasse cameras, and the Ricoh GR-1.

Among digitals, the Pentax K5/K7 (once again, Pentax FTW) and the Fuji X-100.

...almost forgot: LEICA S2. Gorgeous! And, lest I forget, the original Polaroid SX-70.

 

[paulfish4570]

Holga ... 🙂


Current?
Maybe Fuji for its 120 folder, but all I have seen are photos.
35 or more years ago?
Pentax SLR and Leica M

 

[Brian Levy]

Not sure there is an answer to this question, however as to those listed Leica gets my vote because it more consistently made more great looking cameras than any other company making rangefinder cameras.

Most beautiful of any type of camera I know of and company is for me anyway, the Rollei and for model any of the Rolleiflex models. While I love to hold and feel and shoot most of the Leica models, add the love to caress, hold and rotate the controls, especially the focus knob and view the changes in the viewfinder. It is a work of art and construction. The MX form the '50s is so amazing especially with a brighter than stock screen.

For an SLR ALPA, hands down for the same reasons I love Leica and Rolleiflex. 2nd place for me in this category amazingly is an Exacta VXb.

 

[ErnestoJL]

I voted Leica because is the company that´s still making a consistent series (M) in both appeal and function.
Having more options, I´d vote Zeiss Ikon as first for their Contax and ZM cameras, Voigtländer for their fixed lens RFs, Voigtländer (new) for their Bessas and Kodak for their Signet 35 and Medalist II.
As said before, beauty lies in the eyes of beholder.
Cheers
Ernesto

 

[matt_s]

best looking cameras...

best looking cameras...

Polaroid made plenty of ugly cameras, so no vote for them as a company- but they made one SLR that needs to be mentioned in any "sexiest camera" discussion. Even though it is an slr.

The Classic SX-70, in all its industrial, origami-like glory:

 

[intense]

I haven't seen that Polaroid before. Thanks

 

[Sparrow]

 

[Jeicob]

Dad?

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=82623&stc=1&d=1289761370

 

[DNG]

Looks on RF forum the majority voted [Leica]... a bit bias maybe 😛

So I voted on the next best looking (again a bit bias, because I own two of this make)... Panasonic G1 and ZS-5 sub-compact

Panasonic...

I think this poll shows more on what we own and use most... 😛

 

[silverbullet]

For me NikonF with the small eye level finder

 

[DNG]

Here's my choice for the most beautiful SLR of all time -- the Miranda Sensorex of the late 1960s. I can't tell you how I lusted for one of these when I was first coming into photography.

This is one from my Dad's collection, which is unfortunately missing its rewind knob.

I had a Sensomat.... Great camera... I took a lot slides of our family cross country trip when I was 15 or 16... I think I have that box of slides. I inherited all his slides/prints/negatives after he passed a year ago... a long scanning project ------😱

It was a well made SLR... A Poor mans Nikon 😛

 

[bastian a.]

Leica ... Contax ... Hasselblad ... Rollei ...

 

[Greyscale]

Bell & Howell 🙂

The B&H Foton is a masterpiece of design. There is one listed on that popular auction site, if anyone is interested.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...360510&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_994wt_1139

I'm watching it, just to see how high it goes. I doubt that my pockets are deep enough to even consider buying it.

 

[Edward C. Zimmermann]

None of the above. I'd vote for MINOX. The predicate classic clearly applies to the pocket models: from the original Riga Minox of 1938 through the (made in Wetzlar) A/III--- sold post WW-II through the 1960s (image from Marty Doctor's site: http://www.minoxdoc.com) --- and into the contemporary 8x11 TLX (attached from the MINOX site) and even their digital spy camera DSC the design elements have been clearly retained. MINOX is still in business and one can still purchase not just their DSC digital cameras but new (8x11mm film) cameras such as the TLX (and the occasional limited edition collectors variant). Over the past 80 years the design, I think, has merged well the aesthetic of a fine mechanical pocket watch with a highly functional camera--- featuring, at least for the models starting from the 1950s one of the highest resolving lenses ever used on consumer cameras.

 

[sanmich]

How come the Koni Omega system is not in the poll?😀

 

[Jeicob]

Or Luigi Colani 😱

 

[igi]

I can't believe Olympus has the second highest votes after 310 votes. I voted for it but nevertheless didn't expect a nice following on the looks of their cameras🙂

 

[Roberto V.]

Contax, Leica and Fuji (mostly the modern MF cameras, plus the TX/XPAN and the X-100)

And back in the day, Alpa, Exakta, Zeiss Ikon and Voigtlander (mainly for the Vitessa L)

 

[Spider67]

I voted for Leica. I also like black Nikon FE/FM's.
Historic fixed lens RF's:
The Retina IIa
and the Weltini http://cgi.ebay.at/WELTINI-Schneide...676?pt=Photographica_Film&hash=item3cb2b14c8c

 

[besk]

Canham cameras!