Which company has the best looking cameras?

[Soothsayerman]

Very cool

Very cool

I've kicked my self for not buying one when they were in production, but I think the 8banners 4 x5 pinhole cameras are one of the prettiest cameras I've ever seen:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8banners/2194617215/in/photostream/
Rob

Cool, looks like you may still be able to get one....

http://8banners.wordpress.com/cam-models/

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Clearly Holga.

Chris

 

[Creagerj]

I dream about the Nikon SP.

 

[retro]

I almost agree with this. Kodak have made some seriously beautiful cameras.
The 1936 Bantam Special and the Retina cameras come to mind.
But then they also made these:
http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/kodak_instamatic.jpg😀

Rob

Yes, but the question is simply which mfr made the best looking
cameras. I still vote for Kodak, for example:

- Bantam Special (this one alone!)
- the better Retinas
- Rainbow Hawk-Eyes
- Vanity Kodaks
- Regent
- Beau Brownies
- Ektra (OK, an acquired taste)
- even the lowly Baby Brownie is a pretty little camera

Not to say that the other mfrs mentioned didn't make beautiful cameras -- they certainly
did and some still do.

 

[Mark D.]

My vote went to Olympus.

 

[intense]

Zeiss Ikon is my favorite, but it is not an option. So my choice went for Pentax (MX, LX, Spotmatic, k7/k5)

 

[Patman]

I have too say the Leica M3, it was a work of art. I've never had more compliments on a camera or recognition as to my M3 then with any camera I've ever owned.

 

[lxmike]

I find this difficult, purely because I feel that no single company has the monopoly on 'beauty'. Leica has the IIIf RDDA, Kodak Retina IIa, (Here I agree with jack), Pentax has the MX, Nikon, F2 with plain prism, Rollei, 35S, Contax, G1, Canon, P, and the list goes on. At the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and no doubt no two lists will be the same

 

[JayGannon]

I quite like Nikons industruial design. Particularaly the F3 and the D2 series we're sleek and powerful looking.

 

[nakedcellist]

I see that Hasselblad is NOT a choice, though they remain steadfast in their use of shiny chrome edges and overall gorgeous aesthetics which are both good looking and well performing.

Phil Forrest

I agree, I think Hasselblad V-series is very beautiful and I love my 500CM. However, I don't like the H series, I think they are ugly.

 

[eddie1960]

leica got my vote as overall they are consistently good looking but there are many others i would vote for if they were there (I'd love an Alpa 12wa in black rosewood if anyone wants to contribute one with a 6x9 back please)

 

[arthur sadowsky]

That is easy: Contax of course!! (I know: the company is out of business, but still...)

 

[shadowfox]

In terms of numbers, Olympus' long history has produced some of he most innovative and cool looking cameras.

The Pen-F, OM, XA series are but the more popular ones. Others like the 35 EC, 35 RD, Pen D2, 35 S have outstanding balance between form and function.

Interestingly, I think Ricoh is the other company that comes close to Olympus in this regard.

 

[Pablito]

cameras are ugly, I only have them because they serve my purpose.
this is a fetishistic thread.

 

[crawdiddy]

You mean now? Or 50 years ago?

Oh well, it's Leica in both cases.

But Canon is 2nd.

I have to agree with retro somewhat. There are some beautiful Kodak cameras. He left out the Medalist, which I happen to like.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

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.

 

[jwnash1]

I think the old Pentax Spotmatic is the best looking SLR out there. In a rangefinder, I vote for the Contax iia. I like the clean lines and the proportions of both.

 

[Jack Conrad]

Here's a Minimalist Zen like Bauhausian/OMian nod to Olympus just for the Fetishistic tendencies these objects have raised from my psyche... 😛

 

[antiquark]

this is a fetishistic thread.

Is that a bad thing? :angel:

 

[Pablito]

Is that a bad thing? :angel:

Not if you are into fetishes!
😀