Your Top 5 Favorite Cameras Ever!

In no particular order, since I own and use them all and they all have their own individual particular strengths.

Olympus OM 1n
Nikon F5
Nikon F100
Nikon FM2n
Leica M6
 
I've owned a boatload of mechanical cameras over the last twenty years. Not because of need, but I keep looking for "new" user experiences. The only one that consistently makes a top 5 list is the Leicaflex SL. Love that camera. Things just pop into focus in the viewfinder in a magical way. Taking the picture is as much fun as getting the shot. Although I'm pretty burned out on the camera now, having used it almost exclusively for the last 4-5 years, I still rank it as my favorite camera of all time.

The Leica M5 is another nice camera. Very practical and unique with a sensitive meter. Had a pair of these at a time when I was cycling out of rangefinders (got burned on them too).

The Leica M7 is a nice film camera for just getting the shot. No old M (except maybe a good M3) can match the brilliance of a modern M viewfinder. Although a ZM beats it in eye relief.

I'm currently having some fun with early Kiev and pre-war Zeiss Ikon Contax (back to rangefinders, life's a circle). Just love the high contrast viewfinder. Great, unappreciated camera if all you shoot is a 50mm.

Addendum: Getting back into rangefinders, I obtained a 1936 Contax II. High contrast, massive rangefinder patch, excellent clarity. Easy to focus. The pre-war Sonnar is surprisingly good. And how cool is it to shoot the model of camera Capa used when storming the beaches on D-Day. Finding repair people takes looking. Then came a pair of Nikon S2 with strong rangefinder patches. Nice cameras with good contrast. The 1.0 viewfinder is sort of addictive. The 50mm Nikkors (f/1.4 and f/2) are impressive. Surprisingly this led to a SS Leica M3. I can now say this camera is my favorite vintage M because of the higher viewfinder magnification. No problem with eye relief and glasses either. Less impressed with the 50mm Summicron DR. Seems a bit overrated.

1. Leicaflex SL (favorite)
2. Leica M3 (grandmother owned one of these in the 50's)
3. Nikon S2 (great values in today's market)
4. Contax II (Robert Capa, say no more)
5. Leica M7 or M5 (don't own anymore, but nice camers)
 
Any of the Ricoh GR series
Fuji GA645
Minolta Autocord
Olympus XA
iphone

honourable mention to Pentax manual focus anything
 
Limiting myself to cameras I've owned, in no particular order other than starting with an RF since this is RFF:

Yashica Minister 700 - I now have a Lynx 5000 instead, but I preferred the Minister 700 and wish I'd never sold it.
Olympus OM-D EM-1 mk1 - I have the mk2 as well as a EM-5 mk1, The mk2 is certainly a better camera, but I just know my way around the mk1 so well I still use it as much or more.
Olympus OM-2SP or OM-40 - This is a toss up for me. I've used both on trips, and I love both. The 40 is smaller, lighter, more comfortable to hold, and has a better light meter in my mind. The 2SP feels more robust. Both set the shutter speed via a ring around the lens base, and I think that has got to be one of the best manual controls on any SLR.
Bronica ETR-Si - I use it as both a big honking SLR with the grip and prism finder, and I use it more like a TLR stripped down with just the WLF. I love it in both, and making darkroom prints from a 120 negative makes me wonder why I ever bother shooting 35mm.
Canon AE-1 - As a camera body, it's (slightly) inferior to the OMs listed above, but it has sentimental value (I'm using my Dad's camera), a great view finder, and the lenses on it are amazing. Bonus points to the AT-1 which is a cheaper less loved version that only differs in having a cheaper light meter and does without auto-aperture mode. Since I only use full manual mode and often shoot sunny sixteen, the AT-1 is every bit as good at the AE-1 and gets just as much use (strangely, they both get way more use than the T-90).

Honourable mention to the Exa 1a with WLF for being a very endearing camera with a tonne of character while being a right royal pain in the ass to use.
 
HMMM thought I had posted in this tread before. Went back through and didn't see anything so if there is something already here sorry...

This is in no particular order:

Leica MM (original)
Leica M 262
Canon F-1 (new)
Hasselblad 500C/M
Hasselblad SWC
4X5 Deardorff

That's 6....I couldn't get it down any smaller
 
So hard to pick just five....

In no special order:
1) Minolta SRT-201
2) Petri 1.9 Color Corrected Super
3) Kiev IIa
4) Moskva 4
5) Minolta Autocord
 
Thought I had posted before as well. But as probably expected:

Yashica TL Super (my first SLR and a tank, took some really fine photos with it)
Fujica ST 901 (AP exposure always right on, wonderful Kodachrome 25 shots, great lenses)
Mamiya Super Press 23 (6x7 negs, great lenses)
Contax 139Q (Contax name on it :p, just so much fun to use, dedicated flash always right on, and a Contax 50mm f/1.4)
Contax 167mt (as above, just a little bigger and must use winder)
 
narsuitus said:
My favorite cameras that I have owned and used:

1. Nikon F2 titanium 35mm SLR
2. Nikon F2 35mm SLR with standard view finder
3. Fuji S5 digital SLR
4. Fuji X-Pro1 mirrorless digital
5. Mamiya C220 TLR
Click to expand...

Top Five Cameras (updated)

1. Nikon F2 (35mm SLR)
2. Leica M6 (35mm rangefinder)
3. Fuji X-Pro1 (digital mirrorless)
4. Fuji S5 Pro (digital SLR)
5. Calumet CC-402 (large format)


Leica M6 & Nikon F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr


Fuji X-Pro1 & Fuji S5 Pro by Narsuitus, on Flickr


Calumet CC-402 by Narsuitus, on Flickr
 
In ascending order

Leica IIIg* - the best Barnack, or the only one with a nice viewfinder

Leica M3* - the best Leica

Pentax SV* - Leica M3 contemporary but better in every way

Rolleiflex 3.5F or 2.8F - better than any 35mm film camera

Olympus Pen S 1/2 frame - easier than lugging around the Rollei or Pentax, and 72 shots

Canon G16 Digital* - I usually use it in preference to my excellent Nikon DSLR

That seems to be 6, but is anybody counting?
 
Pretty sure I answered... but, historically speaking:

Leica M6
Leica Minilux
Fujifilm X-Pro1/2
Fujifilm X100(T)
Nikon Df

and the Fujifilm X-T2 is becoming quickly respected.
 
In somewhat order of preference:

1. Fuji X100 - the original and I shouldn't have sold it.
2. Nikon D200 - first camera I craved. Wonderful.
3. Olympus XA - so small, so impressive, what a lens!
4. Pentax ME Super - had to choose, this or an MX, chose the Super!
5. Voigtlander Bessa R2 - my new baby.


Honourable mention:

Kodak Instamatic 25 - t'was my very first camera.
 
The ones before hoarding (the ones I used in the previous century) in chronological order:
Petri V6
Rolleicord Va
Canon EF
Canon A-1
Canon EOS 10

The ones from this century (analog and digital)
Leica II
Leica IIIb
Leica M4
Canon D60 (not the 60D!)
Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk I and II

No honorable mentions, that would make this a tooo looooong list
 
1. M6 (no contest, although some fine day I might opt for a black one)
2. FM2 (solid workhorse, heavily beaten but still working)
3. MJU II (always in my pocket, so many memories)
4. XA3 (newbie, only shot one roll, already love it)
5. T2 (can't tell if I hate it or love it, would probably miss it if I sold it)
 
This is hard:

1: Canon 7 - my bread and butter, used a Leica M4 briefly and just compared it to the 7
2: Hasselblad 903SWC - Borrowed from work experience, Gorgeous lens and wonderful feel.
3: Mamiya RB67 - The pure quality
4: K1000 - Classic. Regret selling mine
5: Mamiya C33 fun to use and wonderful lenses - 55mm and 135mm sekor are my favourites
 
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