Your Top Ten Historic SLR Cameras?

[xayraa33]

I find the Topcon R a fascinating SLR and I only ever seen one, in 1976.

 

[tunalegs]

Sorry, I disagree. Something can be a first, without being either famous, or important. But please carry on, it's an interesting conversation and I have no wish to impede it...

You are definitely correct. Excepting circumstances when something is both first, and then consequently copied. Then being first is important. That's why I chose Minolta over Pentax for auto focus. Pentax was technically first, but Minolta really set the pattern. All of the cameras I chose were ones that set following trends.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Praktina, and the whole East German camera empire including Praktica. Pioneers. My first SLR (ahead of the Japanese?? Anyway, it was my Dad's pick.)

Hasselblad, dominated the 120 SLR segment.

Nikon of course. The F. Nothing more to say.

Olympus OM-1, opened the smaller, lighter segment, soon by be followed by smaller, lighter from all the camera manufacturers.

 

[RichL]

VP Exakta First slr for the proletariat.

Hasselblad 1000F Ease of transport and use. High quality camera and lenses.

Olympus Pen F - ease of transport and use high quality camera, lenses and accessories.

16mm Narciss What's not to like about a 16mm slr with interchangeable lenses?

Pentax 110 Pushed the limits for what 110 could do.

Polaroid SX-70

Duflex First 35mm SLR

Olympus M-1 High quality in a small, light package.

Super D Graflex a workhorse for news and event photographers for many years

Kodak/Nikon DCS 100 first generally available digital slr

 

[tunalegs]

VP Exakta First slr for the proletariat. Hasselblad 1000F Olympus Pen F 16mm Narciss Pentax 110 Polaroid SX-70 Duflex First 35mm SLR Asahiflex and several of it's siblings Super D Graflex Kodak/Nikon DCS 100 first generally available digital slr

The VP Exakta was rather expensive compared to the K.W. Reflex Box, which came out the same year.

There had also been a few even simpler roll film SLRs before that, like the Ensign Reflex: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Ensign_Roll_Film_Reflex

Or the exceedingly primitive Ihagee Roll Paff Reflex: http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/iharollpaff.htm

 

[RichL]

The VP Exakta was rather expensive compared to the K.W. Reflex Box, which came out the same year.

There had also been a few even simpler roll film SLRs before that, like the Ensign Reflex: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Ensign_Roll_Film_Reflex

Or the exceedingly primitive Ihagee Roll Paff Reflex: http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/iharollpaff.htm

Thanks, I totally (for years) missed those.

 

[flavio81]

Historic... the list can be really long! So narrowing down to only 35mm format:

- the Exakta
- the Praktina (first full system)
- the first Pentax with instant return mirror
- the Nikon F (made the pros go from rangefinder to SLRs)
- the Canon Pellix (pellicle mirror)
- Yashica TL-Electro X (AFAIK the first electronically controlled SLR)
- the Canon AE-1 (first use of microprocessors for everything in an SLR)
- maybe the Fujica ST901 and the Canon A-1 (first cameras with LED numeric readout)
- Minolta XK (first pro camera with built-in AE / first electronic pro camera)
- Leicaflex (i think that Leitz jumping into the SLR bandwagon is an historic event)
- Olympus OM-1 aka M-1 (paradigm shift)
- Pentax first AF camera
- Minolta Maxxum (first AF complete system)
- Canon EOS 650 and the first "modern" (inbuilt motors, electronic control) AF system
- Contax N Digital & Canon EOS 1Ds (first full frame DSLRs)

 

[lawrence]

- the Canon Pellix (pellicle mirror)

Nice to see this on your list. I've never used one but it seems like a really nice idea, the advantages of an SLR with none of the disadvantages. If you happen to know more about the Pellix it would be interesting to know why the concept failed in the marketplace (mirror too delicate, too dim etc.).

 

[flavio81]

Nice to see this on your list. I've never used one but it seems like a really nice idea, the advantages of an SLR with none of the disadvantages. If you happen to know more about the Pellix it would be interesting to know why the concept failed in the marketplace (mirror too delicate, too dim etc.).

Of course, i've handled one Pellix, as i'm a Canon fan...

The problem with the pellix was: The pellicle robs speed AND, worse, it affects picture quality. I have a review by "Modern Photography" and they say the speed loss is measured at 2/3 of the stop. The loss of sharpness was rated at one "subjective quality" grade. That is, what was rated as "very good" was rated as "good" with the Pellix compared to the FT using the same 50/1.8 lens.

The other problem is that any dirt or smudges on the pellicle mirror will have an effect on image quality.

And yet, due to the mirror, the viewfinder image is dimmer, since we're not capturing the full light output of the lens.

The benefits cited were no mirror shake, but even by the time the Pellix was launched, the Canons had very very low mirror shock; even the Canonflex RM (which is earlier) has very low mirror shock (they use a geared mechanism to deaccelerate the mirror - little known fact). Same for the FT, FTb and F-1 cameras. Even the A-series cameras have very low vibration levels.

 

[tunalegs]

I've only handled one Pellix and it gave me the impression of being a terribly cheap camera, I don't know what they sold for new, but it would seem to make sense as they would've had fewer parts than other SLRs.

 

[Dwig]

...
The benefits cited were no mirror shake, ...

and the Pellix design allowed for lenses with protruding rear elements that would clash with a moving mirror. Canon offered one 35mm lens specifically for the Pellix, but never many any other use of the advantage.

Nikon built a "Pellix" variant of the F2 as a high speed motor driven camera. Eliminating the time for mirror lift and then mirror return allowed for higher framing rates.

 

[narsuitus]

These are the 10 cameras that were influential in my history:

1. Kodak Bullet - took my first photo with my father's camera at age five.
2. Kodak Brownie - the first camera that was all mine; received as birthday gift.
3. Kodak Instamatic 104 - first camera I purchased with my own money.
4. Miranda Sensorex - my first SLR; purchased to document the birth of my first child; very unreliable camera.
5. Nikon F - my first professional quality camera; gift to myself when I received my first degree.
6. Mamiya C2 -- first medium format TLR camera I owned.
7. Nikon F2 - gift to myself when I received my second degree and when my second child was born.
8. Graflex - first large format camera I owned.
9. HP Photosmart M425 - first digital camera that gave me an appreciation for digital images.
10. Fuji S5 - first digital SLR that I owned.


Old Digital Cameras by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[lawrence]

Of course, i've handled one Pellix, as i'm a Canon fan...

The problem with the pellix was: The pellicle robs speed AND, worse, it affects picture quality. I have a review by "Modern Photography" and they say the speed loss is measured at 2/3 of the stop. The loss of sharpness was rated at one "subjective quality" grade. That is, what was rated as "very good" was rated as "good" with the Pellix compared to the FT using the same 50/1.8 lens.

The other problem is that any dirt or smudges on the pellicle mirror will have an effect on image quality.

And yet, due to the mirror, the viewfinder image is dimmer, since we're not capturing the full light output of the lens.

The benefits cited were no mirror shake, but even by the time the Pellix was launched, the Canons had very very low mirror shock; even the Canonflex RM (which is earlier) has very low mirror shock (they use a geared mechanism to deaccelerate the mirror - little known fact). Same for the FT, FTb and F-1 cameras. Even the A-series cameras have very low vibration levels.

Thanks for the interesting reply, I would have imagined that it was also quieter than other SLRs but maybe not...

 

[unixrevolution]

and the Pellix design allowed for lenses with protruding rear elements that would clash with a moving mirror. Canon offered one 35mm lens specifically for the Pellix, but never many any other use of the advantage.

Nikon built a "Pellix" variant of the F2 as a high speed motor driven camera. Eliminating the time for mirror lift and then mirror return allowed for higher framing rates.

I believe Canon later introduced a couple Pellicle Mirror SLRs, one was the Eos RT, the other the EOS 1N RS. The 1N RS still holds the film SLR continuous burst rate record, thanks to not having to flop the mirror around all the time. 10 Frames per second!

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

I believe Canon later introduced a couple Pellicle Mirror SLRs, one was the Eos RT, the other the EOS 1N RS. The 1N RS still holds the film SLR continuous burst rate record, thanks to not having to flop the mirror around all the time. 10 Frames per second!

As the owner of an EOS RT I wouldn't mind an EOS-1N RS myself, simply because of that scintillatingly high 10fps motor drive but it's not a priority for me. If I come across one at the right price, perhaps. But, although I don't pretend to know a lot about this category of cameras, I'm not sure it really was the fastest fps rate for a film SLR? The fastest mass produced or readily available one, perhaps. If you have a look at the following links there are a couple of cameras referenced (the Nikon F3 High Speed & 1984 Canon F-1 High Speed) at 13.5 fps and 14fps, respectively. It's a subject Stephen seems to know more than a bit about, so he may be a good person to ask for more details?
Cheers,
Brett

 

[phofseth]

VVritten sources and schoolbook history contains the victors. Greece, Rome etc.

Camera history should perhaps be limited to sales sucesses, but innovations and peculiarities are usually more interesting.

For 35mm the Russian Sport ("CNOPM"), Exacta and the original M42 mount Zeiss qualifies. I like mr. Bogopolskys efforts; Viteflex and its excentric Alpa sucessors, and do agree that Asahis early non-standard-mount efforts deserve a place.

In recent times the Leica Rs last gasp, the R9 derserves a commendation for useless effort in the face of a disappearing market.

p.

 

[flavio81]

Thanks for the interesting reply, I would have imagined that it was also quieter than other SLRs but maybe not...

Can't recall how loud it was.

But for example a Nikon F is remarkably quiet once you lock up the mirror. A Nikon F with cloth shutter instead of titanium shutter, and a pellicle mirror, would be a whisper-quiet machine!

 

[flavio81]

Olympus OM-1, opened the smaller, lighter segment, soon by be followed by smaller, lighter from all the camera manufacturers.

This is often repeated but consider the Pentax Spotmatic (1964) and even the earlier Pentax cameras. They were noticeably smaller than its contemporaries (for example the Nikon F); if i'm not mistaken the Spotmatic was smaller than all 35mm SLR cameras before the OM1 appeared.

And the Takumar lenses for the Spotmatic were remarkably compact and noticeably small than the contemporary Canon FL and Nikon (pre-AI) lenses; in fact most Takumar lenses are not much bigger than the Olympus lenses for the OM system...

So yes, the OM-1 switched the trend to smaller bodies, but i'm not so sure of it being the first compact SLR. In any case the OM1 was hugely influencial, if you see the consequences created in other manufacturers: Pentax MX, Fujica ST-line, Minolta XD-line, Nikon EM and FG, etc.

 

[David Hughes]

Hmmmm, well, um, if you are going to offer the Spotmatic as an example I'll counter with the Zenit 3 which is the same size and feels about the same but I'm not going to weigh them. And the Contax/Pentacon FBM is the same so I guess that size goes back to the fifties.

So it looks like the OM-1 to me.

Regards, David

 

[Kent]

I don't have any experience with several highly influential cameras, so I come up with a list of important cameras that I have or used to have. And I restrict myself to format 135 (and leave out medium format cams):

1. Nikon F
2. Nikon F3
3. Exakta Varex
4. Pentax Spotmatic SPII
5. Pentax ME Super
6. Nikkormat FT2
7. Minolta 7000 (*)
8. Leicaflex SL
9. Canon FTb QL
10. Canon EOS 5 (*)

(*) = no longer in my collection