Topic: I'm going to use one camera more often this year; which would you choose?

[zapsnaps]

My replacement lens for my 500 C/M has made me realise how much I enjoy using my big rig (other makes of rig are available and many come in considerably larger sizes and formats).

Every year I say to myself 'I need to shoot more film this year' and every year I seem to waste less. But the replacement 150 f4 has given me the kick in the backside I need to waste more. Between the 80mm and 150mm, I have 2 lenses which will cope with 99% of what I'd like to shoot, so I'm going to get that mirror slap going like an 80's disco beat.

So after my meandering preamble, the question: if you were to select just one camera body and 1 or 2 two lenses to use as your default camera for the rest of the year, what would you select and why? And will you?

It would be great if people would post the fruits of their labours to this thread to keep it alive and near the top of the thread index thingy.

[02Pilot]

It's not a difficult question for me to answer: Leica IIIg with Konishiroku Hexanon 50/1.9 (or Leica Summitar 50/2, or Canon 50/3.5) and Nikkor 85/2 (or Canon 100/3.5). It's the camera I grab for first whenever I'm packing for a trip, and those are the lenses that are usually attached to it. Some say the Barnack Leicas are fiddly to use, but I'm used to them, and the IIIg has a bigger, better VF with 50/90 parallax-corrected framelines. The 50s are all great, so it would really depend on what sort of mood I was in and how much I valued speed over compactness. The Nikkor 85 is a glorious lens that I like using far more than I expected to; it is pretty big and heavy, and does partially block the finder on the Leica, but this is manageable (the Canon is the tiny alternate if weight and size matter more than speed). I'll also add that I could happily spend a year shooting nothing but TriX.



Will I do any of this? No. I load different cameras so I have something to grab on the way out the door, to keep the shutters exercised, and to keep myself from getting bored. But if they all went away the Leica does everything I need.

I'll find some samples to post.

[hookstrapped]

This is recency bias talking, because if you asked this a couple weeks ago I'd say my Koniflex. But for a whole year, maybe I should go for a faster lens anyway.

Kiev 2a with the f1.5 Jupiter 3. And Ferrania film.

[Kai-san]

I would become very frustrated if I could only have access to one camera for a whole year. But a default camera is another thing, and that would almost certainly be my 1981 Nikon F3. The pro's are quite obvious (to me anyway); the cool design, the smooth film wind action that can make any Leica owner green with envy and a light meter that makes it almost impossible to shoot a badly exposed frame. For a standard lens I would choose the Micro Nikkor 55mm f2.8 and in addition the Nikkor AI 85mm f2.0 shown in the picture.

[Mike (happyforest)]

35mm, Om2n with 50mm standard lens and 70-150mm vivitar zoom.
 (Would have been Om1n, but unfortunately this is broken and needs repair)

120, Bronica etrs, with standard lens and 150mm lens.

Film would be Ilford hp5 plus.

Mike

[Sandeha Lynch]

Both my Rolleiflex 621 (Tessar) and the Agfa Isolette (Solinar) have been neglected for so long - I really should shoot either or both of these, but I think I still have a lot more pinhole shooting to do first, or at the same time.

Undecided? A bit.

[Francois]

Right now I'm a bit scratching my head. I want to do different this year but I feel I don't know how to. So I'll probably end-up going back to my unremarkable but super reliable Nikon F90x... but I do want to stir things up.

[irv_b]

Right now I'm stuck on my recent acquisition of the Mamiya C330 and would have to stick the 80mm F2.8 on it  but I did say to myself last year that I must up my 5"x4" game so the Linhof with a Xenotar Schneider f2,8 150mm for some gorgeous portraits. In reality it'll be whichever camera takes my fancy at the time.

[John Robison]

Well.....hmmm. That’s a hard question for me.
I tend to default to ‘small and light’ so would probably go with my Pen F and maybe the 38mm and 100mm lenses. But with the 20mm in a pocket.
Very small negative I know but just don’t try to print murals, ok?

[zapsnaps]

Of course, this has worked in exactly the opposite way I intended - it's got my GAS going again. I love the look of a Leica III, definitely need a C330 (been promising myself one of those for a decade or more) and no collection is complete without some sort of Linhof representation - I hanker after a Press with 3 lenses.

A very cool selection so far, from a Pen F to 5x4. But what else would one expect from you guys?

[ManuelL]

Recently I have been using a Contax T2 a lot, which I had inherited from my aunt few years ago after she had passed away. The camera is of course much too posh for me and I wouldn't even remotely consider buying one at the prices they go these days. But it being a family heirloom, I enjoy putting it to use still
I also got a Speed Graphic recently which I plan to take on vacation this year. I love shooting 4x5. My wife always used to do crosswords while I set up the camera. With our daughter large format has become a bit slow to take it on family trips. I hope this may change with the Speed Graphic. I even took some handheld shots with the rangefinder already and the turned out ok.

[Bryan]

It's not going to happen, I like to play with all my toys, but if I was to do this it would be my Rolleiflex Automat.  I just enjoy using that camera more than any other.  Great lens, Waist level finder, medium format..., so I like TLR's in general.  I'm using my Ricoh Diacord L a lot right now, mostly because it's new to me.  There are things about TLR's that also drive me to use other cameras like size, not the most portable camera. 

For 35mm it would be my Laica IIIf.  Other cameras I use frequently include the View Master camera, Polaroid 250 Land camera and a Bolex D8L for 8mm movies.

[cs1]

I think if I had to pick a 135 camera I'd probably pick any 135 body and a 35mm and a 85mm lens. I've used the 35/85mm combination for some time now and it's a dream team. Just take the camera body that you're most comfortable with.

[astrobeck]

Considering I just re found my not really lost Nikon N80 at the back of my closet.... I'll say that's the one. It seems a bit cheap and cheesy, but auto-focus does have it merits! Especially since my eyes don't seem to be getting any younger!! 
My other camera is my newly acquired Agfa box Synchro which I am in love with...I mean who doesn't like a big little negative that's perfect for contact prints!

Lately I've been liking Ultrafine 100 and 400 for film dunked in caffenol.