Brand of camera?

[salman]

Salman Khan
Salman Khan
http://www.google.com/
www.google.com

[kgphoto]

Mine was an evolutionary journey.

I started with a Kodak Instamatic 126 camera and got frustrated that I couldn't focus close.

I got a Minolta 201 35mm for Christmas with a 50mm1.4 lens. While trying to get an A in my photo class, I became know for my portraits. I loved sharpness, but didn't have any money for better equipment. Took some really great and bad pictures with that Minolta. I still have it.

In College, I found more and more people wanting to buy images, so I realized the camera could buy itself so I went for medium format. I couldn't afford a Hasselblad which was 1000 back then. So I got a Mamiya C330 at the advice of a photographer who was mentoring me. I shot with a friends Hassy and my C330 side by side and the sharpness was there with the Mamiya, but the lens coating wasn't. So I realized as I continued to pursue professional photography, that I needed a system camera that I could rent what I didn't own, so I bought a used Hasselblad.

I still have the C330 and 4 Hasselblads.

The same thing happened with my 35 mm. While I liked Konica for their double exposure button and sync with flash, I liked the Pentex MX for it diode meter that was so tough. So I bought Nikons which gave me the both. I bought the Nikon F2 for the full frame viewfinder and the FM for the motor drive. I got an extra body and winder for the price of the F2 winder. Always got to have a back up. Also 3.5 fps was as fast as I could handle. I couldn't let go of a 5 fps trigger without getting multiple shots. Gotta squeeze those shots off, dontcha know. I still have all the Nikons.

I discovered that all real portrait studios used the RB67, so I got one of those. Decided I liked the Hasselblad better. Quicker more reactive, great glass wonderful enlargements, good snob appeal to certain clients. I still have the RB.

I got a Polaroid 110B Camera at a garage sale for a dollar. I shot some Type 55 negative film with it and them put the lens on a lens board and it was the second lens I shot 4x5 with. I had purchased an Omega View camera which was an entry level camera, and it came with a 210mm lens. The Polaroid had a 150 lens.

The Omega fell off my camera stand on day and I tried to dive through it to catch it, but failed. Since I had developed a good relationship with my Foba/Sinar Dealer, I got a Sinar P camera with all the goodies. A friend got a deal on a Horseman LX which has a lot of interchangeable parts with my Sinar, so I had to get that. I got an 8x10 back for the Sinar, I found a 5x7 wood camera in a garage, and I finally got a speed graphic so I can fulfill my dream of shooting a wedding in 4x5 black and white.

I looked at digital backs for the Hassy and the Sinar, but I just couldn't rationalize 20-40 grand for a planned obsolescence tool. So I waited. I took a hiatus while the industry went through some growing pains and we moved and 13 people died. My lab of over 20 years shut it doors.

Now because I had a sudden creative epiphony I am back studying to make the transition to digital. My wife purchased a Fuji S2, but I think I will be going for a Canon 5D. It seems to have the most sharpness and easiest to use buttons and best handling of JPEG and RAW files. I was hoping to be able to use my old Nikkor Glass, but it is not to be.

I will probably only own 2 lenses as I expect to try to get my monies worth out of these tools before the become outdated. One day I hope to find a reasonably priced medium format back for the Hassy or the Sinar as I really like the way those bodies work.

[modelcompsonline.com]

Canon all the way

[Jim Trotman]

Insomniac didn't do badly. Leica isn't a bad place to start.
I kinda did the same thing a long time ago. An uncle brought back a Leica GIII from the war and I used it a little with unsatisfactory results. I preferred the sleek 110 Voitlander that my dad had just bought more. It had a wide angle lens which was rare at the time,but I loved looking through its viewfinder!

My brother was in SE Asia in the early 70's (as were a lot of guys) and sent home a Canon Ft-b. I've been loyally with Canon ever since and have not been let down.

My professional career began in 1978 and I've had Canons with me every step of the way. The way included Sinar 45s, Cambo 45s, Hasselblads out the wazoo, and yet here I am, once again comfortably surrounded with the 1D MkII, and the 1Ds. When I break one of these I may upgrade but for right now, they are all I need. Oh yeah, I still have a D60 for double backup.

[Jeff_Adam]

I've used Pentax since my photography classes in Jr. High. I have so many lenses it would be pointless to get anything else. I am still using an almost 10 year old film camera, but I'm hoping to purchase a K10D shortly and jump into the digital world (finally!)

Edit: I did use Bronica for a long time for my medium format stuff, but I found I can get close to the same quality with a good lens and film with less bulk by just using 35mm.

[imaginas]

I have a Minolta Dynax 5 film camera,with two lenses.Minolta 28-100 and Tamron 70-300,and Flashgun Metz 36AF.

[Sarah McSib]

Haha... my camera isn't listed in the poll. I have an HP brand camera.

[Fernando]

Because Canon is better.


Fernando

[Ms. Muffy]

I switched from Canon to Nikon, and own an F100, D200, alo ng with a Mamiya RZ67, and a Horseman 4x5 with a variety of lenses for each. I love them all....

[mcherry]

Ms. Muffy, you are my kind o' gal!

I shoot the D2X for digital and an RZ67 ProII for MF. I'm actually looking at a Horseman..

I think I want a full rail system, but I don't know...