What kinda camera do we all got?

[Canberra Man]

Hi.
I have a Panasonic Lumix, all singing all dancing digital with a Leica lens. For feeling 'off it' days I have my trusty Rolleiflex T to fall back and I still like to get my fingers wet developing!

Ken

[tom d. friedman]

an old piece of sh8t

[TimAPNY]

I have a Rebel XT but I hope to get a 40D soon.

I picked up a Canon 100-400L last year and it is worth every penny. It was a huge step up from the 100-300 lens I was using. I noticed the difference right away. I also noticed it weights a lot more also.

Tim

[Greg87]

I feel so humble among all the Cannon and Nikon users here... started out with a Ricoh XR7, moved up to a Pentax MZ-6, and my newest (last year's purchase) is a Pentax *ist DL... Seems to do the trick for me, I suppose it could be better, but starting out with Pentax equipment just sorta led me that route, and now it would be too expensive to switch camera's and buy new lenses and everything. Besides, I like my *ist!

[k5083]

It sure is sad that in terms of camera brands, we are down to Nikon, Canon and "other"!

Well, put me down for "other".

My main equipment is a brace of Contax 35mm SLRs that use Zeiss lenses made back when the name Zeiss meant something. Specifically, it meant quality that gave its users the ability to turn up their noses at anything other than Leica, including Canon L glass.

Last year I left the Contaxes home and stomped around airfields with a Mamiya RB67 medium format studio camera. Incredible performance but rather heavy and limited to wide through portrait-length telephoto. Still an SLR though!

This year, if I get to any shows at all, I will bring out the Contaxes again and satisfy my medium format cravings with a late 1940s vintage Voigtlander Bessa I folding camera. This camera costs $250 in perfect working order, fits in your pocket, has excellent optics and produces 6x9cm images with about 6-8x the resolution of the top DSLRs on the market. Great for that vintage effect, too; you just can't simulate it well with newer technology.

I usually carry a DSLR around with me as well. I use it as a light meter and to record serial numbers and such. Very handy.

August

[Greg87]

Just a quick question about the Voigtlander Bessa... can you use colour film in it? I'm completely unfamiliar with the medium fromat camera, so excuse my ignorance, it was just the first question that popped into mind when I read your post. Is it tricky to use or pretty straightforward?

[Canberra Man]

Yep. you can use colour in medium format. My Rollieflex T gives beautiful colour, slide or neg. But has a slight weight problem, not as much as the single lens reflex mediums.

Ken

[k5083]

Just a quick question about the Voigtlander Bessa... can you use colour film in it? I'm completely unfamiliar with the medium fromat camera, so excuse my ignorance, it was just the first question that popped into mind when I read your post. Is it tricky to use or pretty straightforward?

It uses 120 size roll film. Not only is it available in color, but it is being made by all of the major film manufacturers with the most up-to-date emulsions, both positive (slide) and negative, pretty much everything that you can get in 35mm. Most brands cost around $4.00 per roll and they can be processed through Wal-Mart (which sends them to regional labs) or photo shops (most of which do the same). Processing ranges between $3.00 and $6.00 per roll depending on where you go.

The Bessa and other folding 120 cameras were directed at the amateur market when 35mm was still considered a specialty "miniature" format. So, they are simple use, not much different than a manual 35mm camera. You do have to focus manually, set your exposure manually, and zoom using your feet (i.e. walk toward/away from the subject). If considering medium format, however, you should also take a look at other cameras in the same used price range, such as non-folding rangefinders, SLRs or twin-lens reflex (TLRs). They will produce better pictures more reliably because they have bigger lenses and a rigid box holding the lens and film plane in the proper relative positions. I would not get a folding camera as my first medium-format.

August

[corsair166b]

I got this freaky little camera the other day called a 'Hero', check it out at www.goprocamera.com ....it takes pictures underwater, can use a 2GB card to shoot 54 minutes of video....have'nt mastered it yet but have had some good results with the trout I catch, shooting underwater pics of them (I suppose I should post some results).....my regular 35 mm camera is a Canon rebel variant, and I still shoot film and don;'t plan on giving it up anytime soon...

Mark