My Current Top Ten Cameras

It is tricky to make a list of your favourite cameras, like making a list of your favourite songs. The list depends on a number of factors.

  • The camera I am using right now. The one I used last is often high on my list.
  • The cameras I have tried in the past. It can’t be in the top ten if I haven’t tried it.
  • The condition of the example I have tried. Of course, if I have only tried a crap example it will be low on my list no matter what other people might think of it.

So all that aside, here is my current top ten.

  1. Rolleiflex Old Standard 622 – I love this camera. It is sharp, has a lot of history attached and I installed a new mirror. How can you not love it?
  2. Kiev 88 – I have found myself using this camera more and more. Despite the weight, as I get more familiar with it my love for it grows.
  3. Olympus OM4 – None of the other SLRs I have tried has the spot metering function like this camera. I am tempted to replace this choice with the OM40 though as I was very impressed with that and it is so much cheaper.
  4. Contax 137 MA Quartz – I love my example of this camera. I love that it was almost washed away in a typhoon. I love that it is covered in Japanese stamps. And of course, I love that it has Zeiss glass attached.
  5. Yashica A – I have a new to me 6×6 Yashica and I love it. It is light and sharp.
  6. Pentax ESII – I absolutely love my example of this camera. It looks like it has been through a lot and seen a lot. Mine has a great patina, quite brassy. It works with or without a battery. And best of all, I fixed it 🙂
  7. Konica Auto-Reflex – This camera has to appear here. You can switch between full and half-frame. It has a meter but works in manual. The meter on mine doesn’t work, but I intend to get that fixed at some point.
  8. Canon IV SB2 – This was the first camera that I had CLAd. I had to sacrifice a number of other cameras to pay for it, but it was worth it.
  9. Fed 2 – This was one of the first cameras I tried after returning to film. It made me realize that film has a quality and look that digital just can’t capture. Plus, the photos I took using it are very meaningful to me. This choice is due to emotions rather than functionality.
  10. Ricoh FF-7 – I wanted to add a point-and-shoot to this list and this one is fantastic. It is still cheap to buy and can do multiple exposures

This list is subject to change as I try more cameras.