Retina IIa

[Pragmatist]

Welcome polaski. It usually is a great place to be for fotophiles... Ocassionally, Tommy the Turdwhacker comes along and posts something snidely, or Bobo the Troll King goes a courtin, but otherwise...

[Kobin]

For serious stuff, the C330. For color, the K1000. For fun, the ZI Nettar 517/16 folder. I'm hoping to get an old 35mm rf or compact slr soon. I'm begining to like light.

K.

[firecracker]

I have a Retinette Ia, which I use for taking random street shots without framing. For framing, I choose serious cameras.

This Retinette Ia doesn't weigh as much as any of the Retina bodies, and that's what I like about. It's just like using a disposable lens-camera or a cheap P&S camera body but an option of with a few actual F-stop settings, shutter speeds, and a focusing dial. The camera body is a bit bulky but still compact enough to fit in my hand nicely.

And my Gossen Bix3 hand-held light meter, which is made out of plastic and so light, goes so good with it.

[Mark Layne]

Roger
I normally take a Contax 111a. maybe with some of those lenses ' which can't stand comparison with modern lenses.' Like the 85f2 Stuttgart Sonnar and the 35f3.5 Planar.
I've had a lot of ruined exposures from tapering Leica shutters, with a vertical travel shutter tapering isn't much of a problem.
Mark

[Ole]

...What governs which camera you pick up?
...

It all depends...

If I were to go out to shoot people, It's quite likely I would choose an old MF (or 35mm) folder. Have you noticed how differently people react when you point an "antique" at them, compared to a SLR with a big fat zoom lens?

If I go out with a camera just because I feel like it, it's far more likely to be LF - probably 5x7".

If I think the light's going to be good, I'll take 18x24cm or 24x30cm, and the 4x5" with colour film.

Today I've just been out with a Bessa-L and the 21mm lens, because that's the only camera I brought with me to work. It works great without a battery, which is a great advantage on an oil rig.

[polaski]

People absolutely do react differently when I use a folder (Retina or Perkeo). They really reacted differently when I took the Graphic 2x3 (120 rollback) down Arch Street into Philadelphia Chinatown. Lots of smiles from older folks. Bewildered looks on people with earplugs in their ears. (But maybe those looks are normal for them.

The Minox 35ML folds out and down, and folks don't seem to think it's a camera. I thought that with the new small digitals, that would end, but most people use small digitals at arms length, so I think the illusion still works.