[aaacb]

SFX/SF1 line of cameras to be particularly ugly,

Certainly not "timeless design" but that's part of the appeal for me I was indeed surprised how comfortable it is to hold

[MarkJerling]

I have always considered the SFX/SF1 line of cameras to be particularly ugly, exceeded only by the Minolta 5000/7000/9000 series*. Like the Minoltas though, I find the SFX I have to be very comfortable to hold, so the looks get a pass from me. I also find it a camera that makes me smile when I use it, perhaps it's the quirky controls or the in your face noises it makes. The only thing I find weird about your SF1n is how cool it looks with that F 50mm Macro stuck on the front! Perhaps it's case of horrid fascination.

*No, when I think about it the accolade for the ugliest SLR belongs to the utterly hideous looking Nikon F401. A camera so ugly not even I could ever bring myself to hold one. This is all subjective of course. Perhaps there should be a thread for the ugliest ever cameras. A sort of reverse Gear porn thread.

Ugly? It's quintessential 1980's boxy design style!

[richard0170]

Ugly? It's quintessential 1980's boxy design style!

The 80's. Design and style. Those two concepts are oxymoronic when considering that decade. Not that things have improved that much since then. Harrumph!

Victor Meldrew is a hero and role model!

[gofour3]

The 80's. Design and style. Those two concepts are oxymoronic when considering that decade. Not that things have improved that much since then. Harrumph!

Victor Meldrew is a hero and role model!

Phil.

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[richard0170]

Phil.

OK. I'll give yo that one Grace Jones certainly has some style. Exception that proves the rule (another oxymoron).

[markbuk]

Still have my original KX, used it until the early 2000's so over 25yrs of use. I wonder which DSLR will still be running in 25yrs time?

[KUArch88]

I have an SPII and a black SV. Looking for a K, or maybe an AP, but I'd rather a K.

[Timosaurus]

I’ve got an MX and an LX. Hoping to uncover my father’s Spotmatic in the near future.
And for when I’m feeling lazy, a Minolta Maxxum that was my mother’s!

[HistoryMilkshake]

I have an MX as my main camera but in the past I've had lots of different Pentax film bodies (as well as Minolta). If the P30 had selectable iso and at least one mechanical setting it would be near perfect because it's so comfortable to shoot and easy to focus. It's genuinely a joy to use. I also love the ME Super but I always get worried about the electronics breaking, so I sell them. The Super A is also lots of fun but I worry about it for the same reason as the ME Super. I've never had a K body but I've always liked the look of the KX to maybe one day. As for the MX, it's just pure class. It's smooth as silk and built like a tank. I'm convinced it will outlive me. It goes everywhere with me.

[HistoryMilkshake]

I’ve got an MX and an LX. Hoping to uncover my father’s Spotmatic in the near future.
And for when I’m feeling lazy, a Minolta Maxxum that was my mother’s!

I used to have a Maxxum 5. I loved it. The only trouble was it felt so much like a modern digital camera that I'd burn through film far too fast! I completely forgot one day and ended it taking a whole roll of 36 taking pictures of a crow. My heart dropped when I heard the film rewind

[AgentL]

I have an MX as my main camera but in the past I've had lots of different Pentax film bodies (as well as Minolta). If the P30 had selectable iso and at least one mechanical setting it would be near perfect because it's so comfortable to shoot and easy to focus. It's genuinely a joy to use. I also love the ME Super but I always get worried about the electronics breaking, so I sell them. The Super A is also lots of fun but I worry about it for the same reason as the ME Super. I've never had a K body but I've always liked the look of the KX to maybe one day. As for the MX, it's just pure class. It's smooth as silk and built like a tank. I'm convinced it will outlive me. It goes everywhere with me.

I have a hard time bringing a solid metal SLR with me everywhere I go as you do with the MX... I'd love to, tried it some with an Olympus OM-1, which is almost exactly the same size, but it was just too much to lug around. I have not found the perfect film go-everywhere camera. I thought the Olympus XA would fit, and it's not bad... I have been let down a bit doing street photography with it due to not being able to select the shutter speed, but maybe I need to try more as a snapshot camera. Taking film with one everywhere is a compelling proposition.

[TwoUptons]

I have a hard time bringing a solid metal SLR with me everywhere I go as you do with the MX... I'd love to, tried it some with an Olympus OM-1, which is almost exactly the same size, but it was just too much to lug around. I have not found the perfect film go-everywhere camera. I thought the Olympus XA would fit, and it's not bad... I have been let down a bit doing street photography with it due to not being able to select the shutter speed, but maybe I need to try more as a snapshot camera. Taking film with one everywhere is a compelling proposition.

You need a tiny rangefinder... older than the XA...
The little Rollei, a Petri Color 35, the later Hi-Matic, one of the small Yashicas.(or a Leica CL if you have lots of money)
Lots of them offer decent lenses and full manual control.
Though there are obvious limitations on additional lenses, I have wide and tele front converters for a couple of mine.

-Eric

[richard0170]

I have a hard time bringing a solid metal SLR with me everywhere I go as you do with the MX... I'd love to, tried it some with an Olympus OM-1, which is almost exactly the same size, but it was just too much to lug around. I have not found the perfect film go-everywhere camera. I thought the Olympus XA would fit, and it's not bad... I have been let down a bit doing street photography with it due to not being able to select the shutter speed, but maybe I need to try more as a snapshot camera. Taking film with one everywhere is a compelling proposition.

I can not see why you would have hard time with a camera like the MX or OM1. Neither is exactly large or heavy. The MX (ME Super is even lighter) with the 40mm f2.8 is very compact. Their viewfinders are also superb (much better than what we have on modern digital cameras). Never the less as you do find it to be the case, I would recommend you try an Olympus 35 RC or Trip as they can be manually over ridden. The Trip is actually a lot of fun as it is so simple to use, yet has a great lens. Shop around and they can be picked up quite cheaply. Off the wall options would be an old Voigtlander Vito or Zeiss Ikon Contina folder. They may be a little fiddly and take some getting used too but are very compact when folded (will fit in a pocket). I have a lot of fun with mine when I get the chance to use them. You may have found people are curious that you are using a film camera these days. With the old folders this effect is magnified and you can use it to your advantage. The XA or a Mju II are very small cameras, and as such you could probably take both a XA and a Trip out together. You could have a choice of colour or B&W film and also a slightly different FOV with the different lenses the cameras have.
There is no perfect camera. All have their downsides. At least though with these old film ones you can have a lot of fun trying different ones out without breaking the bank.

[HistoryMilkshake]

I have a hard time bringing a solid metal SLR with me everywhere I go as you do with the MX... I'd love to, tried it some with an Olympus OM-1, which is almost exactly the same size, but it was just too much to lug around. I have not found the perfect film go-everywhere camera. I thought the Olympus XA would fit, and it's not bad... I have been let down a bit doing street photography with it due to not being able to select the shutter speed, but maybe I need to try more as a snapshot camera. Taking film with one everywhere is a compelling proposition.

Perhaps I have an unfair advantage. Most of the time I use a wheelchair and the strap I use means the MX sits nicely in my lap without a problem, so it doesn't feel like any weight at all. While I was still shooting digital I had a K70 which is very small by DSLR standards but way too bulky to sit comfortably in my lap. It's one of the reasons I went back to film because even though I could find smaller mirrorless cameras, I don't enjoy using EVFs. So I found myself shooting film more and more so eventually I just took the plunge and now only shoot film. Fortunately, the money I made for my digital gear has kept me going in terms of film for a whole year and still plenty more to go.

[AgentL]

I do own a Ricoh 500G that I took on a great east coast vacation a few years back, the only issue I have with that camera is that the RF patch is very dim. I agree that MX-sized cameras aren't big and heavy when evaluating as SLRs, but I have years of using compacts and micro four thirds behind me, so you could say I've been spoiled by lightweight and compact bodies. Since I have my Ricoh GRIII, I won't suffer from not having a good camera on me, but there's always the appeal of shooting film too.