[Douglas_of_Sweden]

Konica, in particulary the T3N and T4 bodies. I have most lenses between 21 and 200mm. Since Konica used Tv (automatic aperture) instead of Pentax Av (automatic shutter time), they complement each other well. The fully mechanical T3 and T3N bodies somehow manage to show exposure time, speed of the current lens and current aperture in the viewfinder using just mechanical solutions!

[jakeblues]

Yep - a 40/1.8, one of the sharpest lenses made in that length, and cheap as chips. Too bad it can't be adapted to Pentax. I still have one (had a brief Konica affair but came back to Pentax). It's the last AR lens I own. Sigh.

Sigh indeed. 40mm is my favorite focal length. And a fast, sharp 40mm is AWFULLY tempting.

That said, I can't start another 35mm camera system. I'm trying hard to reduce to just two - Pentax and Minolta. I'm trying to slim down cameras AND lenses. But deciding between an Olympus XA or Contax T2, and a Pentax M 50/1.4 and M 50/1.7, and a Minolta 85/1.7 and 50/1.2 is like trying to decide which children to kill.

[Nesster]

I've been using a Minolta XE-7 a bit lately which also handles very much like a K2, but my is it smooth. Winding it with film is easier and smoother than most cameras without film.

The XE's really are smooth... but they are a bit behemothy as well. I have an illustration:



The advantage is that many fabulous MD lenses go cheaply.

I'll second the FE/FM recommendation - the FE I have is very much like a KX in viewfinder, though with auto exposure mode. The advantage of Nikon these days is that where say a Pentax 35/2 is rare and therefore pricey, Nikkor 35/2's are plentiful and therefore not so much.

[Swift1]

The XE's really are smooth... but they are a bit behemothy as well. I have an illustration:



The advantage is that many fabulous MD lenses go cheaply.

I'll second the FE/FM recommendation - the FE I have is very much like a KX in viewfinder, though with auto exposure mode. The advantage of Nikon these days is that where say a Pentax 35/2 is rare and therefore pricey, Nikkor 35/2's are plentiful and therefore not so much.

Haha, they certainly are a bit big. Your XE-5 looks like a monster next to the OM.
I used a Nikkormat FTN once and that thing was a monster. I prefer larger bodied cameras to certain extent anyways. My K2 and SV are about as small as I like handling wise.
I've found that generally, all the good, less common glass is priced pretty similarly anyways. I've been watching MD Rokkor 24/2.8s and the sell for about what a SMC K 24/2.8 goes for, maybe a little less. Although, the better, less common Pentax glass is more in demand and less common than most other mounts I suppose.

[G and T]

My favourite non Petax SLR system has to be my original Minolta SRT's.
Probably because of the 40+ MC & MD Rokkors that I own.
Glenn

[TomB_tx]

Must be a bunch of youngsters here, with all these preferring new-fangled autoexposure - autofocus - electrified models. I prefer the classics, with pre-Spotmatic Pentax near the top of the list. But while Pentax had the first Japanese 35mm SLR in 1952, remember we owe the format to Exakta, who introduced theirs in the 1930s. Even in the 1050s they were well-made, rugged, very wide variety of lenses, but had few modern frills, and were made in East Germany. Still had real groundglass screens that gave more accurate focus, if dim compared to microprisms. A salute is in order:

[Nesster]

Those exaktas are gorgeous, no doubt about it. A salute.

But... my National Graflex qualifies as a SLR system, as after all it did have a telephoto lens available.... And, ever since I bought mine, I've got more enjoyment out of it than anything else of late...

[gabriel_bc]

Sigh indeed. 40mm is my favorite focal length. And a fast, sharp 40mm is AWFULLY tempting.

That said, I can't start another 35mm camera system. I'm trying hard to reduce to just two - Pentax and Minolta. I'm trying to slim down cameras AND lenses. But deciding between an Olympus XA or Contax T2, and a Pentax M 50/1.4 and M 50/1.7, and a Minolta 85/1.7 and 50/1.2 is like trying to decide which children to kill.

I know what you mean - and the Pentax equivalent of the AR 40/1.8 is the 43/1.9. Small difference in price there...

I still keep one Konica AR body around. Maybe someday I'll take the 40 out for old time's sake.

[magkelly]

I can't use a Nikkormat because from what I've read they take an earlier style of lenses. The 3 lenses I've gotten are all e-series lenses. I've looked at a few later fully manual Nikon bodies but they tend to run a bit rich used for my wallet. I don't spend $50-100 on a used body very often. I'm not sure I am going there. My niece has my P3 and my EM and a few assorted lenses from both makers. She's been learning with those. The kid has talent I think. I've been teaching her a bit and encouraging her.

I'm thinking I'm going to give her the *ist my teacher gave me for Christmas, but also a film body of her own. She likes the P3 and the EM both. I might just give her both of them and sell the extra 50mm e-series lens. I've got two of them and a couple of extra K mount Ricoh lenses she could have for the P3/*ist combo.

It's not like I need the Nikon kit. I've got full kits for Pentax, Yashica, and Minolta. Actually, technically I now probably have an M42/Vivitar kit pretty much too unless the Viv SLR on the way turns out to be a dud. Spending a lot on a Nikon body isn't very practical at this point no matter how tempted I get. It's just the fact that I don't really think much of the EM and I do have lenses.

There seems to be this little wanna be Nikonian in my head pointing out the fact that I have several decent lenses but a crap body...:P

[TomB_tx]

But... my National Graflex qualifies as a SLR system, as after all it did have a telephoto lens available....

Thanks Nesster - I had forgotten the fine Graflex SLRs. Here's mine: It's marked "R.B. Series B Graflex". It takes cut-film packs, has a cloth focal-plane shutter with 4 different sets of curtains with different width slots (plus another for "B"), and a numbered knob to change the tension on the shutter springs. The chart on the side gives the shutter speeds for the different tensions (6) and different curtain slits (4) - giving 24 different shutter speeds from 1/10 to 1/1000 second. The lens is a Kodak Ektar 127mm f4.5. And - no, I haven't used it, but it appears to function pretty well.

A quick internet search shows the "RB" was "Revolving Back" and indeed the back can be rotated for portait or landscape use. This has a fixed lens; probably made between 1923 and 1929.

[GibbyTheMole]

Nikon F2S. Best 35mm SLR I've owned. It was a tank, and all shutter speeds worked when the battery conked.

[Nesster]

A quick internet search shows the "RB" was "Revolving Back" and indeed the back can be rotated for portait or landscape use. This has a fixed lens; probably made between 1923 and 1929.

I'm jealous - that looks to be a very well preserved sample. Also, the very first bunch of art photographers, Stieglitz and the Photo-Secessionists used SLRs such as this.

[unixrevolution]

Thanks Nesster - I had forgotten the fine Graflex SLRs. Here's mine: It's marked "R.B. Series B Graflex". It takes cut-film packs, has a cloth focal-plane shutter with 4 different sets of curtains with different width slots (plus another for "B"), and a numbered knob to change the tension on the shutter springs. The chart on the side gives the shutter speeds for the different tensions (6) and different curtain slits (4) - giving 24 different shutter speeds from 1/10 to 1/1000 second. The lens is a Kodak Ektar 127mm f4.5. And - no, I haven't used it, but it appears to function pretty well.
Attachment 147217
A quick internet search shows the "RB" was "Revolving Back" and indeed the back can be rotated for portait or landscape use. This has a fixed lens; probably made between 1923 and 1929.

Once you use it let me know. I'm considering getting a Graflex. My friend has a 5x7 Autograflex with a 210/4.5 that is just the business.

As for Exaktas, I have serious Exakta GAS right now. I had two that didn't work right and despite the function problems, I miss them.

[arnold]

My favourite non Petax SLR system has to be my original Minolta SRT's.
Probably because of the 40+ MC & MD Rokkors that I own.
Glenn

I knew nothing of the Minolta SRT Super (202) (303) until I picked one up at a swap meet. It felt so solid and with the 1.4 MC Rokkor lens I was won over. I now have three, with a bid on a fourth one of these. They come across as a heavy Spotmatic, and like the beloved Spotmatic, are all manual. I try to avoid any automation as much as I can, it is just stuff to go wrong. Besides, how tough is it to twiddle a few knobs?

[stevebrot]

They come across as a heavy Spotmatic...

Easily so! The SRT bodies were bricks! Very excellent bricks, to be sure. My dad has an SRT 102 with jammed shutter languishing in a drawer somewhere and I am always trying to talk him into letting me get int CLA'd for him. No deal. He won't part with it.


Steve