[stevebrot]

I would imagine that once you acquire a system, you hold on to it forever.

I generally don't buy things that I don't like and don't sell things that I do like, so yes...forever.

I don't keep stuff that I don't regularly use

Define regular use

All of mine are fed the occasional roll or sheet of film, though I have been negligent as of late.


Steve

[wizowel]

This question required a little of thought...and I am almost ashamed to admit that I own so many cameras but most were bought on the cheap and I have used all of them and continue to use most of them to take pictures.

...and yes, film and processing is still available for all of these cameras.

(1) Pentax 110 with (2) lenses & flash (shoots 110 film)
(1) Rollei A-110 (shoots 110 film)
(6) working 35mm K Mount SLR bodies and (7) assorted K-mount lenses (MF and AF, Prime & Zoom)
(1) 35mm Yashica SLR body with (3) lenses
I also have a couple (2) Olympus XA2's (35mm)
(1) Olympus Stylus (also 35mm) P&S
(1) 35mm Kit Pinhole Camera
(5) 127 box cameras
(3) 620 roll film box cameras and
(1) 620 roll film Folder
(3) 120 roll film Holgas (two of them are pinhole cameras)
(1) 120 roll film Yashica TLR
(1) Fujifilm Mini Instax (Polaroid Type) Camera
(1) Fujifilm Instax 210 Wide (Polaroid Type) Camera

Then there are the digitals...
(3) Pentax DSLR's (istDL, K-10 & K-500)
(1) Pentax K-01 Mirrorless
(6) dedicated APS-C, K-Mount lenses
(1) Nikon Coolpix P-300 P&S
(1) Fujifilm Finepix Real 3-D Stereo Camera

I am not really looking to expand into other systems (in fact I just gave the 35mm Yashica & lenses to my son) but I think I might enjoy a Pentax 6x7 if I could find a good deal on one and I do hope Pentax eventually comes out with another APS-C Mirrorless.

[GlennG]

I do hope Pentax eventually comes out with another APS-C Mirrorless

Yes, me also.

[stevebrot]

and I do hope Pentax eventually comes out with another APS-C Mirrorless.

You mean something like this?



Could not resist. After all, you are commenting on a film camera thread and APS-C was originally a (fairly) popular f35mm film format. FWIW, the Efina T was a pretty cool camera (stainless steel body and full-featured!). Ricoh still provides the feature listing even though the camera itself is now* discontinued.

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/filmcamera/aps/index.html


Steve

* My understanding is that the Efina was still available in Japan until fairly recently. You can still buy one, NOS on Amazon.

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Last edited by stevebrot; 10-31-2015 at 11:21 AM.

[grhazelton]

Okay.

Olympus OM 4, OM 10 and three lenses, dedicated flash
AsahiFlex IIa 37mm three lenses, tubes, bellows, etc. Needs work but it was my Father's work horse for decades.
K mount LX, KX, ME Super, MX, etc and many lenses, dedicated flashes etc.
645n and several lenses 35,55,75,120,200,80-160, ext tubes, 67 adapter, right angle finder
Bronica S2a and 4 lenses
Praktica LTL (M42) and 50, 200, tubes A sadly under-rated camera!

Since some are including "singletons," how about the following:

Voigtlander Vitessa L f2 Ultron
Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35 f2.8 Tessar
Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex 1b in the mail to me
Yashica Yashica Mat G
Kodak Retina IIIc Rodenstock w f2 lens and 35 and 80 elements, viewfinder, etc
Kodak Retina IIIc Schneider Xenon f2
Kodak Retina 1 w f3.5 Ektar
Somewhere a Taron something or other
An ancient Baldina 35mm folder that was my Father's
And some others. A roll film folder that was my Mother's. An ancient Brownie Box, taking some ancient roll film format.

I fear that I am at risk of becoming a collector! Although Mike, my source, reminds me that while photography is an expensive hobby, it is cheaper than car collecting or having a mistress, and far, far safer than the latter!!

[wizowel]

You mean something like this?



Could not resist. After all, you are commenting on a film camera thread and APS-C was originally a (fairly) popular f35mm film format. FWIW, the Efina T was a pretty cool camera (stainless steel body and full-featured!). Ricoh still provides the feature listing even though the camera itself is now* discontinued.

APS Cameras : Film Cameras | RICOH IMAGING


Steve

* My understanding is that the Efina was still available in Japan until fairly recently. You can still buy one, NOS on Amazon.

Actually you bring up a good point. If digital technology hadn't "pulled the rug out from under film technology" when it did who knows what wonders we might see today in film cameras. APS was pretty advanced stuff for its day and the Pentax ist was a super sophisticated 35mm film camera before Pentax released the digital version that I still own and shoot.

[One3rdEV]

1984 Olympus OM-4, OM-2n with Zuiko lenses (300mm Auto-T F4.5, 135mm Auto-T F3.5, 50mm Macro F3.5).
- Excellent performance and consistency with TTL off-the-film-plane ambient and flash metering.
- Highly advanced quick and powerfully flexible multi-spot averaging metering system for zone-system-like analysis & control (OM-4).

Cokin creative filter system.

1986 Hasselblad 500 CM with prism view finder and most common trio of Zeiss lenses (150mm, 80mm, 60/50mm).
- Access to unique Zeiss 30mm fisheye lens having a front element measuring 90mm in diameter.
- Unique means of metering ambient light by using OM-4 with multi-spot averaging and mounted light weight 135mm lens.
- Enabled zone-system-like analysis & control, and proved very useful for limited range media such as E6 or Kodachrome film.
- Minolta Flashmeter IV

Norman 200B portable flash system

Fujinon enlarger for 35mm & Medium format (Schneider APO enlarging lenses).
- Custom designed and built computer speech system for automated exposure control and timing of chemical processing based on temperature monitoring.
- Cibachrome using uncommon tray processing.

1988 Sinar P 4x5 with Fresnel lens, Copal shutter system (Schneider 210mm APO Symmar, 90mm Super Angulon).
- Rear lens element gelatin filter mounting system
- Sinar Booster-1 film-plane spot meter for Minolta Flashmeter IV.
- Minolta Color Meter with ambient and flash adapters

Venca 2433 Watt 3-Channel independent step-less variable flash head power control.
- Venca white reflectors, Balcar silver reflectors and grids, Plume Wafer banks lights, Wescott white umbrella light modifiers.

I included some extra details surrounding the camera systems for the benefit of old film era fans that understand and appreciate certain aspects- prior to the existence of chimping and the creation of special effects in post processing

---

Last edited by One3rdEV; 11-01-2015 at 12:53 PM. Reason: Added a couple of key attributes

[LesDMess]

If digital technology hadn't "pulled the rug out from under film technology" when it did who knows what wonders we might see today in film cameras.

I must have missed this memo . . .

[One3rdEV]

Mind you that I thoroughly enjoy my 2012 Pentax K-5 digital system and lenses- but honestly, some system performance (e.g. PTTL-flash and spot metering) seems a far step backwards from the level available in 1984 (e.g. Olympus OM-4 OM-3 system).

[grhazelton]

Mind you that I thoroughly enjoy my 2012 Pentax K-5 digital system and lenses- but honestly, some system performance (e.g. PTTL-flash and spot metering) seems a far step backwards from the level available in 1984 (e.g. Olympus OM-4 OM-3 system).

Indeed. I've used the TTL on my LX with virtually total success. The great majority of flash shots are properly exposed.

Not so with my K 10D or K 5. I find it necessary to "chimp" to adjust exposure for a majority of shots. What gives? IRRC the first Pentax DSLR used TTL, all the rest are PTTL. I've heard the reflectivity of the sensor cited as the reason, but that is a known quality and presumably could be designed around. Film has varying reflectivity, yet TTL works wonderfully well.

Apparently the extraordinary exposure range of the LX, time exposures of hours in duration, cannot be duplicated with digital sensors because of sensor overheating. I'll never give up my LX for this reason, among many others.

[stevebrot]

Mind you that I thoroughly enjoy my 2012 Pentax K-5 digital system and lenses- but honestly, some system performance (e.g. PTTL-flash and spot metering) seems a far step backwards from the level available in 1984 (e.g. Olympus OM-4 OM-3 system).

Indeed. I've used the TTL on my LX with virtually total success. The great majority of flash shots are properly exposed.

Not so with my K 10D or K 5.

I tend to agree. The TTL and auto-thyristor flash systems of the past were reliably good performers. The current P-TTL not so much.


Steve

[filmamigo]

Pentax K
Pentax screwmount M42
Bronica ETR

I've sampled Fuji X (the new digital, not the old SLR mount), Leica thread mount, and quite a bit of Nikon (including Kodak DCS Pro 14n and Fuji S2, S3 and S5 Pro.)

The key problem with all of these -- my Pentax lenses are better. And almost always, cheaper. The FA Limiteds and some of the Takumars simply can't be replaced for me. So it makes no sense to keep shooting multiple mounts.

[Nesster]

OK, where's the mind-boggled-eyeballs-fell-out emoji?

[wizowel]

I must have missed this memo . . .

No memo - it just happened. All the R&D into new and better cameras went digital 10 - 12 years ago. The last new Pentax film camera was released in 2003, Nikon 2004. There may be an exception out there somewhere but us film shooters are generally using 20th century cameta technology. It's still better than digital in some respects but I wonder how great it might be with 10 more years of R&D added in.

[stevebrot]

No memo - it just happened. All the R&D into new and better cameras went digital 10 - 12 years ago.

Damn! I must have been in the washroom when that happened.

BTW...there have been multiple new model film cameras come to market since 2003. I own two of them, but they are not on my signature. FWIW, Pentax film cameras (mostly medium format and compact AF) were active product in many markets until the Ricoh take-over when they were (finally?) phased out.

What is somewhat painful is that while there has been incredible improvements in sensor and shutter technology since the turn of the century, the sophistication of current AF systems is only marginally higher overall and less so in some regards.


Steve