Dream Camera

This may be off topic, but I think it would be interesting to hear
what each of you would consider to be the perfect camera. Nothing
that is currently in production, but all aspects would already exist
in some cmaera - no sci-fi technology.

My ideal camera would be a 6X9 cm format rangefinder built along the
lines of the Mamiya 7 with regard to ergonomics and portability. The
camera would need to be auto-focus. It would accept Carl Zeiss
lenses. The camera would have a built-in motor drive with an option
to manually rewind the film, but would be quiet like an Elan 7/EOS 33.
Frame lines would be activated individually according to the lens in
use - no pairs of frame lines in the viewfinder at any one time.
There would be sufficient eye relief to be able to see the frame lines
for the equivalent of a 28mm lens in 135 format while wearing
eyeglasses. The camera would have some sort of smart flash
technology. The camera would readily accept 220 film. A dark slide
curtain would be activated by the lens release button. A focal plane
shutter would be okay, a leaf shutter better. The camera would retain
about the same dimensions as the current Mamiya 7, and would cost no
more than $2000 USD. That kind of set-up would be ideal for my street
photography.

So what would your ideal camera be?

Michael

Fuji GS645 rangefinder folder with the following improvements:

-Native horizontal orientation
-55mm f/2.8 lens
-TTL metering
-Indestructible bellows

Impossible, of course, but you asked...

Excelsior, you fatheads!
-Chris-

Just a digital SLR, which could do everything a film SLR could, would be
nice. As opposed to digital SLR's which are marketed to sound as good as
film SLR's, but aren't really.



"street shooter" wrote in message
m...
This may be off topic, but I think it would be interesting to hear
what each of you would consider to be the perfect camera. Nothing
that is currently in production, but all aspects would already exist
in some cmaera - no sci-fi technology.

My ideal camera would be a 6X9 cm format rangefinder built along the
lines of the Mamiya 7 with regard to ergonomics and portability. The
camera would need to be auto-focus. It would accept Carl Zeiss
lenses. The camera would have a built-in motor drive with an option
to manually rewind the film, but would be quiet like an Elan 7/EOS 33.
Frame lines would be activated individually according to the lens in
use - no pairs of frame lines in the viewfinder at any one time.
There would be sufficient eye relief to be able to see the frame lines
for the equivalent of a 28mm lens in 135 format while wearing
eyeglasses. The camera would have some sort of smart flash
technology. The camera would readily accept 220 film. A dark slide
curtain would be activated by the lens release button. A focal plane
shutter would be okay, a leaf shutter better. The camera would retain
about the same dimensions as the current Mamiya 7, and would cost no
more than $2000 USD. That kind of set-up would be ideal for my street
photography.

So what would your ideal camera be?

Michael

35mm/digital(~8mp), size of small pentax manual focus camera (i.e. MX size),
magnesium/titanium/steel alloy construction, 1 cross point autofocus
activated by a separate button, multi spot metering/centre weighted, a
button to automatically select the appropriate exposure in manual mode (like
on the Pentax MZ-S), Av Tv M and P modes. Manual wind-on. Environment
O-seals. Maybe OTF metering, too. A nice big bright clear viewfinder.

That would be a perfect travel camera for me!

Duncan.

"Paul" wrote in message ...
Just a digital SLR, which could do everything a film SLR could, would be
nice. As opposed to digital SLR's which are marketed to sound as good as
film SLR's, but aren't really.

snip

I know what you mean. I have an EOS 10D; and now the D stands for
Dust collector. The images from the 10D just can't hold a candle to
film. I gave myself a year to adjust to the digital learning curve;
the more I learned, the less I liked digital (ot, at least, the 10D).
Happy to be back to my black-and-white film roots.

Michael

"street shooter" wrote in message
m...
This may be off topic, but I think it would be interesting to hear
what each of you would consider to be the perfect camera. Nothing
that is currently in production, but all aspects would already exist
in some cmaera - no sci-fi technology.
Unlike some who have posted who would like MF, i would prefer it to be 35mm
frame size, purely for compactness. It should take pentax lenses (only cos
that's what I have) and be compatible with both the old and new lenses. In
manual mode it should have the option to automatically set exposure to what
it would use in the auto mode in the same setting. Fast multipoint AF (if
the lens supported it), and when in MF mode the option to press a single
button to have the camera focus itself, so that manual adjustments can be
made (or alternatively the option to manual override while in AF mode). A
lightmeter that works down to about EV-5. It should have both a B and a T
setting, and be designed so that when in these modes it doesn't empty
batteries. Mechanical, cordless remote and wired options should be available
for triggering, so that it can be connected to various methods of
triggering. Mirror lockup, and flash sync to about 1/500th.

Zoom lenses should have a length lock on them (that can be overridden for
special effects), so that their own weight doesn't change focal length.

Now, as to the film, it should be 35mm frame size, but with many of the
features of APS - APS was a great system let down by the small frame size. I
would love to have mid-roll film change (with aps there isn't much point as
there are only a few different films available - imagine having all the film
options of 35mm available with mid-roll film change). For each shot the
camera should record the date, aperture, focal length and focus distance (if
the lens reports that info), shutter speed used, exposure compensation, as
well as the shooting mode (auto, portrait, sport, etc). This could be done
either on the film or on the magnetic portion since we are using a 35mm
version of APS. Of course like APS and some 35mm cams when you load film it
should wind it on fully then reload it back into the spool, so that
accidental body opening won't kill the existing shots.

Now if the camera also had an option for a digital back, then it would be
really kickass.

That's pretty similar to my post - I think it's interesting that you also
specifically mentioned a button which returns the Av and Tv values to their
Automatic counterparts - I don't have a camera that does it, if I did have
it on my Super A, it would virtually never leave manual mode. I think
Pentax call it hyper-manual mode - correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's
found in the PZ-1P, MZ-S, and *IST-D and Ds.

You didn't mention spot metering? I imagine this would be very useful with
hyper-manual mode.

As film's basically on the way out, a new film format with the same range as
the current 35mm I think is highly unlikely.

What form-factor would your camera be? I was thinking Super-A, or ME-Super
size - so compact (comparable to a Leica rangefinder).

Pentax lenses certainly! Only because I have them, of course.

Duncan.
P.S. Maybe there's a market?

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...

"street shooter" wrote in message
m...
This may be off topic, but I think it would be interesting to hear
what each of you would consider to be the perfect camera. Nothing
that is currently in production, but all aspects would already exist
in some cmaera - no sci-fi technology.
Unlike some who have posted who would like MF, i would prefer it to be
35mm frame size, purely for compactness. It should take pentax lenses
(only cos that's what I have) and be compatible with both the old and new
lenses. In manual mode it should have the option to automatically set
exposure to what it would use in the auto mode in the same setting. Fast
multipoint AF (if the lens supported it), and when in MF mode the option
to press a single button to have the camera focus itself, so that manual
adjustments can be made (or alternatively the option to manual override
while in AF mode). A lightmeter that works down to about EV-5. It should
have both a B and a T setting, and be designed so that when in these modes
it doesn't empty batteries. Mechanical, cordless remote and wired options
should be available for triggering, so that it can be connected to various
methods of triggering. Mirror lockup, and flash sync to about 1/500th.

Zoom lenses should have a length lock on them (that can be overridden for
special effects), so that their own weight doesn't change focal length.

Now, as to the film, it should be 35mm frame size, but with many of the
features of APS - APS was a great system let down by the small frame size.
I would love to have mid-roll film change (with aps there isn't much point
as there are only a few different films available - imagine having all the
film options of 35mm available with mid-roll film change). For each shot
the camera should record the date, aperture, focal length and focus
distance (if the lens reports that info), shutter speed used, exposure
compensation, as well as the shooting mode (auto, portrait, sport, etc).
This could be done either on the film or on the magnetic portion since we
are using a 35mm version of APS. Of course like APS and some 35mm cams
when you load film it should wind it on fully then reload it back into the
spool, so that accidental body opening won't kill the existing shots.

Now if the camera also had an option for a digital back, then it would be
really kickass.

That's pretty similar to my post - I think it's interesting that you also
specifically mentioned a button which returns the Av and Tv values to their
Automatic counterparts - I don't have a camera that does it, if I did have
it on my Super A, it would virtually never leave manual mode. I think
Pentax call it hyper-manual mode - correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's
found in the PZ-1P, MZ-S, and *IST-D and Ds.

You didn't mention spot metering? I imagine this would be very useful with
hyper-manual mode.

As film's basically on the way out, a new film format with the same range as
the current 35mm I think is highly unlikely.

What form-factor would your camera be? I was thinking Super-A, or ME-Super
size - so compact (comparable to a Leica rangefinder).

Pentax lenses certainly! Only because I have them, of course.

Duncan.
P.S. Maybe there's a market?

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...

"street shooter" wrote in message
m...
This may be off topic, but I think it would be interesting to hear
what each of you would consider to be the perfect camera. Nothing
that is currently in production, but all aspects would already exist
in some cmaera - no sci-fi technology.
Unlike some who have posted who would like MF, i would prefer it to be
35mm frame size, purely for compactness. It should take pentax lenses
(only cos that's what I have) and be compatible with both the old and new
lenses. In manual mode it should have the option to automatically set
exposure to what it would use in the auto mode in the same setting. Fast
multipoint AF (if the lens supported it), and when in MF mode the option
to press a single button to have the camera focus itself, so that manual
adjustments can be made (or alternatively the option to manual override
while in AF mode). A lightmeter that works down to about EV-5. It should
have both a B and a T setting, and be designed so that when in these modes
it doesn't empty batteries. Mechanical, cordless remote and wired options
should be available for triggering, so that it can be connected to various
methods of triggering. Mirror lockup, and flash sync to about 1/500th.

Zoom lenses should have a length lock on them (that can be overridden for
special effects), so that their own weight doesn't change focal length.

Now, as to the film, it should be 35mm frame size, but with many of the
features of APS - APS was a great system let down by the small frame size.
I would love to have mid-roll film change (with aps there isn't much point
as there are only a few different films available - imagine having all the
film options of 35mm available with mid-roll film change). For each shot
the camera should record the date, aperture, focal length and focus
distance (if the lens reports that info), shutter speed used, exposure
compensation, as well as the shooting mode (auto, portrait, sport, etc).
This could be done either on the film or on the magnetic portion since we
are using a 35mm version of APS. Of course like APS and some 35mm cams
when you load film it should wind it on fully then reload it back into the
spool, so that accidental body opening won't kill the existing shots.

Now if the camera also had an option for a digital back, then it would be
really kickass.

"street shooter" wrote in message
m...
So what would your ideal camera be?
Michael

Black titanium FM3a with Leica R mount and optional spot metering, quieter
shutter and faster sync.

For 120 format, I can't think of anything i'd need that Hasselblad doesn't
already do...

--
Martin Francis http://www.sixbysix.co.uk
"Go not to Usenet for counsel, for it will say both no, and yes, and
no, and yes...."

"Martin Francis" wrote in message
...
For 120 format, I can't think of anything i'd need that Hasselblad doesn't
already do...

.... except for a red snakeskin leather finish. Thank God for
cameraleather.com!

--
Martin Francis http://www.sixbysix.co.uk
"Go not to Usenet for counsel, for it will say both no, and yes, and
no, and yes...."