Top three best cameras you have ever bought

My first camera, not a favourite, but a nostalgic one was a Voigtlander, Auto35 - one of the first cameras with a built in light meter and an auto exposure (aperture priority, basically). I still have it upstairs, in its red/brown leather case. It got me started until I bought my first 'proper' camera in Hong Kong in 1977, a Nikon FM that was hot off the launch platform that year. That was when I began my association with Nikon, which still endures today, despite a brief foray with Fuji last year. Back to Nikon for me!
 
My first camera, not a favourite, but a nostalgic one was a Voigtlander, Auto35 - one of the first cameras with a built in light meter
Yes! The built in light meter, a fantastic invention.:agree:
 
For me (in order of ownership),

Practika MTL-3 : 1st film SLR - as it was manual with basic built in light meter, learnt all about exposure, apertures, shutter speeds. Some of the photos were pretty good too. Also one of the best in terms of value for money.
Minolta Dynax 9xi : great 35mm SLR - 1/12,000 top shutter speed, 1/300th flash sync and built-in 4.5 fps film winder. Also really good flash system.
Canon 5D mark 1 (and later mark 3) : For the full-frame "look" I really like. For me, it was a big change from the 40D. Mark 3 improved AF, resolution and low light performance.
 
Some old minolta film camera. Had it given to me and took it everywhere. Used to love collecting the prints to see what I ended up with.
xpro1 & xpro1. Had 2 of these and miss them. Loved the clunky noises and the fact they had a slowing down and relaxing effect on me.
 
1. Sony A7R - I'm sure if I'd bought the A7RIII or II that would be here, but my budget only stretched to this. Great level of detail and dynamic range, some shortcomings that don't really bother me much as primarily a landscape photographer.
2. Minolta Dynax 9 - solid built, great control setup, nice in hand with optional grip, lovely sounding carbon-fibre reinforced shutter, 1/12,000 max shutter, 1/300 flash sync speed, 5.5 fps per second (without continuous AF). (The Dynax 7 has some nice features like previewing the 14 segment metering on the LCD display, but the 9 is the best of the two).
3. Bronica SQ-AM - as the only medium format camera I've ever had seems reasonable to include this here.
 
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1.Kiev 4 50mm my first 35mm camera self taught all the basics of photography using this camera :)
2.Canon AV1 50mm captured thousands of pictures of my two children growing up :)
3.Pentax MX 50mm Photographed my first grandchild on seconds after arriving into this world :)

Digital
1. Nikon D3 D700,D810:runaway:

2.Fuji S1pro 2 3 5 series :runaway:

3.Fuji X-T1. But I own all the X series bodies:runaway:

It's really difficult to actually pick just 3 cameras when I still own so many :(
I'm guessing if I had to pick only one camera it would be a fully manual mechanical camera and it would be a toss up between original Nikon F, or FM2nT, or perhaps original Canon F1, or maybe the Pentax MX or Olympus OM1 but it would have a 50mm of some description on it :runaway:
And of corse my faithful old Weston Master V.
 
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Top 3 digital cameras:-

D850
D750
EM1

Top 3 film cameras

Olympus OM1
Nikon RF2 (just because it was my first camera, I used the ‘family’ camera prior to this)
Canon IXUS.
 
Probably the K10D - my first DSLR, upgraded to the GX20 and then the K5ii - sadly nothing after that has been worth while (so far)
Olympus 750uz - first non-crap camera!
Recently bought a Sony RX100m4 - suspect this may be my favourite over all
 
1. Canon AE-1. Still love it. 50/1.8. Nothing else needed.
2. Nikon Coolpix 995. Miss the practical design. Don't miss the lag. Some of my best pictures with it.
3. Sony a6000. My current AE-1. Love it. Zeiss 16-70. Nothing else needed.
 
Nikon FM went travelling with me all over the world, tough enough to use as a weapon in a tight spot! I will probably get another one soon.
Olympus E-30 So advanced for its time, the articulated screen was brilliant.
Ricoh GX100, would still use one now if I could stop breaking the screens.
 
In no particular order.....

Canon 1D mk II
Panasonic G9
Pentax K3
 
1) Sony a9
2) Nikon D750
3) Nikon D5

In that order.

I’d have others in that list but I’m strictly putting nostalgia aside.
 
Sony A7III
Nikon D700
Nikon D90


Mamiya RZ 67 Pro II
(Trusty) Pentax K1000
Nikon F80
 
Tough to filter out so many good ones, but...

1. Olympus OMD E-M5 as my favorite digital camera
2. Tough on 35mm SLR as so many greats... FM2n over F5? Both achieve their design goals flawlessly... so they get 2nd and 3rd place

Hard to knock out OM2 and 4, and Pentax MX... not to mention Bronica SQA, (but I never gelled with the square format).
 
In order of ownership:
  1. Canon 1Dmk2 - amazing AF, I actually liked the 1.3x crop.
  2. Canon 5D - bought as a stop gap after the 1D, kept it for 8 years.
  3. Fuji X-T2 - only bought it recently, to replace the 5D, but really liking it.
 
1 D750 fantastic camera I can’t find enough time to use as much as I’d like, does everything well but the iso is ridiculously impressive

2 D700 I loved this camera and it tolerated my abuse for years and is still going strong , won’t part with it

3 D90 everyone loves them don’t they? Won’t part with this either, maybe I’m a hoarder
 
1. X100F. Technically you’d probably argue that it’s not in the top 3, however it fits in my pocket and it’s the only camera I own that’s easy to fall in love with. I’ve also taken some of the work I’m most pleased with using it.


2. D700. Like many, my first FX camera and a real step up from before.

3. D750. And a worthy successor to the D700. A workhorse for me
 
Film Cameras

Olympus OM10
Canon EOS 5
Canon EOS 3

Digital Cameras

Canon 40D
Canon 7D
Canon 5D MKIII
 
1) Olympus omd Em5.1
2) Olympus omd em1.1
3) canon 40d

I still have these but I have a major hankering for a Nikon d4 or similar massive pro body and also a Fuji xpro2 very tempting this game is
Part of me is glad I can’t afford all the things I want but it’s a very small part
 
Olympus e-410 : did what it said on the tin, great colours, great lenses.
Olympus e-P1&e-P2 (Same camera, added EVF for the 2) Retro goodness, quality.
Olympus e-pL7 : Modern sensor, other stuff nearly as good as the above oldsters. ;|
 
I've not really got through that many......

A7 (2014)
5D2 (2010)
450D (2009)

Previous to that was a Fujifilm S9500 bridge camera (2006) & a Sony Cybershot P&S (2004) I think.
 
1. Canon 5D Mkiii
2. Fuji XT-3
3. 7D Mkii
 
Nikon D300
Nikon D700
Fuji X-T2
 
My current ones are always the best I've ever bought, that's why I bought them - or am I missing the point here?

Dave
Probably. yes. :) :LOL:

Some people may have enjoyed using cameras in their past for various reasons, and whilst technology may have past them by (or not), they may still have good experiences and memories of them for whatever reasons. Some people don't feel that way about their cameras, and you may be one of them. ;) :D
 
Probably. yes. :) :LOL:

Some people may have enjoyed using cameras in their past for various reasons, and whilst technology may have past them by (or not), they may still have good experiences and memories of them for whatever reasons. Some people don't feel that way about their cameras, and you may be one of them. ;) :D

Nail in t'head I reckon :D

I've never felt 'attached' to a camera emotionally, so as soon as it can be bettered and I have pennies spare it gets moved on so my newest is always my best :)

Same with women ;)

Dave
 
2.Canon AV1 50mm captured thousands of pictures of my two children growing up :)

I really wanted an A-1 (and eventually ended up with one nearly 20 years later) but the AV-1 was my first SLR with a built in meter and was delightful in its simplicity. Nothing to get in the way of taking a photo.

I still use mostly aperture priority because of the habits I acquired with the AV-1; over two decades it became ingrained in the way I think about putting a picture together.
 
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