5 cameras to try before you die!
Some cameras just hit different!
Even though they all basically do the same thing, there are some which if you have never experienced - you really have to… I have chosen a handful from my collection that I feel really hit the spot that others miss.
In no particular order - first is the Pentax Auto 110
Pentax Auto 110
This tiny Pentax is a true work of art - it is so small, it beggars belief how the designers managed to do it!
It is a genuine SLR for 110 format cartridge film, and as film manufacturers like Lomography are producing fresh 110 film, it makes it a real choice. There are four choices of lenses from wide angle 18mm through to telephoto 70mm. It takes 2x LR44 batteries (as they are the only ones small enough to fit inside) which power the automatic exposure. The viewfinder is really nice and bright, focusing is easy and it feels like a real camera, just shrunk to minute proportions!
The user experience is really good despite it’s size, and no other camera come close to how it feels. If you have never held one of these - you really should. One recommendation though is don’t buy a cheap one - instead spend a bit more and get one that has been tested, and has a couple of lenses including the 50mm.
Next up is the Ihagee Exa…
Ihagee Exa
The first generation of the Exa is by far the best in my eyes and provides the most enjoyable shooting experience. The later versions lost the appeal of the original. It is small, cute, and the waist level viewfinder is fantastic. It is the simplicity that really makes this camera from the sliding speed selector to the basic yet beautiful design. It is just glorious, and one of my cameras I will never sell.
Yes there are cameras with far superior viewfinders, and better lenses, but none feel like the Exa. The Exatka’s are better cameras but are more complicated, and just don’t have that same feeling.
In stark contrast to these small cameras - a BIG one give an altogether different sensation, and there are not many bigger than the Fujica G690…
Fujica G690 BL
When I first got my 690, I was amazed by the sheer size of the thing - it is an absolute beast.
My version is the BL, the second iteration of Fuji’s 6×9 monster rangefinder with interchangeable lenses. It has the 100mm f3.5 which in itself it bigger and heavier than a lot of my cameras! It is definitely not your everyday carry, but when you see the negatives it produces you will understand why it is on this list.
It makes you feel special carrying it, and when you know the quality of the images it can give, it becomes even more special.
If you are craving the vintage aesthetic, the Ensign Cupid offers it in bucket loads…
Ensign Cupid
Despite being a simple pressed metal construction, the Cupid feels different. I think it is not just the looks, but the controls when you shoot with it. To set the shutter you pull up the plunger on the top, and the release is on the side. There is a reassuring Shutter sound to confirm you just captured something timeless. The sports finder makes composition easy, but they do often break off over time if the camera has not been cared for.
As with the rest of the cameras on this list, I cannot really explain what it is that make them special, but through the many hundreds that have passed though my door this small selection needs to be experienced.
Kiev 88CM
The purists will say “it is not a Hasselblad”, but that is kind of the point! The Kiev 88CM is the best camera to come out of the Ukrainian manufacturer, and rest assured it could break at any time - but if it is working it is absolutely incredible. The image quality from the Arsat C lens is outstanding - the viewfinder is the best I have ever used, and the whole experience of taking it out into the wild is something to treasure. It is photography perfection.
Yes mine has a stiff winder and one of the tabs on the film back has snapped off, but I love it.
By the way I have never used a Hasselblad so cannot compare, but I reckon the awesome shutter sound on the Kiev is most satisfying of anything out there.
Everyone has their special cameras, and I am sure there are more I haven’t yet tried that will be amazing, but for now - go and try one of these.