A Seasonal Game

If anyone wants to play a little speculation game, I've got two questions for anyone who wants to play along:

1. If you could buy yourself one photography-related present this holiday season, what would it be?

and,

2. If you could ask Santa (anyone in the photo industry) to make one special present (product) just for you, what would that be?

Don't feel obligated to answer both.

_____________________

Mike

Comments

[carpeicthus]

1) A shipping note for my D3, but a 24-70 would work, too.

2) Good-quality grids for speedlights for fairly cheap. I don't feel like gluing straws together, or showing up at jobs with lashed-together cardboard boxes.

[Matthew Miller]

I'll answer #2. A weather-sealed Pentax K mount prime lens in the 30-35mm range with a nice wide maximum aperture.

I guess failing that, for #1, someone could get me the DA* 16-50mm.

[John A. Stovall]

1. A Noctilux for my M8.

2. Leica to make me an M8 with the high ISO preformance that my 5D has.

[Janne]

#1: I guess would be "Light, Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting" (which, conveniently enough, should be on my doorstep by Saturday or so). If we widen the concept of "buy" just a bit, I'd get myself a good, solid handson photography course with a focus on the artistic, rather than technical side, of photography.

#2: A small-body K-mount Pentax camera (think ME Super or smaller), designed for use with prime lenses, and especially the pancakes, as a second or always-there camera. Not necessarily an SLR either; have an optical viewfinder with an overlaid display that can 1) show you grid lines for the current focal length; and 2) at the press of a button show you the live view throguh the lens, including a zoomed-in, enlarged view of the center for focusing help.

[Bill Corbett]

1) The Nikon D300. Even though many of us are probably waiting on some final reviews, I've never owned/shot with a Nikon! I think it's time and this might be the one.

2) A "street" camera... I mean, come on. How hard can it be for someone to do it right: small body, truly wide fast prime, a really good sensor, quiet shutter... etc. It just doesn't seem that it would be that hard a thing to do. I can only suppose that no camera maker believes there is a market for it. I think whoever made a really nice one would be pleasantly surprised!

[john robison]

An eight times improvement of my photographic "eye", I already have too much hardware and not near enough vision.

[Player]

1.) I'm waiting on it: a Ricoh GRD2.

2.) 35mm Film Scanner/ Negative Burner

[Cateto]

Straight to my answers:

1. I'd buy the wonderful top-notch prime lenses for my Pentax K10D.

2. I would ask for a Pentax K20D (or any other name) with the same set of features found in the K10D, plus live view, plus the abilities under low light that you can see with a Finepix F30. That would be a dream come true.

[Petr Bohacek]

1) Canon EF 70-200/2.8 IS L or Canon EF 50/1.2 L

2) Canon 5D Mark II

[Don Jagoe]

1) a Canon 1DSMKIII to replace my 1DMKII for portraiture...

and, not withstanding the engineering challenges/implausibility,

2) a rangefinder built around the 5D sensor and Digic III processing. Oh, that would be sweet.

Oh, and for my stocking? TOP to continue with this great content throughout the new year. The posts have been terrific.

[Dennis Mook]

1) a good quality flatbed scanner to digitize all of those old photos of grandparents, parents, children, siblings and other family photographic treasures that only exist as prints.

2) a dslr which is the equivalent of a Nikon F2, Canon F1, etc. In other words, a no frills dslr that is built tough to pro standards with manual exposure, manual focus, minimal battery use (of course it would have to be electronic by its very nature) and a large bright viewfinder. I don't need all of the automation, buttons and whistles.

[András]

1) I would get a D3 for this christmas

2) I would want a speedlight with li-ion batteries (like the ones you have in cameras) and Nikon CLS done with radio (think built-in pocketwizards)

[Claire Senft]

A coupon to buy 20,000 square feet of B&W glossy VC Fiber paper of the highest quality at $.01/ square foot cut to order would suit me just fine.

20,000 square feet of very high quality RA4 color paper that has a surface & LE that qualities of an archivally processed air dried fiber paper for a total price of $200.00

[Martin]

My wish for santa or christmas is a REAL "street photography device", a SPD (I don't mean a german party!) wether a Ricoh GRD II or—who remembers?—a Sigma DP1.

A Leica M8 could be a good choice, if Leica had taken the risk to build a real new and real digital device, perhaps as a Four/Thirds Camera.

The actual compromise with sensor-size is what I call "the Leica-Paradoxon".
What a pity!

[yz]

1. Leica M8
2. A Nikon FM3a body with a D3 cmos inside

[Jeremy]

1) A couple of Speedlights and some radio remotes.

2) A street camera, like all the others want, with the same spec.

[Nigel]

1. The photographically related present: A photo-holiday on Iceland in midsummer

2. The one special present: A 6x6 or 6x7 digital medium format camera that is affordable and rugged (in time to go with 1)

In the meantime, I must learn to see, learn to see, learn to see. The god of optics is only gracious to the deserving (persevering and talented).

[Brian White]

1. A quality scanner so I can use the great film cameras (Pentax LX, Rolleiflex, and Bronica SQai).

2. An ebony large format with lots of film so I can learn to do art portraits of my wife and 12 children.

[Darren Melrose]

1. Epson 3800/3850

2. Pentax DFA 25/1.4-1.7 Ltd. Why 25? Why not? All the Limited have oddball focal lengths and this length would suit me well.

Seems you have a disproportionate number of Pentax users as your readers

[mcananeya]

1) Too late. Already bought it. ;-)

2) Any of the following:
- A digital version of my Olympus XA (but with a large sensor)
- A digital version of my Pentax MX (including excellent viewfinder)
- An improved Nikon 35mm f/2.0 (preferably with IS/VR)
- A Nikon 16-55 f/2.8 VR or 24-70 f/2.8 VR

[Feli]

A)Nikon D3 and the Zeiss ZF 2/35mm

B) I wish Sony would put the Artisan CRT back in to production.... it wouldn't be cheap, but I'm getting desperate.

[Michel Krieber]

1- A wet B&W darkroom in my house.
2- A Focomat IIc.

The rest I'll find.

[Luke]

1) Leica M8

2) A digital rangefinder with the Nikon D3 sensor and metering system that can use Leica-mount lenses without fiddly filters and lens codings.

[Scott Dommin]

Dear Santa -

I would like a digital camera that takes ONLY black & white pictures. Converting color pictures is a bother, and just not the same.

[dasmb]

1) A sharp, wide-normal zoom for my upcoming trip to Arizona.

2) A camera that will do my work for me and rake the lawn, so I can take out my XTi and get some damned images made.

[Robert Chapman]

As someone who can (and sometimes will) buy what I want, I agree 100% with John Robison above. I don't know how he came up with an 8 times multiplier, but any improvement in vision is worth more than the most expensive camera. Without it, they are just elaborate toys...

[Gregory Roberts]

1) A medium format digital camera

2) Polaroid Type 855

[latent_image]

1. Just bought it: a Pentax K10D at an great price.

2. I want Sigma/Tokina/Tamron to produce a 17/18/19mm prime lens for APS-C sensors. I'd be happy with something slower (perhaps f/3.5) if it could be reasonably small, sharp, and very well corrected. Don't want an f/1.8 that's the size of a can of tomatoes.

[Carsten]

1. A photo-trip to Antarctica

2. A Photo-Bag / Backpack that carries much but weighs (packed) close nothing (negative Gravity?), so I could have more of my fav. glass with me without the pain in my shoulders ;-)

If that is not possible, I'd wish for a Nikon D3x with higher resolution 20MP and up), so that DX-cropping for wildlife shots would make sense - with a much wider spread AF-Sensor field compared to the D3.

Happy Shooting!

[Gary O'Callaghan]

2) A Nikon D40x with the D300 viewfinder and a focus motor

[Chris Norris]

1) I'd buy some one on one time with a photographer I respect to give me advice on how to proceed from where I'm at now. Maybe we could call it "lessons". There's a real dearth of space to talk seriously about photography and art with people better than me in my life and without that, any gear purchase seems paltry by comparison.

2) I don't really care. Dreaming about gear just makes me feel tired right now.

[Hank Graber]

1) If I don't have to pay the tab? A Littman 45 special outfited with a HY6 adapter 33MP MF digital back and a Rodenstock 60mm HR lens (as long as this is a gift might as well throw in a ALPA 12 TC with HY6 adapter and Rodenstock 35 HR for when I want to go wider and a HY6 with a 180/2.8 Tele-Xenar for fashion/portraiture).

2) A leica digital M with a quiet, responsive shutter, accurate parralax and crop correcting framelines (one frame at a time), selectable optical mags for finder (.58, .72, 1.0), external analogue controls for ISO and EV comp, griptac covering with purchase for the thumb, as reliable as a steel hammer for under $5K.

Hey if you are asking for fantasy wishes might as well dream big!

[JBK]

1) A Canon 1D Mk III with a Canon 500mm f/4L

2) A nice RV with a studio set up in the back including a Z3100, good mat cutter and all the fixins.

[Anthony Shaughnessy]

1) Don't know.
2) An affordable digital camera with a *really* good viewfinder.

[Jim Kofron]

1. A set of studio lights and associated gear.

2. I'd also like to see the Sigma DP-1 ship, although I'd really like a "DP-2"---with interchangable lenses and with a fast shot-to-shot cycle time (at least as fast as the SD14---which isn't bad until the buffer is full). The Foveon chip also makes fantastic B/W photos---because all of the colors are collected 'co-spatially'. Short of that, I'd like to see someone make a monochrome 6-8 MP dSLR---if Sigma would do a camera with a Foveon chip (and crank up the body specs), it'd be great...

[sean]

1)

A good copy of Let truth be the prejudice, would make me pretty happy. (Mike, i'd love to know your thoughts on it)

2)

Something that would give me a mild to severe shock if i press the shutter while thinking of who will like the shot

[AlexH]

1. A Leica M8 plus 35mm lux or cron; alternatively (cheaper) a Pentax FA Limited 30mm f1.8

2. A Leica CM digital (40mm-e or 35mm-e, f2.4 or better, fourthirds sensor or larger)

Oh, how sweet it is to dream!
Regards,
Alex.

[Dwight]

1) Olympus 70-300 (If Oly ever gets around to releasing it.)

2) Sub-mini DSLR. Something like a digital Pentax Auto 110 with a wide range of prime lenses.

[Simon Griffee]

1) A one-week informal workshop with Mike Johnston and other photographers of all walks of life, including perhaps one or two from Magnum, with the completion of a photo essay and time to chat and enjoy good food and drink together as objectives. Maybe somewhere in Europe.

2a) An M-mout digital rangefinder with focus and aperture on the lens and shutter on a dial with aperture priority. Luminance-only sensor, long battery life (with solar-panel charger as an optional accessory) and close to instantaneous turn-on time. Optimized for prime lenses of 28mm–50mm film-equivalent focal length. Rugged construction and weather-proof.

or:

2b) A black-only pigment ink printer which prints on most any paper, including thick card.

[Tom Dills]

1) An Epson 3800 and time to use it;
2) My old Mamiya 7 with a MF digital chip installed.

[Adam Maas]

1) Either of the ZA primes.

2) Zeiss ZA 16-40 f2.8 and 25-75 f2.8, neither in DT form.

[Paul Glombick]

1) I've got enough stuff.

2a) A DSLR by Nikon built like a FM3a with a fullframe cmos sensor.

[Mark Bridgers]

1.)A Pentax DA 70 (there seems to be quite a number of Pentax users here)
2.)A Transporter, Star-Trek style. So I could just beam myself over to Greece, or Italy, or Iceland, for a weekend. And no TSA or Heathrow security weenies.

[Dennis]

1. Nothing really ... I'm still debating an 'upgrade' from the KM7D to the SonyA700, and still considering tweaking a couple lenses, but am pretty happy with what I'm shooting now. I do have a few photography-related books on my wishlist, though.
2. A digital version of the HiMatic 7sII :) Or, the infamous EVIL camera "everyone" has been asking for ... fairly compact (not pocketable) large sensor (4/3 min, FF max), with fast (f/2, would settle for f/2.8) slightly wide to normal lens.

[Ray Lopez]

1) The Wacom Cintiq 21UX Graphics Tablet

2)Making the viewfinder lens with my glasses already built in so I wouldn't have to fight 2 pieces of glass to focus....

[Erik]

1. Leica M8
2. A Leica 28mm f/1.4. And an M8 without the IR issue.

[Paul Mc Cann]

A good A3 printer and a week with Ctein to show me how to get the best from it.

Multi programmable SLR. It can't be that difficult to allow the user specify exactly what he wants so he could pick the bits of the Canon interface he likes and mix them with others from Pentax, Minolta, Nikon et al.

Paul Mc Cann

[Dennis]

1.) Nikon D3 (sure I have a D300 on the way but I really wish I had the extra cash to blow on a D3 =)

2.) Nikon 16/1.4 ... let's have fast wide primes for DX - Tokina's bring out a faster wide zoom (11-16/2.8) but I would love to have a really fast time prime in that range!

[Damon Schreiber]

1) A fast, normal-wide K-mount prime that I can't afford like the 31mm limited would be nice. Or possibly to have all my slides and negatives from the 'good ole days' in their multiple boxes professionally scanned. Thanks, Santa!

2) A digital Pentax MX type camera. A manual focus, manual exposure, centre-weighted, match-needle, split-prism gem in a 10MP APS-C stabilised body. A shutter speed dial, an ISO dial, and an aperture control wheel (for newer lenses). Would also need the full (non-crippled) K mount for legacy lenses. That would sell you some product, Hoya, let me tell you.

[Olivier]

1) A set of Zeiss ZFs (28/2, 50/1.4, 85/1.4).

2) A D300 with a D3 sensor.

[Craig Sutherland]

1) HP z3100 44" printer

2) Full frame 12-15MP rangefinder camera

[Yuri Huta]

1. I would buy myself an EOS 5D body.

2. Canon to update (from FD - EOS) and resurrect the 150-600 f/5.6L uber zoom.

[phule]

1) I'll cheat a bit on this one. Assuming no funding issues, I'd buy myself a years worth of photography workshops or classes. Let's say, one a month.

2) Type 80 film for my Holgaroid.

[Franck Yvonnet]

1) A Canon Powershot G9 as my new everyday camera. It's one of the few compact cameras with a RAW mode.

2) A B&W-only sensor, where the RGB filters would be replaced by neutral grey filters of various density for an extended dynamic range.

[Chris]

1. There are a couple lenses in my future. I already ordered a Zenitar 16mm Fish-eye and I'm thinking that there is a Pentax DA40mm f2.8 in my future.

I had thought that the DA40 was too small, and such an odd focal length that would be hard to employ. Lo and behold, I tried a friend's DA40 and found that I was wrong on both counts! What a fun little (no, strike that - TINY!) lens.

2. What I want has already been announced, and so it's just a matter of Pentax delivering it. I really want a DA* 60-250mm f4. Back in my Canon days, I really liked my 70-200mm f4L (Non IS), and I think the 60-250 would fit the same niche (with a focal length bonus on both sides of the zoom range!) for my Pentax needs.

Of course, if Pentax delays too much and Tamron gets their 70-200mm f2.8 out first, I might be very tempted to go that way. Tamron seems to be bringing some very appetizing zooms lately and I already own two super nice primes (the SP 180mm f2.5LD IF and the SP 300mm f2.8 LD IF) from their company. An AF 70-200mm f2.8 might be really tempting for me.

[David Bostedo]

1) New high end 17" laptop PC with CS3 and Illustrator.

2) A low noise high end DSLR with flip and tilt screen and really good live view for less than $1000 so I can finally make the jump to an SLR from my S2 IS.

[Richard Calvo]

2. A weather-resistant Canon G9 with a better optical finder and a faster shooting and shorter lag time. I don't mind having a limited choice of ISOs, but up to 400 would be nice. Also having the zoom be manually operated would be helpful.

[Ken Tanaka]

1. I was a very good boy this year, Santa. PAY ME!

So I did buy a Canon 1Ds Mark III. (Ordered it in October, but the cameras are just beginning to ship as I write.) I also picked up a Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M Asph (for my Leica Ms) and a Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II.

2. It's hard for me to imagine anything that the photographic industry isn't already delivering. My photography is certainly not limited by lack of products.

Happy New Year!

[JeffS]

1). How about a 24mm-e f/2.8 in EOS mount for ~ $300. It would be great to be (affordably) wide again.

2). An APS-C sensor inside a small, responsive P&S with a good quality 35-40mm-e f/2 or 2.8 prime and low noise through ISO 1600. Something like the Oly Stylus Epic but with manual exposure control.

[Bill Hamilton]

1. Nikon D3
2. Epson 3800

[JChristian]

I'd like a Contax NX or N1 and the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-75, please! And maybe a DA14 f/2.8 for my K100d.

[Chaka]

1.- A Nikon D3 with a Zeiss 50/1.4 or a D300 with a Zeiss 28/2 or a M8 without glitches or a newer Mac.

2.- A fast and compact camera with a big sensor and a fixed 40mm equiv. lens or a Rollei TLR with a 6x6 sensor or a D40 with a D3 sensor and in body VR. The FM3a with D3 sensor would be nice as well. One more thing, A Nikkor 30/1.4 AFS VR.

[Sean]

1) 300mm 2.8 afs nikkor
2) A D300 with a D3 sensor and in body vr

[charles wick]

1) Leica M7 with 50mm summicron
2) Pentax 10D and 31mm limited (or maybe just a good Spotmatic with an 85 f2)

[Jonathan VM]

1. Since I just sprung for the D300 yesterday, I'd now like an M8 with the 16-18-21 Tri-Elmar and a couple of fast primes.

2. A digital full-frame Mamiya 6. Please, oh please, Santa, get your elves to work on that! Considering an occasionally dodgy film transport was the only significant weakness that camera had, a digital version would hit it right out of the park.

[Peter Robinson]

1. Cosina/Voigtlander 4A.

2. Bring back Ailsa.

[Axel]

1. Leica M8
2. A full frame, leica M-style camera. With all-metal body, wide based rangefinder, ttl-flash metering and.... canon EOS mount! Around 12 mpix of fine large photosites with full 16bit and no AA filter. (And no mirror, of course.)

Thanks Santa, i'll be waiting.

[Charlie H]

A DMD (decisve moment digital). ch

[Bruce McL]

1) A Nikon Coolpix 8400 camera - wide angle and almost small size.
2) A camera no bigger than my Panasonic TZ3, with a 24-120 lens, f2.8 at the wide end. If it has a 24-240 lens I won't ask for anything next year.

[01af]

1. The book "Real-World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3" by Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe (already ordered, now waiting for it to arrive).

2. A Nikon D3 with a meter-coupled Minolta SR mount so it will take Rokkor lenses.

-- Olaf

[william]

My list for the photo industry is short:

Please make 21st century version of the classic rangefinder camera that:

o can mount Leica M lenses

o can also mount Nikon F lenses (or M42 lenses, I'm not fussy)

o does not require IR filters for each lens

o has a sensor size of at least 24mm X 36mm

o has a sensor design that minimizes the effects of chromatic aberrations

o does not have auto focus, or auto anything, except for aperture priority

o has a viewfinder that is at least as good as the Zeiss Ikon ZM film camera

o has minimalistic menu hierarchies

I'm ready to write a check for $2,999 at a moments notice.

[Gordon Buck]

Canon 1Ds Mark III

Canon G10 with APS C CMOS sensor, 28mme wide on zoom, f2.8, articulated LCD, remote shutter control, ETTL flash when in manual mode, virtually zero shutter lag.

[Henk Coetzee]

1. Time to photograph in better light, preferably in a workshop setting with a few like-minded photographers.

2. 2 digital Pentax MX type bodies, one with a black and white only sensor.

[Nicole]

From the answers out there I see that I wouldn't be alone with the pricy idea of a Nikon D3, but I would be content with the D300 as well (for now ;) )

[Martin Doonan]

Lots of gear heads out there...
1. 1-on-1 workshop with photog of my choice. Lets say 2 weeks, 2 locations. who and where needs deciding, of course.

2. I thought about the perfect photo backpack but some mods to existing products would sort it. Instead I, too, will go with the perfect pocket camera: square format, black and white only, wide angle, good optical VF.

[aizan]

1. Film camera stuff.
2. Digital camera stuff.

[Dave]

1. Konica Hexar RF
2. Konica Hexar RF with the viewfinder from a Zeiss Ikon.

[david adam edelstein]

More time to go out shooting.

[rd1sclicker]

#1) A Leica M8 body with WATE
#2) Make a food suppliment that would allow me to "see" like Garry Winogrand did.

[julian]

1. A Canon 1Ds III to replace my 1Ds II
2. As others mention above, an FM3D - i.e. an FM3A using the D3 sensor.

[John Frendreiss]

1. Nikon D3
2. Epson 7880

(Pretty bummed about the whole "Santa's not real" thing.)

[Salvador Moreno]

I want a DMD camera too

[sevres-babylone]

A GRD II.
Sounds great from the discussions relating hands-on experiences in some of the forums.

[Christopher Lane]

1) A phone call asking me to pick up the D3 I have on order.

2) New Nikkor fast primes. I'd settle for Zeiss ZF, but what good is 51 point AF if you can't use it?

SS) Style, baby, style.

[David Kelly]

1. A Nikon SP 2005 with the 35mm f1.8. I'm mostly one-handed so i really dig that index finger focusing wheel.

2. An unlimited account at Picto in Paris with with my enough airfare and room and board money to consult with my printer every few months.

[Michael Lijewski]

1. Books, big fat photo filled books.

2. A 40D with 6400 ISO, or higher.

[Mark S.]

1. an entire shipping container full of type 55 polaroid (I might as well at least dream big).

2. My own personal alchemist who could change ordinary rocks and minerals into various photographic salts, and who could make antidotes to any poisonings that could occur from any such salts (Uranotypes anyone?).

[Andre]

Well since it's a wish list:

1) MegaVision 39MP monochrome back with a Hassy 500 series body and nice selection of Zeiss glass to go along with it.

2) Like many others, I'd like to see a 4/3rds or larger sensor in a nice fixed focal length (around 40mm-e) pocket camera. My minilux with a digital sensor and a decent viewfinder would be perfect.

[don v]

1) powershot G9 to complement my E1
2) a digital rangefinder a la contax G1, small and light with AF and bright lenses; a 4/3rd sensor would be ideal; 3 lenses to start with 28mm f2.8, 45mm f2 and 90mm f2.8; a zoom is optional

[Ctein]

Dear Mike,

Such a pathetic, thinly-veiled effort to plump up the message count.

So, include me in... [g]

1) A maximally loaded Mac Pro with dual 23" displays and the services of a guru to install and configure all my software.

2)An inkjet printer designed to run Dye Transfer dyes and paper, plus a few thousand sheets of paper. 40" wide would be nice, but I'll settle for 24". That'd let me make better prints than anyone has ever made before.

(BTW, such a printer is doable-- just costs a *lot* more money than I've got).

pax / Ctein

[Andre]

So Mike, what's on your wish list?

[kuckoo]

1)talent, preferably tablet form, don't like needles.
2)some guts to use the talent.

[Player]

What are your two picks, Mike?

[switters]

* For those looking for a "street camera" (many of you, it seems) have you investigated the GRD II? It's fabulous.

1) I think I've got what I need now. I'm actually off-loading stuff to reduce the amount of choice I have when I go to pick up a camera/lens.

2) No unrealistic aspirations, here. Just a Pentax "20D" with usable ISO 6400, 1/250 sync speed, and faster AF. That's all I need in a camera body. And while they're at it, they could make the new DA 35 f1.4 instead of f2 (what it will probably be) without increasing the size too much.

[George Nichols]

2) I would like a manual digital camera with a full-size Black & White (monochromatic) sensor.

[Ben Marks]

1. Andre Kertez's "Satirical Dancer"
2. A fast, well corrected normal lens with IS in a Leica M mount (well, I can dream, can't I)?

[Scott Kirkpatrick]

1) A GR-D II

2) Leica M9 (full frame, with super-thin dichroic IR filter on its deep ranged Kodak sensor) and no internal reflection or flare problems.

[Paul Kierstead]

#1) Macro Symmar HM 180. I'll settle for a 120, but think it might be kinda short. I am seriously considering selling a 500/4 IS to fund one of these... (plus some film!)

#2) A lightweight geared head. Really lightweight.

[Ken]

1. A good MF scanner for my Holga negs. Maybe the V750 if I can find the cash.

2. Add me to the list for a small RF digital with a decent chip size (so I can control depth of field). I can dream, too.

[Bill Pierce]

1) Better eyes. Maybe they could come packaged in a younger body.

2) A really good scanner since only Santa could afford it.