Just a quick question—what's your #1 favorite digital camera of all time?
Not the best one you've ever used, but the one you liked best. For any reason—familiarity, results, whatever.
Or, if you're primarily a film photographer now, what's your favorite film camera?
Just name one please—and please, try to keep your comment short. People love to talk about cameras, but the "tl;dr" (too long, didn't read) principle really comes into play when reading other peoples' camera histories. Bear in mind that others are reading through the comments and go a little easy on 'em.
My fave...
...And I'll make this short.
I love my NEX-6* and Zeiss E 24mm**. Despite owning several other digital cameras, it's my go-to buddy o' the moment.
But if I had to say, I'd still pick the 2004 Konica-Minolta 7D as my all-time favorite. It was my first DSLR, the built-in anti-shake worked a treat, and I still think the file quality was wonderful—it had the most accurate color of its time. Konica-Minolta's engineers really knew what a photograph should look like.
Even though it came out forty years ago***, it takes the palm as my #1 favorite of all time...so far.
Mike
*Sony recently consolidated the NEX-6 and NEX-7 in the just-announced A6000.
**Even though it's overpriced. I also use the Sigma 60mm DN lens, which I also love. That one is underpriced—punches way above its $$.
***In digital camera years.
Original contents copyright 2014 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.
(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Jack Luke: "I am primarily a film photographer and I feel my Fuji GX680-II cannot be beat for versatility. It's an absolute beast of a camera, but the huge negative, incredibly sturdy movements and slick operation make it all worth it. Of course, if I could afford to shoot on my ARCA model B for every shoot, I would."
Alexandre Buisse: "Nikon D4. Yes, it's a beast, but it's so fast and intuitive it feels like an extension of my body. And I know it can take all the awful conditions in which I am often shooting."
[Alexandre is a well-known mountaineering photographer. The Nikon D4 is currently back-ordered at several sources. —Ed.]
Chris Y.: "The Canon 5D 'classic' is my favorite of all time—it brought it all home. Moved on to the Mark III but still can't believe how good the original is."
Paul in AZ: "Short and sweet. I have gone back to film and love my Rolleiflex."
Stephen S. Mack: "Nikon D7000. (Short enuff?)"
Mike replies: Yes, thank you. :-)
John Wilson: "Ricoh GR Digital!"
Dovydas (partial comment): "For all manual focus lenses: Ricoh GXR A12 M mount with VF. Special Sony sensor with no AA filter and excellent arrangement of microlenses. Will handle any RF lens with no smearing and only Super ultrawides need some easy-to-do color drift correction. Will also handle all SLR lenses with ease."
Tim Allen: "It has to be my Fuji X100 (the original, not the S). Since the final firmware update I can't fault it and it's changed my photography for the better. Just sold my DSLR kit and bought an X-E1 to go with my X100 too. Couldn't be happier."
Gato: "The only digital camera I really loved was the funky Sony F828. I loved the swivel design and the looks of the thing, the fine lens and (for the day) excellent image quality. For making pictures I'm happy enough with my current Sony and Panasonic mirrorless cameras, but can't say I have any real emotional attachment to anything I own now."
Alan: "iPhone."
Mike replies: You win, Alan, that's the shortest answer.
Bill Pearce: "I am happy with my GX7, but haven't had it long enough to make that choice, but all in all, the digital camera I still think of fondly and still own and occasionally use is my Sony R1. Yes, it has its flaws, but no more than any other digital camera of its era. It could write faster, have faster AF and better low light performance, all things I expected in the R2, but Sony didn't need an R2, they got Minolta instead. Poor me."
Mike replies: Poor me too. I wanted an "R2" for years.
Edward Taylor: "I am an early adopter. I got into digital in the 1990s, and I kind of collect cameras. I do take an average of about 50 photos a day, so these cameras do get used. I have loved many cameras, but for this exercise, I will only consider cameras that can be purchased new at this time.
"Current favorite: Sony A7r (I only have the 35mm lens) Former favorite: Sony RX1 (which I returned because it seemed overpriced, but I really loved it). Honorable mention: Sony RX100 (which I carry around with me). Other great cameras I use and really like: Sony NEX-6 and NEX-7, Panasonic GH3, and Canon 5D MkIII."
[Edward has reviewed cameras for TOP several times. —Ed.]
Caleb Courteau: "The tiny combo of a Pentax K-5 with 21mm ƒ/3.2 Limited. Quiet shutter, lovely erogonomics, great image quality, and built as solidly as bowling ball."
Pierre Charbonneau: "Leica Monochrom, for the beautiful prints."
Rory O'Toole: "My Nikon D3s gets used the most (work), and I haven't had many other digital cameras. My first camera, Pentax ME Super, I loved for years, and I love my Holga too :-) "
Andrew Lamb: "I haven't got a favourite camera in either film or digital. However, a special mention must go to the Sigma DP2 Merrill. It's special."
Dan Gorman: "I'm a digital shooter now, but my first good camera—and still my all-time favorite—was my Canon FTb with the 50mm ƒ/1.8. I still have it, and my daughter just used it for her first photography class—how sweet is that?"
Gary: "F6."
Mike replies: Okay, Gary wins. (Sorry, Alan.)
Brad Burnham: "F5."
Mike replies: And we have a tie.
Stephan Kleiser: "F."
David: "M."
Mike replies: ...!
Cmans: "My friends and family portrait subjects call my Nikon D5100 a 'magic' camera because they say it makes them look so good, and I agree with them."
Mike replies: That's cool. That's all we're all really looking for, a magic camera, isn't it?
jim: "Olympus PEN E-PM2 plus VF-4. It's a KISS. First post after years and years of lurking. Your site is Wonderful. Thanks."
Mike replies: Thanks for commenting! And complimenting.
Phil Maus: "Ever the contrarian, it has to be my Shen Hao FCL180A 8x10 [link might take a while to load —Ed.]. I've used and enjoyed 'em all over the years, some digital too, but once I got my 'sea legs' under me with the 8x10, I can't ever see myself enjoying another camera the way I enjoy this one. (And that's as brief as I can be!)"
Christine Bogan (partial comment): "It took me some years to learn that I wanted to go back to one camera, one lens."
Robert Poe: "Digital: V1. Film: CLE."
Bob Blakley: "My favorite digital camera of all time is one I don't use any more: the Leica M8. I love it because it proved for the first time that a camera could be digital and still look and work like a camera."
Steve Ducharme: "My favorite camera is my next camera. For me, anticipation trumps contentment."
X100
Posted by: mike | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:25 PM
Film: the Nikon F6, without a moment's hesitation.
Digital: hard one, but I'd have to say my current Oly EM5. Just right, in every respect!
Posted by: Noons | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:27 PM
Leica M8. Been shooting it for about, oh, 90 years (in your digital camera years) and, while it has its peculiarities, it's still a pleasure to use.
Posted by: Ben | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:27 PM
Olympus E-1, Probably the best ergonomics and image color of any DSLR.
Olympus OM-3Ti with DDC (delayed digital capture) sensor technology.
Posted by: Ken N | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:34 PM
Nikon D300. All I ever needed in a dSLR. Still an excellent camera, built like a tank. Everything in the right place. How nice it would be if I could update the sensor only.
Posted by: D. Hufford. | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:36 PM
Olympus E-PL1.
I was a film shooter until I finally bought that. It's enough like my Canon 7 that I can finally shoot digitally the way I want to. I have the kit lens and a 17/2.8. Once I add the 25/1.8 & 45/1.8 I will probably be able to sell all my non-LF film cameras.
Posted by: William Barnett-Lewis | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:50 PM
Canon 5D Mrk3 with Canon 40mm Pancake and silent shutter mode
Posted by: Dave | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 08:51 PM
Nikon D700. I switched to digital late, 2009, and only when I felt there was a digital equivalent to the Nikon F100. And I"m still using the D700 as my primary digital body.
Posted by: Floyd K Takeuchi | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:06 PM
Rolleiflex 2.8C Xenotar. TLRs are my favorite style of camera, and this is the best lens I've owned.
Posted by: Dan Daniel | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:15 PM
Sony HX5, bought following a review at Luminous Landscape.
Reasons:
* It fits in my pants pocket. Stealthy for walking around in South America.
* Lens equivalent of 25mm - 250mm: wide or long at will.
* Sweep panorama.
* Image stabilization.
* Great battery life.
* Quality is what I create post-capture.
* But reasonable "realism" is available when I want it.
LL Review: http://bit.ly/1qAZyW9
Posted by: Dave Sailer | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:17 PM
Film: Nikon F, new in 1970. Exposure, focus & compensation built right in to my fingers, Intuitive and instant.
Digital: iPhone. Easy answer.
Posted by: Charles | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:17 PM
..........Nikon D4 every day every way.....send the bill
Posted by: Dana | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:18 PM
Digital: LeicaS2nM9NikonD3SnD800ESonyA7R
Film: Rolleiflex2.8FLeicaM3nMP
[So which digital is your favorite? I'm not trying to be confrontational, I'm just curious. --Mike]
Posted by: Armand | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:34 PM
Walker Titan SF 4x5. If it gets dirty, you can wash it in the sink, which I guess it has in common with my favorite digital camera, the Olympus E-M1!
Posted by: Dave Karp | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:38 PM
Pentax *ist DS
Posted by: ShadZee | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:42 PM
DSLR: Nikon D700
Auto Focus SLR: Nikon F6
Manual Focus SLR: Nikon FM3a
Rangefinder: Leica M3
AF Rangefinder: Contax G2
Like many others I cheated and named more than one. We all have multiple camera syndrome. Hmmm... if the Df comes down in price maybe.....that sensor...those dials....ahhhh!
Posted by: Greg | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:53 PM
Fuji X-Pro1, but if you ask me a year from now, it may well be the Fuji X-T1. Unmatched image quality in my experience.
2nd place: My Canon 1D MkII N. This warhorse can deliver the goods, haul the mail, whatever phrase you like, as few cameras can. The camera is built like the proverbial brick outhouse, the downside being that it weighs about as much as one, as well.
Film Camera: Olympus OM-1.
Posted by: Stephen Scharf | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:58 PM
Sony A850. Pure photography - no live view, no video. Just like a film camera with ISO 100 film. Together with the sibling A900, they are the only 24M small format cameras without video.
Posted by: Edwin | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 09:58 PM
Canon 5Dmk3 - I love silent shutter, the ergonimics are right there under fingers of your right palm so you don't need to take your eyes off the VF and your left hand doesn't get distracted if you're shooting with zooms, high ISO is sick and learning how to expose feels pretty much like using c41/bw films - expose for the shadows, develop (in ACR) for the highlights, which I'm pretty much used to.
As for film cameras it's a tough fight between two of my Nikon FM2n cameras and 2 of my Bronica SQ-As, but I'd give it to Bronnie for the ease of use (MLU, multiple exposure etc. etc.) and options of accesories such as eye VFs with coupled AE/M prisms + the square format is just perfect (ask any hipstagramer).
Posted by: PVS | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:02 PM
Film: Contax RTS III, a beast, but gorgeous viewfinder and felt so good.
Digital: Olympus OMD M1. First digital I have owned that I actually like to use.
Posted by: Mike | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:08 PM
My favorite digital camera is the Olympus E620 which, with the Olympus 12-60 mm zoom,I created some of the best pictures I've taken in 45 years of photography. I now use an OM-D E-M1. My favorite film camera is the Pentax Spotmatic SP500 that I bought when my first child was born. I have wonderful pictures of my son as a baby, and the camera still has the nicest feel (weight, balance, ergonomics) of any film camera I have ever owned.
Posted by: Norm Thomas | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:15 PM
My all time favorite is my Leica M4 with 50mm summicron. I cannot express in words what I feel for that camera, It's just perfect for me. Today my digital fav is my Oly EM-5.
Posted by: Marcelo Guarini | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:15 PM
Leica M2, 35 Summilux.
Posted by: Alan King | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:16 PM
NEX-7 + nikon 50mm f/1.2
Posted by: darr | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:21 PM
Film: Nikon F90x. First serious camera I paid for myself. A pleasure to use. Replaced the FE (which I still love) that was given to me.
Digital: Olympus OM-D E-M1 with grip. As painful as it was, it's the first digital camera whose manual I read in its entirety. Can there be higher praise?
Posted by: Globules | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:24 PM
F2 without a doubt.
Posted by: Jack Flannery | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 10:48 PM
GX7
Posted by: John Camp | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 11:16 PM
The Sony DSC-R1 if I'm doing anything with mixing flash and daylight, and I still think it has about the best lens I have bought in the last 10 yeas or so.
Most of the time I use a NEX 3 with the other 50 or so lenses that are sitting around here.
About once every 6 months I need to pull out the Canon 1ds that I keep around just in case I need a DSLR or studio strobes and can't wait around for the R1
A slightly faster R1 would retire all of them.
Posted by: hugh crawford | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 11:20 PM
film: Leica M2
digital: still looking
Posted by: Sam Kanga | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 11:34 PM
By today's standards, my Ricoh GXR and its EVF may be obsolescent, but the GXR is a pleasure to use and the A12 50 and the A12 28 lens modules deliver excellent image quality. My newer DSLR cameras gather dust.
Posted by: Sid | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 11:45 PM
Olympus E-M5: simply works very well for my photography. Fast and reasonably reliable face-detection AF, live blinkies (clipping warning), and very effective IBIS make shooting so much more fluid and enjoyable.
I also have a soft spot for my old Fuji F30 compact.
Posted by: ginsbu | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 11:56 PM
Sony R1 - It would have been perfect if it had some form of stabilization incorporated with that wonderful lens and articulating LCD.
Posted by: Thomas Bethune | Thursday, 13 March 2014 at 11:57 PM
Nikon D3S.
This is the one I had been waiting for my entire life.
Posted by: Andrea B. | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 12:41 AM
Fuji X100: size, weight, overall feel, viewfinder, results.
Posted by: James W. | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 12:43 AM
Sony RX-100. Lovely quality. Fits in my pocket.
Posted by: walfredo | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 12:45 AM
Olympus E-PL5 with 45mm lens. Love it, won't be switching anytime soon.
Posted by: Mim | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 12:49 AM
My Pentax ist DL2 is my favorite digital camera. I still own it. I have much newer digital cameras but none of them feel as nice to me. Surprisingly enough the DL2 still takes excellent pictures though the 6.1MP spec makes it "obsolete" in this day and age. But the RAW image, processed through Lightroom 5, is still amazingly strong all the way to 13x19 as long as I don't have to crop.
Posted by: Daniel Stevenson | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 12:53 AM
iPhone Hipstamatic. Best ever.
Posted by: Bengt Carlsson | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 12:56 AM
Nikon FM3A. A transparent tool.
Posted by: Steve Renwick | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 01:08 AM
The FM2n with beautiful color slide film. It was responsive and had simple and direct controls with predictable results.
Set the shutter speed knob and the aperture ring. Shoot - Send to lab for process - Enjoy viewing slides.
I didn't find the same experience with digital until the Fuji X100
arrived. The out of camera jpeg colors were finally at an outstanding
level of quality. Shoot - Skip lab or post processing - Enjoy viewing jpegs.
Posted by: Steve | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 01:39 AM
Fujifilm X100
Posted by: Nir Alon | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 01:50 AM
Ricoh GR - and Konica Hexar in film days.
Posted by: Rod Tuach | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 01:57 AM
Flatbed scanner. The first digital camera I ever used, sometime in the mid-nineties. I looked at it, thought for a moment, then tipped my lunch onto the platen and hit "scan". Then I scanned my shoes. Then I went bonkers scanning any- and everything I could lay hands on.
Most of those files are long gone, but I came back to scanography a couple years ago, and found it was wonderfully relaxing and produced gorgeous images. Unfortunately cleanup took forever (40+ hours for some pictures).
If I had the money and the time, I'd buy a new scanner and throw myself into scanography...
Some of my 2009 scanographs:
http://cloudfront.dementlieu.com/forfriends/agkistrodon_contortrix_4x3.jpg
http://cloudfront.dementlieu.com/forfriends/life_05.jpg
http://cloudfront.dementlieu.com/forfriends/piquin_09e3.jpg
http://cloudfront.dementlieu.com/forfriends/yellowpaint_a1.jpg
http://cloudfront.dementlieu.com/forfriends/yellowpaint_b1.jpg
I've found that quite a bit of my photography is really aimed at reproducing the scanograph look:
http://www.dementlieu.com/recentwork/2014-01-27-01.php
http://www.dementlieu.com/recentwork/2013-11-01-01.php
http://www.dementlieu.com/recentwork/2014-01-20-01.php
http://www.dementlieu.com/recentwork/2013-02-25-01.php
Posted by: James Sinks | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 01:58 AM
As long as it had a 40mm lens; Rollei 35S, Oly OM1,2,3,4, Konica FT , Leica CL, Panny GX1, and the most beautiful Contax G1. Sorry for verbosity.
Posted by: Gabe Bandy | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:03 AM
mp
Posted by: Chuck Albertson | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:12 AM
The original 5D it is perfect for my needs and I still use it, how can a camera be better?
Posted by: David Vatovec | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:34 AM
Nikon F2 SB.
Posted by: Davidalockwood.wordpress.com | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:38 AM
GX7: small and light enough to be ignored by the neck from which it hangs and the people who see it hanging. Big enough to be comfortable for the average hand, (an F3 without the film cassette space or the pentaprism. Space for a nose (like an old fashioned rangefinder camera). (I have no idea why so many people want their viewfinder in the middle of the camera when the mirror less designs make this unnecessary.) Controls placed to facilitate operation without removing camera from the viewing eye.
Posted by: stephen fischer | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:47 AM
My Canon 5D mk I,II or III. A nicely built and featured reasonably fast accurate camera with good picture quality. I'm currently shooting on a Sony A7r with my Canon range of lenses as it produces amazing picture quality. But it is an awkward fiddly little toy camera. It feels like Sony took a beautiful sensor and stuck it in 90s Discman. Buttons all 0ver the place! My least favourite camera so far but can't beat the picture quality.
Posted by: Mick Ryan | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:47 AM
Hi Mike,
Fav Digital Medium Format - S2
Fav Sports DSLR - D3S
Fav Digital for Street - M9
Fav Digital for Travel - A7r
Fav DSLR for Landscape and Portraits - D800E
Oh! I forgot to mention earlier my Fav Pocketable Digital - RX100
Best regards,
Posted by: Armand | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:48 AM
Of my 70+ film cameras, my favourite is my Rolleicord V. It's results are so good, I wonder why I have any other cameras - and I rate it above a Rolleiflex I also own.
However, my recently acquired Bronica S2 is good... as are my Nikon Fs... and... and... etc.
[I really loved the Rolleicord V too. --Mike]
Posted by: Steve Smith | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:50 AM
5D
Posted by: Rob | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 02:59 AM
For me it's my new bought Ricoh GXR with M mount.One lens only (voigtländer 25/4). I wanted a camera that brings me back to thinking about what I'm doing. It's fun and I'm very happy with my first prints I made these days. It took me some years to learn that I want back to one camera one lens.
Posted by: Christine Bogan | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:14 AM
Olympus E-1 with the "good kit" 14-54 f/2.8-3.5. Built like a tank, loved the controls and the lens was nothing short of amazing.
And yes ISO800 was already way too noisy and only 5mpx and I could go on but still. Great stuff at that time.
Posted by: KTamas | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:15 AM
Clearly the good old Nikon D1X. My entry into the "digital revolution". I loved it and - believe it or not - still miss it :(
If anyone should have one left that's no longer needed or in use please let me know!
Posted by: Henning Wüst | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:24 AM
Pentax K-5, with DA* 50-135mm. The "natural" Camera.
Posted by: amnesix | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:25 AM
Coming from Olympus OMs and Mamiya 645 not exactly anything like love since then, especially not my most used one,the E-P2; pretty underrated E-3/2,0 14-35 (very responsive, delivers with some care fine raw-files) comes kind of close with E-M1 as the first promising candidate (but well, love is not about promises…).
Hans-Jürgen
Posted by: Hans-Jürgen Hertz-Eichenrode | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:44 AM
My favourite digital camera was the X100s that I regret having sold to help fund an A7 and a7r. They are fantastic but not so tactile.
My favourite film camera was the F6.
Posted by: James Symington | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:51 AM
My greatest digital hits would be my original 1Ds or my D3. The 1Ds was a quirky brick from hell, with a never-to-be-repeated control layout and a charger of pure evil, but it was amazingly responsive, and the files it produced were the first time I'd looked at a digital that I owned and thought "wow!"
The D3 was like a luxury car, robust-feeling and perfectly balanced. Not as charming as the 1Ds, but a distinct step up from my current D800 as a shooting experience. In fact my D800 is rather disappointing in every aspect other than file quality- it's adequately responsive, the focusing speed is okay, the ergonomics are mediocre. I suppose I spoiled myself by using top-notch DSLRs before it.
If I write this again in a few months time, the X100s might take the top spot. It's a lot of fun.
Posted by: Martin Francis | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 03:56 AM
My Leica M8 - because in the 90s I got an M6 and ever since then, other cameras somehow felt strange. I still have my M8, despite it's many technical faults, just because of the way it's handling resonates with me. I love my other gear, but the M8 is the only one that isn't really replaceable (except maybe with an M9 ;) ) - the others are just chip holders with user interface. Usually with a much better IQ than my M8, but with bodies lacking in character.
Posted by: Georg Bauer | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 04:07 AM
Olympus Camedia c7070
for it's still unsurpassed ergonomics, one or two handed.
the top-hinged LCD is ideal for fluid discreet shooting at waist level and arm's length, landscape or portrait.
The lens has evolved into the XZ-1 and 2's
The body would be an excellent basis for a non-retro M43 Pro line.
Posted by: Simon | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 04:12 AM
Canon 6D, best "average Joe" FF camera today. For me, cameras are supposed to take pictures, and the 6D does that by going back to what the T90 was good at: not getting in the way of the photographer.
Posted by: Paulo Bizarro | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 04:13 AM
Digital: It's the Pentax K-7 and 21/35/70 Limited Lenses. Perfect Handling, nice Results.
Film: Minolta XE-1 (yes not Fuji X-E1) with Rokkor 1.4/50mm. It was may first SLR and i used it for years, even for a 3 weeks Mountain Bike Trip in Norway. I took this heavy full-metal-combo most of the time with me. Still love the XE-1. The Design is still beautiful, one of the nicest SLR's ever.You should hear the shutter Sound, Music.
Mobile (not asked here, but luv the camera): Nokia Lumia 925
Posted by: Fotokursfreiburg | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 04:25 AM
EOS M + 22mm F2 lens ... its the cheaper version of Mikes NEX6+24mm F1.8 lens.
Posted by: scarlatti | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 04:57 AM
None of them. In fact I'll go further; I've never picked up an Autofocus camera that I've enjoyed.
Part of that is down to the fact that none have had adequate AF for a significant part of my shooting - static, low-ish contrast subjects, often at night - yet don't have adequate manual focusing screens either.
Posted by: Barry Reid | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 05:13 AM
I graduated from digital point-and-shoots to a variety of DSLRs, and then digital Leica cameras, but aside from an Epson RD1s I've never really felt any sort of attachment to any of them. That camera was very idiosyncratic but in a paradoxical way its limitations were liberating: pretty much no menu-settings, so all you could do was take the picture with the manual controls. It was the Epson that made me curious about film rangefinders - and since then my photography has exploded into different formats and 'genres': half-frame Pens, 35mm Leicas, medium format 645 and 6x6. I find Portra is vastly more 'alive' than digital captures, and using film cameras is simply another world in comparison to digital. The list of cameras I 'love most' is constantly changing, but includes a Leica M6, a Mamiya 6 and a Hasselblad 500c/m. At other times I love the Mamiya 645 1000s the most - especially with the 80 f1,9 attached. And then the Pen F and FT cameras can be so much fun... and I've just started using a lovely old Canon 7 with the 0.95 attached... Favorite *digital* camera? huh?
Posted by: mani | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 05:35 AM
Hi Mike, coming after a long time...how have you been?
DP2 Merrill :)
Posted by: Anurag Agnihotri | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 05:55 AM
Nikon D600.
Posted by: Keith Harrington | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 06:00 AM
My favorite digital camera ever is the Leica M9, which I've used almost every day for the past four years.
It would be even better if the shutter rewind was mechanical (with a lever, like the film Leicas — would save battery life) and the framelines were thick and had corners like in the M3.
I'm not happy with the direction Leica is going with the M240. They even named it after a machine-gun, for goodness' sake.
Posted by: Simon Griffee | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 06:21 AM
Mamiya C330
Posted by: Seth K | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 06:27 AM
Canonet QL-17: 40/1.7 lens that way outperforms itself, beautiful leaf shutter sound, quick focusing rangefinder and simply a gem of a camera.
Posted by: Scott | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 06:30 AM
Digital: Olympus OM-D E-M1.
Film: Mamiya C220 Pro.
Extremely different horses, but oh well...
Posted by: A. Costa | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 06:38 AM
F
Posted by: jean-louis salvignol | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 06:53 AM
My next one. Currently 5D II
Posted by: Bob Bradley | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:00 AM
Pentax K100D, for both nostalgia (it was my first DSLR) and compatibility (I can use 60 year old lenses with no fuss).
Posted by: Gaspar Heurtley | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:13 AM
Konica Hexar AF. Keep comming back to it. Had it and sold it - several times. It even turns a bad shot into a good one;) Believe it or not.
Posted by: Jens | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:19 AM
The original Canon G1. Brought me back to photography. I love photographing with a swivel display.
Posted by: Josta Kroost | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:24 AM
All things considered, Sony A-850. With the Oly E-3 2nd---truly weather and shock proof---then maybe the NEX7 3rd. That's how it is today---still working with the A7R so too early to tell yet. I've had other good ones, but all with big flaws, mostly difficulty of manual focusing.
Posted by: tex andrews | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:25 AM
I am a Nikonist, but since montha ago my D700 is resting in a closet. I now use a Fuji XE 1, a rather slow camera, BUT very light and with excellent quality.
Posted by: Carlos Quijano | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:33 AM
K-01 Pentax. Sensor, focus peaking and using the Pentax(/compatible) lenses. E.g. 43mm.
Posted by: Lubo | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:43 AM
M9
Posted by: David.W | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:51 AM
Minolta SRT 101. Lift and turn the dial to the correct ASA, focus, turn the aperture ring to get the circle on the stick centered on the needle, and press the shutter release. Almost point and shoot. Only problem was I'd have to wait until the next birthday or holiday to finish the roll and get the slides developed. Didn't just nilly will snap off fifty or a hundred frames.
Posted by: David | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 07:53 AM
My "real" camera will always be my Mamiya RB67 Pro S with 127mm C lens.
Posted by: John | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 08:08 AM
M
Posted by: Michael Carl | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 08:10 AM
Mamiya 645E - My eyes don't handle focusing on 35mm so well anymore. My favorite used to be a Nikkormat FTN.
Posted by: Jim G | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 08:27 AM
And another vote for the Ricoh GR(D) series. It’s always there and always sees what I see. Wish they'd make a 50mm equiv version some day and I wouldn’t need anything else.
Posted by: Fabian | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 08:38 AM
The Sony F717! An unbeatable camera design with perfect ergonomics, weight and size. Too bad they never made a new version with better image quality (The F828 and R1 were too big and bulky). If they relaunched it with a new lens and an RX100 equivalent sensor I'd ordet two immediatly.
Posted by: Svein-Frode | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:22 AM
Olympus OM-4Ti which I used on a family safari with my father in 2001. The spot meter was accurate and dependable with Provia and Velvia. This was the camera that rekindled my passion for photography which has continued into the digital era. Explains why I was so drawn to the Fujifilm X-T1.
Posted by: Jim Braun | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:26 AM
Did my best work ever with a Linhof 617!
Posted by: Peter Randall | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:27 AM
Easy. Canon FTb. (First love and all that.) FD 50/1.8 kit lens. Tri-X. Very exciting stuff at the time...and pretty darn good results, too.
Posted by: Jim Natale | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:27 AM
Mamiya 645 Pro TL! & Fuji X-E1.
Posted by: John Talbert | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:43 AM
Sony A7 fitted with Leica R lenses. That's pretty much fulfilled everything I wanted in a camera since 1967.
Posted by: Godfrey | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:45 AM
Nikon d700. Very much like my F100 in the film days.
Posted by: Michael Steinbach | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:50 AM
Pentax 645N. Still use it now & then.
What can i say, I'm a romantic!
Posted by: Guy | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 09:57 AM
I just love my D700. Sure, it feels like a big old brick to lug around, but it was my dream camera and now, it feels like it's a part of me.
These days I do not take many shots, but each time I use this one, it is a magical pleasure. It just works, and as I know its quirks, I flawlessly work around these, now.
It's big, it's solid, it fits my hands perfectly, it's perfect for me.
Posted by: Loïc | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 10:04 AM
I still can't believe how good the D800 is! and my walk around Xpro-1 should arrive today!!!
Posted by: Dale | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 10:16 AM
Olympus E-P2 with external EVF. In retrospect, it was a true eye opener. Changed my photography forever.
Posted by: sneye | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 10:19 AM
Epson R-D1.
Posted by: Andreas | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 10:23 AM
My favorite digital camera, relative to the time and technology available, was the Nikon D300. It just felt right in my hands, and the controls were intuitive. My current favorite is the OM-D E-M1, except for the horrendous name.
Posted by: Bill Tyler | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 10:29 AM
d200. I went to school and started out professionally with that camera. I knew (and still know) exactly what its files are capable of, and still think that with the right care, i can get better b&w files out of it than any other camera i have ever used.
It shows its age now, but still makes great images.
Posted by: Spencer H. | Friday, 14 March 2014 at 10:47 AM