What's It Gonna Be?

Friday Night Lite: If you could have any one camera (cost no object), but just one—and you had to use it exclusively for, let's say, the next four years—what would it be?

Optional: Why?

[If you comment, see if you can please stick to the question—instead of, say, explaining why you absolutely need a minimum of nine different cameras, or why I'm a troll, or why no cameras are any good, or why any camera will do because it's art that matters, or....]

Extra credit: What's the #1 best rock-and-roll song?

Mike

[UPDATE, 267 comments later...My answer is "Leica S, but you can't always get what you want." (Rimshot!) And for extra credit, Bob Dylan's "Leica Rolling Stone." (Rimshot no. 2!) (And boy, did you guys ever make me go a long way for two bad jokes!) Ha!

Also, one reader beat me to the second joke....

Anyway, that was fun. Hope you have a nice Sunday.

—Mike the Ed.]

Original contents copyright 2015 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.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

jseliger: "I haven't held it yet and will likely never own it, but the Sony RX1R is extremely appealing to me for its combination of simplicity and image quality. I like the combination of small size and extreme quality, and I'm more likely to use cameras that that I can chuck in a bag (ideally with a light tripod). The RX1R probably best meets those needs. At $3300, though, it's about twice as much as I could conceivably spend, so this will remain a purely hypothetical exercise."

Steve P.: "Sony A7sII + Loxia = Photo Heaven. In honour of its high ISO performance I nominate 'There is a Light That Never Goes Out' by The Smiths."

Brett Jensen: "Ricoh GR won't get fooled again."

Steve Renwick: "Nikon FM3A. If you have to ask, you won't understand the answer. 'Moondance.' Of course."

marek fogiel: "This does not look like such a big limitation to me. Which camera? Obvious, Leica M7. Best rock song? Obvious, 'I Can Get No Satisfaction'—why? Because rock n'roll can't give me satisfaction; I am a jazz addict."

Ned Bunnell: "Ricoh GR in a heartbeat. It's been my primary everyday camera for the past two years. It's the only camera along with my iPhone (hope that doesn't count as one camera) that I've taken on trips to Cuba, Mexico, Alaska, Florida, BVI, the Western U.S. etc. Based on this experience, I can honestly say its performance and image quality has never caused me to wish I'd brought a bigger camera.

"I enjoy the GR's 28mm field of view. The lens is sharper than any interchangeable 28mm lens I own. It's compact so I can travel very light with the camera, batteries, hood, OVF, and .75 wide angle conversion lens in my small Artisan and Artist Oscar bag. I guess I'm saying that another four years with my GR wouldn't cause me any angst at all."

[As you might already know, Ned is the former President of Pentax USA. —Ed.]

Alan Carmody: "Fuji X-T1. 'Sympathy for the Devil.'"

Brian: "Camera: It better be the D810 as I've just bought one and won't be able to afford another for at least four years! Song: Stones—'Paint it Black.'"

david adam edelstein: "The Leica MM2, which I finally got my hands on back in August and which hasn't really left them since then. Without hyperbole, this is the digital camera I have been waiting for since digital became a serious thing. Crazy beautiful files at low ISOs, doesn't blink when I shoot in the dark. Uses my existing 20-year-old lenses. If every other piece of camera gear was stolen while I was out of the house with the MM2 and my 50mm Summicron, I'm not sure I'd replace anything.

"Also: 'Voodoo Chile,' either Mr. Hendrix' original, or Mr. Vaughan's reinterpretation."

Nikon D750 vs. Nikon D810. Graphic courtesy Camerasize.com.

John Seidel: "Nikon D750. 'Wooly Bully' by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs."

AHC McDonald: "Twin lens. TLR. Make, model unimportant."

Edd Fuller: "Sorry, recently underwent a gadgygdalectomy so am unable to answer."

Pete Atkinson: "Nikon D800, only because I understand how to use it, unlike my new washing machine and microwave. Manufacturers make devices so complicated as though they think this is the only one we have to master?

"JSB's Toccata and Fugue in D minor—more metal than R&R I admit...."

Brian Ripley: "Canon 5DS R. Because of its lens collection (you said nothing about one lens...). In 11 years of Canon FF DSLRs I've not yet found the system lacking a lens that did what I want (affording and carrying it might be another matter). E.g. I have appreciated macro lenses (100/180mm), tilt/shifts and super-telephotos."

James Shackleton: "Ok. I'll play. Canon 6D + 40mm ƒ/2.8. Excellent IQ, size and weight. 'All along the Watchtower'—Jimi Hendrix."

Roland Tanglao: "Hi all! Olympus E-M1 and all the Olympus pro lenses! Cheers!"

Jack: "One more vote for the Leica S.

"I already did this exercise for real. I owned the Leica S2 for four years. The first year with just the 35mm S lens. After one year the 120mm S came out, and I added that. So I have experienced both this exercise, as well as your past exercise of one camera, one lens for a year. As you once said, if you go all out on quality, you will not be turning equipment over every six months, and maybe you save money by starting at what some consider the top. Well, some would say the Phase One is certainly more expensive, but I would not choose it for four years.

"I now have had the Leica S 007 for two weeks, and if forced to choose one lens, it would be the 30–90mm S zoom. Yes, I plan to be with the S type 007 for four more years."

Dana Thomas: "Hey Mike...this is easy as I am already in the second year of use of the Lumix GH4. And if the type of work I continue to do last another two years it will clinch the deal. With the amazing Lumix 35–100 ƒ/2.8 lens on the GH4 I cam seamlessly move from stills to video and the image quality and speed of use is spot on...'nuff said."

Jeff Hohner: "Evil! Bait taken. Fuji X100T. 'Roadrunner' by the Modern Lovers."

Kirk Tuck: "Given my history it's insane to even take a stab at this one but...here goes: I would choose the Nikon D810, and to distill it down further, I would pair it with the Otus 85mm ƒ/1.4 lens. I would choose this combo because the camera is obsolescence proof for about three of the four years due to its outrageously good sensor. The lens is the best thing I can hang on the front given that I love shooting portraits.

"I thought first of a Leica MF camera and lens but realistically, no matter how much cash I have to spend, I still wouldn't want to carry that stuff all around with me. The D810 + Otus will be more than enough to build muscle. In use the D810 has been rock solid and the menus make sense to me. But it's cheap enough that I wouldn't worry about taking it out in rain or active volcanoes.

"As to the extra credit question, I think that's a softball. It's so obviously '(Can't get no) Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones. The runner ups are 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Purple Haze.'"

Esa Kivivuori: "Leica Q (type 116). I just tested it for four weeks. It is truly a magnificent camera with a fantastic lens. ...Blood, Sweat & Tears: 'Sometimes in Winter.' I've loved it since 1968."

Comments

[tex andrews]

Hmm..., missed that snuck-in extra credit question. It's actually way more difficult than the camera question, for 2 reasons: so many great songs, but such a diverse field that happens to contain songs that aren't maybe rock-and-roll.

Even considering the Hendrix material, or "Satisfaction" or "Sympathy for the Devil", or some great Neil Young, and much more, here's a dark(very dark) horse candidate: "A Day In The Life". George Martin said of it, that the opening bars still give him chills decades later.

[Stephen McCullough]

What Ken Bennett said:

1. How many lenses do I get? :)

If I could get the Fuji X-T1 features in an X Pro 1 body, I would be happy forever. Maybe that's an X Pro 2? Fingers crossed.....

2. Born to Run is, of course, the greatest Rock & Roll song ever.

[Mark]

PS: Captain Beefheart and Bongo Fury. He'd have taken plastic fantastic to a whole new level.

[D. Hufford.]

T'would be an Olympus OMD E-M5.

Olympus is the non-DSLR brand I have used the most and the one I have found most satisfactory, in spite of a near month long fight with the EP-3 when coming from a Nikon D300 DSLR. A Fuji X-1 would be my second choice, but then I'd have to buy a new group of lenses. The new Sonys sound good, but after my Panasonic GX7 adventure, I have decided to stick with experienced camera companies for the foreseeable future.

[Robert Roaldi]

Oly E-M1, fast enough for amateur sports shooting, uses my existing lenses, not too big, and looks good. (Now, if they release a new version with the high-speed capabilities of the Nikon 1 series bodies, then I'd rather have that.)

Get Back by the Beatles.

[Rube]

GR.

[Michael Roche]

My Sony A7&35mm

Elton John Saturday nights'alright.

[Howard]

My D810

"Aja" - Steely Dan (it can be argued that this is not true R&R but jazz/rock) True R&R would be "Backstreets" by Springsteen or "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsman.

[Steve Jacob]

4 year camera.

I'll cheat and say Fuji Xpro2 on the basis that it will have the Xpro1 handling and even better performance and IQ than the XT1.

Why?

I enjoy using Fuji's X cameras more than anything I have used since digital was invented. I don't see any reason to change unless they quit the business.

Best rock song.

Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick.

[Ben]

I used my M8 almost exclusively from '07-'11, so I suppose I'd probably pick the M that I have now, as I'd rather enjoy what I'm doing than be able to do everything. But if I had to do everything, I'd ditch the Leica and go with a little big Nikon, probably the d750.

The greatest rock song ever is "Holland 1945" by Neutral Milk Hotel, or perhaps "1970" by the Stooges. I do tip my hat to the fellow above who mentioned "Ceremony" by New Order, though it doesn't have any numbers in the name, so what's it doing in a comment thread about cameras?

[Joseph Iannazzone]

Nikon D750. It falls just short oh being a beast of a camera. It has fast and accurate focusing and access to more lenses than anyone would ever need. It might even last all four years.

Best rock and roll song - Born to Run.

[Darlene Almeda]

Only one camera? Hassselblad 501CM kit + Hasselblad CFV-50c.

Why? Because it is a simple and effective system. I built my commercial career with the help of the Hasselblad system and continue to use it today for fine art with the addition of the digital back.

My #1 best rock-and-roll song? Ready for Love, Paul Rodgers & Bad Company.

[Ian Goodrick]

Interesting question and one I am working my way through at the moment.
I have shot with a Nikon D700 from the day after it was released, but I am starting to feel a bit limited by its high iso and low light performance. Also a bigger factor is that its weight is starting to get to me as I get older.
I have now retired from commissioned shooting and am only adding to my stock files.
At the moment I am thinking about a Sony A7RII but if the Sony RX1R II had an E mount, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

As for the song:- The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

[Peter Wright]

Leica M (240).

Why? Because I am just wrapping up a year long version of Mike's 'Leica as teacher' with a Leica MP, Zeiss 35mm, and Delta 400 with about 120 films shot. It's clear to me that this type of set up lets me do the best photography I can, but if being restricted to one camera I would want the flexibility of digital and colour. Four years – no problem!

Best R&R: Rolling Stones (of course), doing probably 'Honky Tonk Woman'.

[Tuomas]

D810, easy decision. The best rock song at the moment is Jean-Philippe Rameau's Suite in A minor.

[Michael]

Canon 5Ds..11-24mm/F4 L..24-105mm/F4 L IS..100-400../F4.5-5.6 L IS USM II..100mm/F2.8 L Macro IS USM.

All focal lengths I would ever want are covered. Quality glass without astronomical prices (though I know you said price was no object), excellent build, and more megapixels than I could have ever dreamed of 15 years ago when the (my) digital age was born. And I need all of the "IS" I can get.

What more could any serious aging amateur photographer want OR need? Though I might no longer be able to lift or carry the entire bag, but that is why they put wheels on Lowe-Pro cases now!

It was a difficult decision to make as I was torn between the above system and the Lenny Kravitz Leica Kit....:-)

Best rock and roll song? A tough question also, so a toss up;

Eric Clapton.".Layla" or "Cocaine",
The late Joe Cocker.."You Can Leave Your Hat On",
or
Bob Seger.."Against the Wind"

Easy to tell how old I am, isn't it...

Michael

[Eric Perlberg]

I own many cameras and truth be told I could live with any camera because I'd adjust and the fun is in making images. But given the brief, having used my Sony Rx1r exclusively for many months (OK, I also use my iPhone 6s Plus a lot) the new Sony Rx1r II will easily last me 4+ years. Although it sports a world class Zeiss 35mm lens it's possible to use its high quality 50mm and 75mm software based "lenses" (better than just cropping) which pretty much covers my focal length needs. The camera is tiny but I'm no longer interested in carrying around heavy artillery. Adding a high quality 3rd party removable Chinese metal grip is an easy Amazon order away and adds grip ability when desired. 42mpx would let me crop to 1x1 yielding a 28mpx image. With a high usable ISO around 52k I'm not too bothered by lack of OIS. Life is a series of compromises.

Not sure what constitutes "rock & roll" or for that matter "best" but Bob Dylan's Duquesne Whistle is a time bomb in my heart.

[Paul]

Sony rx100 M3

I can take it anywhere

Twist and Shout (the Beatles version)

[Phil Wilkins]

Never mind the cameras here's my extra credit play:

Friday on My Mind - Easybeats
or
(I'm) Stranded - The Saints
or
Turn up your radio - Masters Apprentices

Look 'em up!

[Dogman]

Whatever is the Leica M6 digital equivalent these days. MP digital? I haven't kept up with the models. Of course I will need the 21mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses. And a second body to facilitate use of two of those lenses alternately (usually the 35mm and 50mm).

This is the Leica outfit I used for years and, since switching to 100% digital, I've yet to find another camera outfit that compares.

Best #1 rock song of all time? "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who. It's on the greatest rock album of all time, "Who's Next". Like the Leica outfit above, nothing else compares. At least in my opinion.

[Rod Thompson]

X100t. Already timeless.

[Bob Smith]

Yashica Electro 35 GSN. I know, limited by the lens but I'll live with that. The way that lens renders is wonderful and the meter on that camera is phenomenal. The best fixed lens camera ever. For me anyway.

Best R&R song? There is no One Best Song.

[Erik Petersson]

Lately I have mostly used my Smena 8, a Soviet made plastic camera with an adequate 40mm glass lens. Manual control over shutter time and aperture, while focus and framing is a bit approximate. People don't suspect that I am doing anything of consequence with it. Nikon F3 would be my second choice, I can do anything with it.

[Peter]

The rig I have, which I've used primarily the past 4 years. Mamiya 6 with 50mm lens. Why?

It gives me what I want in terms of field of view, great glass, silent vibration-free leaf shutter great for long handheld shots, solid and well-made, collapsible lens so easy to stow in a small bag, extremely well-balanced and easy to handle -- easier and more intuitive to handle than a number of smaller 35mm SLRs or a Leica M2 I used to have.

[I shot with a Mamiya 6 and 50mm lens for a while for a magazine review. I agree, it's something one could live with. One of the great cameras. --Mike]

[Jon Erickson]

Canon 5D3; Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction.

[Ed Grossman]

Very happy with what I have. Olympus OMD E-M1. "I Will Follow" - U2

[MikeR]

It might be the Lumix LX 100 which I bought recently. We'll see. I have gone through a number of interchangeable lens camaras and I typically wind up having one lens attached all of the time so might as well just have a compact all in one camera.

Best rock 'n roll song? Well, it's got to ROCK! I can go back to Bill Haley and the Comets, but the one that came to mind immediately is Satisfaction by the Stones. (I do like most of the other people's choices)

[Richard Alan Fox]

I use several cameras, if I had to choose one it would be an OM-D with 12-40 lens.
Music would be my ringtone, Layla, can't think of any other opening seconds to make want to get up and salute like those.

[David Miller]

For me the challenge is not hypothetical. I'm 67 years old, and do not depend upon photography for my livelihood (and don't wish to, although photography has been a life-long passion for me and has provided my living from time to time in the past). When my Canon 5DII at its lenses became too heavy for travel I dumped the system and switched to a Fuji X-T1, for which I now have a lovely collection of lenses whose qualities I have not even begun to use to the fullest.

It's all about the glass.

I've no ambition to print above 30" in width — how many people who want my prints have wall space for bigger prints than that? A 24 MP Fuji would give me a little more room to play with, so there might be one more camera in my future, but I'm two years into the X-T1 and still enthralled with it. It'll keep me happy until Fuji releases an X-T2 or X-Pro2 that makes me happier, and then I'm out of the camera-acquisition game for good.

Just keep your hands off my lenses.

[Steve Clark]

I'm on the same page as Mike Plews.

[Pierre Charbonneau]

I would go with a Leica Monochrom with a 45 years old 35 summicron, like I mostly did for the last 3 years.

"Sultan of swing"

[Michael Barker]

If cost was no object, I'd phone up Pentax and bribe them to let me borrow one of their full frame DSLR prototypes for four years.

That said, I'm thankful for what I have.

[Ilkka]

Sony RX1m2. Need to be small but serious. Runner-up, Leica Q. Ditto.

[Dave Wilson]

Fujifilm X100. The original, not the S, T, or whatever they're up to. I've had it 4 years already and it will easily last another 5. Better images than later Fujifilm cameras, including the XT1 I also own.

Brown Sugar, Rolling Stones.

[Richard Jones]

Panasonic FZ1000

25-400mm, f/2.8-4, In-camera Panorama, 4K Video, Electronic Shutter, 5-axis 'Power OIS' stabilization, On-camera Flash, Flash Hotshoe, High Speed Synchronization Flash, Close focus under 1", 1.2:1 with Achromat mounted, Fully articulating LCD, Superb EVF, Focus peaking and 10x Magnification for Manual Focus -- an almost dream camera for nature photography (about 90% of my work).

- Richard

[Nigel]

Sony A7RII (with suitable adapters).
It's the plan, anyway, once increasing savings cross over with the (future) falling price. And finding out what my collection of old lenses will do on the format they were designed for will easily occupy four years.

To ask what is the 'best' song is to misunderstand rock & roll.

Though I have a soft spot for All Along the Watchtower...

[Kirk in PDX]

Olympus OM-D E-M1, cost not an object since I already have it. You didn't say anything about lenses, so I'll take the full Olympus mFT Pro zoom lineup, plus the Pany Leica prime lenses. That ought to do it.

But I could use an A7RII, D750, 7DmkII, K-3II, GH-4 or even an XT-1 and be perfectly happy.

"You Can't Always Get What You Want," by the Rolling Stones of course. Though my favorite skews toward "Let it Bleed" or "Sweet Virginia." I wasn't aware that Van Morrison was considered Rock and Roll.

[James Weekes]

I already have it. The Olympus E-M1. I have 2 E-M5s and an E-M5II, but find that I am most comfortable with the E-M1. I just don't think lenses or sensors are going to get enough better in the next four years to tempt me.

Night Moves....Bob Seger

[Gato]

Something with a 1-inch sensor and wide-range fixed zoom. Most likely Sony or Panasonic.

In 40 years of photography I don't think I've ever cared less about which camera - there are any number that can make great photos, but none of them stand out as wildly exciting.

Extra credit: I'm listening to Buddy Holly right now, so "Oh Boy."

Both answers subject to change without notice.

[Ben]

Fuji X100. It's been my only camera for the past 3 years, and I can't see that stopping anytime soon. Just added the TCLx100 for the 50mm view and loving that option though still mainly sticking with that beautiful 35mm-e lens.

[Hans Muus]

My current camera, the Fuji X-T10 (or maybe the next Fuji - but that's a dangerous, bankrobbery slippery slope, 'after the next bank, I'm am really gonna quit' - he was quoted a few weeks later, well behind bars).

'She's not there' - the original version of the Zombies, with Colin Blunstone. It is simple, with a little rythmical sophistication that only adds to the fun, it swings, it is highly effective - and the title can't be bettered, it describes the felt essence of rock ('n roll).
Some 49 years ago I looked up my old classmate and high school drop-out friend Jacques, who was an incredibly talented self-taught guitar player, showed him my first, very basic solid body electric guitar, and said, 'Will you please tell me how to play She's not there?'

[Philippe Debeerst]

The Linhof Technorama 617 IIS will do.
I know, it's very limiting, one lens, the panoramic format (6 x 17 cm) and on film only.
But these limitations are forcing me into creativity....

Rock Music? Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen, it doesn't 'rock' but moves a lot!

[Julian Lynch]

Any camera will do. It's 2015!

However, "Rory Gallagher, walk on hot coals" is the.best.song.evar

[Kirk in PDX]

Not sure how I missed the optional, "Why?"

Olympus E-M1 because it has the right balance, for me, of operational speed, haptics, excellent EVF, IBIS, tilting LCD (not side-swinging articluated), DoF characteristics, size & weight, lenses that are sharp wide open and it is relatively quiet and discreet.

[robert e]

It's a coin flip between the Olympus EM5II and the Fuji XT1.

Why? Both small and light enough, tough enough, and capable enough to go anywhere, any time, for just about any reason or objective, or just to have handy. Supremely usable designs. Terrific jpegs, malleable raw files.

The Oly is more nimble and flexible, but too much crop on the old manual lenses I love; also I slightly prefer the Fuji "look" (well, multiple "looks"). On the other hand, the Oly has more system lenses, and more affordable lenses.

I would get to use a different camera for video, right? Otherwise the choice might be a GH4 or A7.

Best rock song? My pick would change every day, among a few dozen. Today it's "Rocks Off" by the Stones.

[Dan]

If the film comes as part of the deal it would be a Canham 8x20 view camera with a 'normal' focal length lens. A second moderate wide angle lens. 10 film holders.

Dr. Hook and "Cover of the Rolling Stone"

[Eddie]

For the type of photographs I take, Canon 7DMII, not to mention I just bought it. It would be difficult to limit to just one, but if I'd have to the 7DMII would require the least compromise. Why? Because, I have all the lenses I need...

Oye Como Va

[Dave]

Camera: That new Light camera, but with a caveat... I would have to be the official photo blogger for Light. Hopefully I'd catch a ride on the hype wave as Light takes over the photography world.

Best Rock Song: Van Halen started off their set at the US Fest by playing a fast and loose version of "Romeo Delight". What's more rock and roll than showing up drunk to the highest paying music gig in the history of the world, and then, stopping mid-show to callout the festival's co-headliners, The Clash, for not being authentic enough? I think this is one of the most underrated moments in rock history: https://youtu.be/frwlZswvS5I

[Richard]

Leica MP

Led Zeppelin, When the Levee Breaks

[Anders]

I guess I am a bit late to the party. The thrill of pulling a roll of film out of the tank and seeing 36 nicely exposed frames is something that digital can't match, so it would be my Canon L1. It's got a hinged back and lever wind so it beats the bottom loaders and knob winders I've got hanging around. You can screw all sorts of tiny lenses onto it so it beats an SLR. I can carry it around in a waist pouch with my little Gossen meter, which gives me "Brass in Pocket" also the best rock and roll song.

[Ken]

Kashmir (Led Zeppelin), with an honorable mention to a blistering version of Shine On You Crazy Diamond as performed live last night at the D.A.R. Constitution Hall in Washington DC by Roger Waters and the Musicorps band (www.musicorps.net/Home.html) - and joined by Tom Morello on guitar and Jake Clemons on sax.

The other question, easy: Nikon D7200.

[Frank]

I've been and probably will be using a Nikon D810 with the 50/1.8G ~ with the smaller prime the overall size is manageable for EDC and I expect the image quality is good enough for professional purposes through 2019 at least. And mine is proven, no QC issues, and once it gets going the Nikons are robust... the batteries last a long time, the finder is very clear, the UI could be better but I have it set up nicely.

But the overwhelming reason to use a full size body is because the cute wee little mirrorless cameras were designed by pint-sized Japanese engineers with no consideration for ergonomics. I swear they must put their fingertips into pencil sharpeners in order to hit all the micro buttons. Ugh, me Neanderthal XL brute, a little extra bulk is a happy tradeoff versus trendy tiny tot toys.

[Frank]

Rebelene ‎– Rebel Power (In The Middle Of Nowhere)

[Norm Snyder]

Leica Monochrom for me. As for the music--any of the Dead's live versions of "All Along the Watchtower," especially the version with Dylan.

[Michael Martin-Morgan]

Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) with 50mm Summilux

Snarky Puppy - Lingus (We Like It Here)
OK it may not be scrictly classified as rock-and-roll but it does it for me.

[PhilR]

The Q Leica Rolling Stone

[Jeff]

So, Mike, who had the best answer?

[Jason Orth]

Hmm. I love my D7100's files, but reach for an Olympus EPL-6 for about anything not moving. Based on reviews I'd go with a Panasonic GX8. I enjoy MFT and touchscreens and wifi connection too much.

EC: The Spirit of Radio by Rush

[Nigel Robinson]

fuji x100s. don't have time for anything else. best song: 09-15-00 part 1

[TM]

Olympic Epic Stylus (mju ii). Fits in a pocket, great lens, anyone can use it. And probably something by Neil Young, Cortez or or Down by the River.

[Rob]

I have an A7II, but there is little doubt that the A7RII is a superior tool, so that would be my choice.

As for the best rock song of all time, I can think of about 6 Beatles songs that are better than almost anything else, but some of them are not truly rock'n roll, e.g. "A Day in the Life." One of the things that made the Beatles the best pop band of all time was their willingness to break out of the narrow rock genre.

[Manuel]

Rock n' Roll? I don't know if it fits that category, but gimme 'Gold Lion' by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs any time of day.
The camera: that'd be my trusty Olympus OM-2n. I've been using it almost exclusively for the last two and a half years, and I don't feel any need to change this routine. Why the OM? Because it's a pleasure to use. The kind of pleasure I don't get with digital cameras.

[DavidB]

Camera:

I'm currently using the Sony RX-10 and am quite happy with the results obtained on a recent vacation. It's small and light compared to my FF DSLR; its size and weight closely approximate my old Nikon FM with prime lens that went everywhere with me.

The 1" inch sensor produces nice IQ up through at least ISO 1600.

The lens is 24-200mm (equiv.) @f/2.8 which is a comfortable range for most of my shooting. Not having to change lenses has become a big plus for me.

Rock 'n Roll:
For What It's Worth: Buffalo Springfield

[Yonatan Katznelson]

Upcoming Pentax FF (my fantasy version: ~24mp, tilty screen and kick-ass autofocus, on top of the usual Pentax goodness). Compact is nice but required, so I don't mind that it will be biggish.

Why: I'm set for Pentax FF lenses with the FA 31, 43, 77 ltds and F135.

Best Rock & Roll song...? Too many to choose from... Gut reaction - Sympathy for the Devil, A Day in the Life or Hotel California. (like I said, too many to choose from)

[Stan Rogers]

I'd have to start with they "why?" since the "which?" has very, very little to do with gear lust or even preferences. Most of what I shoot, I also light. Flash is often more practical than "hot lights" (most of which are no longer hot). TTL flash metering is more than occasionally useful; one can get the "planned shoot" look at something approaching "grab shot" speeds. If I'm gear-limited or wealth-constrained, then rental and third-party support become very important. Taken together, all of those factors point to a choice between Canon and Nikon. You know that joint in your thumb where the digit meets the rest of the hand? Mine are decorations. They don't bend. Never have. Canon has arranged things such that bending your thumb at that joint is rather important to the normal operation of the camera, so even though everything is "backwards" on the Nikon - and still feels "backwards" after years on the system - the Nikon wins on ergonomics; "backwards" is a much smaller concession than "awkward or impossible". If it weren't for the thumb thing, it'd be a coin toss.

Among current models, I could be happy with either the D750 or the D810. Money would be the deciding factor. I'd rather have the extra pixels (for the sake of retouching as much as the print) and the extra buttons, but a grand is a grand no matter how you look at it. If you also constrained me to a single lens, then I'd have to go to a D7xxx; a 24-70, being a 35-105 (ish) equivalent on the smaller format, would cover a huge swath of what I normally shoot. (In fact, the Tamron 28-75/2.8, as long in the tooth as it may be, would be a better fit for my work on APS-C/DX, especially if the camera has an antialiasing filter. A used D7000 and a used 28-75, both in good shape with plenty of life remaining, can be had for well under a grand, total, these days. Add flash and flash accessories until you run out of money. A person could do, and has done, a lot worse.)

Please note that this does not mean I don't want a shirt-pocketable full-frame-or-larger 200 megapixel camera - raw file size must not exceed 5MB and must be lossless - with a beefy grip, a 20-600mm f/1.4 zoom (no, you find a way to make the front elements fold; that's not my concern) and clean ISO 100K with 20 stops of DR and 960 FPS at 4K for under $500 like everybody else.

As for the song, I'll have to go with "Shakin' All Over" (pick a group; I grew up with The Guess Who, but it was a note-for-note cover of the Johnny Kidd and the Pirates original like everyone else's version). Just about everything else I like - including stuff I like a lot more - can be derived from it with fancy maths.

[BH]

I know it's no longer hip but I'd go with the X100. If I committed to a best rock song on the internet I'd spend the rest of my life second guessing myself, so I'm going to spare myself the mental anguish.

[Kenneth Voigt]

American Woman

[Steve]

Can’t think of anything other than what I’ve already got, Leica M2. After roughly six decades, the world has yet to offer anything better for my needs and wants.

Dictators - Loyola

[David W Scott]

Hasselblad XPan. It's film. 35mm convenience, near MF negative size and IQ. Wish I had one.

Honky Tonk Women

[Don Parsons]

I went out this morning not knowing which camera I would chose. I went to my local camera store and was browsing around when my salesman friend put a Pentax 645D in my hand. Wow! That's the camera I want!

Extra Credit: One...two...three...Four!

I Saw Her Standing There by the Beatles

[Mattias]

Ricoh GR.
Because it is small, smart and sophisticated.
Best rock song is a tie of three:
Debaser by Pixies
Roll Over Lay Down by Status Quo
Fight the Power by Public Enemy (seriously, just listen to it)

[Viktor]

1, Sony A7rii and a loxia 50 f2

2, been using nexes and a6000 for som years now. The latest FF seems to havet som awsome lowlight dynamic range. I really would like to be a photographer that uses a tripod, but in practice I only take handheld photos. So the ibis and the new sensor would bring some advances compared to the aps-c.

3, Stairway to heaven, Led Zeppelin, which still has the same dreamy magic feeling as the first time I heard it in my teens.

[Doug Thacker]

Looks like I'm a little late to the party, but here goes:

Since as we all know the best camera is the one you have with you, I have to choose between the Ricoh GR and the X-T1. I love the GR and use it constantly; however, even though I don't use it as much, I also love the X-T1. Since the latter is more versatile, has a better file, and with a pancake lens isn't too large, I'll go with the X-T1. I could use it for the next four years, and in fact I intend to.

The far more important question, it seems to me, and the more difficult to answer, is that of best rock 'n roll song. With so many to choose from, we need some essential criteria. The criteria I choose are a rocking beat and a transgressive lyric: something that shakes up the established order, causes synapses of outrage to fire involuntarily, and withstands long term replay. Just as with the cameras, we'll boil it down to two: Sweet Little Sixteen by Chuck Berry and I Am the Walrus by the Beatles.

Sweet Little Sixteen is, if anything, even more outrageous today - and more transgressive - than it was in 1957. Which probably says more about today than it does about the song.

Sweet little sixteen
She's got the grown up blues
Tight dresses and lipstick
She's sportin' high heel shoes
Oh, but tomorrow morning
She'll have to change her trend
And be sweet sixteen
And back in class again

In any case it sounds good and passes muster on all counts.

Those whose are offended by Sweet Little Sixteen won't be quite as quick to turn on the lights when I Am the Walrus plays, but even today they'll know something's wrong.

I am he as you are he as you are me
And we are all together
See how they run like pigs from a gun
See how they fly
I'm crying

Yellow matter custard
Dripping from a dead dog's eye
Crabalocker fishwife
Pornographic priestess
Boy, you've been a naughty girl
You let your knickers down

A driving beat, propulsive orchestration, and the plaintive wail of John Lennon: add in lyrical lyrics that withstand multiple interpretations - all of them transgressive - and you have what could be the quintessential song of late rock n roll.

I can't think of anyplace I'd rather be than sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come. So I'll choose this one for greatest rock n roll song of all time.

[Maggie Osterberg]

The Leica S is very tempting, but my M9-P had made most of my best pictures, so I'm not going to fix what isn't broken.

And the greatest Rock N' Roll song OF ALL TIME is, and will always be "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard, the man who invented real Rock N' Roll.

[Rod Tuach]

Konica Hexar - I mean Ricoh GR

[Chris Norris]

My criteria are: wide angle, perspective control, digital, large sensor. In that order. I've been using a 24mm T/S lens for a year or two, and a prime 24 for six years before that. I've had a Canon 5DS II since 2008 that has been wonderful for me.

Right now my lens is perfect, and I'm thinking a 5DSR is probably the best option for me. There are a number of other options, but that's my safe bet. I know what the result would be and it's something that I could work with.

[Chris]

Irritating, aggravating, limited, but totally addictive once you get into it, the Sigma DP2 Merrill.

Gloria - Patti Smith.

[Christer Almqvist]

I have had my A7R for almost two years now, so I'm 50% sure that will be my four year choice.

Lenses have changed, now only native.

[Kenneth Wajda]

I would go with a Leica M3 and a 50 millimeter Summicron.

For the best rock and roll song, I would say Bohemian Rhapsody because it is unique and original like no other.

Interestingly, a few people mentioned Shine on You Crazy Diamond, that was a tribute to Syd Barrett, an original member of Pink Floyd who went crazy after too much acid. And the title of the song has his first name initials in it. That is quite a song and if you listen to the full nine parts of it it's an amazing composition.

[Tom]

I would have expected the A7rII to appear more frequently than it has; demographic of TOP readers? For me it's the Pentax 645Z and someone to help carry the lenses.

It's very hard to pick one song, but if forced I might pick Gimmie Shelter, largely due to Merry Clayton's vocals

[Bob Dompe]

Nikon D750: I'm still learning to use it but it does all that I've asked really well. Rock 'n Roll: Black Magic Woman, Santana

[Bruce Mc]

You could make a game out of this by trying to match cameras with songs. For example, what kind of a 4 year camera would someone choose if they thought “Rumble” by Link Wray was the greatest rock song ever?

[Mathew Hargreaves]

I would like a medium format digital camera with a square sensor to take advantage of all of the lens area. Preferably, one that is converted to IR and one to B&W. Until then, the plan is to do these conversions to a Canon t6s. Which also gives me the beauty of video in these formats. The lenses are not an issue, only the wavelengths that I want to capture. :-)

[Stephen Scharf]

Already own it and have used it for the last 1.5 years: Fuji X-T1.

You own it, too! (I thought you were going to stick with one camera for a bit, BTW).

Stairway to Heaven

PS I used a pro body, the Canon 1D MkII, for the better part of a decade. Still using a MkII N for my pro motorsports work. Sonys will come and go (every 6 months), but REAL tools that meet photographer needs really well will last...

[Ian Land]

1. Hasselblad 500CM with an 80/2.8. The camera I did use almost exclusively for quite a long time and still in my view the best medium format camera ever made, and one I use a lot. The only thing which stops me using it exclusively now is that I mainly shoot larger formats nowadays.

2. Captain Beefheart, Big Eyed Beans From Venus. "Mr Zoot Horn Rollo, hit that long lunar note, and let it float".

[Steve]

I wish you had said one camera/one lens. So I will go with the X100T or whatever the next iteration of the camera is.

Gimme Shelter by a nose over Jumpin' Jack Flash and Rocks Off

[Maynard Switzer]

In todays world,most professionals who make their living shooting pictures agree that the D810 is considered the best all-around DSLR you can use to get most of the pictures that you would want or need to capture. Old esoteric film cameras, medium format cameras as well as any type of view camera will not enable you to capture the type of pictures this camera can. And if you had one lens to go on that camera, the 35mm would be the one that would allow you to capture the most subject matter in the world. No telephotos, no extreme wide angles can do what this camera/lens combo can do. It has the best sensor out there, extremely good in very low light, sports and action present no problems & a vast array of lenses, both fast & reasonably priced. The reliability is very good with great battery power. Give me the D810, the following 3 lenses, the 35, 28 & 85 & I could go around the world shooting wonderful images. 90% of what is in my portfolio have been shot with these 3 lenses on that body. Hotel California hands down.

[Steve Justad]

Canon 5DS. It appears it will be as tough and reliable as my older Canon bodies. Its frame rate and buffer are adequate for wildlife photography the way I approach it and its focusing system is excellent, and the handling is smooth and predictable.

It has as many pixels per duck as my Canon 7Dii and has all those extra pixels which are nice for landscapes, whether traditional landscapes or wildlife landscapes. And it takes some exquisite lenses, several of which I own, which can lay down all the image those 50 MP's can handle.

The extra credit is much harder. All Along the Watchtower--the Hendrix version--has to be my choice, but Little Wing (Hendrix), Sympathy for the Devil and Gimme Shelter (The Stones) are right there as favorites, too.

[Mark]

Sony a7r2.

Unless there's some kind of transformative technology breakthrough in the next four years, I'm already 95% of the way there with the a7r. I'm a landscape photographer who hikes and backpacks; combine the a7r2 with a Loxia 21mm, adapted Contax/Zeiss lenses, and adapted tilt/shift lenses and that'll cover 98% of my needs. I'll wait until next spring for the prices to drop, and then go for the upgrade. I look forward to stepping aside from gear acquisition for a few years.

Best rock and roll song? That's tougher... I can't pick a single one, but I'd nominate "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes, "Black Dog" by Zeppelin, and "When Love Comes to Town" by U2 and BB King.

[Dan Benjamin]

An 8x10 Gandolfi accompanied by the strains of Don't Dilly Dally Sally (flip side of Itsy Bitsy Teenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini). Or wait for some camera company to have the balls to market a mirrorless medium format camera, and accompany that by the Don Ellis Jazz Orchestra covering any rock song.

[Harold GLIT]

Ricoh GRII ( although I wish there was a version with a 40mm FOV equivalent)

[Steve d]

D810 because the only limit it would give me is size but I'm a big guy with big hands. I love the "idea" of smaller cameras but they just feel wrong for me.

Pete Townsend. Give blood.

[Len Kowitz]

The Sony RX1r
Light, easy to have with me
Even in Auto mode, the Sony engineers are better at exposure are better than I am.
Shooting Raw and using Camera Raw in Photoshop makes it easy to make prints of quality.
If I had any sense I do it!

[dkreithen]

OK, I'll take the bait. First question, easy: Ricoh GR. Second question, much more difficult, I've narrowed it down to two:

Got My Mojo Working, Muddy Waters on the Live at Newport 1960 LP. This is the band that the Rolling Stones wish they were (really, I'm not kidding). Muddy on vocals, Otis Spann on piano, and James Cotton on harp.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1gNs-29s-0Q

Most of the crowd clearly doesn't know what to make of it.

Second choice is: Brown-eyed Handsome Man by Chuck Berry. Sly, subversive lyrics and an archetypical guitar solo, what more can you ask for?

[Bahi]

If the results of this survey are anything to go by, the age of the DSLR is all but over. i've been a DSLR holdout but if I had to stick to one camera for the next four years, I'd take a Sony Alpha 7RII and hope for the best.

Roxy's If There is Something but this Peel session version, please.

[Dean Johnston]

Since my X100s seems to have de-GAS-ed me, I think it would be an X100t (I guess one would buy the current model in this game).

For the song - The Bats' North by North

https://youtu.be/GumfkPsrLF4

[Roger]

Fuji X-T1

"Once In A Lifetime" Talking Heads.

[Michael H]

Sony A7RII, Spinning Wheel - Blood,Sweat and Tears

[Mark Matheny]

Oly OMD-E5, the first one.

Kashmir by Zeppelin.

[Gordon Cahill]

Bonus points first.

The greatest rock and roll song ever written is one most Americans and Europeans have never heard. Cold Chisel: When The War Is Over.

Now the first part: The logical side of me says I should pick the Sony A7R2. It's a goldilocks camera. More of everything than I will need for a long time. Uncompressed raw, next week. Fabulous sensor. Great and growing lens system. And it does most things, with the exception of extreme sport, very well. And if Sony never made another lens I could just buy some Canon glass and keep on shootin'

But I wouldn't. Because logic be damned. If I'm stuck with it for four years I want it to make me want to use it. I'd take a Leica M-P and a 50mm Summilux. As many cameras as I own that set almost always leaves the house with me every day. And in another four years I still don't think I'd have exhausted what it's capable of.

Gordon