If you could pick one..

sincere · Jul 16, 2006

now that you have "advanced" and assumingly know what your needs are, what camera and equipment would you get if you could?

JJP · Jul 16, 2006

Ohhh don't get me started, this thread is just here to tempt me to get a loan lol.

Torus34 · Jul 16, 2006

I have all that I need.

sincere · Jul 17, 2006

Torus34 said:
I have all that I need.

Wich is? I am just curious, trying to see what people´s needs are and where they end.

Funkyflame · Jul 17, 2006

I love my camera ... but I will a flash and a telelens *it coust 1400€, it`s to expensive for me*

Torus34 · Jul 17, 2006

Since you asked, and I'd guess I'm probably on the fringe of the amateur group. It's probably far, far more normal to yearn for a particular piece of gear.

About a dozen 35mm's [slrs & rangefinders], lenses from 24 to 400mm, extension tubes, filters. 6x6cm TLR's. Light meters, tripods, flash, etc. Darkroom gear. Accumulated over 50 years. Cameras all operated in battery-free manual mode. I won't bother with names. Beyond a certain minimum level of quality, brands of gear really don't matter very much to me.

I make prints only for my own walls. Film, B&W. My main difficulty is in finding the time to do so. As far as free time goes, I'm often bankrupt. Too many other duties and interests.

In life, you'll often find that when you have the time, you don't have the money. The reverse, unfortunately, is also true. If either applies to you at the moment, don't despair -- it's just Life's way of teaching us humility.

markc · Jul 17, 2006

Digital version of all the really cool cameras out there, especially MF. There are too many to name, but I've mentioned some in other threads.

ksmattfish · Jul 17, 2006

The more "advanced" I get, the more I realize that I only want new gear, I don't really need it. That said, I'd really like a Canon 5D DSLR, and a Graflex RB Super D 4x5 SLR.

http://www.graflex.org/articles/series-d/

terri · Jul 17, 2006

I agree with Matt...it's no longer about what I think I "need", only about things I think I "want". :lol:

I'm almost afraid to admit this, but lately LF is starting to draw me in. Just from a small amount of reading, if I felt like throwing some money around for a new toy - and a whole new world of shooting, processing and printing - I'd look at getting a Tachihara 4x5. Main reason is its relatively light weight. I enjoy landscape photography, and have an enlarger that accomodates it, so I could convince myself. And....it's so purdy..... :lol:

But really, for the most part I have a fine assortment of cameras and don't get to play with them all enough as it is. So I also feel the need to just focus more on becoming a better printer. I love the craft, but ugh! I'm still such a beginner. :razz:

ksmattfish · Jul 17, 2006

Terri, you can get a Super Graphic with a great lens for about the same money as a Tachihara body only. Not as cute, but 10 times more bullet proof, and probably just as light weight. No back movements, but pretty much full front movements. Both myself, and a LF landscape buddy of mine started out with Speed Graphics, went to fancier, more expensive field cameras, and now we are both back using our Super Speed Graphics for landscape photography.

terri · Jul 17, 2006

ksmattfish said:
Terri, you can get a Super Graphic with a great lens for about the same money as a Tachihara body only. Not as cute, but 10 times more bullet proof, and probably just as light weight. No back movements, but pretty much full front movements. Both myself, and a LF landscape buddy of mine started out with Speed Graphics, went to fancier, more expensive field cameras, and now we are both back using our Super Speed Graphics for landscape photography.

Really?? I've been drawn to the ones that brag about being light weight. I'm almost scared to really start investigating, because that would mean admitting I have a problem. :lol:

markc · Jul 17, 2006

Go for it Terri. You know you want to! :badangel:

Digital Matt · Jul 17, 2006

ATTN TERRI: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53070

ksmattfish · Jul 17, 2006

terri said:
I've been drawn to the ones that brag about being light weight.

The Tachihara specs say it weighs 3.8 lbs, and my Super Graphic weighs 4.5 lbs, so the SG is a little heavier. But at around $200 it's $500 cheaper than a Tachihara, and a decent lens is going to cost $350 to $800 used. The Tachihara is a beautiful camera for the money, but I found that I worried about having my beautiful, wooden field camera out in adverse conditions too much, and that kept me from getting the shots. I've had my SG body completely submerged in a river twice, and I barely flinched.

EDIT: Also, you can usually strip some of the parts off of Speed Graphics to make them lighter. Super Graphics have an electronic shutter release that won't work without a long obsolete battery. Someday I'll gut out the electronics in mine, and that should reduce the weight a bit.