What camera have you loved beyond all others?

Peeb

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For me, it has to be my old Canon canonet GIII I got as a teen.

It was my first 'real' camera about 40 years ago. I still vividly recall the thrill of getting the first batch of photos back from processing and seeing the amazing colors it rendered. Pretty fast 1.7 lens too! It was incredibly difficult to focus, and as a rangefinder it had a bit of a disconnect between the viewfinder and the actual image captured. Still, I could not have been more thrilled to shoot a camera!

I've had many technically superior cameras since then, but I will never love another camera more.
 
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I once felt up a Leica at a party after one too many drinks. She never called.
 
Picking my favorite camera is like picking my favorite child. According to my "children" I *do* have a favorite, but which one it is varies from time to time. :D

Let's see:
Perhaps the one I have the greatest emotional attachment to is my old Kodak Brownie, because it was not only my first camera, but it had been my grandfather's. He died before I was born, so the camera and the many, many of his slides and pictures that I have (along with some writings he left) are my greatest connection to him.
Then there's my Pentax K-1000. I love it because...it's a Pentax K-1000. It was my second SLR, but the first one that actually worked well, AND the first "good" camera that I saved up for and bought for myself.
Then there's my current camera, my D800. After all these years of shooting, it's my first FF camera. Plus it came sprinkled with @coastalconn's magic photo-taking dust, so what's not to love about that?

Then I've got collectible cameras, little point-and-shoots like my ever-awesome Canon Powershot, etc--but the ones listed probably have the greatest emotional appeal, particularly the first two.
 
Picking my favorite camera is like picking my favorite child. According to my "children" I *do* have a favorite, but which one it is varies from time to time. :D

Let's see:
Perhaps the one I have the greatest emotional attachment to is my old Kodak Brownie, because it was not only my first camera, but it had been my grandfather's. He died before I was born, so the camera and the many, many of his slides and pictures that I have (along with some writings he left) are my greatest connection to him.
Then there's my Pentax K-1000. I love it because...it's a Pentax K-1000. It was my second SLR, but the first one that actually worked well, AND the first "good" camera that I saved up for and bought for myself.
Then there's my current camera, my D800. After all these years of shooting, it's my first FF camera. Plus it came sprinkled with @coastalconn's magic photo-taking dust, so what's not to love about that?

Then I've got collectible cameras, little point-and-shoots like my ever-awesome Canon Powershot, etc--but the ones listed probably have the greatest emotional appeal, particularly the first two.
Thinking of old loves, two cameras come to mind immediately. First, my Mamiya 1000TL, with a through-the-lens spot meter and taking Pentax screw mount lenses. Why did we ever drift apart? I think it was that Nikon F, with no meter whatsoever, that just loved to be set using a Weston Ranger 9 spot meter, with Zone System dial. I loved it so much, I paid Marty Forscher $90 to replace the stap lugs! I loved the Mamiya because of the advanced technology (for the time) and the Nikon because it lacked the advanced technology and seemed built for the ages. I sold the Mamiya, but still have the Nikon F, though now I use a D5100. But we seem to be drifting apart . . .
 
I started out with a Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic....really liked that camera, but then along came a Mamiya 645, and kicked the Pentax to the side....very happy until I put hands on a Bronica ETRS.....the Bronica has always been special to me....in fact, though I don't use it, now, it is still sitting right here on my desk.....
 
I've got to say... I don't love anything I own either. I really enjoy my tech stuff, but it's more infatuation than love. I love some of my photos though.
 
Minolta SRT 101. I really enjoyed that camera, and essentially fell in love with photography in those years. I don't even remember what happened to it.
 
I have decided I will never say I love any of my photography gadgets.
If you haven't been infatuated with a camera by now, it will never happen.

I'm sorry for you. There's nothing as intoxicating as a first love.
 
I once felt up a Leica at a party after one too many drinks. She never called.
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She's smiling at you :allteeth:
 
For me, it has to be my old Canon canonet GIII I got as a teen.

It was my first 'real' camera about 40 years ago. I still vividly recall the thrill of getting the first batch of photos back from processing and seeing the amazing colors it rendered. Pretty fast 1.7 lens too! It was incredibly difficult to focus, and as a rangefinder it had a bit of a disconnect between the viewfinder and the actual image captured. Still, I could not have been more thrilled to shoot a camera!

I've had many technically superior cameras since then, but I will never love another camera more.

Hmmm.. that is a hard one. It will probably have to be the Hasselblad. It opened new doors for me and I explored new worlds and it really forced me to learn everything about controlling every aspect of the photo I wanted. Plus, I'm a sucker for that Zeiss glass.
 
I've got to say... I don't love anything I own either. I really enjoy my tech stuff, but it's more infatuation than love. I love some of my photos though.
Did you start as a kid? It's just that thrill of having a real photographic tool as opposed to a toy that got my adrenaline going. Dang I loved that camera.

My current camera is 1,000 more amazing in every way, but I'll never love a camera like that first one...
 
Minolta SRT 101. I really enjoyed that camera, and essentially fell in love with photography in those years. I don't even remember what happened to it.

It is the same camera that got me started seriously. I had a Kodak Brownie before but was just playing with it. Unlike you though, I still have my SRT 101 :playful:

But the camera I really loved was my Hassie 500 CM. It was pure dumb luck that I got it, I needed a medium format and that's what I found for the best price that day... but I fell in love.
 

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