Dream Cameras

2012 is looking like a good year for photographers. There are a lot of really, really nice cameras out now. If you could have any camera and lens you wanted, without worrying about price or any other outside considerations, what would you get and why?

"And lens" like just one lens? I'd be happy with a 5D Mk I and a *bunch* of lenses. :) I can barely drive my 30D so I suspect more camera isn't going to make me much better.

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Originally Posted by MotorToad

"And lens" like just one lens? I'd be happy with a 5D Mk I and a *bunch* of lenses. :) I can barely drive my 30D so I suspect more camera isn't going to make me much better.

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A three generations old camera is your dream? We're dreaming so we might as well dream big. And go big with the lenses, too. What makes your heart go pitter-pat? What do you think would make a real difference for you?

The sad thing is I'm way below the point where the camera is limiting my work.

There is one thing I want, though, is an EF-S 35 f/1.8 lens as cheap as the 50 f/1.8. They may have come close enough with the 40 f/2.8 pancake, but I really want them to make the EF-S equivalent to the nifty fifty. Yeah, that's my dream. Sadly it won't fit my dream 5D. :P

Seriously, though, I'm seeing Mk I 5Ds on craigslist every day for ~$700 and that's just stupid cheap for full frame photography. It's just that I don't have the $700 or the money to replace all my lenses that are effing EF-S. :)

Strangely, I would rather have another Pentax K10. My current one has been my friend for over four years - it has seen me though competitions and family snaps. It has been used in a dozen countries and more. It has been rained on, dropped, and generally taken for granted. The counter has been round the clock a couple of times. It keeps on going.

Crucially, I could set it with a blindfold on - I know every feature, how to find it, and how to use it.

Sure, there are more up to date models available - better able to handle low light and so on. But this camera is part of my life and does whatever I demand of it, without complaint. That is why, even if money were not an issue, I would choose another K10 for when mine eventually calls it a day.

I would however like a good wide angle lens!

Cheers
Mike

Hasselblad H4D-60...... Well why not ? .... :)
I'm sure this would make me a much better photographer...:yesnod:

Seriously 5d3 and lots of lenses that have red bands

I have already updated my gear for 2012:

- Nikon D800
- 60mm macro
- 70-300 VR

I don't need anything else right now. What I would like to see in the next 2-4 years;

- an APS-C Nikon D300 type body producing RAW which is as easy to work with as D800 RAW
- a better-feeling but still small and light 70-300VR
- a small and light 24-85VR with image quality to match the D800

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Originally Posted by Didache

Strangely, I would rather have another Pentax K10. My current one has been my friend for over four years - it has seen me though competitions and family snaps. It has been used in a dozen countries and more. It has been rained on, dropped, and generally taken for granted. The counter has been round the clock a couple of times. It keeps on going.

Crucially, I could set it with a blindfold on - I know every feature, how to find it, and how to use it.

Sure, there are more up to date models available - better able to handle low light and so on. But this camera is part of my life and does whatever I demand of it, without complaint. That is why, even if money were not an issue, I would choose another K10 for when mine eventually calls it a day.

I would however like a good wide angle lens!

Cheers
Mike

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Amazon still has a few.....in case you want to buy early! :idea:

Amazon.com: Pentax K10D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only): Camera & Photo

Liz

Leica S2
I have never been happier than I am with my a850. So much so I now have a back up. They are getting hard to find.

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Originally Posted by Greg McCary

Leica S2
I have never been happier than I am with my a850. So much so I now have a back up. They are getting hard to find.

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I like the updated signature :)

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Originally Posted by Greg McCary

Leica S2
I have never been happier than I am with my a850. So much so I now have a back up. They are getting hard to find.

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Greg - you like it better than the EM5? Or is it just different? What do you like better?

Liz

My Choices:

1st Choice: Leica M-Monochrom B&W 18mp Rangefinder. :thumbsup:

2nd Choice: Olympus E-M6. :D

Reasons/Comments:

..............The E-M5 looks like an awesome camera.....however, from what I have read there are a few "glitches" (bugs) that need to be worked out. Since I'm a bit "technically challenged" I would wait instead of trying to work around them.

In the meantime I am enjoying my E-P3 and I have the GF1 as my carry-with-me 2nd camera (at the moment doing mostly b&w with this one).

Liz

Dream on....Yeah!!!! Camera--- NIKON D4 Why?

That's easy... amazing image quality, brilliant dynamic range and vivid colors in nearly any lighting condition.

Lense---Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4 G ED N Aspherical Why?

It's bright, sharp and contrasty at every aperture from edge-to-edge, with a minimum of distortion and coma, and no ghosting of which to speak. This is as close to perfect as any Nikon f/1.4 lens has ever come.

I'm dreaming.................................................... .....................................

Rick

With what's out right now I think I would lean towards a 7D, or the 1Dx for what I like to shoot. (I'm interested to see what replaces the 7D.) Throw in a 600mm f/4, 400mm f/2.8, 300mm f/2.8, 1.4x & 2x TC's and make it all weigh less than 10 pounds. Or throw in a Sherpa to carry it for me. :D

I almost forgot, a new computer and upgraded software to handle the large RAW files. :p

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Originally Posted by Liz

Greg - you like it better than the EM5? Or is it just different? What do you like better?

Liz

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Yes Liz I like it better than the E-M5. The buttons are laid out nice and it is so easy to shoot in manual. The viewfinder in incredible. I feel like I am part of the scene. The only draw back is with the 24-70mm lens and grip I am looking a five pounds. It's HEAVY. The dynamic range is superb.
But the E-M5 is certainly one of the best cameras I have used and easily the best camera Olympus has ever made. It is equal to the NEX 7 in every way and better in some.

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

I like the updated signature :)

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Thanks John for the idea.

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Originally Posted by Greg McCary

Yes Liz I like it better than the E-M5. The buttons are laid out nice and it is so easy to shoot in manual. The viewfinder in incredible. I feel like I am part of the scene. The only draw back is with the 24-70mm lens and grip I am looking a five pounds. It's HEAVY. The dynamic range is superb.
But the E-M5 is certainly one of the best cameras I have used and easily the best camera Olympus has ever made. It is equal to the NEX 7 in every way and better in some.

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I think that for quick, easy photo shooting exercises, Greg you grab the E-M5.

For the really, "hard core" - aerobics style photo exercises, you grab the a850, CZ 24-70 and grip package, for those really "heavy-duty" - "bench press" style of shooting..! :D :thumbsup:

Thanks for reading...

Have fun Greg, Enjoy yourself...

Ed

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Originally Posted by hminx

Hasselblad H4D-60...... Well why not ? .... :)
I'm sure this would make me a much better photographer...:yesnod:

Seriously 5d3 and lots of lenses that have red bands

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Good dreaming', Pete! Hasselblad H4D-60 :thumbsup: Sweet!

Rick

Being a old time Nikon guy it would have to be a D4 and a new 70-200 mm f2.8 VR and a 400 f2.8 VR to buckle on it.

If we are dreaming, I want a toyo view 5X4 rail camera that holds exactly like a pentax K1000, handles like the love child of the D4 and 1DX, comes with an inlfatable bowens 5 light kit, a leica lens that is 5-500mm f1.0 That has switches so you can choose when it distorts and when it doesn't as well as a built in holga filter. (in 35 mill equivalents) and has a back that simultaneously shoots velvia, xpan and digital. Whist automatically streaming the photos to my file system and backup as well as posting them on my clients facebook pages oh and it has to be easy enough to use that my wife can pick it up and outshoot ansel adams :D

Failing that, I'll settle for an EOS 1D-C, but will have to think very very hard about what lens I can choose as I would think about 5 lenses would just cover it!

Red.
Scarlet or Epic.

'Only' about 14Mpixels. Great Dynamic Range video speed hi-def photographic capture with appropriate storage. They also come with a support number that someone actually answers, if not sends someone out immediately to get you back up and running! Plus all my Canon glass can fit onto one version of mount easily! We're only talking money here. No other camera does the frame rate options come close in the realm of this type of photography that is a commercially available product.

It is high enough resolution to do anything with its ouput and not have overkill on resolution and the resultant processing problems for large numbers of shots. I'd rather sit and watch a 'video', stop in the general area of what looks good and extract the appropriate 10+Mp image than cycle through a thousand shots from a days work looking for the 'one'. Lazy maybe, but for some types of work, this is what it is coming to quickly.

The Leica-M monochrome I wanna play with one for a few days this fall. I think I need one of those Noctilux f/0.95 50mm units to go with the body. Taking candid snaps of the expression on people's faces when they found out how much this camera in front of them cost might result in a book that would pay for the whole thing!

I won't clutter up this thread with my p/s desires or recent experiments. That's for elsewhere.

There is a new Nikon 800E on the way that I've got real mixed feelings about . . .

Hmmmm, I think the 5D Mark III & for a lens the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II.

I'd also like a monster Mac fully loaded with all the software I have on my pc.

Nikon D800 - It's a fantastic camera, Full Frame, makes use of my existing lenses, and with HD video gives me something new to try and play with
Hassleblad 500CM - Because well..yeah, Hassy, Zeiss Glass...nuf said.

Dreaming ... ok :)

I'll have multiple cameras :) and assistants that carry the bags of gear

Keep my D800 for studio work , just add a vertical grip, use the 24-70 f2.8 mostly

Landscaping D800 with 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200vr

Travel alone, A m4/3 camera with a bright wide lens, IS, good high ISO, shoots RAW, and a long zoom, there are many of options and any one works fine, maybe an olympus one, the SOOC are usually outstanding in color and exposure, it will have an EVF

Birding , DX body , D7000 ( followup model when it comes out) with a wicked telephoto , say 300mm f2.8 with 1.4 and 1.7 TC, and one sturdy tripod

A submarine enclosure for the D800 with a fisheye and a couple of flashes

I'm still loving my K-5, but if I could get whatever I wanted I'd:

Look at the new small system cameras from Fuji and Olympus and get one of those for being out skiing, biking, peak bagging, etc. I'd probably lean more toward the Oly for now but it's more that class of camera than any one particular model at this point. Small, light, weatherproof, with great optics and ergonomics is all I ask. Is that so much? :)

For the less aerobic shoots, a 645D of whatever replaces it sure would be cool.

Or if I just got some cash to spend on my current system I'd love a very long lens + TC like Pentax has on their roadmap now (a 650mm and 1.4x IIRC). Another K-5 body would be handy too. And a long fast zoom and a wide fast zoom (I have a medium fast, long slow, and wide primes at the moment).

The new stuff from the big makers looks great too but I try not to look too closely because I don't want to have to switch systems unless I really start raking in big money from photography.