Friday 5ive: 5 cameras I know and love

Ok hard to get back to the demands of every Friday fresh off the holidays. Here’s a quick list of 5ive cameras I have known and loved. I have used all of these at some point or another.

1 Nikon F

Nikon F with basic prism

While my first camera was a Nikon FE, I eventually learned about the history of the Nikon F and it beauty I  didn’t like it with the big ugly photomic prism, I loved the simplicity of the standard prisim. At one point I own one of these, and used it for a while but eventually traded it in. I should have kept if only to wear while at Parlour Coffee. The hipsters would be impressed

2 Olympus Xa

These Xa series were considered to be a weird niche thing and were generally over priced for what they were. I eventually bought a used one. The tiniest of cameras, it was comparable to a Rollei, but cheaper in every aspect. Rangefinder focusing, aperture priority, I shoot some street stuff with it. Again I should have kept it and the Lomo heads would be jealous.

3 Speed graphic 4X5

Still have one. Bought it off a guy who used to shoot weddings in the 40′s with it. Love this camera, not a versatile as the studio 4X5′s we used over the years, but you could backpack with this thing and all the film holders etc. I never backpacked with mine. But maybe I will. If I got back to film for fun this would be the camera I want use. If there is ever a Polaroid Type 55 replacement I will be all over that!

4 Mamiya RZ67

Bought mine because it was the one Annie Leibovitz used. It had it’s quirks but nothing beat that 6X7 transparency. I hope to dust it off again sometime.

5 Nikon 990

My first digital camera. Bought in around the year 2000, cost me close to $1200 and was 3.34 MP. Actually shot catalog items with it. It still works, I have played with it recently. It was the first serious digital camera that really made people sit up and notice.