For the past couple of years, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite film cameras, and written about them. In 2022 was the first one, and last year I wrote what I suspected might be the last and final word on it. So much for that idea.
Whatever I might have said last year, this year’s update will in fact be the last and final. While my interest in film photography dipped over the winter of 2023/2024 due to a number of personal distractions (hence a dearth of posts here in that period), it’s certainly not gone away, and it’s once again front-and-center in my mind on the creativity front as the weather turned more pleasant.
But, it’s also been awhile since I’ve bought a camera, and it seems clear that my collecting days are largely over — save for the occasional Yashica TLR that I might find in a non-working state and want to bring back to life. (I’ve tried my hand — often quite successfully — at repairing a broad range of cameras, but it’s the Yashica TLRs where I’ve had the most fun and most success, and going forward, it’s where I’ll keep my workbench primarily focused.)
So, with nearly 250 film cameras in my camera collection now, it’s become clear which ones I’m actually interested in longer-term, and which ones I’m not. Some cameras that really appealed to me last year, or the year before, no longer hold my interest, while others clearly do — and will continue to over the longer-term.
To compile this year’s list, I walked around my home, and looked inside every display cabinet, every camera shelf, every nook and cranny, for every film camera that I own. When I looked at the camera, what did I feel? What do I remember? Is it one I can’t wait to pick-up again and use? Each camera either sparks the joy of wanting to use it — or it doesn’t really give me that jab in the ribs. This is the list of the ones that do.
This year, I’m presenting this list in a different form. See how my thoughts may or may not align with yours.
The Cream of the Crop
Unsurprisingly, there are three cameras to top my list: one small format, one medium format, and one large format.
Linhof Master Technika
What? My favorite large format camera.
Why? My Linhof is, simply put, my pride and joy. Everything I need to say about it is in my review. But simply put, I like the camera, I like its engineering, I like its history, and I like that Linhof, albeit as a shadow of its former self, is still in business and producing this legendary camera.
Hasselblad 503CW
What? My favorite medium format camera.
Why? This camera being on my list will surprise precisely no one who’s ever visited this website and spent any time here. Even though I put it in this second position on the list, truth be told, if I had to get rid of every camera I own but one, it’s the Hasselblad that I’d keep. I have no other camera that takes better photographs as economically as this one. My review of it tells everything else about it.
Nikon F5
What? My favorite small format camera.
Why? While I do love my Nikon F4S, if I had to choose between it and the F5, it’s the F5 that would win out if for no other reason than it supports Nikon’s F-mount G-type and VR lenses. My review has more details, but wow… What a camera. I hope it never dies, as I don’t believe they can be repaired any longer.
The Special Mentions
These cameras are not the ones you’d expect to see on a list of favorite cameras. And yet, when I look at them, and I recall using them, and I think about their history, each one sparks the joy of photography in me, and I enjoy using them. As such, they belong on this list.
Kodak Duaflex II
What? My first camera.
Why? My maternal grandmother bought this for me when I was just a little kid (it was an antique even then), and I’ve used it since. Thankfully, the camera still works. It doesn’t take particularly great photos given its meniscus lens. It’s also a pain to use since I have to respool 120 film onto a 620 spool to load it. But using it takes me back to some of my earliest memories — and a bunch more in between then and now.
Minolta XG-1
What? My first “real” camera.
Why? I can still remember buying this camera new as a high schooler. The images I took with it were the first I ever processed myself in the school’s darkroom. It brings back memories of friends, field trips, and much more. It was never Minolta’s best camera, but it worked great then, and it still does today. And — it does indeed take some great images, thanks in large part to Minolta’s under-appreciated lenses.
Conley Kewpie No. 2
What? Just an old (old!) box camera.
Why? At roughly 110 years of age, this is the oldest camera that I own, and it still works perfectly, exposing film you can still buy today (120 roll film). With a meniscus lens and three position Waterhouse stop wheel, there’s no reason it should take good photos, and yet, it does. Every time I use it, it feels special to me. My grandparents were young children when it was made and sold through the Sears catalog. They may be long gone (as is the Sears catalog), but this camera is still chugging along just fine, thank-you-very-much.
The Second Tier
There are a number of runners-up that fall into the category of cameras that I am confident I’ll be shooting regularly well into the future, and there are myriad reasons why.
Yashica-Mat EM
What? Really just a regular old TLR, but a special one.
Why? I have three Yashica-Mat EMs, and every single one of them was bought cheaply as non-functional, “parts-only” cameras. One of them was an absolutely wreck, one was a near-museum-quality one, and the third sat somewhere in between. I’ve rescued them all, and all are outstanding cameras, just as all the Yashica TLRs I’ve used have been. But the EM sits in a nice spot in the family of their TLRs; crank-driven automatic advance like all the Mats, but miraculously, all three of mine have working selenium-cell meters that are accurate, defying logic (and perhaps the laws of physics). Someday soon, I’ll review it for the website.
Graflex Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic
What? The cutest press camera ever made. (I’m convinced.)
Why? There are two reasons this camera‘s on my list. First, it’s cute. (There, I said it.) Second, there’s something uniquely fun and appealing about using a Speed Graphic and its curtain shutter. It’s old school in every sense of the word, but whether with roll film or the now-rare 2×3 sheet film, it’s a joy to hold, a joy to look at, and a joy to use. Plus it does take a decent photo.
Rolleiflex Automat MX
What? A version of everyone’s favorite TLR.
Why? Because… Rolleiflex. I’d argue that the last of the great Rolleiflexes (the E and F models) are the best of the bunch — I wouldn’t know for certain because they got too expensive for me before I was able to consider acquiring one. But, the older models like my Automat MX are decent TLRs, and a classic choice. I don’t personally think they really take better photos than a decent, clean, and properly adjusted Yashica, but regardless, it’s a nice camera that’s well made and that does indeed deliver the goods.
Nikon F4S
What? A classic electronic SLR.
Why? The F4S was my first electronic Nikon SLR, and while I like the F5 a little better these days (see my previous comments), I’ll always have a place in my heart for the F4. What a camera — and a joy to use.
Ihagee Exakta Varex IIa
What? Descendant of the first commercially viable SLR for 35mm film.
Why? Maybe it’s the utter hell that this camera put me through (read all about it), or maybe it’s the fact it’s a unique entry in my collection. Or, maybe it’s the fact that it takes great images with terrific classic lenses. Whatever it is, I do love my Exakta Varex IIa — and the other examples of this camera family that came along since. But it’s the utter hell I’m going to remember, no doubt.
Kodak Retina Nr 117
What? The first camera designed to use then-new 135 roll film. And the first of the Kodak Retina camera family.
Why? This camera is an historic classic, and that’s probably all one needs to know about it. Designed by August Nagel, and built by his company after its acquisition by Kodak, I’d argue that it set in motion the popularity of a film format that survives today as the most-used in history. Cameras used 35mm film before the Retina 117, but it was the very first designed specifically for the 135 roll film we all still enjoy today.
Kodak Retina IIC Type 029
What? A rare camera that was one of the last of an era.
Why? Most collectors and enthusiasts of Kodak Retina folding cameras consider the Kodak Retina IIIC Type 028 to be the pinnacle of the Retina folders, but I think the IIC Type 029 edges it out. Why? It doesn’t have a selenium-cell light meter, most of which don’t work anymore on IIIC (or when they do, are almost never accurate). Dispensing with the meter means that the IIC isn’t saddled with any inoperative baggage, you could say, and still uses the same accessories and still takes the same great images as the IIIC does. It’s also a rare beast; it wasn’t produced for very long (apparently only a matter of months), it was never sold in the United States, and reportedly fewer than 20,000 were ever made. I don’t use mine as much as I should, but it’s one I’ll continue to return to time and again for its compact size, extremely high quality manufacture, and great images.
The Rest
There are three more cameras that spark joy when I see them for various reasons, and that belong on this list.
Minolta X-700
What? Minolta’s most popular SLR.
Why? There are three X-700 cameras in the house, and I guess I consider it a XG-1 on steroids. It uses the same lenses as my XG-1, it just has more going for it. It was supposedly the most popular SLR Minolta ever made, and it was produced for a very long period. They are also relatively easy to keep in working order. Regardless, it’s a great camera with a great feel, and truly enjoyable to use.
Mamiya 645 1000S
What? Mamiya’s most viable 6×4.5 camera.
Why? Mamiya made 6×4.5 (“645”) medium format cameras both before and after the 645 1000S, but I’d argue none are better. Even Mamiya experts can’t keep the later models going anymore due to a lack of parts and failing electronics, making the 1000S the last of worthy 6×4.5 models in a lot of ways. Great lenses and a high quality build make this one a keeper in my collection.
Yashica-D
What? Just an old TLR.
Why? There’s nothing special about the Yashica-D. Nothing at all. It doesn’t even have a crank advance or auto-cocking. Nevertheless, this simple TLR is classic Yashica: It just works, and it takes great images. I have four of them in the collection, and all but one were purchased as non-working wrecks and repaired and restored on my workbench with my own hands. That’s probably why I like them so much… You fix a basket case with your own hands and see outstanding results, and you can’t help but like the things.
Honorable Mentions
There are a few more cameras that will get a lot of use in my house. They belong on this list since they do spark some joy when I see them. Each is special in its own way.
- Mamiya RB67
This camera is a classic in every sense of the word, and I could make a very strong case that it deserves to be sorted elsewhere on the broader list. The problem, for me anyway, is that I just never warmed-up to 6×7 medium format frames. A roll will not fit into a single standard PrintFile 120 film protector, for one, making storing the negatives a little painful, and I don’t see the advantage of 6×7 over 6×6. Nevertheless, lots of film photographers adore this camera, and I find it to be an interesting, offbeat camera that I will absolutely be shooting from time-to-time. - Yashica FR-1
I’ve repaired two of these cameras, and both are excellent shooters with a nice selection of lenses. I do love mine, no doubt, but I also have a ton of SLRs, and the FR-1 doesn’t really float to the top. It’s a camera of its era, but I do like the story behind them. - Kodak Retina IIa Type 016
Considered by many Retina enthusiasts as one of the better of the series, I like them because like the other folding Retinas, they take great pictures, you can keep them in working order still, and they’re super small. I don’t reach for mine all the time, but when I do, I remember why. - Zorki S
I was gifted this camera by a good friend, and for that reason alone, I enjoy it. But it’s also the closest I’ll likely ever get to a Leica, and despite its humble origins, it’s a great shooter. - Minolta Autocord
As much as I like the Yashica TLRs, and my Rolleiflex, I’d probably — PROBABLY! — admit that the Autocord takes better pictures than either of them. It’s really that good. Or it is after I had it serviced, anyway. - Franka Solida
I have two different Solidas, and I repaired both on my workbench. They’re great little folding medium format cameras that nobody talks about nearly enough. They take nice pictures, too. No question that they stand in front of a lot of older folding MF cameras I’ve tinkered with over the years, including some legends like the Ikonta and the Solinar-equipped Agfa/Ansco folders. - Pentax Auto 110
I’m not a massive fan of the 110 roll film format, but I applaud Lomography in particular for keeping this format alive with excellent, fresh, newly-manufactured film. It’s great fun to shoot 110 sometimes, and while I like my Minolta 110 SLR, it’s the Pentax Auto 110 that makes 110 so much fun. It’s too bad that so many of these cameras no longer work and cannot be repaired — a fate that one of my three has succumbed to — but the ones that work? Great fun indeed. - Minolta 16
Everyone loves a spy camera, right? As much as I love my Goerz Minicord, I think when it comes to so-called “spy cameras,” my Minolta 16 takes the prize. Loading it with double-perf 16mm film is a pain, and it doesn’t take that great of an image. But it’s still fun to use, and I surprised myself at my own ability to get this tiny little camera working. It won’t be often, but this little guy will get some periodic use for sure. Will have to do a review here soon.
In Closing
I have no shortage of cameras, and I feel both fortunate and honored to have had the opportunity to work with so many classics from what I believe to be the golden age of photography. Truth be told, I’d happily enjoy the opportunity to use any of them again — with remarkably few exceptions. But there are only so many hours in the day, and so many days in a lifetime, and I’ve come to understand that it’s best to focus my efforts on the cameras that really get me jazzed. This post has the list of those cameras.
Whether you agree with I’ve had to say or not, I hope that you, too, have the chance to use a variety of film cameras of all types, formats, ages, conditions, and feature sets. It’s made an enjoyable hobby — film photography — even more interesting.
Happy shooting.
