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Question of the week: What’s a camera you used to own that you regret letting go?”

Every week, we ask newsletter subscribers a question about gear, creativity or life. Last week we asked readers: What’s a camera you used to own that you regret letting go of, and why?

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Many wrote in to share thoughtful and surprising responses. It was curious to see just how many shout-outs we saw for older film cameras.

Many regretted leaving behind high-end SLRs when they moved to digital. In hindsight it seems a new appreciation has grown for the simplicity and engineering of classic cameras.

A strong subset of responses congregated around medium-format cameras as well (you can count me among that group), which tended to deliver a slower, more deliberate process than 35mm, in part because the cameras generally weren’t designed for moving quickly.

Here are three of our favorite responses:

1.Canon F1

Canon’s first SLR designed for the professional market.

Image credit: Steve H/DPReview

Phil A: “I sold a Canon F1, some lenses and accessories to buy the first Nikon DSLR. Big mistake.”


2. NIKON F3P

The Nikon F3P was a modified F3 created for photojournalists. It was made to be extra durable with special seals for dust and sand resistance and removed the film door release lock, self-timer and multiple-exposure lever.

Image credit: Arne List/Wikipedia

Stephen E Lawrence: “The NIKON F3P, as it’s a working Pro camera that never failed me as a NPS member using it was easy to use, felt like a precision piece that it was and took great pictures every time.”


3. NIKON F2

The Nikon F2 was the company’s last all-metal mechanically-controlled professional-level Nikon SLR.

Image credit: Photopath/Wikipedia

A DPReview reader wrote: “NIKON F2. The F2 was the best looking 35mm film camera ever made. Also loved the sound of the F2 titanium shutter. Perfect. Such a satisfying camera to use and own.”


What’s your take? Let us know in the comments.

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This article comes from DP Review and can be read on the original site.

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