Your "walk around" camera

[cyrus]

I suppose that many large format photographers also have the habit of keeping a camera handy as they go about their ordinary days, What sort of camera do you carry around? ANd how much film do you consume with it? What sort of things do you photograph?

Personally I carry a medium format range-finder. I use up about 2 rolls of 120 B&W every weekend, and perhaps 1 role during the course of the week. My shots are mostly of my daily commute but that's getting repetitious and boring (though I did walk by a fire department and finally managed to get a good shot of the fire truck) Of course, I actually have a wonderful and spectacular commute compared to most other people due to the location of my office (pass by the Brooklyn Bridge etc) but after 5 yaers I've grown habituated to the NYC scenery and I am often surprised at the things that my out-of-town friends consider to be neat. So to break the monotony I am thinking of changing cameras to something fun- like one of them Lomos with the fisheye lenses

[roteague]

My walk around camera is a Nikon N80, loaded as always with Fuji Velvia. I also keep a little Canon A510 P&S in my backpack.

[davidb]

My walk around is an Xpan but today I did a nice walk with my Hasselblad 503 and 40mm lens.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Voigtlander Perkeo II, a folding 6x6 viewfinder camera with a shoe-mount rangefinder, usually loaded with Tri-X.

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/photo/grant.jpg

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/photo/towers.jpg

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/temp/N,NewJacket,CP,Feb2004.jpg

[Steve Bell]

My walk around camera is a Mamiya C220 with the 55mm lens fitted. It could be loaded with HP5 or Provia 400. If I shoot anything interesting that would benefit from re shooting with 4x5, I'll revisit.

[Gary Smith]

Currently I am using a Bronica ETRSi, with three lenses, which I keep in a backpack. THe Mamiya 645 Pro stays at home most of the . THough I have a Mamiya 220 to use in a hurry when the mood strikes me.

Gary

[Amund BLix Aaeng]

Very often a Bessa L with a 25mm , sometimes a Bronica ETRs with a 75mm, both fed with Tri-X. But I got bit by the Polaroid bug last week, so I`ll probably use that a lot now :)

[Ole Tjugen]

Sometimes a Bessa-L with a 21mm, sometimes any one of several old MF folders. And occasionally a Voigtländer Bergheil - either a 6.5x9 or a 9x12, either one with Heliar lens.

[Ash]

Zorki-4k with collapsible Industar-50 :D

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/6185/Untitled-5a_sm.jpg

Usually I have a bulk roll of Ilford Pan F+ 50, everything turns out soft with huge tonal range. like here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/6187/medium/Untitled-10_sm.jpg

I'd like to carry round my Rolleicord but its twice as big and (as heavy as) the zorki. (links are straight out of my rangefinder forum gallery, hope they dont mind hotlinking)

[Bill_1856]

After 40 years of keeping a Minox in my pocket, I've switched to a Minolta Xt (3 MP digital, slips in my shirt pocket). I've used it more in the last two years than the previous 40 put together. How much film? I don't need no stinkin' film. Nor wait months or weeks to develop before the roll is finished, either. Shoot it today, print it tonight!

[Ted Harris]

At least one 4x5, usually a Toyo AII, is in the back of the Explorer always. Admittedly, I know it won't come out unless there is an extraordinary opportunity when I am involved in other things like buying groceries but you never know. I never walk around without a 3.4 MP Minolta digital camera in my shirt pocket or Olympus E 300 handy. When I am just out for a stroll with the dogs and know imaes will be comingmy way then it is the Fuji 690II around my neck instead of the digital.

[darr]

I prefer my Pentax 67 and Mamiya 7 for walk-arounds because of the film size, but I have been using Nikons and Leicas for over 30 years loaded with most anything fast or what looked good pushed. As the years have passed, I have pretty much settled on color slide film as my film of choice (100-400 speed for walk-arounds) and develop it myself in an ATL 1000. I find I can post process it to black and white if I need to or adjust development as necessary. I look for color slide film bargains (Kodak Elite 400 at the moment) and freeze it. Here are a few "handheld" snaps:

Nikon F3, 28 mm, Kodak HS Infrared: "Abandon Drive-In"

http://cameraartist.com/images/20060318204320_abandon_drive_in.jpg



Leica M7, 35/f2.0 mm, Kodak Elite 400: "3:55 AM"

http://cameraartist.com/images/three_fiftyfive.jpg



Pentax 67II, 55-100 mm, Ektachrome 100: "Nowhere"

http://cameraartist.com/images/20060617093832_nowhere.jpg



Mamiya 7II, 65 mm, Ektachrome 100: "Wallflower & Door"

http://cameraartist.com/images/20060408002906_santa_fe_door.jpg

[Paul Coppin]

Crap, I've got one of those kettles. I'll have to get it out!

[Paul Coppin]

Oh yeah, walk around cameras... I'm heavily conflicted in this area. I have bought too many cameras over the years, ALL of which I like to shoot from time to time, but few of them are P&S variety, and reality is, I don't feel like carrying the acoutrements they (I think) need , so I wind up not taking any. Photo trips have gone from being casual snapshooting as a kid/teenager to "purposeful" ventures, requiring my truck and a ton of technocrap.
Measured against capability of modern lenses/bodies, shirt-pocket cameras leave me cold with the results. I've really been thinking about a small 35mm pinhole for walking. LF has pretty much caved in 35mm for me for more "serious" shots.
Still, if I am walking with camera, my fave is my Minolta 800si. If I'm up for it, the ETRSi and a monopod. I keep wondering whether I should buy a cheap vest pocket digital (already have a Nikon 950 and a Dimage 7 - a whirring, chirping monument as to why Minolta finally bit the weinie as a camera maker. How a company can go from as wonderful a machine as the 800si to the Dimages boggles the mind, but I digress.). Fact is, I have little use now for a camera that can't give me the technical quality of a good but largish 35 or MF or 4x5, unless it has some creative gimmick to it- hence pinhole.) Maybe I just don't have time to work up a vision with an ordinary P&S.

[jnantz]

a mamiya 6 iv and a graflex rb series d.
the graflex works well for a weapon too
( the original leather strap broke 10 years ago
and i changed it to woven bookbinders "rope/thread",
so it is much easier to swing and hit a target ... )

[Ron Marshall]

My Contax Aria often keeps me company on walks, with Neopan 400.

[Donald Qualls]

I currently vacillate between my Speed Graphic with Agnar 105/4.5, set hyperfocal at f/32 and locked open for use with focal plane shutter, and my very recently acquired Super Ikonta 532/16. The Super Ikonta is a lot easier to carry and use, but those 4x5 negatives won't let go. Acquisition of more film holders will surely tip the balance in the direction of the Speed, but even a heavy, bulky 6x6 folder (not much lighter than my Kodak Reflex II TLR, albeit much more compact even when open) and a pocket full of film is a lot easier to carry than a 4x5 press camera and bag of film holders...

[paulr]

Mine is a motorola cell phone. I just haven't figured out how to get the pictures OUT of the phone.

Before that i had an olympus stylus (fun, but it broke) and and the mini rollei 35 camera that you focus by guessing ... super cool, but too clunky. rebayed that one.

[Helen Bach]

Finding the perfect camera to carry in my handbag (purse in US) has been a lifelong quest. A Rollei 35T or S is as near-perfect as I've got, but I've also tried a Yashica T5 (too much shutter lag), a Minox 35 (didn't last long), a Minilux (OK, but not perfect), a Nikon AWAF P&S (great in all weather, robust, but bulky) and others I've forgotten about. Small digital cameras just can't compete with small film cameras in low light. At the moment I carry a Fuji Natura loaded with Portra 800, Natura 1600 or EK 5299 (500T). I use it mostly to take pictures of friends. The Natura has a 24 mm f/1.9 lens, which is excellent, but it is also an autofocus. That's the most annoying thing about it. Most of the time I'm carrying a camera bag anyway. I usually add a Nikonos for bad weather.

Best,
Helen

[Graham Patterson]

A Rollei 35 usually does my commute with me. Casual trips usually mean the Yashicamat (I have a close-up set, hood and filters on the strap). Sometimes I will use a Zeiss 6x6 folder.

[Eric Leppanen]

My Nikon D70 is my walk-around camera these days. Just too darn convenient: I can immediately edit, email or print the images without any lab or scanner hassle. It's also used for Ebay photos and other various photo tasks around the house. A jack of all trades.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Sounds like what most of you have are schlepp-around cameras. A MF camera for a handy carry-along? My feeling is that if it needs a backpack to haul it, it is no longer a fun, quick carryaround. I'm using a Leica D Lux 2.

[raucousimages]

Leica MP with Tri-X. Small, Quiet.

[Frank Petronio]

The Treo 650 phone seems almost as good as a Lomo to me. Seriously. That and the Nikon D70 with a small prime 35/2. The P&S digicams are too comprised and the D70 isn't that much harder to carry.

I still stash my Olympus XA and Stylus in the glove or bottom of the suitcase. And the Crown Graphic stays in the back of the car, ready to use.

[Gordon Coale]

Mostly it's a Leica IIIc with a collapsible Industar-50. It usually has Fuji Superia Xtra 400 color film in it.

[Gordon Moat]

Often a Nikon FM with one or two lenses. Sometimes a Yashica GT for questionable neighborhoods. Occaissionally one of my folder cameras, either a 6x4.5 or more likely a 6x9. I have also put an SX-70 and a 250 Automatic to the walk-around status. Basically, with fifteen cameras and many more lenses, I probably have too many choices, but I usually try to have a camera on me. There was a time briefly that I only picked up a camera when I was getting paid for it, but then I decided that I needed to work on portfolio shots and keep practicing.

I have thought that either a 4x5 walk-around camera, or maybe a panorama camera might be nicer. Most of the areas I walk-around are urban city zones, so I would hate to attract too much attention by having an unusual camera, or a tripod.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio
<http://www.allgstudio.com>

[Hiro]

Typically Canon's 2mp PowerShot or one of old 35mm RFs (Konica, Retina, etc.). Recently bought a 6x6 folding camera and find it a good (and fun) walk-around camera--light, small, quiet, etc. I wish those came with faster (~f 2) lenses (or did they?).

[Wayne Crider]

K1000 with 50mm F2 and FP4+ or Yashica 124 and Delta.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

A Rollei 35T or S is as near-perfect as I've got
Helen

Yep, it is what I used to carry and still have. The little camera is perfect! But since I only use it to document sites I want to return to photograph with the LF I have found out my phone camera works great for this, and I can record a comment with it.....I see no need to carry a walk around anymore.

[CXC]

>>Small digital cameras just can't compete with small film cameras in low light.

Is this some sort of typo? I can get decent images by single candlelight with a p&x digicam, which would require quite a bit of fuss to attempt with film.

[Capocheny]

M6 and Rapidwinder with 35 Summicron f/2/0 or Panasonic LC-1

The M6 is always loaded with XP2.

Have thought about one of those Fuji MF Rangefinder cameras but found them really hard to focus. My eyesight isn't what it use to be!

Cheers

[CXC]

I don't carry a walk-around camera. I'm either out on a shoot or I am not. It is too easy (for me) to become a slave to the camera; there are other things in life.

That said, vacations are generally one big shoot for me. If for some reason I leave the 4x5 in the room/car, I may bring the Brooks-Plaubel Veriwide "6x10" to grab stuff with.

[BrianShaw]

I'm mostly like what Christopher describes (above posting). But when I do take a camera with me and have no pre-planned plans, it is a Kodak Retina IIIc.

[Iskra 2]

It depends, this time it was a Yashica Electro GT and Kodak Max 800.

[Ash]

I'm buying a Fed2 with collapsible 50mm from a member of RFF. I'm expecting this to usurp the Zorki's prime position as the walk-around, depending on the quality. I can't really imagine carrying anything larger than medium format with me.

I totally agree that image quality on a film camera surpasses digital p&s, in any light actually. It's all down to technique in low light, and the film you use ;)

[Iskra 2]

....... and then sometimes for the risky situations Minnie (Minox 35GL) and Kodak Max 800 is best.

[MJSfoto1956]

Mamiya 7 II (usually just the 80mm).
Here is a shot I took in San Diego recently with a 150mm lens:

http://static.flickr.com/1/190051223_e1d7c57d5e.jpg

J Michael Sullivan
Editor/Publisher, MAGNAchrom

[Ron Stowell]

Konica Auto S2 or My Mamiya Six or the Yashica 124G all with EFKE 100---- depends on my mood and what the day feels like.

[Sheldon N]

I don't usually have a "walk around" camera, I'm either shooting purposefully or I'm not shooting. I spend about equal time between my EOS 3 with Tri-X, 20D, and Hasselblad 500CM with Tri-X. All three feel like point and shoots compared to LF. ;-)

One thing I have done is toss my Olympus XA loaded with B&W or color neg film into the belt pocket of my LF backpack. That way I can take a quick shot that may have potential but is not quite worth setting up the full camera kit.

[Robert Skeoch]

I switched to Canon from Nikon when the Mark II came out but never bothered to buy a film body until a few weeks ago. To make sure it works I shot one test roll of colour and took it to the lab on Saturday.
I plan to use the Eos IV with my 35 1.4 and delta 100, but I haven't bought the film yet.
Maybe this week.
I'm a bit nervous about shooting 35mm and having a nice shot with the small negative. I've considered some of the MF rangefinders but haven't bought one. Years ago I borrowed a folding Fuji 645 with rangefinder focus and have thought that it might be the answer for a light, easy to carry, simple to use camera for b&w snaps.
-Rob

[Chris Strobel]

Canon 20d is my walk around.Here's My feeble kettle attempt 8O

http://www.pbase.com/cloudswimmer/image/57351103/original.jpg


Crap, I've got one of those kettles. I'll have to get it out!

[David Luttmann]

Canon D30 for street work. Bessa R3A and Konica T3 autoreflex when I want film.

[Iskra 2]

35mm "walk around" is a last resort to MF or LF for me. Too many times a good shot is lost when enlarged. My serious "walk around" camera is the Iskra 2 loaded with Portra 160VC or Astia 100F. Then of course there is "Kong", the "Speed Graphic" for the "money" shots,:D I wish.

A quick Iskra 2 shot before the weather change.

Regards.

[Brian Ellis]

Canon 5D

[Sanders McNew]

I'm with David Goldfarb on this one: German folders rule. I go for the Balda Super Baldax -- it's a little bigger than the Perkeo but has a coupled rangefinder, much faster to shoot that way. I won't post examples to the board but you can find samples at this URL:

www.mcnew.net/6x6

As for Jeffrey Sipress's remark about MF cameras being too big: My Balda shoots 6x6 but it's smaller and lighter than most 35mm rangefinders. So there! :-P

Sanders McNew

[cyrus]

My feeling is that if it needs a backpack to haul it, it is no longer a fun, quick carryaround.

But what would I do with the backpack then?:)

[Frank Petronio]

It's kind of nice to be able to shoot in low light tho - which rules out the medium format folders for walking when it isn't bright out.

[Sanders McNew]

It's kind of nice to be able to shoot in low light tho - which rules out the medium format folders for walking when it isn't bright out.

Frank! I have one word for you:

Diafine.

http://www.mcnew.net/6x6/slides/015MaeveVestibule.html

(Handheld folder shot @ 1/5 second in a dim rolling Amtrak train vestibule, en route to Florida -- TX exposed at EI 1250 and processed in Diafine.)

[David A. Goldfarb]

Sanders and I are on the same track. I use TX/Acufine with my folder when I need the extra speed. That night shot of the "Towers of Light" I posted above was f:3.5, 1 sec, with my Perkeo II braced against a signpost.

[Jack Flesher]

Another set of votes for the Mamiya 7ii and Canon 20D. Then add in a Leica C-Lux1 shirt-pocket digi P&S.

[David R Munson]

Depends on the day, really. Sometimes it's the Mamiya 645 with the 80/1.9. Others it's the Nikon F3P or F4 with a 50/1.2 or 24/2. Sometimes its the Holga. Sometimes its the Kiev 4A with a 50/2. A different camera for every mood...

Except for the mood that dictates a Pentax 67. Still have to grab one of those.

[Per Madsen]

Nikon 28Ti with Tri-X.

[Remigius]

Mostly the EOS 5D, sometimes when I go out at night the Contax RTS with Delta 3200. Both are quite ok in low light conditions.

[joolsb]

My Fuji GA645W because of the autofocus (admittedly a bit hit or miss with a simple straight-through viewfinder) and programme mode. When I'm not using a tripod, I don't like to have to think too much :)

I also have a Pentax LX, but that doesn't get out much these days ;) and I shall probably get a digital compact in due course...

[Jim MacKenzie]

Depends on my mood...

Olympus Stylus Epic ...
Fed 2 with collapsible I-22 50/3.5...
Sometimes a Nikon FE with a 28/2.8 or 50/1.4

I can get good 11x14s out of my 35mm stuff... so the quality is sufficient if photography isn't my primary objective.

The idea of doing handheld work with one of my Speed Graphics is kind of intriguing, though.

[Sal Santamaura]

Finding the perfect camera to carry in my handbag (purse in US) has been a lifelong quest. A Rollei 35T or S is as near-perfect as I've got...Not carrying a handbag or purse, I was perfectly happy with the 35S in a belt pouch. The thing that kept it from being perfect was that sharp-edged screw head (adjacent to the viewfinder) which scratched my plastic eyeglass lenses. Should have just put a piece of tape over it and kept the camera...

[Jeremy Moore]

it has been a weird mix lately, but usually iskra (russian 6x6 rangefinder), holga, or digital rebel

come september i'm looking at switching to carrying the panasonic lumix dmz-lx2 if the noise is better than the current version

[Kerik Kouklis]

Depending on location, mood, etc:

Canon 5D
Mamiya 7
Zeiss Ikon Suer Ikonta IV (6x6)
Diana

[lee nadel]

hi lecia 50mm -28mm color i can find 36 images in 1 hour with my dogs if i'm tuned in the walk around is the freeist time like steiglez shooting his lover in the am i like to shoot before i wake up oh he did that to georgia! maybe i should post a walk i may need some tech help to post 36 images . lest start a post where we can see the times when we just take pictures with out all the ego or what just happens when we react to the beauty in our lives -backyards - best to all

[genecrumpler]

Hasselblad 500cm/80mm/prism-Delta 100.

[phaedrus]

Leica MP , Voigtl&#228;nder f/5,6 12 mm, Elmarit f/2,8 28 mm, Summicron f/2,0 50 mm and Elmar-C f/4,0 9 cm. Film is Fuji Neopan 100 Arcos during daytime and Neopan 1600 at night or inside. I use about 1 Acros a week and one 1600 a month. All fits inside a small rucksack that also carries my folders and documents.

Christoph

[Jay DeFehr]

I carry my Olympus XA with me always. It's an amazing little feat of engineering, and never fails me. I don't leave home without it.

Jay

[Hans Berkhout]

MP black paint with 2.0/50 sometimes 2.0/35. TriX or HP5+ always in D23 1:1 @24C.

[QT Luong]

Canon 1DsII with 24-105. Not exactly a small/light, but I can tell truthfully people that it is my small camera. If the newly announced Panasonic LX2 is usable to 400ASA or even 200, I'll get one :-)

[Donald Brewster]

A Mamiya 7, if I'm being somewhat purposeful. I keep a Leica mini-zoom in my briefcase at all times.

[Bob McCarthy]

Film
Leica M2 w/ 35/50/90
Nikon F5 w/ a goodly mix of manual (AIS) and AF

Digital
D2x with Nikon lenses mentioned above

Swim around
Nikonos IV

Talk around
Palm Treo

[David Karp]

I carry my Olympus XA with me always. It's an amazing little feat of engineering, and never fails me. I don't leave home without it.

Jay

I had one. Great camera. Dropped it on the asphalt in Barcelona while on my honeymoon. Not repairable. Later replaced it with a black Olympus Stylus Epic. Dropped that one on the asphalt at the hospital when my first son was born. Would have cost almost as much as a new one to repair it. Moral: Don't bring an Olympus you care about to an important life event.

[Frank Petronio]

Ha, it is not the Olympus that is at fault Dave...

[Andrew_4548]

I used to carry around an XA - great little camera but mine had been filled with sand by a previous owner and I eventually wanted something more P&S / quicker for snapshotting.

Tried a Canon 28-90 film compact but the shutter lag was a joke and too idiot level / no control over it. It said in the manual that the only way to tell the shutter had closed was when you heard it wind on... :(

Had a Canon S40 for quite a few years but this eventually fell apart and got some dry joints inside so it would power off at inopportune moments. Liked it apart from the start-up time of nearly 5 seconds.

Someone at work came in with an Digital Ixus 65 compact yesterday - seems ideal for shirt pocket carrying and looked to take reasonable piccies from the stuff he took. Could be tempted but no funds at the moment as I've other photo priorities... ;)

[PigleT]

Depends whether it's a trip to the shops or with photographical intent, here. I've always got my mobile on me (3 lousy MPels); the normal bag has an olympus e-500 (+2 lenses) and bronica SQa (+80mm lens - the 105mm comes out rarely) in it. (Sometimes it gets cut-down to the olympus if space is a premium.) Real excursions merit the Shen Hao.

[Rick Moore]

Another vote for the Rollei 35S. Second choice lately is a Kiev II with the Orion 28mm.

[Michael Daily]

Panasonic/Leica Digilux or Leica IIIa/50 Summar f2.0/Ilford Pan F-- number of images varies.
Michael

[David Karp]

Ha, it is not the Olympus that is at fault Dave...

True, true. But luckily my real walk around cameras - Canon F1 (mechanical) and FTb have survived since the 1970s, and I have not busted a view camera yet (knock knock).

Come to think of it, I did dent the filter ring on the rear element of my Fuji 450C during my last trip to Yosemite . . . .

[Christopher Perez]

Mamiya 7

I used to carry Rollei 35S and T models. Alas, 35mm is too small.

I wanted to quip that the 8x10 Deardorff was my walking around camera. Anyone who visited with me at the Brooks Steamup last weekend would smile at the thought of this. A short in stature man hauling that huge rig all over the Powerland grounds. :)

[optV]

If I were to buy a cam specifically for this it would be a bessa R2 (used) or a mamiya 7II, right now, its a nikon FG (tiny)

[lloydlim]

Iskra, Zorki6, Fed2, Yashica GSN - one of them would always be with me.
Sometimes the Crown Graphic with a 120mm Digitar and a grafmatic, when it is a nice sunny day (The Kalart rangefinder is adjusted for this lens, but I cannot handhold it below 1/30 which means I need quite a lot of light :)

[leeturner]

Olympus 35 RC plus an old Olympus Trip in the glove compartment.

[Gordon Coale]

Leica IIIc with a Jupiter 12 35/2.8 or the Zorki 3M with a Jupiter 8 50/2 or maybe the Ricoh Diacord.

[Richard Kelham]

OK, just a l'l old Nikon FE10 with a beat-up 35mm lens. Fine for street shots and as an aide memoire, and doesn't get in the way...much.

Of course a Leica CL would be nice (is there an emoticon for "dream on"?).



Richard

[Ralph Barker]

For me, it's a Leica M6TTL. It often scouts for its big brother. ;)

[brian steinberger]

I love my Mamiya 7ii, with the 80/4 lens. Most of this time is loaded with HP5. The prefect combination of large negative, compact size, and silence.

[paulr]

my walkaround camera is my highly flawed memory.

[Donald Brewster]

Mamiya 7II w/80mm lens. I keep a Leica mini-zoom in my briefcase.

[Michael Graves]

Moskva 5

http://www.mwgraves.com/Photography/Bouys.jpg


http://www.mwgraves.com/Photography/seafood%20market.jpg

[Gordon Moat]

With 15 cameras, I have many choices. Often it can be a 1937 AGFA Jsollette loaded with transparency film, but then I need to drag a Sekonic with me for metering. I have an adapter on the tripod mount to hold a Pr&#228;siza rangefinder, and transfer the distance to the front lens element focus ring. Other than that one, I have an AGFA 6x9 which is great for walkaround, or I can just grab one of several Nikon SLRs.

Sometimes it is fun to just walk around with a viewfinder, and scout locations for using my 4x5. I always need to work on practice, and improving my selection of images for my portfolio. So when I am not shooting for a client, I try to always have some camera, or a viewfinder . . . the idea being to think about photography as much as possible. If I need a break, I drag along a sketch book.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[Harley Goldman]

5D or Canon S45 for pure snapshots.

[Lee Hamiel]

Good question to post here

I do not officially have a "walk around camera" at least for now as I am trying to decide what to get for this purpose.

My preference would be to always have a camera with me - bought one daughter a Stylus Epic with the fixed lens - nice little camera - gave my one son a Rollei 35 German version that my dad gave me & wanted my son to have it - bought another for my older son - both of them use them all the time with great results - had a Leica M6 that I also gave to my older son - sorry I'm rambling as I'm thinking here.

Still have a couple of bulk rolls of TP Tech Pan in the fridge & combining with an older Leica with a collapsible Summicron would be the ideal for me at this point - maybe an M2 or M3.

I am also wrestling with forcing myself to learn how to use a Nikon D200 well - last few days I have made a lot of progress & am very pleased & yet it's a bit much to carry all the time so to speak. Last round I did not chimp a single shot & am waiting until thursday to review:)

Otherwise I guess I will just have to simply get a banquet camera for the quick grab shots ...

[alec4444]

Interesting; most of the respondents still stick to film... Me too. My "walk around" (aka lug around) camera has been the Rollei 6008 with either the 40mm Zeiss or the 90mm Schneider Macro. The damn thing is a tank, but it does take beautiful photos. I was going to sell it to fund the 11x14, but my wife wouldn't let me. Ha, jealous anyone? :D I love it too, but it's a bit big and a bit noisy, and I feel a bit awkward shooting it in churches.

Typically shoot Efke R25 or R50.

...and every once in a while I'll throw in a roll of color print film, to make sure I still remember how to print with it!

--A

[MJSfoto1956]

Mamiya 7II. Some recent pix:

http://static.flickr.com/85/233317890_e65e43c21e.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/93/231980516_c0b59376fe.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/68/229740936_de53c19d9b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/59/228857473_18178e3390.jpg

[Andrew O'Neill]

Canham Lightweight 8x10.

[Per Madsen]

Nikon 28 Ti.

Build like a tank and small.

[john collins]

Olympus XA - extremely sharp lens, much better than the usual faire for an inexpensive point & shoot.

[Randy H]

The Canon AE1 with everything from 24mm to 1000mm lives in the floorboard of the car. I learned from some early classmates, that being at the right place at the right time is worthless if you don't have your camera with you, loaded and ready to shoot. They were fortunate enough to be there, done that, and sell some excellent "current event" shots to the local newspaper. (Plane crash, big truck wreck, etc, etc)

[Marko]

Well, I have a feeling that this section is going to have an update soon. Leica just announced M8. It is a 10 MPix 1.3x crop digital camera.

This is just an annoucement, but based on the details available, it looks like they are really serious about going digital.

[Ron Marshall]

Well, I have a feeling that this section is going to have an update soon. Leica just announced M8. It is a 10 MPix 1.3x crop digital camera.

This is just an annoucement, but based on the details available, it looks like they are really serious about going digital.

$5645. Online review:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/leicam8/

[Gordon Moat]

Well, I have a feeling that this section is going to have an update soon. Leica just announced M8. It is a 10 MPix 1.3x crop digital camera.

This is just an annoucement, but based on the details available, it looks like they are really serious about going digital.

Hello Marko,

I don't know if you get Leica Fotographie International (LFI), but there were a few articles about the previous Digital Module R comparing it to film shots, B/W, colour negative, and transparency. At least on a full page commercially printed high quality magazine, that 10 MP was quite good enough, though the scanned film images were also quite good, and subjectively better in some of the examples. Anyone considering using one as a professional solution for publications would probably be interested in those articles and example images. Seeing the results in print is substantially better than trying to judge quality on a computer monitor.

Obviously a high quality scanner can cost nearly as much as a Digital Module R or the upcoming M8. I think there are enough people who have been screaming about wanting these devices for a while . . . hopefully all those past comments will entice people to buy these things, and help Leica stay in business.

The past attraction of using a Leica M rangefinder was in some ways that aspect of it appearing to be a simple and inexpensive camera to casual observers who did not know about Leica. In some ways again, the M8 could fool the unknowing into thinking is was some casual and inexpensive point and shoot digital. While possibly funny, this can be a good aspect for a walk around camera.

Last year the Leica reps loaned me an M7 with their 90mm f2.0. I still feel that is a combination that I would like to own at some point, not as a toy or prized possession, but as an actual working camera. I still shoot 35mm, some medium format, and lots of 4x5 for my work. It all gets digitized at some point to be delivered to a client or publication.

Okay, so it is cool new toys are coming out, and Leica might find this a path to profitability. I wish them luck with this camera. What would impress me more is an M9 using that shutter set-up, and still using film. Unless Leica develop a future service to replace the chip in an M8 with something larger in a couple years, it is a technological dead end . . . however, that is strictly my opinion.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[bruce terry]

Leica O. No rangefinder, no electricity, carries in an incredibly-slim leather case or slips in a pocket. Fast and easy once you get the hang of estimating distance and exposure. Not quite there yet but I'm having fun working on it.

Here's that huge newfangled M8:
http://www.leicatime.com/M8blackFrontOfficial.jpg
http://www.leicatime.com/M8blackTopOfficial.jpg
http://www.leicatime.com/M8blackBackOfficial.jpg

[Marko]

Hello Marko,

I don't know if you get Leica Fotographie International (LFI)



What would impress me more is an M9 using that shutter set-up, and still using film. Unless Leica develop a future service to replace the chip in an M8 with something larger in a couple years, it is a technological dead end . . . however, that is strictly my opinion.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

Hi Gordon,

No, I'm not receiving LFI - I don't own a Leica and never did. There was a time when I wanted to but couldn't afford it. Now that I can afford it, I don't want to. Money can't buy happines, but it can fend off a lot of misery. And God knows there's so much misery in the world that I just couldn't be happy enough with it to justify spending that sort of money on a hobby.

My interest in them is purely academical, as I consider them one of the true benchmarks of contemporary photographic technology. They have made their name not only with their quality, but also by being so thoroughly conservative that their shift to digital truly marks an end of an era.

That, and the fact that they couldn't possibly improve it any more, is why I wouldn't want them to make another film camera. My opinion is that small format film is finally dead - it was no more than the best available compromise for hand held shooting devised almost a hundred years ago. The reality is that digital is now a much better compromise and even Leica has just acknowledged that fact.

[Frank Petronio]

I think Marko is right here but I wouldn't be afraid to invest in an M8 as a long term camera. 10mp is plenty of information, the 1.33x crop is probably the best we can expect given the physics of the shorter rangefinder lenses, and there are a million wonderful and interesting Leica lenses to play with. The only real drawback (besides the Leica prices of course) are that the finder seems biased towards the wider end of the lens spectrum, making it not so hot for fashion or portraiture, at least until the .95X finder version comes out.

An easily upgraded chip would be a nice dream but I doubt it.

Anyhow, bravo to Leica, now maybe they will stay in business for another generation...

[Jan_6568]

Canon EOS50, usually with Zeiss Biotar 1.5 75mm is my companion, sometimes its East German Praktica L2, sometimes it is Exacta Varex IIb, but this lovely camera is a little to delicate...

Jan

[austin granger]

Hey everybody; it's been a long time.

My "walk-around" is a Mamiya 7II, otherwise known as the "Texas Leica." With the standard lens, it's about as light and simple as some pro 35mm setups.

For my birthday later this month, I'm planning to climb Mt. Saint Helens. Even at the sort of sprightly age of 36, I just can't see lugging the 8x10 up there. The Mamiya will do quite nicely.

[dietcookie]

I just picked up a Certo Super Sport Dolly for next to nothing. Came with a 6x4.5 mask and I just hacked away at it till it was 6x6! Can't wait to start putting rolls through it.

[cyrus]

My latest walk around camera: a box brownie! Works just fine!

[Joe Blaze]

Plaubel 670 with Portra 160

[Dan Ingram]

Pentax ME Super, 28mm lens, loaded with Velvia or Tri-X, depending on what I have more of in my freezer. It's light, fast, and takes up very little room in my backpack. Plus, if it breaks I can buy a new one for about $50 on the auction site. I love my big cameras best, but these little Pentax 35s are sure a lot of fun.

[J Peterson]

Polaroid SX-70 Alpha 1. Folds completely flat to a couple centemeters.

[adrian tyler]

hasselblad swc, fave all-time camera, i use it as a mini 4x5 by cropping off 1.5 cm, when we get a full frame 6x6 digitalback i'll be first to get one just for this camera.

[turtle]

Leica M or Bronica RF645. I love both of them. I used to have a LF kit that qualitied aslmost as such as I could fit it all in the small Orion trekker with the normal top and padded bottom:

Ebony RSW45
Nikkor 90 F8
150 5.6 Xenar
203 Ektar
Readyload Holder
Acros Quickloads
Ebony ultralight darkcloth
Velbon Sherpa tripod
Polyester B&W filters (weigh nothing) in a Lee holder/adapter.

Weighed very little and no bother to wander about with all day

[MenacingTourist]

Right now it's the Zenobia folder. Other times it's the Yashica Mat-124 or 12. I'm really digging the Zenobia because it fits so well in my messenger bag.
I probably go through a roll every couple of weeks.

Alan.

[Toyon]

Pentax K1000. A great bang around camera with good cheap lenses. However, I like to shoot concerts, and the shutter is just too noisy. If money were available I would be happy with a nice quiet Voigtlander rangefinder. Nifty things. Best film for low light? Neopan 1600.

[cyrus]

Voigtlander and Zeiss Ikon rangefinders are under $30 on Ebay, sometimes complete with leather case (Voigtlander Vito CLR is a good choice, though the Zeiss Ikon "Bullseye" Contarex is of course far more expensive.)

I must admit to buying a few of these...

[Dick Hilker]

I carry either a Contax TVS II 35mm or a Fuji FinePix A500 p&s digital in a case on my belt and use them much more frequently than the Wista 45RF that's usually in the car. Lately, the digital gets used most of the time for the grab shots when the LF would be too cumbersome and/or the quality of the image isn't as important.

[m messerly]

Fun thread. I carry several different cameras, most common is a Leica IIIf. Next would be a Rolleicord or Rolleiflex, each ca. 1952. Here's one from the Rolleiflex.
http://horsewith3tails.com/Random&#37;20Squares%201/images/Wig%201.jpg

[JPlomley]

Mamiya 7 with 65/80/150 combo in a Domke drab olive FX3 supercompact canvas bag loaded with XP2 Super and Provia 100F. I'm looking for a nice 43mm to round out the kit. Anyone selling:D Phenomenal image quality in a very light package. Smokes my previously owned DSLR kit.

[scrichton]

since buying it I have had my speedgraphic welded into my bag with Aero Ektar and 135mm Plus a nikon D1x or an F4 dependent on whether I can assed developing more film at night.

Since 1998 I have carried a lowepro bag everywhere I go with a camera in it. Either that or I'll have a contax T2 shoved in my pocket for the rare occasions without it.

[Sandeha]

Right now an Agifold 6x6 loaded with Velvia 50 and a Zeiss Ideal 6.5x9 loaded with Neopan 400 (EI 800 my fav).

But it would be a different answer next week.

[Jeremy Moore]

still carrying the lumix lx-2, but it has been joined by a Fuji GA645

[Colin Graham]

Just got more film for my Franka Solida 6x6. What a great camera. Almost fits in the wrench pocket of my Carhartts.

[Eric James]

Earlier I went on record with the Contax T3 - but that's more of a drive-around camera that I keep in my vehicle. If I'm not up to LF I use a Nikon FM3a with 28mm AIS 50mm 1.8 AIS, and 105mm f2.5 AIS with (formerly a Gitzo 1228) a Gitzo 2530 as a "walk-around" kit. If I can't deal with a tripod I take the 35mm f1.4 and the 85mm f1.4.

Those of you who shoot with the Mamiya 7 have minimized weight and maximized quality - how often do those attributes come together!

[JPlomley]

Those of you who shoot with the Mamiya 7 have minimized weight and maximized quality - how often do those attributes come together!

Everytime I click the shutter ;)

[FRED COLE]

:) :)

[Stefan Lungu]

I am still waiting for my first 4x5, but have the Mamiya RB67 for now. For a walk around it's either a "Roland" 6x4.5 german ragefinder or the Canon 300D with a 35mm Summicron on it.

[David Luttmann]

Wow....this thread was brought back to life. Since last year, I sold off the Bessa R3a. Now it's only my old Konica T3 for 35mm, the RB67 for MF, and sold off the Shen Hao and bought a Linhof.

Most street work is now with the old Canon D30 and a new Rebel Xti....which is light....even with the battery grip. Perfect street cams with the Tamron 17-50 f2.8

[ggbushaw]

Leica M2 with 35, 50, and 90mm Summicrons for walkaround B/W--the 35mm lens doesn't often come off the camera, though. Digital Kodak digital non-SLR for color.

[Padu Merloti]

It used to be either my dslr or a digital canon p&s... now I bought a bessa R for that purpose. Waiting for it to arrive in the mail

[David_Senesac]

I have a 6x7 and lots of older 35mm SLR stuff, and gems like the XA. Early this decade when consumer compact digital cameras were barely 2mp's their output was limited enough I'd go back to one of these other's, especially for closeups and informational shots. Once digital cameras moved above about the 4mp level they've been collecting dust. The advantages of a pocket sized compact digital with a few gigabytes of SD memory like my current 7mp Coopix 7900 are considerable. The small sensor size providing large depth of field and small physical size make them quite practical and efficient shooting closeups. And the ease of moving an already digital original into a computer in this day of expanded digital processes and tools makes such far more useful than going back to little film cameras.. ...David

[Matus Kalisky]

My walk around is Minolta 7D (with 50/1.3 and 28/2.0) TOGETHER with recently acquired Rolleiflex 3.5T (a pure joy!) - I am still waiting for the first results. As soon as I get some small lightmeter my "walk around" stuff will either 7D or 3.5T depending on the occasion. Together it is a bit too much weight. But I am dreaming of Mamiya 6 (do not tell my girlfriend !). I somehow hesitate to go "down" :D to 35mm film.

[Geert]

My current walk-around camera is an AGFA Isola I (6x6cm).

G

[dominikus bw]

Mine is Fuji TX-1 with 45mm lens, sometimes Rolleiflex.

[Ted Harris]

The "always in my pocket " shirt pocket camera is a Panasonic DMC FX01 and the general walkaround camera, when I want to be prepared to make an imge if an opportunity arises or if LF is not possible, is the Fuji Finepix S2 or S5.

[Tony Karnezis]

I always carry a Fuji F30 digital P/S in my work bag. When I go scouting, I take a Nikkormat & 50/1.4 or a Leica M3 & collapsible 50.

[Donald Qualls]

Okay, I'm ready to run and hide (given what forum this is), but these days, the camera that's *always* with me when I'm out of the house is a Kiev 303 -- 16 mm, 12x17 mm frame, a repeatedly upgraded Russian copy of the 1957 version Minolta 16 (mine was made in 1992, I think). I can easily carry more than 100 exposures of film in a pocket, plus the cassette in the camera (officially, 25 exposures on a roll, I actually get 30 on a 120 length of recut film, could fit more but I'm never sure how much film is left when the counter stops advancing...). Loaded with microfilm, image quality can approach that of common 35 mm; at its worst, with the focusing lens and manual adjustments, it's better than the common 110 kind, and it's got a lanyard that goes nicely around my neck.

Cheap to feed, too; I can get nine reloads by recutting a roll of 220, or six short rolls from 120 (or one long roll left after making a 127 roll from 120).

[Scott Davis]

At this point in time, it's a Contax G1 with the three lens kit- 45, 28, 90. The lenses are small enough that I can put them in a pocket, or in an over-the-shoulder knapsack of some kind. I use it when I want to shoot "street" stuff. Very light, quick, accurate focus, and easy to handle. It gives me enough control that when I find an image I want to make a good one, I can get the look I want with it, in case I can't come back later with one of the big cameras.

[walter23]

Depends on my mood.

Pentax optio 30 digital POS, elan 7n, canon eos 10S (IR film), canon 350D digital, fuji 645 wide, rolleiflex, lubitel... one of those.

[Brian K]

Walk around camera? Well I'll assume that would mean in my case the camera I take on vacation or when photography is secondary. It's either a Mamiya 7II 65/80/150/210 or lately a Fotoman 612 90/135/180/270 (that's going to change though to a 80/120/180/270). I don't like shooting smaller than 6x12 and sometimes even when I don't plan on shooting I see a very worthwhile scene and would prefer to have a larger negative available.

[BradS]

Almost always have one of several old Pentax screw mount bodies loaded with Tri-X or TMY tucked away in my personal "bagage" (backpack, lunch bag, etc...). When I'm feeling a little more bold, I'll haul out the Nikon FA and a 28mm lens.

[Richard Littlewood]

Sometimes an Olympus Pen EE3 with HP5, or an om1 with a 28mm lens or an Ensign Selfix 820 (none of that lightweight German stuff) with HP5 and a monopod.

[GSX4]

Mamiya 6 MF with 50, 75, and 150. Vivitar 285 flash, pentax digital spotmeter, a few filters, and roughly 15 rolls of either TMY, HP5+, and or Neopan 400, or a combination thereof. All this fits into a Lowepro Orion AW hip bag. I also use a benbo mono-pod if I am traveling light, but need some support, and a tripod is not feasible.

[Jrewt]

wehman 8x10 =)

[Chris Strobel]

Canon Powershot A640, has also become my sit around house camera :D Two frame stitch shot out of boredom:

http://www.pbase.com/cloudswimmer/image/80986053/original.jpg

[rivermandan]

In my pocket at all times lives an olympus xa-2, and it is usually in the company of my olympus om-1. i go through about a roll a week in my xa-2 and a roll or two a week in my om-1

[MIke Sherck]

Yashica Electro 35, lives under the front seat of my car. Tri-X. I had a good run at estate auctions last year: I have four or five of them, including two sets of the auxiliary lenses. Paid less than $20 all together so if I lose one, I lose it: no big loss (except for the battery!)

Mike

[GhoSStrider]

Yashica Electro 35, lives under the front seat of my car. Tri-X. I had a good run at estate auctions last year: I have four or five of them, including two sets of the auxiliary lenses. Paid less than $20 all together so if I lose one, I lose it: no big loss (except for the battery!)

Mike

I've always thought the Electros were really underated cameras. Everyone seems to go nuts over Canonet's, especially QL17's. Having played around with both of them quite a bit, I'd go for the Electro any day of the week (and they're significantly cheaper to boot!)

[scrichton]

lose it: no big loss (except for the battery!)

Ah ha. Or just go with the set the film 2/3rd of a stop slower on the dial and use normal lr44 batteries and tinfoil. Oh remeber and wrap the batteries in tape in the outside though.

This fix works a charm even on gossen meters. (just recalibrate)

Electros are great, but my new walkaround is this darn film chewing horizont I have bought. Just need to tame it so I can rely 100&#37; on the stupid thing.

[Jrewt]

I carry around my Mamiya C330F in my back pocket....

[Kirk Keyes]

I carry around my Mamiya C330F in my back pocket....
and an ass pocket of whiskey on the other side.

(Nod to R.L. Burnside.)

[Ralph Barker]

I'm still waiting for someone cool enough to use a Gowland 8x10 TLR as their walk-around camera. :cool:

[Armin Seeholzer]

Hi Ralph
I sometimes usw my Burke & James 8x10 as walkaround camera but not so often!
But in my old tramper rucksack it works not to bad.
Longest walk 4 km and 200 stairs!
But I prefer my Rolleiflex for it, as I also get older!
Happy snappy, Armin

[MIke Sherck]

I've always thought the Electros were really underated cameras. Everyone seems to go nuts over Canonet's, especially QL17's. Having played around with both of them quite a bit, I'd go for the Electro any day of the week (and they're significantly cheaper to boot!)

I had a Canonet many years ago (garage sale find,) but gave it away. I also prefer the Electros in every respect: better quality, much more interesting lens, more "natural" in use to me. The Canonet (and Minolta's rough equivalent, one of which I had also long ago,) just seem cheaper and clumsier. The Minolta's lens was as good as the Yashica's but I didn't care for the Canonet's.

Mike

[Donald Qualls]

I'm still waiting for someone cool enough to use a Gowland 8x10 TLR as their walk-around camera. :cool:

I bet when you find him his name is Ah-nuld... :eek: