Cameras that are a pleasure to use

Phil V

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Inspired by a couple of recent mentions of various Fujis.

I’ve been shooting digital for 20 odd years, and film for 20 years before that.

I’ll start by saying as I have before, that I love my R6, it makes my photography so easy. But it doesn’t make my heart skip a beat, and the cameras that have are few and far between.

Mostly my cameras have been considered tools, and this post doesn’t mean I didn’t like anything else.

The first camera that gave me real joy to use was a Canon AE1p, unfortunately I had it as a loan from a mate, and it didn’t fit my priorities at the time. I bought a Bronica ERTS from the same guy.

The Canon EOS30 almost hits the mark, as the eye controlled focus felt like witchcraft. Followed by the 300d, as digital opened a whole world of possibilities, but still, it was just a camera.

We took the kids on holiday and I treated myself to an Olympus compact that went underwater and was tough enough to let the kids use, but was still a ‘nice looking’ camera. That makes the list.

Also bought for travel, I decided that I could afford a ‘second system’ and bought a Fuji Xe1, paired with a 23mm lens it was a much nicer to use version of my 6d and Sigma 35mm art. I stupidly decided that a Canon M5 was a more practical alternative and I was so wrong.

So that’s a short list, having owned maybe 30 cameras, mostly Canon EOS, and the only cameras that gave me a genuine pleasure to use are:

Canon AE1p
Olympus mju tough
Fujifilm XE1.

Anyone else have similar feelings?
 
I enjoy almost all my cameras, from the Nikon FF DSLRs through the Fuji X-Pro1 and X-T/X-H mirrorless system. The Sony RX-10iii is growing on me - once I've set it up how I want it, it'll be right there! I also enjoy the baby Fuji X-?0 compacts and the RX-100. I should get shot of the other kit but can't bring myself to it!!!
 
Inspired by a couple of recent mentions of various Fujis.

I’ve been shooting digital for 20 odd years, and film for 20 years before that.

I’ll start by saying as I have before, that I love my R6, it makes my photography so easy. But it doesn’t make my heart skip a beat, and the cameras that have are few and far between.

Mostly my cameras have been considered tools, and this post doesn’t mean I didn’t like anything else.

The first camera that gave me real joy to use was a Canon AE1p, unfortunately I had it as a loan from a mate, and it didn’t fit my priorities at the time. I bought a Bronica ERTS from the same guy.

The Canon EOS30 almost hits the mark, as the eye controlled focus felt like witchcraft. Followed by the 300d, as digital opened a whole world of possibilities, but still, it was just a camera.

We took the kids on holiday and I treated myself to an Olympus compact that went underwater and was tough enough to let the kids use, but was still a ‘nice looking’ camera. That makes the list.

Also bought for travel, I decided that I could afford a ‘second system’ and bought a Fuji Xe1, paired with a 23mm lens it was a much nicer to use version of my 6d and Sigma 35mm art. I stupidly decided that a Canon M5 was a more practical alternative and I was so wrong.

So that’s a short list, having owned maybe 30 cameras, mostly Canon EOS, and the only cameras that gave me a genuine pleasure to use are:

Canon AE1p
Olympus mju tough
Fujifilm XE1.

Anyone else have similar feelings?

100%. I still used a 5D IV for when I NEED the shot. I like a DSLR and despite its advantages, I find mirrorless tough to get into because it feels too....clinical and as you say, gets the job done whilst feeling somewhat uninspiring. I still shoot personal stuff on film and one reason is the cameras are a joy to use but recently I have discovered Leica digital and they actually make me really enjoy digital photography again. I have an M10 which is just like an MO with a lovely sensor and am about to pull the trigger no a Q2. I have realised that even for work, I need to enjoy the cameras I use and recently shot at a full event on the M10 and second shot a wedding with it and not only did I enjoy the freedom, the files that it produce are wonderful (IMO).
 
Just for clarity; it’s not that I don’t love using my R6’s I absolutely do, but just like my mini SUV, they do the job brilliantly but they don’t look or feel interesting.

An R6 in an AE1 body, or even an R10 that feels like the XE1 would put me on a waiting list at launch.
 
It takes more than a camera to 'make my heart skip a beat', (my Cardiologist would be pleased about that!), but there have certainly been some that I loved more than others.
I think it's not unconnected with age and the practicalities of carrying some of the gear I've had, for example I think my greatest joy came from a Nikon D500 paired with a Nikon 500 f4 but it became too much carrying that, tripod, gimbal etc around and with 'lockdown' the opportunity came to make a change.
I tried a couple of different little Olympus cameras which were 'okay' but the Leica Q was lovely for a while.
I now use a couple of little Ricoh GR's (iii & iiix) and they are ideal for me now, aps-c sensor but light as a feather and easily pocketable individually, (even with a mist filter and adapter fitted), or in a small shoulder bag if I want to take both and other 'bits'.
 
For me, having used a variety of film and digital cameras (but never Canon, for some reason - maybe because my ex-wife liked them?), my most-loved film camera is my Pentax LX; the MX is a close runner, but the LX just feels right and does the job the way I like. And whilst I really enjoy using my Nikon D850 and Olympus EM1ii, my way out fave digital camera is also Pentax, my K3iiiMono - indeed this is the one that enthuses me more than any other. Pentaxes just seem to fit the hand well, have all the features I want, and make me think about what I'm seeing more.
 
My favourite cameras to use are my Leica M9s almost like shooting film cameras (but with better results than 35mm film IMO).

Next in line are my Bronica SQ-Bs but they need more consideration than the Leicas and always (for me) on a tripod (and I love the 120 film results).

Next come my Fujifilm GFX 50Ss almost like shooting the Bronica (with the tilt/swivel adapter fitted and on a tripod) but with instant (and great)results.

Then comes my most used work horses my Fujifilm X-T2s, least pleasure to use but get the job done any weather and hand held most of the time (with plenty good enough results).
 
I now use a couple of little Ricoh GR's (iii & iiix) and they are ideal for me now, aps-c sensor but light as a feather and easily pocketable individually, (even with a mist filter and adapter fitted), or in a small shoulder bag if I want to take both and other 'bits'.

The Ricoh GR3 is an incredible little camera, very cleverly designed to use with one hand - that makes me feel more creative! - but can take a while to get it set up the way you want. Takes a while to understand all the tricks and where to find thing in a hurry.

A real pleasure to use. The one thing I miss is a tilt-up screen for discrete street, but if that was included, it would be a little bigger & heavier and might lose that one-handed creative feel.

Great for delicate old fogies!
 
Any Fuji with separate knobs, e.g. my X-T2 or X100V, I think it is because they hark back to my dad's old Nikon FM2, which I used to use. Objectively my Fuji X-H2S is a better camera, particularly for sports, but it just isn't as fun to use.
 
in line are my Bronica SQ-Bs but they need more consideration than the Leicas and always (for me) on a tripod (and I love the 120 film results).
This I find interesting. Because whilst I loved the output from my Bronica, I found in use it felt like it was getting in the way of my photography. Lovely viewfinder view, but the polar opposite of ‘intuitive’ in use.
 
I started off in photography with the Brownie 127 way back in around the 1950's. Simple little camera just point and shoot, no fiddling about with adjustments because there was any. I remember have saved up 6d (old money) weekly pocket money from parents for many months. The cost of that camera i remember well having gone into a camera shop loaded with them to buy this camera which cost £1-10s-5p at the time.
Who else remembers those days?
For my 21 birthday,(a big time in ones life for several reasons one being able to vote) my parents bought me a Voightlander Vito Cl which I still have and in perfect working condition.
 
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My Pentax Z-1p is an absolute joy to use, a brilliantly designed camera and so easy to use. My only gripes (bit mean on a 30-year old camera) is that some of the plastics have perished and my newer D-FA lenses won't focus on it...
 
This I find interesting. Because whilst I loved the output from my Bronica, I found in use it felt like it was getting in the way of my photography. Lovely viewfinder view, but the polar opposite of ‘intuitive’ in use.
I had Bronica SQ-Ais back when there was only film (along with Canon F1ns) so I cut my teeth on the Bronica SQ system. I had back then a metered eye level finder which made the process easier (image correct way round), although I went away from film around 2005 I have come back to it and re-bought into the Bronica syastem. I do have 2 SQ-Ais but they both have intermittent battert issues so I got a couple of SQ-Bs which don't suffer the same affliction. I have also got a 45 degree finder so the framing/composition is easier plus it has a dioptre eyepiece that suits my eye so much easier to use than the flip up WLF. Also I really only do landscape with the Bronica now and always on a tripod so intuitive is not an issue, plenty of time to compose, frame, meter and decide when to fire the shutter (at circa £3 per shot).

L1010111.jpg

For intuitive faster on the go shooting, these are trumps for me.

L1010071.JPG
 
Nikon D3S and Nikon D80. I've got much better and easier cameras to use but the D3S feels great and the D80 makes interesting pictures.
 
Hmmm.

For me the D700 gave me a great feeling - I could finally afford FF and loved the images. While I loved my D300 and then D750, they were not the same. Neither is my XT3 (although the 16mm is gorgeous). Have had a few X100 variants over time and that also is a camera that I really enjoyed.

Film wise, the classic Nikon FE put a smile on my face, as did my M6, but think it was the fact I was shooting a red dot rather than the camera itself. My Rolleicord though is a camera I love to shoot and always smile when I do
 
Inspired by a couple of recent mentions of various Fujis.

I’ve been shooting digital for 20 odd years, and film for 20 years before that.

I’ll start by saying as I have before, that I love my R6, it makes my photography so easy. But it doesn’t make my heart skip a beat, and the cameras that have are few and far between.

Mostly my cameras have been considered tools, and this post doesn’t mean I didn’t like anything else.

The first camera that gave me real joy to use was a Canon AE1p, unfortunately I had it as a loan from a mate, and it didn’t fit my priorities at the time. I bought a Bronica ERTS from the same guy.

The Canon EOS30 almost hits the mark, as the eye controlled focus felt like witchcraft. Followed by the 300d, as digital opened a whole world of possibilities, but still, it was just a camera.

We took the kids on holiday and I treated myself to an Olympus compact that went underwater and was tough enough to let the kids use, but was still a ‘nice looking’ camera. That makes the list.

Also bought for travel, I decided that I could afford a ‘second system’ and bought a Fuji Xe1, paired with a 23mm lens it was a much nicer to use version of my 6d and Sigma 35mm art. I stupidly decided that a Canon M5 was a more practical alternative and I was so wrong.

So that’s a short list, having owned maybe 30 cameras, mostly Canon EOS, and the only cameras that gave me a genuine pleasure to use are:

Canon AE1p
Olympus mju tough
Fujifilm XE1.

Anyone else have similar feelings?
I really love my XE1 (usually with the 27/2.8 on it), the only downside I really find with it, is that I find the screen is not that easy to review pictures on. I always worry if pictures will turn out how I wanted, but generally I dont need to worry.

I sold my XT4 becuase it was just not getting used anymore.

If an XE5 becomes reality, I might be tempted depending on spec. I almost bought an XT50, but decided to save some money for now and got am OM5.
 
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Interesting thread and interesting to see that older cameras, film or digital seem to be the most fun for people to use. For me, I have not used my film cameras for a while as I have been exploring older digital machines my favourites are:

Fuji XE3
Hasselblad H3DII-39
Canon EOS 1D

Funny how the D700 get lots of likes, I must be one of the few people who did not get on with it, I find the D800, ergonomically, for me a better camera to use.
 
My well used Nikon FE2. I have a spotless FM3a and several FE/FM models, a couple of F3’s and plenty others frankly, however my 40 odd yo black FE2 always feels best in the hand. Helps that this was what I always wanted in my teens but couldn’t afford then. It’s still my most oft used film camera of the last 25 years.

Digital, loved the XT1, 2 and 3 (I’d always wanted a ‘digital FE2’) but got tired of Fuji/Adobe issues and prefer FF. EOS R was a revelation but a bit slow, R6 that replaced it was amazing but frankly my new R5mii is not only like having some kind of spookily amazing witchcraft in your hand, it is genuinely a joy to use.

The only caveat is that a number of things I’ve practised at and trained myself to do over many years are now far easier with this camera than I could have imagined even just a few years back. I almost feel redundant!
 
I'm a relative newcomer to serious digital cameras, to be honest. In fact, other than the odd compact, I have only ever had the one, the Fujifilm XT3. But I wouldn't choose that. Funnily enough two of the cameras I have enjoyed using the most are Minolta's, the X300s, and the 300si. How strange. But for some reason they both sit so well in the hand, and there is just something about them. The third would also be a film camera, and that's the Pentax ME Super, which I can really roll around in my hands. Although I have no particular bias towards auto or semi automatic cameras. It's entirely down to the feel of them.
 
I have a....

Yashica FX3 Super 2000
Sony A7Riii
Sony A7
Fuji X100f

I must say, I do enjoy using all of them. Obviously they tend to have different use cases but it is very rare the 'gear' isn't a pleasure to use :)
 
My old ME Super was the first camera that really gave me that "one with the camera" feeling. The Eos 620 that I still have (first of the EOS series along with the 650) was another. But since turning to digital, just about all of my Fuji X-T series bodies have given me that love of just using the camera of the sake of using it.... My current T5 still does it, even after the T1, T2 & T3's I had before it.

I must also mention, my first "proper" camera which was an Olympus Trip, that my parents bought me as a Birthday present when I was 15. That made me feel quite special and I think it was that, along with the TV advertising with David Bailey that stirred my interest in photography.
 
Film wise I liked the Bessa R with 35mm f2.5 color skopar and Olympus Trip. The Bessa was a joy to use except on the day that I opened the back and my tie went straight through the shutter blades. The repairer said this wasn't the first time that had happened. The annoying thing is that I rarely wear a tie, only when I think I have to.

In the digital age I really liked the handling of the Panasonic G1 but its EVF annoyed me in low light. I also really like the Panasonic GX80. I have GX9 but I prefer the GX80 because it's cheap and humble and I like it. I really really like my Sony A7. Some don't like the handling but it suits me.

My all time favorite remains the Kodak Instamatic 36. 43mm f11 lens, the choice of 1/40 or 1/60.

Lens wise I think apart from that Kodak my most used lens is probably the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 in Sony mount. It gets critisised for wild bokeh but IMO that's scene dependent and it does begin to quieten down quickly as you stop down, also the extreme corners are a mess but other than that it is IMO just such a good lens and so nice to use and it's very compact too. AF wise I'm very impressed with the Sony 40mm f2.5 and the old Sigma 50 and 85mm f1.4's from my DSLR days deserve an honourable mention.
 
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For me the kerbside appeal and tactile handling are really important, I need to want to pick up the camera and use it. Over the years I have bought stuff for its specification but eventually become underwhelmed by the handling and so prefer using someting simpler. I want the camera to get out of the way of my photograhy so I can enjoy the image creation.

In the digital world my favourites are:-

Fuji X100 (original) - there is something special about this camera, and the resultant images are sublime, yes you have to send it a postcard to autofocus and the EVF/Rear Screen are hopeless, but its just a lovely thing to use. Simple, tactile, lightweight

Fuji X-Pro1 - like the original X100 but with interchangable lenses, and like the X100 the image rendition is fantastic, there is something about later Fuji's (IMO) that has just been lost in translation (and I've owned a few X-E2, X-T1, X-T2, X-T3, X-H1, X100F, X-T20, GFX50S!!! though only the X-T3 remains for motosport action) - its simplicity is one of its advantages, it looks right, feels right and IMO is right!

Leica Q3 - a beast of a camera with a price tag to match, feels lovely in the hand - you just want to keep using it, so few buttons you can't fiddle about and have to concentrate on the photography, and that lens................... obviously overrated by @imattersuk, but one man's meat is another mans..........

I'm lucky enough to own all of the above, and certainly for the foreseeable future they are all keepers.
 
I love using all the cameras I own and get excited about using all of them!

In no particular order:

Leica M11 - feels so special to use, pressing the shutter makes my grin like a child.

Leica MP, just gorgeous! I wind the film slowly just too watch the two red dots spinning and the weighty density of the camera.

Rolleiflex 6003 Pro & 6008 Intergrale, knocks the Hassleblad I owned into a cocked hat. These cameras are the best 6 x 6 film cameras available bar non, Zeiss or Schneider lenses are sharp enough to cut you!

Previous favourites no longer owned:

Nikon F3 & Nikon FE2, just great reliable cameras!

Rolleiflex 3.5f, stunning TLR that got stolen :-(
 
Hasselblad 500cm, Leica M4 and any Rolleiflex TLR are the cameras that have just felt right to me.

Closely followed by Mamiya RB67, Sinar P, and maybe Nikon F3.

All of them I just loved using, and all of them with the exception of the M4 (which I only occasionally used) have seen me through thousands of photographs.

The two cameras that I lusted after, but have never used, were the Rollei SL66 and the Fuji GX680.

I can't say I feel the same way about any digital camera. I rather like my Fuji x100s, and I think I might well end up very fond of my new Nikon Z8, but they don't have the character of film cameras.

However, If I was still a professional photographer, it would be a Nikon Z8/Z9, and something like a Cambo Actus or/and a Phase One that I would go for, These would have made life so much easier back in the 1970s and 1980s when I was using cameras professionally.

Today, as an amateur, my Z8 is a good compromise for what I do, but if I didn't have an interest in wildlife, I would go with the most recent Hasselblad V that I could get (with a digital back) plus the most recent digital Leica M, that I could afford (Neither of which is going to happen, and I'm not totally convinced about the Leica).
 
Using my Canon T-90, took it all over the world shooting slide film - never missed a beat, but now sadly languishes in the loft :-(
I used to love the second glances this camera got when I was using it as it was so different in design to almost anything else on the market at the time - and with hindsight it was the fore runner to all the modern Canon Eos 1 and pro DSLR cameras. RIP T90

D
 
I use my Sony A1 the most but it’s no pleasure to use, that goes for any Sony camera I’ve had. They do a good job but not sure how to describe them, clinical maybe. I liked using Nikons, the D850 still one of my favorites.

But I Love the Fujis, probably the most pleasure to use out of what I have/had. The X100T was the first and I’ve had every version since, plus XT2,3,4 so much fun to use.
 
But it doesn’t make my heart skip a beat,
I'm not sure any camera has made my heart skip a beat, but I certainly have enjoyed some cameras more than others. I've only been into photography for the last 10 years and whilst I've had film cameras from being a kid I never used them 'properly'. I've always had a soft spot for my OM1 though, probably because I've always loved the aesthetics of it.

In terms of cameras I've used 'properly' since photography became a serious hobby the Nikon D750 is the first that springs to mind, I can't put my finger on why though. Contrary to most people that think that they are sterile I really enjoy using my Sony A1, for me it's a joy to use. I've set it up so everything's where I want it to be and I find myself always wanting to use it. It's a nicer experience now that most of my lenses have aperture rings too. I always enjoyed using my EM1 too.

I've had a few Fujis as I've always felt that I should like them with all the manual dials, not to mention how pretty they are, but they've left me cold. Things like the poor grip and less than pleasant to use buttons (FME) have meant that it's not been the experience that I'd hoped. Plus as much as I like the 'idea' of having manual dials half of the time I'll have some settings on auto such as ISO, or I'll be using aperture priority.
 
When I first had a job using the Sony A9 the eye tracking auto focus it gave me a huge grin, but I've quickly gone to taking that for granted and have the Sony A1's now.

I work so quickly with the Sony A1 cameras that when I take a shot I like, it's not really a memorable moment.

Whereas with the Hasselblad X2D, you work harder to nail a shot and when you do you remember that moment.
Also the screen display on the back is beautiful, it really puts me off shooting when the camera preview images look crap (colours etc..)

The Leica Q series, now the Q3, i love the external shutter/aperture dials that I can quickly switched between 1/2000th, Auto Aperture and 1/125th F8 - for e.g. if I'm shooting street. It's just a great little documentary camera that doesn't feel intrusive. I often put it B+W jpg (+RAW) mode, so the pictures look better on the LCD screen even if I'm taking it for colour.
 
I'm a Zeissaholic and naturally my top three are all connected with that company. A pre-war Contax II rangefinder, a Contax G2 and a Contax RTS are the cameras that I have enjoyed using the most. I currently have an RTS, designed by Zeiss, styled by Porsche and built by Kyocera, a lovely camera to use if you are not in a hurry or chasing moving subjects. I regret selling the others, but the high cost of replacements along with their vulnerability means that I probably will not replace them.
 
My first camera was a Pentax ME Super and I shot loads of the kids when they were just little ones. Lots of film used and lots of pics thrown in the bin, tried developing myself but found it a pitta so dropped that idea.

Next came the digital revolution and I bought a canon 300d which was a revelation, no buying lots of film, no messing around in the dark processing film, no hoping for the best. I could fire away and not worry about have I nailed the shot as I only have a few frames left on the roll. For me that was the best thing I ever bought period, and looking at the specs of that now it just goes to show how fortunate we are in this day and age to have a plethora of cameras that have the features that come with them.

I had a Nikon D750 for quite a while and sold it to jump on the mirrorless bandwagon, big mistake, just could not get on with it so now I'm back to another D750, it really makes me smile, it is just the perfect camera for my usage.
 
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I've had a few camera but ones that were most fun to use were probably a Nikon D300 and the D7000 which followed it.

Moved onto mirror less stuff now but I almost feel like because they do so much it's taken the fun off photography for me.
 
My favorite digital camera to use, and the digital camera I have owned for the longest time out of all of them, is probably the Fuji X20 rangefinder zoom. But, I think a lot of that has to do with how I use it. I use it more like a P&S for happy-go-lucky type photography... but I don't actually do much of that.

My favorite film camera was the FM2; followed closely by the F3. The reason I loved the FM2 is that it was so simple... didn't even need the battery to use it.
 
The camera I liked the best of all the ones I've owned has to be the Nikon FM2n manual-everything camera. The exposure meter consisted of three leds, two red and one green to indicate under/over/correct exposure. The whole thing ran on two tiny button batteries, that, at a push, you could do without (might have been three, can't quite remember) and which lasted forever—I think I only ever changed them once. It was built like a brick s*-house and it was a joy to hold, if anything makes me regret the advent of digital photography, it has to be the day I sold this camera so I could come up to date.

These days, I still use a Nikon D850 and, at my age, I can't see me ever changing from that, unless it breaks, I break, or hell freezes over. I also have a little Olympus OM-D E10 for daily use.

One camera I don't regret not having anymore is the Fuji X100V. I had three of them, two broke completely under warranty and the third had a fault with the EVF/OVF curtain sticking (the others had that too). Over-priced and, in my case(s) unreliable.
 
It's so curious about how we enjoy things in various but overlapping ways ...

I think my focus centres most essentially around the viewfinder experience - I see that as the vital interface between photographer and world. Followed by general ergonomics. Looks being definitely a very poor third - admittedly some cameras are prettier than others, but when you're using them that's completely invisible.

I like simple, mechanical film slrs and one of the most graceful must surely be the OM1. Big bright vf - you hardly need focus aids at all. Light in the hand but nevertheless with a solid feel. Intricate innards (there's even a miniaturised 'rope' in there somewhere) being something of an Olympus signature. This was the man - https://casualphotophile.com/2018/01/12/yoshihisa-maitani-the-man-who-made-olympus/

Bridging on from film into more recent, digital times - for sure the whole Leica M series. Again, the vf experience & the feel in the hand.

But always, the often unspoken reference is how each of us 'takes pictures'. Which affects what we need & what satisfies. Though as has been acknowledged here & there above, what satisfies mechanically isn't necessarily the same as what pleases ...
 
X100 original using the optical viewfinder,didn’t like the EVF and still don’t though they have improved. Loved the light easy to use and forget and focus on taking pictures is the humble D3300
 
Way back, I went with Nikon DSLR's because the Canon offering at the time (2005) had my knuckles rubbing against the lens. The Nikon I got at that time was the D70, which felt better in the hand, and had space for my knuckles. ;) A D200 followed, which felt nicer.

Then I got the D300S, and it felt like they had somehow moulded it for my hand, it felt so comfortable and 'right'. :love: Thankfully the camera had the performance in almost every area, and being an upper level DSLR, it was well designed ergonomically, which enhanced the user experience. :)

After six or so years, I was looking for and improvement in performance, and about to buy a Canon 7DII when the D500 came out of nowhere. :oops: :$

The D500 is better than the D300S in every way bar the grip, (for me), but the D300S was my favourite camera to use, and I felt very 'in sync' with it. Maybe that was one of the reasons I was more enthusiastic with my photography during my D300S period, or maybe my most productive period has coloured my affection for the camera. :thinking: :LOL: I think the D300S was 'just right' for me though. :D
 
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