What Is Your Dream Camera?

My dream isn't for any camera, I been through the idea many years ago that " if only I had a better camera I'd take better pictures ", I just hope to one day be a good enough photographer to justify the cameras I own.
 
Ben Myerson said:
My dream isn't for any camera, I been through the idea many years ago that " if only I had a better camera I'd take better pictures ", I just hope to one day be a good enough photographer to justify the cameras I own.
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And that is the best answer thus far. I like it.
 
Graelwyn said:
And that is the best answer thus far. I like it.
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Thanks Graelwyn, after buying cameras for around fifty years and using them professionally for around thirty, spending a fortune on them in the meantime, I came to the realization that the difference between me and the great photographers that I admire wasn't the equipment, but talent , and creativity.
 
Ben Myerson said:
Thanks Graelwyn, after buying cameras for around fifty years and using them professionally for around thirty, spending a fortune on them in the meantime, I came to the realization that the difference between me and the great photographers that I admire wasn't the equipment, but talent , and creativity.
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That was what pushed me to choose the Canon 40D I am getting, over the D300. All the technology in the world cannot make you a decent photographer. I decided I would rather hone skills on something more simple, and I suppose, compared to that Nikon, I consider the canon more simple. I started off with an old practica film camera and that is what, thus far, my best shots were taken on in my opinion. I love film, but I have no darkroom and too expensive for me to keep buying film, or I would still use film. You cannot beat that sense of anticipation and excitement as you develop the film in the darkroom and do the prints.
 
My dream camera is a 1D mkIII, whenever I can convince myself that the teething problems are completely sorted. Hopefully, i'll get one in a few months. I'm happy with the gear I have now really (especially my 500mm lens (my dream lens)).

I also find you never stop wanting more stuff, no matter what you have. I would love a 300mm f2.8 lens next.
 
@Issey
No, we all know that having the best kit won't make us better photographers. But then buying a fast car won't make you a better driver. Catch my drift?

Canon EOS 5D and 40D
Canon EF 17-40mm L for the 5D
Sigma 10-20mm for the 40D
Sigma EX 24-70mm f/2.8
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8
Sigma EX 70-200 f/2.8

I think I'd be happy with that lineup, and in all honesty its completely realistic at £3600!

Edit: But having said that, I'd then want a full studio setup. This WILL be expensive :p
 
This is how i want mine to look in a couple of years

Canon EOS 1D Mk III
Canon EOS 1DS Mark III
Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM Lens
Canon EF 300mm f/4.0L Image Stabilised USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5/5.6L USM Image Stabilised
Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM
Canon EF 600mm f/4.0L USM Image Stabilised
Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L USM Image Stabilised
Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens (Canon EF)

Lowepro Super Trekker AW II Backpack (for everyday use)
Pelican 1510 Carry On Watertight Case + Black Dividers (for event use)

Manfrotto 190XPROB Pro Tripod

All that would set me back a couple of grand ;)
 
Adamski said:
Quite easy.

D3
14-24mm f/2.8
24-70mm f/2.8
70-200mm VR f/2.8
400mm VR f/2.8

All Nikon :thumbs:
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^^^^^^^^^ what he said....

Although id have to have a D300 + 18-200 f3.5-5.6 VR for when i dont want to lug the D3 and its lenses.
 
Already have it in the D3, so I guess my dream would be one of each of the long teles, and a 14-24.
 
Canon 1D mk11 would do me nicely thank you.

Oh and a Hasselblad H3D-11 for rainy days :) and the studio to use it in!
 
Matt :you mean a 1d mk111 and a 300 F2.8 IS !
 
Nikon D3X when it comes out with all nikon lenses-soory make that 2 camera bodies-all lenses to be prime and i can have a lens set up on each at any moment-oh with an assistant to change them as needed.

LOL
 
There is a great list of bigger, better, faster going on here. The makers of these fine bits of electronics have given us some great tools to create with but I feel the need to put in good word for slowing down a bit.

Everyone should at least get to experience what it feels like to work under the darkcloth and behind a big piece of ground glass. Using big cameras, especially large format ones, really slows down the creative process and involves you in a way that no other form of shooting can. It is so magical to be apart from the rest of the world, immersed and intimate with the creation of an image. For me at least, it can be so rewarding working towards the moment of opening the shutter that it almost doesn't matter if you get the shot or not.

Of course, it can also be as frustrating as hell. :lol:
 
What Daz said. Don't get me wrong I'm the biggest digital whore on the block, and I shudder to think what I've spent on gear, but I get the biggest kick out of the RB67 and probably value it more than any other piece of kit I own.

Strange innit?
 
Graelwyn said:
That was what pushed me to choose the Canon 40D I am getting, over the D300. All the technology in the world cannot make you a decent photographer. I decided I would rather hone skills on something more simple, and I suppose, compared to that Nikon, I consider the canon more simple. I started off with an old practica film camera and that is what, thus far, my best shots were taken on in my opinion. I love film, but I have no darkroom and too expensive for me to keep buying film, or I would still use film. You cannot beat that sense of anticipation and excitement as you develop the film in the darkroom and do the prints.
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If only it was about equipment , beginers tend to buy very hi- tech equipment to compensate for their lack of photo- technical knowledge, in my experience cleverer cameras make dumber photographers,and enable them to take ill -considered, and poorly composed images quicker, the money would be much better spent by buying a more basic camera, and spending the balance on their photographic education.
The question is what do you do when you own your dream camera, and your pictures are still crap, I've been through all this years ago, and came to the conclusion that excellence isn't achieved in photography by acquisition, the great photographers who I admire didn't have TTL multi-pattern metering, motor drives, or auto focus, I don't want my dream camera, I want what they had.
 
Is this a wind up?:cuckoo:
What are these N***ny things?:shrug:
Jim
 
Ben Myerson said:
The question is what do you do when you own your dream camera, and your pictures are still crap, I've been through all this years ago, and came to the conclusion that excellence isn't achieved in photography by acquisition, the great photographers who I admire didn't have TTL multi-pattern metering, motor drives, or auto focus, I don't want my dream camera, I want what they had.
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I want what they had too, but it was out of stock at amazon so I went with the camera.
 
Ben Myerson said:
My dream isn't for any camera, I been through the idea many years ago that " if only I had a better camera I'd take better pictures ", I just hope to one day be a good enough photographer to justify the cameras I own.
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Yes and yes...As far as I go, I have my dream set ups. It looks like am a lonely Pentaxian here, but that's quite cool with me. When I first started out with a DSLR, i started out with a Nikon D40 and then a Pentax K110D, then I went back to A Nikon D200, then A Pentax K10D.
I was blaming my lousy images on everything but me. I would blame the lenses, bodies, batteries, etc...

I was spending money like a total fool until I found a couple of really good photo forums and learned that the camera does not make the photographer, but the photographer makes the camera....

Now when I buy some new equipment, I research it very well and am happy and excited to get some equipement I can exploit to get some good images, hence my last lens. A sigma 500 F/4.5 (4200.00 u.s.) and am very happy with the images I am getting...

I ended up with Pentax and gave my Wife the D40 and my daughter the D200...

Anyway, rant over. :)
 
I pretty much have my dream camera, a 1D MkIII but would also like to get a 1Ds MkIII then I will be one happy camper, oh and throw in a new 500mm piece of L and I would be forever happy (well until the next 1D comes out)
 
Ben Myerson said:
The question is what do you do when you own your dream camera, and your pictures are still crap, I've been through all this years ago, and came to the conclusion that excellence isn't achieved in photography by acquisition, the great photographers who I admire didn't have TTL multi-pattern metering, motor drives, or auto focus, I don't want my dream camera, I want what they had.
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I fully agree that all the technology in the world won't make you take better pictures. I don't agree though that to take better pictures, or to learn how to take better pictures, means you need to skip the technology. What you have realised is that the technology is neutral, it's not required, but also it's being there doesn't stop you taking better pictures.

Once you understand how to use the technology it can help you take pictures, but whether those pictures are any good or not is as much up to the photographer today with the latest DSLR as it would be with a 30's manual Leica.

My ideal camera, a digital medium format system, but since they costs in the tens of thousands, it really will have to be a dream...
 
CT said:
What Daz said. Don't get me wrong I'm the biggest digital whore on the block, and I shudder to think what I've spent on gear, but I get the biggest kick out of the RB67 and probably value it more than any other piece of kit I own.

Strange innit?
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How much you spent, since you started photography on photography gear you rekon? :D Tell me to shove off if you want, i'm just being nooooooooooseyyyy :)
 
^^ Sheesh! I have no idea! :thinking:
 
What.... since about 1958, or just current gear? :lol:
 
Just get your calculator out you idle git and tot up the stuff in my siggy.:D

which isn't all of it.
 
FranchiseJuan said:
What is it I don't get? Care to explain it to me?
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CT has been in to photography for years and years, film and digital cameras so i was making a joke of saying how much have you spent on his gear since 1958
 
You don't wanna know. Hell... I don't wanna know.

When me and my mate were clay shooting 3 days a week and game shooting in the season, we used to joke that we'd fired a Porsche down each barrel and we probably did.

Life's too short to worry about stuff like that. ;)
 
My wallet don't see it like that though :lol:

Stoopid wallet :lol:
 
Im fairly close to my dream set up now :)

1d Mk3
600 F4L
70-200 F2.8 IS L
100-400 IS L
17-40 F4L


Only a coupel of things to add,

300 F2.8 IS L or 400 F2.8 IS L
1DS Mk3

Then i will be fairly happy i think :)
 
When i see Ian's reply to this thread i thought i was going to see some Nikon's listed :lol:

1DS Mk3 YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY

:thumbs:
 
Eau Rouge said:
My ideal camera, a digital medium format system, but since they costs in the tens of thousands, it really will have to be a dream...
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They don't have too. There are good backs out there fetching considerably less than £5k.
 
dazzajl said:
They don't have too. There are good backs out there fetching considerably less than £5k.
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When I was at Focus on Imaging, the guys at Phase One quoted me just under £7K for a P21+ back and Mamiya 645 AFD II + 80 2.8 including VAT. Hell of a deal (but was for the show only). Also the Hasselblad 503 CWD (which is a 503 CW + 80 F2.8 + 16mp back) can be had for under £6K.

Medium format digital is certainly no-longer the stuff of dreams.
 
I'm still on the verge of diverting to film for my landscape stuff.

And it's gonna be 10x8 or 5x4 I think on my wish list.

So if I could have any camera it would be a 10x8, a nice variety of lenses, a tanking great tripod.

The rest of the 10's of thousands of pounds that everybody else would be spending on gear I'd be spending on film, travel expenses and hiring a sherpa to schlep the whole caboodle round the planet whilst I'm off on my jollies.

Seriously though, if you had 20k to spend would you not rather have a relatively cheap camera a good selection of glass and then take a year off actually enjoying it and taking shed loads of photographs or spend 20k on a full D3/1dsmkIII system and then not have the money to get out and about and use the damn thing?


No brainer for me ;)
 
Gandhi said:
Seriously though, if you had 20k to spend would you not rather have a relatively cheap camera a good selection of glass and then take a year off actually enjoying it and taking shed loads of photographs or spend 20k on a full D3/1dsmkIII system and then not have the money to get out and about and use the damn thing?


No brainer for me ;)
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Im doing both at the moment, as the camera and lenses are all paid for :) just come back from a week in Iceland, and go out pretty much every weekend taking pics :)
 
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