| Author | Message | ||
     Gary A. Turner Tinkerer Username: Turnergande Post Number: 3 Registered: 07-2006 Rating: N/A |
You will probably get a lot of personal opinions here on just what are the best collectibles! So many classic brands & models to choose from but one usually has only so much space, time & money. Some collectors (wisely?) narrow their search to a few types and brands. A collector might want certain 'benchmark' models that became trend setters. For some the search can be addictive and very costly (even upsetting spouses). You might want to concentrate on a 'top 20' or so? Sounds like you already like the 35mm SLR category. The Yashica TL Super and TL Electro X are maybe even nicer examples than the earlier but very decent J series. When I started collecting I just wanted one representative camera from various well-regarded manufacturers. Staying within a monthly budget often limited me to the lower end of the scale! Your budget may dictate otherwise (?). Here's some of my recommendations for a well rounded collection of representative and mostly affordable models: 35mm SLR - Exakta Varex VX, Zeiss Contax D, Praktica FX, Nikon F & F2, Pentax SV or SP, Canon FT & F1 (1st), Topcon RE Super, Minolta SR-7 or SRT 101, Olympus OM-1, Konica T. In medium format you might consider a Rolleiflex TLR such as the more affordable Automat. With folding cameras I'd suggest a Kodak Retina, Zeiss Ikonta B & C with Tessar lens. Another popular collector niche is 35mm viewfinder & rangefinder; here we might include Leica III, Voigtlander Vito B, Konica III, early Canonet and if you can afford them, the Contax II & III, Voigtlander Prominent I, Leica M3 and Canon 7. If you want to add an American camera or two then the Kodak Signet 35, Medalist & Monitor 6x9 are well-regarded. The tiny Bolsey Jubilee is kind of nice too. Soviet cameras are another category you might consider such as Zorki 6, Kiev 4A, Fed 3. Some other interesting 35mm SLRs might include: Cosina Hi-Lite based model such as Argus Cosina STL 1000, Chinonflex based model such as Ricoh Singlex TLS. I have left out many cameras that others will consider critical and I have probably mentioned some that may be considered as marginal. I hope this topic and any apparent bias does not open up a 'can of worms'. |