Dead Hands Cameras | Five Cameras I Won’t Let Go Of

Ha Ha, this is a pry from my dead hands camera…😀

There’s one fun part about being connected to so many amazing photographers and bloggers over the world because of the Internet. Often you come up with ideas like this, a whole series of posts on the same subject with a coordinated release. This idea comes from Jim Grey (Down the Road), from a conversation where Theo (PhotoThinking) was looking for links for his review of the Voigtlander Superb. Peggy (Camera Go Camera) suggested he give her the camera, and Theo replyed “this is a pry this from my dead hands camera.” Jim jumped on this and came up with the idea, the limit of five came from Stephen (Kosmo Foto) because that’s the number of fingers on one hand. I thought this a brilliant idea and jumped aboard right away, even if it meant putting the post on a day that doesn’t normally see a publication this year, but it’s my birthday and my blog and I’ll do what I want to. And honestly it was more difficult than I thought to narrow the list down to five. I needed to give myself some criteria, and it came very quickly, one single idea. I could not use cameras that belonged to a family member and in my collection as safe keeping. Those you can pry from my other cold dead hand, these are cameras that I use on a regular (or semi-regular) basis that I could not imagine letting go of. Without further delay, here’s the list.

You can find the other entries in the Dead Hands series below!
Down the Road – Dead Hands Cameras: The five cameras you’ll have to pry out of my cold, dead hands
Camera Go Camera: Dead Hands Cameras: My Top Five Cameras I Won’t Part With
Photo Thinking: Dead Hand Camera List
Aperture Preview: Dead Hands Cameras: Five Cameras I will never Part With!
Kosmo Foto: Five Cameras I’ll Never Part With
Mike Eckman: Five Cameras I’ll take with me to my Grave
Canny Cameras: Dead Hand Cameras: 5 cameras you’d need to pry out of my cold dead hands
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Dave’s Place: Dead Hands
My Journey Into Photography: Dead Hands Cameras – 5 Cameras you will have to pry from my cold, dead, hands
Utah Film Photography – Dead Hands Cameras

Franke & Heidecke Rolleiflex 2.8F
This one will come as no surprise, my Rolleiflex 2.8F has been a constant companion and my third TLR. Besides being an amazing camera with a long complex history, amazing optics, and a format that I adore. This Rolleiflex is special because I’m owner number two. I purchased it from the original owner who bought it in Germany back in 1969. It’s gotten a bit more beaten up over the nearly ten years I’ve had it and it has seen a lot of travel and rolls of film through it.

Canon EOS Elan 7
You might call this a ‘Goldielocks’ camera in the sense that I’ve gone through a handful of Canon EOS cameras at this point and the Elan 7 is the one that’s ‘just right’. I started with an EOS 3000, it is too small and has some weird features that don’t sit well, the Elan IIe is far too janky especially with the weird loose battery compartments and the EOS-1 is one of those where I got “I don’t need another professional camera” well the Elan 7 is that perfect mix. And this coming from someone who has always shot Nikon, the Elan 7 is a brilliant camera. It fits well in my photography and I don’t have the same desire to have a massive catalogue of lenses to back it up!

Nikon Nikkormat FT2
I have a strange relationship with all mechanical cameras. I know they’re a good addition to my toolkit, but I can’t keep them in my toolkit. At least until now, the Nikkormat FT2 checks off a lot of boxes. It’s simple, it doesn’t have a cult following online, and it is different enough from my other Nikons. The FT2 is the middle child of the Nikkormat lineup, taking all the improvements of the FT/FTn and ensuring they’re powered by a modern silver cell. I can use all my manual focus lenses, I don’t even have to bother powering the meter, and it is far lighter and smaller than you would expect from a camera of its age. Plus being a gift from a good friend means that this one won’t be leaving the tool kit, period.

Minolta Dynax 600si Classic
You’re probably thinking here, what about the Maxxum 9? And in all honesty, I thought I would have that one on my list, but then I realised I would trade that camera in an instant for a similarly equipped Maxxum 7 (ie, body and the VC7 grip). Now the 600si, this may not be the best camera, there are certainly flaws but as a historic camera that didn’t sell too well upon its release, means it took me a while to get my hands on one. It also gives a great second option for my Minolta glass and a battery grip at the same time. The small compact nature makes it great for travel, and daily carry plus it has that classic all physical control look.

Agfa Click-II
Here’s one out of left field, the Agfa Click-II. I don’t use this one often, but it makes for a great elevated toy camera when I don’t want to bother or the Holga is giving me grief. The Click-II is already an improvement on the original model with a two-element lens, a well made body, simple design and function. There’s a built-in filter, and it carries well and is easier to use compared to the Holga. It’s not that I don’t like the Holga, but sometimes I want that extra little punch with the optical quality without loosing too much in the way of that ‘toy camera’ look with fall off towards the corners and edges.

Now if you’re wondering why I didn’t include some of my other favourites like the Nikon F5, FE2, and Maxxum 9 there are some reasons for those. While I do enjoy working with all those cameras, and I can make some amazing work with them, all of them are replaceable. If the F5 goes it will either get another F5 or get an F6, the Maxxum 9 I’ll replace in a heartbeat with a Maxxum 7 and VC7 grip and the FE2 will get either another FE2 or a FM3a or FM2n.