Fav "Art" cameras

[MrSMW]

All I have ever wanted really was a medium format/or high MP 'X100' as a 'one & done'.

I've looked at other options such as my A7RV with a compact zoom and it's kind of in the ball park, but not quite.

It's always the longer end I'm going to struggle with, but actually something like my A7RV with 28-75mm gives me a full frame + APSC crop focal range of 28-110mm and using 61-26mp.

The GFX100 by comparison using FF terms is 28-63mm (using it's crop function) albeit with more MP at the wide end (which I don't care about that much) but less at the far shorter long end, but in a lighter, more compact and waaaaaaaay more sexier unit. But slightly less DOF.

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

On 3/19/2025 at 6:45 AM, Andrew Reid said:

Thoughts on the best fun-factor cameras, I am thinking Fuji X-Pro 3, Sigma Fp, all the things that doesn't try to look like an EOS R5, but feels and looks a bit different. Niche artistic tools. I think I would rank my favourites as follows but pretty sure I have forgotten some...

1. Sony RX1R II... The smallest ever full frame camera and that ingenious pop-up EVF

2. Fuji X-Pro3... Fuji's prettiest camera, with the most film-camera-like shooting experience

3. Sigma BF... It's the Fp concept turned up to 11

4. Hasselblad HV... The crazy Sony collaboration which came up with this 10k a99. It's lovely though. Got mine on eBay.

5. GFX 100 with full frame lenses... Pure art every time.

I would like for there next to be a digital version of a Contax T2 in same style of body, same size, retractable fast prime lens, also would like a digital Nikon S series rangefinder camera and an X-Pro4 that finally launches Fuji's full frame range (I can but dream).

Mine is a Fujifilm S5Pro.

Got one some years ago (already kinda hyped) for around US$60 - VERY battered, shutter with 160k, but...working perfectly.

When the light is good, the colors are unmatched. Skintones miles better than the current Fujis. That SuperCCD SR Pro really deserves the hype.

[kye]

Art is what happens when you stop thinking about the equipment, technical specifications, and shallow DOF.

Therefore the only options for an art camera are cameras that shoot RAW at 3K or less, and to avoid Bokeh fever the sensor should be smaller rather than larger.  OG BMPCC or BMMCC are the obvious choices, but these days the OG Alexas are coming within striking distance of the average new MILC - and are a much better choice because instead of pixel peeping 8K you can take your head out of your ass and go point the camera at something interesting....  which is required for "art" to even become possible.

Of course, higher spec cameras can be used to make art, but the art happens in spite of the camera, not because of it, so I'd wager they're not "art cameras" they're tools for artists.

[IronFilm]

On 3/19/2025 at 10:45 PM, Andrew Reid said:

but feels and looks a bit different. Niche artistic tools.

I'd love to get a Pentax 645D or 645Z, but even at their greatly reduced secondhand prices (vs their original RRP) I still can't justify buying one for what they're going for today. (just checked out their prices again, they seem to have gone up?? Has a youtuber/influencer started talking about them again???)

On 3/20/2025 at 1:06 PM, EduPortas said:

 

Now I'm having a blast with a tiny Nikon ccd point and shoot from about 20 years ago. 

Cheap as beans, fits everywhere, has flash, a nice wide to tele lens and the gf likes it. Of course the battery is mediocre, is very slow in operation and has glacial autofocus.

BUT once you print an image created with those ccd sensors you realize the hype is real.

I have NEVER seen skins tones as natural as the ones produced by these old Nikons (3300, 3400, etc). 

Am also a little tempted to get the Nikon D200 or D2X, simply because it was "the best" CCD camera that Nikon ever got. 

But more realistically, rather than a 645D/645Z/D200/D2X, then I see the Nikon D700 as being the most likely old camera I'm possibly going to get this year or next, depending on if I can spot the right super bargain or not here in NZ. 

On 3/20/2025 at 8:12 AM, MurtlandPhoto said:

My latest fun-factor obsession is the Epson R-D1. It's the closet thing to a film-like shooting experience you can get on digital. As far as I know, it is the only digital camera in which you must cock the shutter manually... for sure it is the only digital rangefinder in which you must do so. Seiko made the automotive inspired gauges at the top, which are very fun. To me, it's the full, unapologetic ode to film cameras that Fuji wishes it could do. It's feeling very old at the moment though at 6MP and the images themselves aren't particularly spectacular on their own SOOC.  

Yikes, their ebay pricing is through the roof! (especially so for a 2004 camera. At around two grand USD, or a little more or a little less)

 

[BTM_Pix]

After being in a pretty heavy accident on Saturday that has written my car off, my new favourite art camera is the Ring Doorbell camera.

My car was hit at a 90 degree angle from the side by some clown who sped out of their driveway and across an empty bus lane flipping my car round and causing the rear tyre to blow.

The art that the Ring Doorbell camera produced was in two parts.

The first being a beautiful record of my hitherto unknown stunt car driving prowess to correct the induced swerving to avoid the trees on the pavement side and then the oncoming traffic in the other lane and bring the wreck to a controlled stop.

The second and best bit was when the homeowner of the Ring Doorbell came outside and showed the footage to myself and the other driver who had thus far ludicrously been somehow claiming it was my fault.

Upon which the other driver, faced with the reality did their own rendition of the Larry David fake fainting.

As the Ring Doorbell was still active, it caught that too 🙂 

[Andrew Reid]

18 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

After being in a pretty heavy accident on Saturday that has written my car off, my new favourite art camera is the Ring Doorbell camera.

My car was hit at a 90 degree angle from the side by some clown who sped out of their driveway and across an empty bus lane flipping my car round and causing the rear tyre to blow.

The art that the Ring Doorbell camera produced was in two parts.

The first being a beautiful record of my hitherto unknown stunt car driving prowess to correct the induced swerving to avoid the trees on the pavement side and then the oncoming traffic in the other lane and bring the wreck to a controlled stop.

The second and best bit was when the homeowner of the Ring Doorbell came outside and showed the footage to myself and the other driver who had thus far ludicrously been somehow claiming it was my fault.

Upon which the other driver, faced with the reality did their own rendition of the Larry David fake fainting.

As the Ring Doorbell was still active, it caught that too 🙂 

Bonkers. Sounds like you've had a worse weekend than Liam Lawson.

Hope you are alright and no lasting damage other than the car!

[BTM_Pix]

22 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Bonkers. Sounds like you've had a worse weekend than Liam Lawson.

Well I haven't had to have been in the presence of that sleaze merchant Horner so I'm still up on the deal versus Lawson.

23 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Hope you are alright and no lasting damage other than the car!

Yeah everything's alright mate.

Pity I didn't get whiplash though as it would have paid for a Z8 !

[newfoundmass]

4 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

After being in a pretty heavy accident on Saturday that has written my car off, my new favourite art camera is the Ring Doorbell camera.

My car was hit at a 90 degree angle from the side by some clown who sped out of their driveway and across an empty bus lane flipping my car round and causing the rear tyre to blow.

The art that the Ring Doorbell camera produced was in two parts.

The first being a beautiful record of my hitherto unknown stunt car driving prowess to correct the induced swerving to avoid the trees on the pavement side and then the oncoming traffic in the other lane and bring the wreck to a controlled stop.

The second and best bit was when the homeowner of the Ring Doorbell came outside and showed the footage to myself and the other driver who had thus far ludicrously been somehow claiming it was my fault.

Upon which the other driver, faced with the reality did their own rendition of the Larry David fake fainting.

As the Ring Doorbell was still active, it caught that too 🙂 

Thank goodness you're okay!