build quality

[rockmeister]

I once handled a Leica M4. I once owned a Nikon FM2n and a F3, a Rolliflex and best of all, a Contax RTS11.

Those cameras were built proper.

In your experience, what camera now has this engineered, lifetime quality?

 

[s2000db]

Hubble telescope??

And even that needed repairing...

 

[rabski]

I once handled a Leica M4. I once owned a Nikon FM2n and a F3, a Rolliflex and best of all, a Contax RTS11.Those cameras were built proper.

In your experience, what camera now has this engineered, lifetime quality?

Actually, I think that in general this is one area where new definitely beats old.

I have been lucky enough over the years to have owned Contax 35mm, Hasselblad, Leica and various others. IME none would take the punishment that my current 50D does.

My 'carry about' is a Canon compact. It's been dropped numerous times, and once in salt water. Short of running it over with the car, I can't think of anything awful I haven't done to it, but it relentlessly insists on turning out excellent images. Older stuff generally needed serious repair if you so much as sneezed on it.

My ancient Leica (still a prized possession) would not take a tenth of the battering the Canons do.

 

[meninblack]

Lifetime quality, Rocky? At your age, I'd just go for one of those cardboard ones from Tesco.

 

[rabski]

Lifetime quality, Rocky? At your age, I'd just go for one of those cardboard ones from Tesco.

I would laugh, but I'm not far off.

Anyway, you're no bloody spring chicken yourself

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Of the mainstream manufacturers nothing comes close to Pentax for build IME.

 

[BD Audio]

Do you work for Pentax Phil? Shilling is against the AUP you know but I'm not sure it extends to camera equipment.

 

[stickman]

Of the mainstream manufacturers nothing comes close to Pentax for build IME.

And yet Mark had to send his body back to Pentax because it was shorting on long exposures in damp conditions; my old D300 had repeatedly taken shots in lakes, the sea, streams and rivers wthout a glitch. 4 years and 40,000 exposures without a glitch.

Evangelism is best left to the hifi rooms.

 

[tkimages]

My Nikon FM was dropped into water when photographing power boat racing. I rewound the film, opened the back emptied it of any water inside, changed the lens, wiped what I could see, put in another film and carried on. Didn't lose a frame, even the wet filmed processed OK. Couldn't see that happening with my 5D2 or 1D4, even if the 1D series are supposed to be weather sealed. Different technologies I know, but ..........!

 

[rockmeister]

I read constant complaints on Leica forums that new Leicas are not a patch on the post war models. I can get how in practice, some abuse will be absorbed by modern Nikons and Canons etc but they just don't FEEL that well made. I hate to make meaningless comparisons, but a 1960's Merc was MADE...every single screw was designed, hand made, tested, fitted, refined and then made twice as good to last forever. See I wouldn't mind the answer to my OP being 'Leica's still are', because they cost so much, I thought they must be, but they are not are they. See my thread on FF cameras. No reason for the silly prices is there...just that we sit here and accept the crap?

- - - Updated - - -

Lifetime quality, Rocky? At your age, I'd just go for one of those cardboard ones from Tesco.

:hug:

Under every grain of truth lies a silver cloud.

 

[s2000db]

Rocky I can't remember what model camera you have, but when I went to Nikon for some training on the D300, the first thing the guy did was pick the camera up by the lens, and smash the body on the bench!

He said that he had done this several times a week for the past 6 months with no problems, and the next exercise was to go out side in the pouring rain for an hour to use our cameras. There were no problems whatsoever....

He said these are built to last all types of abuse!

How much more build quality do you need??

 

[rockmeister]

all I can say is

Knurled knobs.

 

[rabski]

all I can say isKnurled knobs.

At our age, that's all we frequently are able to say.

 

[rockmeister]

that, and "of course open a second bottle dear heart. WTF else is there to do?"

 

[rabski]

that, and "of course open a second bottle dear heart. WTF else is there to do?"

Plenty!

Go out and take some pictures. It's autumn, the most scenic time of the year.

Listen to some new music and moan about it.

Swap some cables around just for the hell of it.

Above all, don't ever, ever let 'them' get the better.

 

[HectorHughMunro]

My ideal camera would be a digital version of my old Contax RTS mk 1. Hopefully, we'll get to the point pretty soon where the electronics get small enough that we can get back to that kind of mechanical perfection. It wasn't cheap to do something like that - it must have cost close to what the Nikon D800 does these days. I think we paid more for cameras in those days.

 

[rockmeister]

Plenty!Go out and take some pictures. It's autumn, the most scenic time of the year.

Listen to some new music and moan about it.

Swap some cables around just for the hell of it.

Above all, don't ever, ever let 'them' get the better.

Today I walked 7 miles with a dog

went for a motorbike ride

bought a new fishing rod

dug the holes for 5 fruit trees

caught a cold

took down the scaffolding

did the washing and now

am off for fish and chips watching bakeoff

get the better??????????? Fucker's'll have to catch up first;-)

 

[rabski]

Today I walked 7 miles with a dogwent for a motorbike ride

bought a new fishing rod

dug the holes for 5 fruit trees

caught a cold

took down the scaffolding

did the washing and now

am off for fish and chips watching bakeoff

get the better??????????? Fucker's'll have to catch up first;-)

Sounds like an average day. But you didn't mention taking pictures.

Anne in her 'want to give something back to society' mode has got us involved in walking a couple of Labradors for a local blind couple. One dog is retired and one is still 'active' and I have to say I have had precious little else that, over the last years, has provided quite such sheer joy. They are absolutely beautiful and incredibly good company. They do fart a fair bit, which in an A-Class is not an experience to delight in, and frankly a wet dog stinks, no matter what it is and how well trained. However, I'll forgive them those minor foibles for the joy of a walk in the countryside with a camera and some fresh air.

 

[musicbox]

Today I walked 7 miles with a dogwent for a motorbike ride

bought a new fishing rod

dug the holes for 5 fruit trees

caught a cold

took down the scaffolding

did the washing and now

am off for fish and chips watching bakeoff

get the better??????????? Fucker's'll have to catch up first;-)

reminds me of a good friend who retired recently - "How did I ever find the time to go to work?" You lucky sod.