Classic Camera Reviews

When it comes to capturing timeless and transcendent photos, everyone knows that the person behind the camera is the most crucial factor and that the particular gear, he or she used, is less important. However, the camera is not insignificant to the creative process.

The landmark Kine Exakta camera of 1936 was world’s first successful 35mm SLR. Although the Russians announced their Sport 35mm SLR a year earlier, this ingenious but ungainly clunker was made in limited quantities from about 1937-1941 and distributed only in the Soviet Union. The Kine Exakta, on the other hand, was an instant international success and its maker, Ihagee of Dresden, Germany, produced it and its successors in huge quantities, enjoying robust worldwide sales.

There's was a time, not long ago, when the Fujifilm X-Pro1 was at the top-of-the-heap of the mirrorless camera world. Nowadays, though, you can get this retro-style digital camera for a reasonable price, which is why classic camera reviewer Mattias Burling says the 16MP X-Pro1 is a must-buy for bargain hunters.

If you want a quality compact camera for street photography but don't want to spend an arm and a leg, the Pentax MX-1 from six years ago is still a great buy, according to Mattias Burling, who reviews older cameras on his popular YouTube channel. Selling for only a few hundred dollars online (and even less if you hunt around the used market), the Pentax MX-1 is a legend of a camera, Burling contends.

Practically any analog camera can be pressed into service as a street camera—the late great Weegee used a 4x5 Speed Graphic to expose the seamy and sentimental sides of New York City, and the incomparable Vivian Maier stalked the streets of Chicago with a twin-lens Rolleiflex. But when it comes to discreet shooting on the fly, nothing can quite match a 35mm rangefinder camera as proven by the timeless work of countless photojournalists over the past 90 years.

We have sung the praises of the Nikon Df on Shutterbug several times before so it’s nice to know we’re not the only ones still infatuated with this retro-styled DSLR from 2013. Photographer Mattias Burling who takes second looks at recent classic cameras on his excellent YouTube channel has put out a video titled “5 Reasons to Buy a Nikon DF in 2018 - As underrated as it gets.

Finding an inexpensive full frame camera is difficult these days. And with Nikon set to release a new mirrorless full frame camera this month, things aren’t likely to get any cheaper.