Cult cameras - what is on the list?

[Krosya]

There are some cameras that have "cult" status and following. What are they?
I can think of one at the moment:

Konica Hexar AF.

What else do you think belongs on a "cult cameras" list?

[ruby.monkey]

Well, obviously not the Leica M3.

[pvdhaar]

The Lomo LCA

[oftheherd]

Originally Posted by pvdhaar

The Lomo LCA

Yep, a cult camera alright. LOL

[oftheherd]

I think the Canonet 17 QL III has assumed cult status. Seemingly the Yashica 124 MAT G as well. Leicas in general have (putting on my flame suit as I run to the shelter).

I guess a definition of cult status would help define others or not. Some might consider the 35mm FSU cameras that way, but I am not so sure that fits just yet, popular as they may be.

[jsrockit]

Most Leica Ms. Ricoh GR1. Leica Digilux 2.

[chris00nj]

Interesting post. Initial thoughts....

1. Nikon SP - It's Nikon and a rangefinder.
2. Alpa 6 (but really any Alpa reflex)
3. Canon Canonet QL17 GIII
4. Olympus Pen
5. Apple Iphone (just kidding...sort of)

(plus the already mentioned Lomo and Leica M3. )

Update: can't determine whether a highly collectible camera is the same as a cult camera. If so:

Agfa Automatic 66
Ensign Autorange 620.
Leica IIIg

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Most definitely the Olympus Pen, XA, and 35RD.

[feenej]

Olympus XA

[feenej]

Yashica Gsn, but only here on RFF.

[feenej]

Olympus Mju II (also a cult camera only here). Hmm Olympus makes the list a lot. Oh add the OM-1 too.

[Waus]

Nikon F
Nikon F2
Nikon FM/FE/FM2/FE2/FM3a
Leica M6
Rolleiflex (and all of it's clones...)
Hasselblad SWC

[dmr]

I would almost consider the Mamiya SD users to be a "cult", as there aren't too many of them, but those who use them regularly are very attached to them.

[scottwallick]

My first thought is of the Diana/Holga 120.

On second thought, I come up with a list of cameras that might not be 'cult', but were commercially unsuccessful (whatever that means) but have a strong following:

• Nikon FM3a
• Epson R-D1
• Contax T/T2
• Fuji Natura/Klasse

I might even be so bold as to throw in the Contax G/G2 and—apologies!—the new Voigtlander Bessa III 667/Fuji GF670.

This whole forum, depending on the point of view, could be about 'cult' cameras.

[Roger Hicks]

Anything by Gandolfi (which is understandable) and anything by Deardorff (which isn't).

Anything by Alpa, ancient or modern.

Olympus Pen W and Pen F series (nothing else by Olympus is really cult, unless you include the inexplicably popular OM series).

Cheers,

R.

[Todd.Hanz]

Diana
Rolleiflex
Widelux
Hassy's

Todd

[martin s]

Linhof Technika.

martin

[micromontenegro]

The Rollei 35, of course.

[DNG]

The ones I own
Leica M5 -- Last M made in Weltzlar, in that era of Leica's, 1st TTL RF (Popularity is growing)
Olympus XA -- smallest RF
Rollie 35s
Leica MP (old)
Voigtlander folders
Nikon RF
Robot (24x24 or 24x26)

[kdemas]

Going retro.... the Kodak Bantam Special (art deco Bakelite).

[le vrai rdu]

yashica Mat minolta srt canon AE1...........

[Renzsu]

I think film photographers are in their own little cult already and anything they judge cult is lost on the rest.
I'd say maybe Leica's in general since you see them on design blogs everywhere, early Nikon F's because Dennis Hopper used them in Apocalypse Now. Stuff like that.

[xayraa33]

I am trying hard to make the Minolta SRT series into a cult camera but it has been a slow go.

[Calzone]

My Nikon F3P that was a real press camera oned by the Newspaper "Newsday." I bought it just after it recieved a total overhaul after coming back from Operation Desert Storm.

Leica screwmounts. I own a IIIG with a canon/serenar permanantly attached.

My Tele Rolleiflex and Rolleiflex 3.5F.

Wetzlar M6's

And Mamiya 6's only with 50/4.0 permanantly mounted.

Any Linhof.

Cal

[Brian Legge]

I think cult cameras are often based on extremes of a particular attribute - be it quality, size, image appearance, etc. As a result, there are a bunch of them out there. Personally, I tend towards smaller user cameras that produce good images. Here are ones that jump out at me:

XA - Smallest rangefinder
Minolta CLE - Smallest screw mount
Minolta 7sII - Best fixed lens rangefinder glass in a compact package
Yashica GX - Compact aperture priority
Yashica CC - Compact wide
Hexar - Quietest rangefinder
Olympus OM series - High end small SLRs with great glass.
Nikon 28ti - High end wide point and shoot.
Rolleiflex 2.8 - Top end TLR
Anything Leica - Quality, early
Anything rangefinders for that matter.

I'm actually leaving the Yashica TLRs and Canonets off this list. They are popular but I think that is mostly because there are so many of them out there more than anything. I'm also leaving Holga/LCA/Diane off the list as those are certainly cult-ish but seem more temporal and marketing driven at the moment.

Of these, I only have personal experience with the XA and a small amount with a IIIc. My first experiences with the XA were poor so I'm trying to give it another chance. The IIIc is nice but I'm too cheap to buy Leica glass and am less likely to stumble across it cheap than some of the other gear above. I'm not sure where I'm going with it yet, though I like using the camera.