Yet Another Digital Camera Recommendation Thread

[catscratch]

Tair 11a is a pretty good place to start. 135mm F2.8, with a 20 (!) blade aperture, which gives it a pretty unique bokeh. Incredibly solid build quality, at least in the one that I've used, but there are rumors of production variances so I would read up some more. You do need to stop it down a bit for maximum sharpness but either way it's a great lens. M42 mount.

Edited November 13, 2012 by catscratch

[padam]

Thanks for the tip I am getting one for sure.

I've also heard that they have also restored the production of a few Zenith lenses such as the Helios 40-2 85mm F1.5 so it is actually possible get a new one for less than a used one.

But it is very tough to get because the production is so limited and it is only available in one shop and the price has also raised since the announcement.

Also it is bloody heavy so not sure about the handling with a NEX but it would be fun to try, it is still cheaper than the competition.

[dsavitsk]

The Fuji has arrived.

It is pretty nice, but in comparison to the Contax it is replacing, the fit and finish is a full step down. To be fair, this is a $1K camera, and the Contax was well more than that in 1997, but the feel is a tad disappointing. More Canon/Nikon than Leica.

One other thought is that in 1963 Olympus managed to cram a pentaprism into a smaller body with a similarly sized frame. Why are digital SLRs so big? And why could they not do something similar here?

These three pics were, oddly enough, taken with a Canon S100 (and hugely compressed in PS -- they originals look much better) that I bought during the Back Friday sales because every indication was that the Fuji was not going to ship until after the holiday and I needed something sooner. Oh well -- I actually quite like the Canon and will keep it around for keeping in my pocket.

Edited December 3, 2012 by dsavitsk

[Jon L]

Nice...  That 18-55 looks huge compared the body though.  Waiting to see if Fuji will bundle the X-E1 with the 35mm f/1.4..