Of any online photography publication currently around, we’ve been reviewing film cameras and film emulsions for the longest.And a while ago, I was wondering to myself what the best film camera is. I remember reading a special thread on Reddit about the Leica M6 vs the Nikon F3. It was such a profound thread that I emailed it to myself and constantly snoozed the email to write about it later after I had my truest thoughts come to me. Time has shown us that both of these cameras will far outlast anything that digital photographers use. So what is the best film camera?
I say this as a photographer who hasn’t regularly used a film camera in a little while. And I’m not talking about instant film cameras, but instead actual 35mm film. My Nikon F2 is with a friend right now. So in this bag, I saw my Leica M6 and my Fujifilm Natura S. And for a moment, I debated on which one I’d want to use. The Natura S is fun, spontaneous, and is pretty much guaranteed to never give me a bad photo of any sort. The Leica M6 is a slower, more careful device that requires me to think in a totally different way. It has the potential to be faster than the Natura S.
Both of these devices aren’t going to be used to do serious photography work. They’re just meant for my own pleasure. I can see myself shooting selfies with friends and candid moments with the Natura S. And with the M6, I can see myself taking a really long time to shoot each frame of Kodak ColorPlus that I’m loading into the camera.
Luckily, development costs these days are cheap enough that I don’t worry all that much.
At a certain point, I realized that I know myself well enough to understand that I can shoot with both cameras pretty easily. So I chose the Leica M6 because I’m bound to have more conversations with others about it and I can put the really nice Funleader 28mm f2.8 pancake lens on it.
And that’s when I really realized it and I heard the voice of Gear Editor Feroz Khan in my mind as we were discussing the best camera bag for travel. The best film camera is the one that suits you the best.
All of these cameras can shoot great photos.
Here’s a bunch that I’ve shot with the Natura S.
Here’s a lot that I’ve shot with the M6.
Both of these cameras are capable of bringing me joy. But at the moment, I want to choose the Leica M6. And for me, right now, in this very moment, the Leica M6 is the best camera for me.
And this is why so many of us have gear acquisition syndrome. We have to learn, get experience, and then pair stuff down.
