I love the Nikon Zf – so I really hope rumors of Canon joining the retro camera revolution are true

It's fair to say that the retro camera trend was kicked off by Nikon’s Zfc and then really gained serious momentum with the full frame Nikon Zf which has been a huge seller. 

Yes, Fujifilm has been championing traditional control dials on its X-T line for ever, but this hasn’t been with the intention of replicating any of the Fujica 35mm SLRs from the past. No, retro means reprising a classic design – such as the FM2 in the case of the Zf – and the new OM System OM-3 very much pays homage to the legendary Olympus OM-1.

What’s the appeal? Well, if you’ve directly experienced the originals, then it’s the attraction of going back to something that was associated with great photos and fond memories, not to mention a degree of familiarity (which is undoubtedly also the case with the Fujifilm X-T and X-Pro models). 

If you’re of a more recent vintage, it’s all about the looks and the individuality… as well as the combination of classical design and contemporary efficiencies. As the owner of a Zf – couldn’t resist, could I? – I know the camera attracts attention and admiring comments because it just looks so good. It’s as much about the proportions as the dials and Nikon has got it just right with the Zf… as has OM Digital Solutions with the OM-3. 

Really, you can look at any of the 35mm SLRs from the 1970s, amateur or pro – and they look just like you’d expect a real camera to look, but also elegant with a purity of form and function. It’s not by accident that just about any camera icon that you see today is the front profile of 35mm-sized SLR.

So, as any camera maker with a heritage, you’d have to be thinking about diving into the back catalogue, wouldn’t you? The Zf has convincingly proved the business case, and better still, this is a model that doesn’t need regular updating. It is, as they say, what it is. 

Rumors persist of a Canon ‘RE-1’ – an RF mount mirrorless reprisal of the 35mm Canon AE-1 which was such a big hit after it was launched in 1976 (and, coincidentally. It was undoubtedly one of the most important 35mm SLRs and, along with the later AE-1 Program model, sold over six million units. Canon would be mad not to do the RE-1, and an option could be to base it on an updated RP platform.

And what about Pentax? Makes even more sense since it’s now the sole promoter of the DSLR and the Pentax history is littered with great 35mm SLRs… a digital Spotmatic anyone? The K mount is still going strong so this looks like a bit of a no-brainer, although there’s the likelihood of a revived Pentax 35mm SLR in the near future so that’s prob-ably more of a priority.

However, this raises an interesting ques-tion. Is a fully retro-styled digital camera – mirrorless or DSLR – a better proposition than a revisited film model? The Zf and Zfc would suggest that the answer is yes. The film renaissance is undoubtedly going to continue gathering strength, but film isn’t for everybody… there’s a fairly big divide between the romantic notion and the reality. A camera that delivers something close to the film experience, but without all the actual fuss and bother (which, let’s be honest, is what it is if you’ve never done it before)

is a much more attractive idea. The Zf and OM-3 convincingly prove the point. I have an original Olympus OM-3 in my collection and, not surprisingly, got it out to do the obvious new-and-old picture. It’s one of my absolute favourite mechanical 35mm SLRs, but would I choose to shoot with it over the new camera? Nope. On the hand, the OM System OM-3 is very hard to put down and it’s going to be a best seller without a doubt – and, like the Zf, defying both brand and sensor format loyalties.

The bottom line is that, if you want one of these retro-style cameras, you really, really want it.  

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