philo Loc: philo, ca

we all dream of what we don't have, but the key is to be happy with what you do have.
It seems that most of us are happy with what we have. Good for us.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I for one do. I have a Leica IIIf I've had since I was 5. I still use it. Though, it had to be rebuilt about 3 years ago. I have a Nikon F. It was a gift in 1971. I still use it and wouldn't think of parting company with it. I'd list the rest of the cameras I had and intend to keep and use for the rest of my life, but it'd take more time than I wish to spend.
--Bob

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

my1959 Nikon F

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

At 70 my current Pentax K-50 and Panasonic Lumix dmc-zs60. As unlikely to be able to get newer ones.

dpswbab

Olympus E-M1 ii -- light, relatively compact, weather resistant, great selection of lenses, great image quality, terrific ergonomics, fast.

normpel Loc: Mass, R.I., Maryland

Honestly, I would choose the iPhone 7 Plus if I only had one camera to use the rest of my life. I'll tell you why. The best camera is the one you have with you. I always have this phone in my pocket. Secondly, the advances that have been made to the iPhone 7 are amazing and unknown by most photographers. First, it has 2 lenses, a wide-angle 12 mp 28 mm and a telephoto 56 mm. You can zoom up to 10X.

Second, it has dozens of apps that you can download-many are free but some are $1.99 or $2.99 (hardly a price that would break your budget) and they do just about the same thing that Lightroom or Photoshop do---right in your phone. I have seen some amazing photos---prize winners---that you would swear were not taken with an iPhone. Advances are taking place as we speak. You have a portrait mode (from 1 to 8 feet) setting that blurs the background. Snapseed is one of the best apps for post-processing and it is free. With the iPhone you can set focus and exposure, you can lock both of them in, you can take panoramic shots, you have an HDR option included, you can easily take "burst" shots like 40 or 50 action shots at once and select the ones you want to keep, you can mount your iPhone on a tripod and use a remote shutter release. You can covert your photos to black and white, you can retouch, lighten, darken, superimpose layers, remove unwanted backgrounds, etc. I am attaching a few shots taken with my iP7+.

RobbieAB Loc: UK

The question is not silly, it's actually interesting.

However, there are two types of answers, as other posters have alluded to:

There are the "infinite budget" answers, which are what I am referring to as the "silly aspirational" ones: The LS911 (estimated price in excess of $100,000!), the XF3100, the H6D-100c, etc. These are only interesting if they reference something unusual or different. Personally, I love the idea of the LS911, though I know that realistically I will never be able to afford one. Breaking $10k on a camera is likely to get in in trouble with my CFO!

And there are the realistic budget answers, which is actually a more interesting question: With budgets imposing compromises, what are people choosing? What are peoples budgets? etc. Most of my shooting so far has been with Canon, but since I acquired a 10yo Phase One back and Mamiya body, I have found that I both love the medium format camera, and am really not remotely brand loyal. As far as pricing or functionality are concerned? Anything from any of the current camera vendors is going to be adequate, I'm not brand loyal, and having handled the real "big toys" I don't feel an overwhelming need for "high end".

I.A.Teacher

The one I presently own;
A Kodak PIXPRO AZ522 Digital Camera w/52X optical zoom, 24mm Wide, 16mm CMOS,360 degrees Panorama Capture; Plus much more; Continuous shooting, Optical image Stabilization and Electronic Viewfinder.
The most important feature, It only cost me with accessories, extra battery,charger, 32mb memory card,& carrying case. $228.00 It has the picture taking capabilities of any camera costing thousands of dollars.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I do. To me, a camera is not something disposable like a toothbrush or pair of shoes - buy, use for a while and discard. But rather like a fine wrist watch that I intend to use and cherish for many years, and possibly for the rest of my life. (This is especially true with many film cameras as they indeed can last a lifetime if properly cared for.) It is also why I choose my cameras and lenses very carefully and avoid giving in to purchasing on a whim.

sqzpiper

Anything but a Sony 6000a and similar models......They are just to complicated
to depend on...not intuitive at all.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

It'd be interesting to see a 16x20 or 32x40 print from an iPhone "anything".
--Bob

exposeu Loc: Wenatchee, WA

My Hasselblads.

shelty Loc: Medford, OR

It all comes down to how rich you are. Those with limited income tend to buy cheaper cameras and keep them longer. (That includes me.) Those who are richer tend to buy what ever turns them on at the moment and eventually own a whole stack of cameras. But the most important thing I can think of is: What are you really going to use the camera for? 16x20s for serious display? or just view the images on a screen in your computer?
Also, remember the camera is nothing more than an instrument to capture an image. Its the lens makes the big difference on the quality of the image. In other words; if you have a $5,000 camera and poor lens, you will be dissatisfied. But an excellent lens on a cheap camera could make you some excellent quality pictures.

shelty Loc: Medford, OR

Yeah, I owned one too. But the lens was softer than the one on my Rolleicord.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Me too.