Your First Camera?

[collum]

Canon T70 for about a month, then went out and bought a used Omega 45D. Have loved the big film ever since

[lbergman]

First camera I used (and owned - given to me by my grandmother) was an old Brownie back in the late seventies. Being a kid, I couldn't afford much of anything, even buying the cheapest black & white film was only a once-in-a-while event. But I sure had fun with it, and was what started my interest in photography. Playing around with the large flashbulbs it took was great fun too!

After that, I was given a Kodak 110 point-and-pray...I mean point-and-shoot. Remember using it on a vacation out to the Western states in the eighties, then wanting some of the photos enlarged to 8x10. Oh, the ignorance!

The first camera I actually bought for myself was a cheap Olympus point-and-shoot, but at least it was my first introduction to 35mm and was in my price range while in college.  After some frustration at having only one focal length, I "upgraded" to a much more expensive Olympus point-and-shoot a couple years later, this one with built-in-zoom!    Still, I lusted after an SLR, and not until I was done with college for a few years and had a decent job did I finally get one: the Canon Rebel G.

Unfortunately, that just wetted the appetite for a better SLR. Now about eight years after that first SLR, I own a Canon 1D & D30 (having gone digital in the last year), a 1V and about 10 other film SLRs including a couple of Nikon Fs and many Canon FD bodies, with an armory of lens for all. Guess I'm making up for my youth when I couldn't afford any of those jewels.     :laugh:

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

The Pentax spotmatic was probably the first widely popular SLR and one of the first cameras to include built-in TTL metering. It was and still is a nice little camera.
. . .

- first instant return mirror
- first pentaprism viewfinder
- first TTL metering
- first auto exposure

Another first for Pentax, if I remember correctly, was multi-coated lenses.

Eric

[Quentin]

Kodak Instamatic - various flavours

First serious Camera - Zenit TTL.  took screw thread lenses.

Canon AV-1 (very short time)

Contax 139 (stolen in 1982 at a party)

Contax 137MA (used for many years, sits battered in the bottom of a box with an old Yashica macro lens attached)

Contax RX (great build quality)

Contax AX (whacky body autofocus, but it worked!) I miss those Zeiss lenses. the Zeiss 35-135mm was the most awesome piece of over-engineering since the dawn of time  

Nikon F100 (fabulous handling)

Mamiya 7II.  Super camera.  Used with 65mm lens mainly.

Bronica GS.  underated.  Problem with film flatness if not used for a day or two.

Rollei 6008i.  Wonderful camera but I never took to the square format.

Wista VX LF and various lenses, which is still used occasionally.  Originally purchased for use with a Dicomed Field Pro scan back, but since also used with Fuji quickloads.

Fuji S1 Pro (still own)

Fuji S2 pro (still used for low light)

Kodak 14n, now nx with new sensor.

Sounfs like a lot of kit, but it covers around 30 years, and I was experimanting in recent years with medium format solutions.

Quentin

[mikeseb]

1. Age 8 or 9: Zeiss Ikon Contina (or was that a Contina lens?) Little 35mm non-rangefinder camera about the size of a cigarette pack, broken meter. didn't survive fall onto concrete. Sharpest lens I've ever used.

2. Hanimex Praktika. Cheap East German 35mm SLR. Meter photocell just to the left of the screw-mount lens. Crappy camera, I wore it out taking crappy photos. Loved it because I myself earned the money to buy it, ca age 10.

3. Nikon Photomic F2. Stolen during apartment burglary in grad school. Just as well, as I was unsuccessful in its primary mission: convincing young women to disrobe before it. I now know better and repent of my iniquities.

4. Nikon F3. Fabulous camera, still have it. Dropped 6 ft onto cobblestones in Copenhagen (user agog over Danish women), 8 wks at Nikon svc center, back in action. I'll never part with it unless they stop making 35mm film entirely.

5. Sinar F. Bought during Ansel Adams phase from local photographer exiting the business. Spent months doing Zone System calibrations and trying to figure out how to load sheet film into those hangers to process in a makeshift darkroom in Kodak hard rubber tanks. Took about two dozen actual images. Mind blowing sharpness with Schneider and Rodenstock lenses. Too lazy to drag it out much, I regret to say. Sold my 4x5 enlarger last fall.

6. Pearl River TLR. Yikes.

7. Kowa Super 66. Bought on eBay, sold on eBay. Inherited one from wife's grandfather. Useful for photographing charging grizzly bear, and for crushing its skull should persuasion fail. Vastly underrated camera. Sorry to part with it but I really like cameras with meters built in.

8. D70. Bought brand new; took it to France for 60th anniversary of D-Day. Didn't find out what "RAW" was until after I returned. Got a lot of low-res JPEG's from that trip. Pays to read the manual, I have learned.

9. Contax 645. I'm speechless with passion about this camera. Now if only I could afford that phase one P25...whose price, invested conservatively today, would see at least one of my kids through the Ivy League school of his/her choice.

Lord, why do I choose such expensive hobbies? Photography is a jealous mistress, who can only be appeased by frequent gifts of cash, and an ongoing tithe of time.

[Lenora]

My first SLR was a Canon EF. Loved that camera. I still have it.
LL

[williamrohr]

Although it wasn't my first camera (I think it was the third) ... the BEST camera I have ever owned was a Nikormat EL.  Light, fast, never took a poorly exposed picture.  When I was in Japan in 1980, Nikon service department offered a free "upgrade" of the metering system (those were the days of real customer service).  Even though there was nothing wrong with it, I took them up on it .... got it back in 3 days.  Still have it today and it still works great.      Bill

[erichK]

After using parents' Retina Reflex, friend's Exacta and a borrowed Leica M-4, I finally bought the original Olympus Om-1 in 1973.  Went on to add the orginal OM-2.  Loved its incredible "painting with light"  low-light abilities, especially with compact Zuiko lenses like the 24f2. I even started collecting Pen FT/Fv kit. Eventually bought the OM4T and its 280  flash about 19989, which I made the mistake of selling 8 years later, in order to get the autofocus Nikon F70, because my eyes were no longer as sharp. All the automation/matrix metering, and great flash control was great for sharp, well-meterd, salable instructional images, especially with the 24-120 lens.  But the need for flash to compensate for slowness of the non-megabuck lenses also made for predictable images. Traded F70 for the smaller, more ergonomic F-80 about 2001. Easier to use, but even less inspiring.

Got a Olympus C5050Z for underwater photography.  It and the housing were cheaper than a housing for the F80 would have been, and I wanted to try digital.
I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the images, especially in such areas as colour gradation and saturation in high-contrast situations (sunsets, etc) and low light situations.  

In Dec. 2004, I bought an Olmpus E-1 outfit after many side-by-side comparisons the Nikon D70 and Canon 20D.  Was heading for the rainforest in Dominica, and liked the solidity and weather sealing, relative compactness of the whole (14-54mmf 2.8, 50mmf2 macro, 50-200mmf2.8 zoom  lens) outfit.  Put *tool* usability before latest features. Rarely regret that.  Recently added the 11-22mm f2.8(fantastic lens) and  and E500 body (so, so)  Still have two Om 1's, an OM 2 and the F80, and the 5050 and a Canon S70 and their housings for underwater, but rarely use the film cameras.

Really hope that there'll be an E-1 successor!

erichK
saskatoon, canada

[Piece]

My first camera was given to me by my parents last year.  It was a Canon T2 with a 28-80 kit lens.  Since then I've stepped up.  I used a D70 that my school essentially gave to me for 9 months and a set of 2.8 lenses.  Now I just ordered my 30D and 16-35 L and a 50 1.8.  This will be followed by a 70-200 and then wherever i feel like from there.

[Let Biogons be Biogons]

First camera was a Pentax SP 1000

[TurnerJon]

My first camera was a Pentax MX. Never should have sold it.

Current line up includes a Canon A1, Minolta Maxxum 7, and an Olympus E500.

Only the Olympus is being used at this time.

[scho37]

My first serious camera was a Practiflex slr with a zeiss tessar lens, purchased over 50 years ago.

[Peter Jon White]

I was 12 years old in 1966 and bought a well used Kodak Pony 135 for $11.00. It had several shutter speeds, an f/3.5 lens, and manual focus with no rangefinder, just a simple viewfinder.

It was stolen a few years later and I bought a Canonflex R2000 with 50mm lens, or was it 55mm, can't remember, for $125. I had hit the big time! ;-)

[Kenneth Sky]

In 1951, I bought a Lordox 35mm. In my late teens I aquired one of the first Pentax SLRs (Remember scew-in lens - when 85mm was considered telephoto) From there it was a sucession Minolta SLRs up to the 7D. The funny thing is I still have most of these cameras and keep them in a display case in my library. The only justification for this aberation I give my wife is it's cheaper than chasing women

[DarkPenguin]

Minolta X-570.  It is still in a box in my basement.

[AaronM]

My first (and only) camera was a Canon A70 point-and-shoot. I bought it when I was 15, and I've had it for two years now. Its wearing out now though, and I want to upgrade to a Canon SLR, (probably the Rebel XT) once I get the money saved up.

Its been a great little camera to get me started. I've taken over 13,000 pictures with it now.

[gewitterkind]

my first cam was a minolta xg-m, i still own it, though its meter isn't working anymore. my oldest cam is a yashica electro 35g

[rboe]

Borrowed my folks brownie, then bought a Hanimex Praktika, finally got talked into a Pentax KX MD. Still using the KX to this day and have finally scored on a motor drive for it, added a spare body.

Had a Yashica TLR for a short spell, replaced that with a Rolliflex which I still have.

In the last couple years have added way too many cameras to my kit. Contax G2 when a local store went out of business - cool camera. Added a Minolta Maxxum 70 when I found myself too slow to  focus and set things when shooting our dog doing agility.

Picked up a Nikonos for swimming with the fishies.

For some unknown reason I added a Fuji GX680 (not sure on the model number - it's an auto focus 120 fixed lense unit). Great camera when I remember to take the lense cap off.

Added an OM-1n when it was offered up for only $60. A buddy had one when I first bought my Pentax and I admired the size. I should sell it.

Holding off on going digital for now as the KX is still going strong. Tend to keep it in slide film while the I use the G2 for prints.

I'm in a world of hurt if film goes away......

[tsjanik]

Kodak Brownie, which melted after I left it in the sun, in a closed car, in the Mojave desert (I was only 12).

Yashica 124 G a gift in college, still have some of the big negatives

Pentax Spotmatic was the first camera I purchased.  I loved the camera and seriously considered professional photography at that point. I especially liked the 20mm f4.5 Takumar lens I used on it (stolen in 1981).  A Pentax LX, replaced the stolen Spotmatic.  Great camera and I still have it, I also got a K1000 at the time ostensibly for fast film, but I really missed the Spotmatic.

[matt4626]

Nikormat FTN still have it and it still works. (if i can find a battery for the meter)