Topic: Your First Camera? (Read 44503 times)

rvanr · « **Reply #80 on:** May 07, 2006, 08:49:59 am »

My first camera was a Lubitel 2, a russian twin lens reflex, 4x4. 100% manual, did not have a battery. This was around 1970 I believe it cost around 50 guilders at the time. It was a great way to learn the basics.

jlmwyo · « **Reply #81 on:** May 08, 2006, 03:13:41 am »

The infamous Pentax K-1000. Doesn't everyone have one?

spencer87 · « **Reply #82 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:48:00 pm »

I had a Kodak point and shoot when I was little, or I would use my mom's camera. I got my first 'serious' camera when I took Photo I in high school, which was a hand-me-down 1983 Minolta x570 from my grandfather.

smurdock · « **Reply #83 on:** May 17, 2006, 07:36:52 pm »

Canon AE-1 with 50mm 1.8 in 1978.

Paul Sumi · « **Reply #84 on:** May 17, 2006, 09:27:34 pm »

First camera: Kodak Instamatic

First 35mm: Konica 35mm compact P&S

First SLR: Minolta SRT-101

First auto SLR: Minolta XD-11

First digicam: Kodak DC260

First (sort of) DSLR: Olympus E-10

First (real) DSLR: Canon EOS 10D

Second (real) DSLR: Canon EOS 1D MkII

Paul

tensai · « **Reply #85 on:** May 18, 2006, 05:42:02 am »

i got my first camera when i was 14; a second hand pentax me. got stolen, replaced by an me super.

after that, nikon point and shoot, ricoh GR1, couple of sony cybershots (loved the swivel lens system) nikon d70, fm2n, d200.

still wish i didnt have to sell that ricoh GR1...

MartynK · « **Reply #86 on:** May 18, 2006, 12:35:14 pm »

Brownie 127 (with a piece of black tape over a small crack in the body) in the late 50s or early 60s, followed by a Kodak folding bellows camera in 120 which had shutter speed and aperture adjustments. I was probably about 12 at this point. Brief relationship with an Ilford Sportsman 35mm, followed by a Zenith SLR with non-return mirror and no light meter. Olympus 35RC and Nikon F2 in the 70s, and a second hand FM later on. I still have the Nikons, and also a Minolta Dimage 7i which I bought about three years ago. Planning to get a D200 if South African prices ever reach affordable levels or I win the lottery.

Odd memories: Relatives from the US visited us in Scotland in the early 1960s with a camera that could take colour photographs! Every shot I took until my late teens or early twenties was based on the exposure guide printed on the back of the film box, and "Sunny 16" still works as well as ever.

theophilus · « **Reply #87 on:** May 19, 2006, 04:12:16 pm »

Kodak 110 in the late 80's.

Pentax 105 35mm P&S (loved it, was absolutely waterproof, dropped it in a river many times). - 2000

Canon A80 - 2003

Canon Rebel XT - 2005

Canon 5D - this month

Goonery · « **Reply #88 on:** November 21, 2006, 07:46:07 am »

A Kodak Instamatic is the first one I could actually name, but something from Ilford in a grey shiny plastic was the very first. It had a very odd film size which was rapidly becoming extinct due to 35mm and compact cassette style camera becoming all the rage and relatively cheap. My first SLR was a Zenit, which I traded up to a Canon EOS. Then it all stopped for a few years until a couple of point and shoot Fuji's came my way. That and some other influences re awakened my interest, so I recently found my self owning an Olympus E500, quickly followed by the Lowepro bag, filters, spare batteries, cards, and last weekend a great Zuiko Macro lense.
I think I've got the bug again..........

Oh I'm new here BTW, found the site by googling for a review of the Apple Aperture product.

John.Murray · « **Reply #89 on:** November 21, 2006, 01:00:12 pm »

Great topic

First was a Yashica Mat 124 TLR, my father bought me in Jr. High School. I was lucky enough to have a portrait photographer in my area take me under his wing and teach the basics of photgraphy. I was a staff photog from Jr. High through College. The shutter on the Yashica died with no repair possible (or so I was told) - I wish I still had it.

NYRich · « **Reply #90 on:** November 21, 2006, 04:55:23 pm »

My first "real" camera was a Mamiya/Sekor 1000TL. After that, there were several Pentax screwmount bodies.

These days it's Nikon manual focus SLRs and Leica M rangefinders.

Oh, yeah....my digital is a Canon A540 P&S.

DeanC · « **Reply #91 on:** November 21, 2006, 09:22:44 pm »

What a cool read!

I've only really begun to take photography more seriously over the last four years or so. That said, the first camera that made any kind of impression on me was a Samsung AF Slim Zoom my parents bought for me to take to the World Jamboree in Holland in 1995. Although it was a basic P&S, it did have a decent zoom and also had a bulb mode, which I used to mess around with quite a bit. It was good to travel with, and if I had to get another P&S film camera, I'd probably get something similar. It was stolen by a former friend when I was in University, and I was cameraless for about eight months.

I bought a used Rebel G with a kit lens and a 420EX, and started to learn what SLRs are about. I also bought a used 100-300 EF zoom to use as well. That setup lasted me until November 2006 when the camera crapped out on me at a motorsport event. It also somewhere along the line developed a hole in the case, just below the shutter button. I'm pretty gentle with stuff and certainly wasn't using it to build a deck, so who knows!

After getting frustrated by the lack of reliability and durability of the Rebel, I went into a local shop and eyed up a Canon Elan II used. It was over 350 CAD and that seemed a good chunk to save towards digital. Then, one week before Christmas I went back in and it was under $200 including a grip (with batteries that have lasted a year! ). It's been fun to shoot with, and Ive enjoyed the added level of control.

Finally, this last month, I have moved to digital with a 10D and a couple of new full frame lenses. It's been great to learn more with, especially trying newer creative things. I've never had gobs of money to spend on photography, so eliminating the cost of film has been nice.

That said, I really do enjoy something about film, and can't wait to get some time out shooting with the new 17-35 on the Elan!

Over the last year, I have come into possesion of all of my families cameras. I've got a few brownies, as well as some bellows cameras (not 4X5, 120 film I think) dating as far back as 1913. I am hoping over the next year to start seeing if any of them are functional enough to shoot with. I'm also eyeing my dads Zeiss Ikon, and my girlfriend has a Mamiya RB67 which I'd like to try sometime.

david o · « **Reply #92 on:** November 22, 2006, 05:57:02 am »

I remember one day I saw the slide my father did, as an amateur, and I was impressed by that.
So I may started with is FM2,
But my first one was a F301, then F801 with AF, then later, a F4, a Pentax 6x7 (love it) and D70 to try digital.
Next one, still thinking...

MTalley · « **Reply #93 on:** November 26, 2006, 12:08:22 am »

New member, first time poster.

My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic that used 126 film, circa 1968.

From there:
- Kodak 110 Instamatic, circa 1972.
- Polaroid camera, unknown model, not an SX-70 though, circa 1977.
- Pentax K-1000 (surprise), 1981.
- Cheapo Samsung 1.3 MP digital camera, 2002.
- HP Photosmart 850 4MP digital camera, 2003, battery door gave up the ghost after 9,000 frames.
- Canon Digital Rebel (300D), 2005, 11k actuations and still going strong.

Also in a box, inherited from family:
- Miranda Sensorex - Works most of the time, mirror sometimes sticks when winding film.
- Mamiya/Sekor 500TL - Doens't work, film advance problem among others.

chipotle · « **Reply #94 on:** November 26, 2006, 01:51:56 am »

First I borrowed my Dad's Voigtlander rangefinder.

My first camera which I actually owned was the AE-1. With it I first began to learn photography.
Upgraded to an A-1, which I still miss - what a great camera.

Upgraded to T-90 (stolen in airport in Russia )

Elan II (stolen in airport in US - Now I'm a lot more careful!)

... just used a cheap rangefinder for a while ...

Decided to try SLRs again with a Rebel Xt. It reminds me of the AE-1

Upgraded to 5D (I'm reminded of how I felt about that A-1 so long ago)

jorgedelfino · « **Reply #95 on:** November 28, 2006, 05:04:23 pm »

Zenit with a 58mm and a 300mm on a metal case with filters... ugly! (like a tool box), also came with a "rifle grip" (this was in 1970)
then, nikon FTN, F2 and F2S (wish I had it still!)
Pentax 6x7, (made good money with it as a pro)
Nikonos III (great camera)while I sailed around the world and live on boats for 20 years
now, on land canon eos 1ds mk II

Ken Tanaka · « **Reply #96 on:** November 28, 2006, 05:45:45 pm »

The first camera I could really call my own was a Polaroid Land camera, the kind with bellows that enabled you to flatten it into a "compact" size. Boy I had fun with that camera when I could afford the film for it.

My first "serious" camera was a Canon TLb circa 1974-75. Come to think of it, other than my Leica M7 and a tiny Minolta APS, I've never owned anything but Canon cameras for the past 30+ years.

pete_truman · « **Reply #97 on:** November 28, 2006, 07:13:36 pm »

1. Zeiss Ikon 126 film (in attic)
2. Rollieflex TLR from my grandfather, fantastic (sold)
3. Ricoh SLR (still used, albeit rarely!)
4. Sony 3MP digital (still got it, not used)
5. unknown 5x4 (still got it but not used for years)
5. Canon 300D (sold)
6. Canon 20D (now backup body)
7. Canon 5D

Matt_Sachs · « **Reply #98 on:** November 28, 2006, 09:26:37 pm »

My Dad's Argus C3 and then his Honeywell Pentax. My first purchase was in high school - the Konica Autoreflex T2; then when starting as a photo editor for the university newspaper, the original Canon F1 with breach lock mount FD lenses (when Canon was the underdog, remember when).

jb17kx · « **Reply #99 on:** November 29, 2006, 02:58:47 pm »

New user here, Hi!

I'm a bit younger and poorer than most of you lot here, so my list doesn't start back in the '60s...
The first camera I had for any period of time was some Ricoh P&S 35mm that I borrowed from my grandfather. After that I bought my own, a Canon SureShot Owl (I love that huge viewfinder...)
I then went digital with a Canon Digital Ixus V3, then a Fuji finepix A345. DSLRs were aiming a bit too high at that point. I also frequently make use of borrowed Nikons.
Now I still use the Fuji (it is a fairly decent camera), along with a Canon AL-1, a hand me down from my mother. Great camera, and even though I plan on getting a DSLR (probably a D40 or EOS 400D, maybe an EOS 350D), I doubt I'll let the AL-1 go. I like the freedom of manual focus, and the cheap availability of FD lenses means I can still upgrade in that regard.

Author Topic: Your First Camera? (Read 44503 times)