A long-forgotten Kodak of some sort, back in the early 70s. The first serious camera I had wasn't until 1997 though, and was a Sigma SA-5. That lasted a bit over a year until I got frustrated by certain limitations it had (chiefly deadly slow AF response, though the meter was very decent), then a Nikon F5 came along!

I used a number of cameras before I actually owned one of my own:  a Pentax something, a Nikon FM, some type of Minolta.

But my first camera was a Yashica FX-3.  I also used a Nikon FM2 in addition to the FX-3, and finally bought a FM3a when it first came out, then an N80 to see if I'd like auto-focus, and then a D70 to see if I'd like digital.  Somewhere a Lomo Compact Automatic fits in.

dlashier, LOL!  Actually, I think your hair might have been shorter than mine when we were kids, if you want to talk in mm's.

Back in the "good old days", Pentax was a solid performer, though never as glamorous as a Nikon, for example.

In 1971 I carried two Pentaxes (one for color slides, one for B&W) on a two-week Sierra Club trip in Sequioa & Kings Canyons National Parks. Others on the trip had Nikons and other fancy gear. Every one of the "better" cameras jammed or froze or broke sometime during the trip, while my modest Pentaxes just kept on going, and going, and . . .

I loved all of my Pentaxes over the years, and it was with some reluctance that I deserted to Canon when I went digital. I suppose part of it was that I found it hard to take seriously a camera whose name nobody could pronounce.

Eric

I had a Kodak Brownie box camera that my parents gave me when I went to summer camp back in 1957. I think it used 120 film.

The first camera that I bought was a Yashika J3 back in 1964.

The next camera was the one I still own and use, a Honeywell Spotmatic that I bought in 1968.

I may have taken my first pictures with an Olympus SLR with a silvery body and manual everything, when I was a wee lad of 4 or 5 or 6.

Later, my parents sold it (my mother still regrets that) and bought a compact camera, it may have been a Konica.

And I got a Kodak camera that was Polaroid compatible.

At about the same time, I thought that multiple exposures on the same frame of film would be cool, but of course the compacts didn't support that.  I was left dreaming.

We got our second compact, a pretty advanced and expensive Pentax model.  It took good pictures for a compact.

And in 1987, someone broke into our home, stole silverware, weapons and the two compacts.  My parents decided on the brand new EOS 650 as a replacement for both cameras, the 620 was announced but not available yet.  Perceptive that I was, I noticed that the 620 sported a backlit panel and supported multiple exposures, and wasn't that cool.  Too late, though.

However, I soon had my triumph, as my grandfather helpfully donated his Eastman Kodak No. 2 Folding Cartridge Hawkeye Model B!  Yeah, 120 film was a bit more expensive, larger and impractical compared to 35mm, but who cares?  I could do multiple exposures, with a really cool camera!

Needless to say, those multi-exposure shots didn't turn out too well.  :)

Next off was a new compact 35mm camera, one of those models that companies used as gifts.  It was and is incredibly simple, but it did the trick for holiday pics.  Brand?  No idea, it's in a drawer somewhere.

That compact hasn't been used since 1999, when I bought my first digicam, after lots of research.  I really wanted a Minolta dImage, because that came out best in tests, but ended up with an Agfa ePhoto CL50, because that was available.  A huge blob of a "compact", couldn't fit into any shirt pocket I've ever seen, and 1.3 megapixels.  It produced adequate holiday pictures, and especially excellent for web.

An ill-advised choice lead me to sell that CL50 later the same year -- to my parents, who kept on using it instead of their EOS 650 until last year (which saw intermittent use during the nineties, by them and me both).  You see, I got bitten by the digital video camcorder bug.  That lasted a handful or more of tapes, and I sold that one, too.

Back to the stupid, forgotten compact in the drawer, and wait for something better to crop up.

And in 2002, I managed to buy the Canon PowerShot S40.  Now that was an excellent buy, and it actually got me started with photography on a hobby basis again.

During 2003, I realized that I wasn't really happy with the quality of compacts.  I lusted for better stuff.  The last half of 2003 and most of 2004 was spent deliberating and debating what to do.

So in late 2004, I called on my parents and asked to borrow the 650 again; they told me to just take it, had I called the day after, they'd have given it away already ...  I wanted to use it to make a decision on whether to use that camera, buy a digital SLR or a new digital compact camera.  I bought ISO 800 film for shooting indoor shots, and got the first roll scanned by professionals.

I compared those shots with what I got from the S40 from the same lighting conditions at the same place.

That killed film for me, and I nearly ran to the store to get my current 20D.

I'm now just worried that I've started down a path of even greater expenses than any other hobby I've had so far.  I see a 1D-series camera purchase looming on the horizon.  ;)

First was a Kodak whatever 126 camera.

The first real camera for 35mm film was a Yashica Electro 35CC.

Then the Contax 139 quartz and Contax ever since.

Now I have a Canon EOS digital and some lenses to be able to shoot digital and use the Zeiss lenses with an adapter.

My first and only, so far, 35mm is a Canon FTb upon which I spent 100% of my worldly wealth so I could have the 1.4 50mm lens.
Going to have to get it fixed or replaced since the mirror dampening foam etc is deteriorating. Part of me wants to get another one off ebay, another part wants to get a cheap film camera such as a Rebel G2 and part of me says to stick to digital.

My first was some sort of Kodak, but thats not the real "first Camera"

My first Camera was a Konica T-3 Autoreflex with 28mm, 50mm, and 135mm lenses.  A second body was added later.  All were stolen in Germany when I PCS'ed back to the states.

I then got a Minolta X-700 with an assortment of lenses, still have it.

Yashica- D TLR

4x5 monorail view camera

Kodak DX4900 digital- nice little "snapshot" camera, soon to go to my 6 year old as her "first" camera.

Kodak DX7590, decent snapshot camera, but suffers problems, the DX 4900 actually has a better focus.

Pentax Spotmatic, mid-sixties.  First SLR with TTL metering.  An excellent tool.  I still have it.

Peter

I started with a 6x9cm roll film camera; a hand-me-down Brownie. (My father's old prints from that were contact prints, not enlargements!)

It has been all downhill since then: shrinking to 35mm format with a Pentax K-1000 (the first that I bought with my own money), successively getting lazy and thoughtless with first auto-exposure and then auto-focus models, and then shrinking format yet again with the Olympus E-1.

After a Kodak Instamatic (126 cartridge !) and a 110 camera, my first SLR was a Miranda, followed by a Yashica FX-3 and then a Pentax Program Plus.  I had the new-gear bug from an early age (12 years old ?)  The Yashica had a nice, sharp 50mm lens; the Pentax had a Sigma 28-70/2.8-4 that cost a whopping $69 and it took a while before I learned that some lenses are "better" than others

Traded the Pentax gear (for a decent price, actually) when the Minolta Maxxum 7xi came out, and have been a Maxxum guy ever since (now own the 7 & 9 and a bunch of excellent lenses).  Also added a Rolleiflex TLR somewhere along the way.

I actually never learned much about exposure until after I bought the AF gear ...

- Dennis

I am slightly surprised to see Pentax mentioned more often than any other SLR brand. (Not to mention all those Argus's, which I have hardly ever heard of before.)

I think Pentax licensed multicoating from NASA.  NASA probably captured a license from the Germans in WWII.

My first camera was my dads well traveled Olympus OM-2, I used it non stop for a year or two and then i realized it didnt have a meter and it was stuck on bulb mode, so I read up on it and realized that i certainly could use that. Nevertheless i kept plugging away with it getting some interesting results. Finally I bought my next camera, a Nikon N80. The N80 served me well for a couple of years and when the D70 came out i upgraded to that, and that is my short camera history.

Shaan

Brownie Hawkeye, 620 (6x6 cm) film (age 6-14)

I remember the Argus well, saw lots of those in high school but never owned one.  I had a Miranda T SLR, purchased in Japan in mid-50's and used for about 15 years, kept until a few years ago.

Acquired used Nikon F, FTN and some nice manual lenses in the 1960s, plus Rolleicord, M2.  Placed all but the M2 on indefinite loan to a friend a few years ago.  Gave a nice darkroom to the San Francisco parks department about same time.   M2, four lenses (Elmar 50, 90, Canon 35/2 and 19/3.5 with its viewer), Sekonic meter, and lotsa film all fit in a surplus gas mask bag and can go anywhere on a moment's notice.  

First digital was Olympus C2020, purchased in 2000, given to brother-in-law for honeymoon trip, still in use.  Then Coolpix 5000 and 5700.  Sold 5700, still like 5000 for its handling and wide angle. Got E-1 in Nov 2003 and have been accumulating lenses since.

My first camera was a Bilora Boy, which was build between 1950 and 1952 in Germany. The export version for North America was called Tower Box. Film size was a 4 x 6.5 cm (127 roll film), lens f/11.

It was given to me when I was appr. 4 years old, in the late 60's. Attached is a picture of me (age 4) with this camera. Note the original Clark's shoes, still in fashion today...  :cool:



Later cameras include:
Kodak Instamatic (various flavours)
Praktica Super TL (around 1970)
Canon AE-1, A-1, F-1 (between 1977 and 1982)
Nikon F3HP (bought in 1982), FM2, FM3, F90
Rolleiflex
Leica M3, M6
Linhof Technikardan S, Mastertechnika

Now shooting:
Canon 1Ds-Mk2, 20D

Fun thread!

Cheers,

Andrew

1. When I was young I had a Kodak tele-instamatic and shot one roll of film on it (never developed). It was the first time I tried to experement with images.

many years later...

2. Canon Rebel G (for photo class)

couple years more...

3. Canon G3 - got this a year and a half ago and really started to learn about exposure, photography and the art of it all
4. Canon 300D

Ashi Pentax K-1000, bought in the Guam base exchange (Navy 1972). Still a great camera. Shot mostly Kodachrome. Looking for some one to digitize them.

My first camera was a cheap Argus (I think the C20; not the classic C3 which my Dad had). Then I got a Kodak Retinette. It was a great camera and taught me how to guess at exposure since it didn't have a light meter and I didn't own.

Brownie Holiday Flash - 127 film format.

Kodak Instamatic X35 - 126 film format.  Even had a snap-on "telephoto" attachment.

Exakta 35mm, 50mm and 135mm lenses

Yashica 12 twin lens - 120 film format

Konica T2 35mm - for years had only the 50mm lens that came with it but in the past several years have bought several nice Hexanon lenses for it.  Still works and I use it on occasion.

And then the new stuff ...

Argus C3, mid fifties.  Then a succession of SLR's that's still in progress.  I haven't gotten the lenses for the D2X yet, but I'm already looking forward to the D3X with 12 stop DR in a couple of years or so.

My first camera was a Agfa Clack , rolfilmtype box.
Didnt work properly however. The next one was a Praktica Nova PL1B with real glass lenses with screwfitting, 50mm and 135mm. I 've made my first picture with it and the magic began. I sold it(unfortunately) and bought a Yashica FX D quarts set, because of the zeisslensen it could handle.
At this time, after using every type of camera that could produce an image,I'm very happy with my Canon 1 D MII I bought a few weeks ago.

First SLR was a Pentax KM.  A great camera to learn about photography with.  I used it for many years with only the 50mm lens that came with it.  Now my 12 year old son is using it.  I have moved on to bigger and better (read more expensive) cameras, but the lessons I learned with the Pentax are the fundamentals that I use today.

Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic circa 1964.  I worked all summer as a carpenter's helper to buy it.  It was wonderful.

Maybe someone can identify this camera from the late 50s, which was my first camera.

Hmmm.

Well, first there was a Baby Ikonta folding camera bought by my brother in a pawn shop. It took 16 pictures on a roll of 127 film (How many of you remember 127 film? How many of you even remember film??)

Then there was a wonderful Kodak Retina 3C rangefinder camera. Then my first SLR: a Pentax Spotmatic. I used a varety of Pentaxes for many years (generally kept the lenses and got new bodies when the old ones died). These included MX and ME, up to a couple of SuperPrograms (one for color, one for B&W).

Along the way I also played with Speed Graphic, Graflex (look those up in an archeology textbook), Rollei, and a few other miscellaneous beasts.

My first view camera was a Calumet monorail 4x5, which they could sell cheap because they had bought the dies from Kodak. I think it cost about $139 or so new, lenses much more. Eventually I added a (well-) used anonymous 8x10 view camera, and a nice Zone VI 4x5; but after a while I found that most of my best pictures were still taken with the Pentax, while the view cameras stayed in the trunk of the car.

A couple of years ago I suddenly realized that not a single camera, of the five or so that I then owned, had been in manufacture for over twenty years!

With old age creeping up on me, I finally sold the last of the view cameras and decided to go MF in a serious way: Pentax 67II, with several excellent prime lenses (45, 55, 135 macro, 200), as well as a Mamiya 6 (RF) with 2 lenses.

When friends persuaded me to stick my toe in the waters of the Digital Revolution, I finally got a Canon 10D, with zoom lenses (my first ever): 17-40/4L and 70-200/4L, plus a Sigma fisheye and a 100 macro. I have added a Canon Elan 7NE to shoot slides (I prefer Provia to Velveeta), but I have almost completely, but reluctantly, kicked the film and darkroom habit. ???

Of course, I develop all my digital images in a tray, in Pyro.  

Eric

This will show just how young i am. My first camera was a EOS500 with 50mm f1.8. Now i have EOS 5 and looking to buy a medium format soon.

My first 35mm camera was a GAF-LCM. My first "real" camera was a Fujica ST801, which I thought was cool because it used red lighted diodes, rather than match-needle, to determine exposure.

> I am slightly surprised to see Pentax mentioned more often than any other SLR brand. (Not to mention all those Argus's, which I have hardly ever heard of before.)

These were two landmark cameras that helped popularize 35mm along with the later Canon AE-1.

The Argus C1, C2, and C3 dominated the "popular" 35mm market prewar and probably thru the 50's also.

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asahi_Pentax

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

Another camera that imo falls in the "landmark" class of "popular" 35mm is the Canon AE-1 which was the first camera with an embedded microprocessor.

Most everyone (over 40 anyway ) either owned one of these cameras or knew someone who did.

- DL

Let's see... aside from Kodak 'Instamatic' and 110 film cameras, the first 'real' camera I used was my Dad's Argus C5 and an old Sekonic (?) light meter if I remember correctly.  First purchase was an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F with screw mount (another one) then chose the Minolta XD-11 over the Canon A-1.  I've had a lot of Minoltas, including a couple of SRT-101's and 201's, the XD-11 and 2 X-700's.  Oh, and I still have a Yashica Mat124G and an old rangefinder.

Making the leap to Canon 1Ds Mark II digital now...

Mike.

An AE-1 with 50mm lens bought second-hand for US$150. It was already 15 years old, but what a trooper! I used that camera for 10 years and on visits to 10 countries.  I had it completely refurbished in 2002 and now my girlfriend is happily using it!

I have since jumped to Nikon (F-100) & am reving up for digital and a D2X very soon!

Cheers!

Analogue times:               1. Konica T4
The digital experiences:     2. Canon G3
Now the DSLR:                 3. Sigma SD10

It was for sure an East German Praktika, but I don't remeber the exact type.

Cheers,
Bernard

My first camera I purchased (I used the high schools Speed Graphic 4x5) was the Yashica D.  I was about 16  saved and made lay a way payments on the $49 camera.  Dreamed about this camera and couldn't wait to possess it.

Boy I would love to get this level of excitment back about photography.   Brings back some really great memories.

Some really cheap Kodak Instamatic that took 126 film cartridges (which could be made into pinhole cameras with a bit of cardboard and duct tape), followed by an Argus C-four, a Pentax K-1000, Kodak DC4800 digital, then the 1Ds and 1D-MkII.

The first camera I can remember was a Kodak Brownie.  I won it in a Cub Scout contest.

First real camera was an Argus C-3.  Then a Nikon F.  Thjrow in a Minolta rangefinder too.

When I moved to California and started hiking around the Sierra, I pick up a Canon AE-1, then an A-1, and my favorite, a Nikonos.

Traded all that in on a Hasselblad, an Omega 4x5, and a trip to photography school.  Still have and use those, and have added a Sony 707.

While we are on history: according to a Brownie history web site, the first camera to use 120 film was a Brownie, the Brownie 2 from 1901, which used it in roughly 6x9cm format. However, the numerical specification 120 was only coined many years later; it was originally just called something like "Brownie 2 film".

It fascinates me to note how the 120 "sensor format" has progressed from its role in the genesis of "point and shoot" photography in over a century of existence. Now Howard Smith loads his Hasselblad with "Brownie 2 film".

The first I used was my father's Pentax Spotmatic - a great camera.  My aunt gave me an identical Spotmatic recently, it turned out to be my father's backup body he had loaned to my aunt decades ago.  I love to use it.

The first camera I actually owned was my grandfather's Canon FTb-N.  He had just bought a compact Olympus, and gladly gave me the Canon which he hardly used.  It was in superb condition.

A few years later my FTb-N was involved in a fluke accident when a shelf in our bar collapsed - a chip of glass flying from a breaking bottle took a little chunk out of the pentaprism viewfinder.  I bought an old wreck of an FTb and sent them both off to have the pentaprism's swapped.  When I stopped in to check out the FTb-N's repair status, which had taken a lot longer than expected, the nice man offered me, by way of apology, the lovely original Canon EOS Elan (EOS 100) for $200AU.  Cheap, freshly serviced and in excellent condition to boot.

I marvelled at the auto-focus, and suddenly photography was more fun. With two basic EF lenses, I could leave a few kilograms of FD glass at home, joy!

I was happily plodding along with the FTb-N and the EOS 100 when I saw the Canon 20D last year.  Several thousands of dollars later (I *had* to have new lenses), it was mine.

Today the four cameras sit in a cabinet with the rest of my gear.  All three film SLR's are almost always loaded with film, and the DSLR is at the ready with a 2GB card.  They are all different, but all get used regularly!

Doggone it, I must have done something dumb with my two marriages, as they didn't improve my finances all that much (rather the opposite).


Heh, heh, with the advent of D2X there's a few of us now jumping off that boat, though probably still not that many jumping on the Zenit (whatever that is) boat. :laugh:

P.S.  Got rid of entire Nikon system when I switched to Canon ... but not the Nikormat EL and a few selected lenses like the 45GN .. what a unique piece of glass that is.   Bill

Minolta SRT-101

The Praktika 35mm, totally manual.  Great to learn with and helped with all those High School photo classes.  Several years later, I upgraded and bought the original Olympus OM-1 with a Zuiko 50mm 1.4 lens.  I still have that combo, along with the Oly motordrive and a "Soligar" push-pull telephoto, 70-160mm...all nestled in a Haliburton case.  

Everything still works like a charm.  I think I've only changed the metering battery like twice in the last 27 years.  I still marvel at the design and build quality of that camera.

I also get a kick out of going through the plastic crates of transparencies, negative sleeves and prints from that combo that occupy a corner in the garage.  I still have all my photo class projects out there somewhere...

Take care all,

Bill

An old Ansco 120 format camera, which I used until the bellows wore out. I loved that camera. It could do anything. And learning wet darkroom techniques with 120 film was lovely.

Bought a Nikon F next (which I still have and still use).

Back in High School in the late 60's, I worked in a photo store and the manager would let me take a camera out and shoot it. I would always take the Kowa as it looked cool! Worked well, also.  My first camera of my own was the Pentax Spotmatic. Then the Nikkormat El. I bought this camera in NYC at Willowby Peerless where they would have special sales. Everyone would wait outside the store for them to open and make a mad rush to get to the counter as fast as you could, pushing and shoving people out of the way. Great fun when you are young and stronger than the old lady next to you!!  I used the Nikkormat El until I couldn't find parts bodies anymore and bought a Nikon F3.
  My foray into Digital was a Camedia 2000. A little  fixed lens camera. Worked good until I dropped it and the lens popped off. Never could find all the pieces.
   Finally made the decision to switch to Canon due to Nikons unrealistically high prices for their digital cameras.  
  D60, and then the 1Ds.  
   I also have 2 old  Kodak 8x10 view cameras circa 1900 I was  piecing together to make one good one.  Sort of lost interest in that, tho. Any takers??

Canon A-1. Was actually my parents', but I used it a lot.

Elan II (1998)

Powershot S30 (2002)

20D (December 2004)

I forgot, my dad gave me a Petri RF that I never did learn how to use.  I wish I had that camera back....  Oh well maybe a Voitlander at some time.

Will they use Leica lenses?  M Mount?

My first camera was a Zenit EM + Helios 58mm lens + National Flash + tripod. It was my father's gear, and as he got progressively too busy for photography as got progressively more the owner of all this kit.

I still have it (my father gave it to me, he got one of the first compact digital Fujis and now has an S5500) and still use it! I love this camera.

Then, a couple of years ago I got a Nytech digital compact to get me through in digital until I married and had money to buy a REAL camera. Photography was never the same again...

Now I purchased a Pentax *ist DS. I don't care if I can't prononce the camera's name, it still is great and it seems Pentax made it specially for me! When I was a kid, Pentax cameras were my dream; today I have a Pentax at home, waiting for me!

Oh, and with a nice adapter, my old Zenit lenses will still be given some play!

I wonder why mostly everyone jumped into the Canon boat... ???

My first camera I remember was a Minolta Dynax 7000i

Neing a tech addict however I have had the following in my time. I'll try and keep them in the right order;

Canon T90
Olympus UZ2100 ~(currently for sale)
Kodak DCS520 (canon d2000)
Panasonic FZ20
Panasonic LC1
Olympus mju mini ~(currently for sale)
Canon 300D

I also still own some "classic" cameras that mean a little too much to me to sell;

Kershaw Curlew III
Yashicamat 124G
Paillard Bolex H16 Cine

Canon FT, not counting the box cameras

Bob