What was your first camera and would it be a classic today?

[todd peach seattle, washi]

The family Kodak 126 instamatic was the first camera that piqued my curiosity. Then I went out and bought an Olympus 35RC and just shot the heck out of that. I even went so far as to use a +1,+2,+3 diopter set with a tape measure and 'guessing' the parallax.

 

After a few years of that, I 'outgrew' the little Olympus and moved up to the (then very new) Nikon FM. I've been shooting primarily Nikon since then. I gave the little Olympus to my daughter about 8 years ago, but she never 'caught the bug'.

[tito sobrinho]

Mike: yes, they are both identical on the exterior, with the letter N missing on the Photomic T. I just followed what Michael wrote. " I bought my first camera in Okinawa in 1965", and I know that the Photomic T was made from 1965-1966.

 

In 1968, I bought a brand new Nikon Photomic Tn (1967-1968)

with 3 lenses, the 50/1.4, 28/3.5 and the 200/4. The Tn is center weighted but, it was a PITA when I needed to change the lenses as I needed to index the max lens aperture against the ASA on the speed dial. Finally in 1973, I traded the Tn for the newest FTn, which turned out to be very user friendly as I didn't need to index the lens aperture and it was more secure due to the big lever on the right side. These days, I use the eye level plain prism finder.

 

Only Michael can tell us if his Photomic has the letter N next to the on-off switch.

[jonathan_stark]

First camera: Brownie Hawkye Flash model. First "good" camera: Retina I, type 119. Would it be a classic today? Hell, that thing was a classic in 1969 when my father first let me use it! It was SO classic (read "un-cool" to a 13 year old) that I had to buy a Pentax Spotmatic the next year. Which I still have and use.

[tito sobrinho]

I wrote the above without seeing Michael's warranty card picture but, the Photomic T is not center weighted. It measures the entire field of view.

[mfophotos]

What a great bunch of answers. I wish I could make the claim that my first cameras was a

Kodak Ektar...but instead it was a 126 Instamatic. Not even close to being a classic. I did

learn how to process my own b&w film and make prints with it in high school. It would be

nearly 25 years before I started doing my own b&w processing again. My second camera

(1974) was an Exakta Exa IIa. Simple, rugged, waist-level viewfinder, probably got it

through the mail from a Cambridge Camera in NYC. For some silly reason, I sold it on

eBay 5 years ago. But then again, it really was a crappy SLR...

[michael_spencer3]

Tito, Mike

 

There is no "n" anywhere near the on-off switch to the meter. I might be confusing the center weighting with a Nikormat of the same vintage, but I am pretty sure the instructions said it was center weighted. I have them around someplace, so I will look it up but it won't happen very soon. Heck, 60-40 might as well be even across the whole field for all the good it does. I found using my hand as a portable "grey" card was much more effective in any event.

 

Mike

[graeme_mitchell]

Yashica-C and a Canon AE-1 with a 28mm 2.8. I wore the lens mount off the Canon. The Yashica still goes strong. Ten years later.

 

Both are sitting on my desk beside me right now.

[leonard_robertson]

When I first became interested in photography, it was to take train pictures, I suppose about 1960. I took over my dad's Kodak Autographic folder. 116 Verichrome Pan was sold at our small town drugstore and they sent the film off for processing. I was just printing one of those negatives last week - of a Great Northern Railway building. Made a decent 8X10 print. However, the Kodak had pinholes in the bellows, so a lot of my negs from that period need retouching. I had the bellows replaced, but decided I needed a "serious" camera. I wanted a Nikon F, but couldn't afford it, so I decided on a Miranda DR. It had auto stop down and a removable finder, but no meter. No, I wasn't influenced by the naked lady ads Miranda used at the time, although I was getting old enough to be very interested in those ads. I worked for a neighbor for $1 an hour until I had $150, then made a 50 mile Greyhound trip to Spokane. I went into Huppin's ( still in business, they have outlasted many other camera stores) hoping to buy the DR and trade in the Kodak folder for enough to get some sort of light meter. Young Mr. Huppin didn't want my Kodak (I was crushed), but he discounted the Miranda (first I ever heard of not having to pay list price for a camera. I was shocked.) enough I could afford a used Weston IV, with invercone. I still have the meter (had to have a new cell put in it several years ago) and was using it just the other day. I also have the DR, and most importantly, my dad's Kodak. I suspect seeing him use that camera when I was a pup imprinted me toward photography.

[conrad_poulin]

Nice story Leonard. I hope those are not the cameras you have

been practicing catching with your shoe. (from the dropped

camera thread)

[Mike Gammill]

My first was a 120 plastic disaster called a Windsor. It looks a lot like a Diana. Got it for 65 cents and 3 Popsicle coupons. Sold it to a friend for a quarter when I got a Sears (Imperial)127 flashcube camera. After owning both 126 and 110 Instamatics I bought my first 35mm- A Konica Auto S-2 in the fall of 1974. Still works perfectly.

[akajohndoe]

My first camera was a Secret Sam attache case with plastic 127 film camera "secreted" inside! I saw one on eBay or Amazon or some such place for $100+ recently. I have a album with some pictures I took with that camera.

 

My second camera I still have: A 126 cartridge Instamatic 104. Hardly collectable at all.

[michaelging]

My first camera was a brownie starflash something or other,that I recieved for Christmas at age 8 or 9. My first adult camera was a Samoca 35mm, I bought at a yard sale at a Air Forse Base.The military yard sales always had great stereo's and cameras. The best deal was a Nikon FTN photomic ,50mm 1.4,hard case at the going out of business sale at the US Embassy BX in Saigon for $25.00 cash in April 1975.I remember when I was at Okinawa,Japan,on DTY that there were stores that were the Nikon store ,or the Canon store.You could buy everthing Nikon made in one of those stores. If you wanted a Microscope +3 diopter,they had one in stock. I was like a kid in a candy store.

[david_bedell]

"The best deal was a Nikon FTN photomic ,50mm 1.4,hard case at the going out of business sale at the US Embassy BX in Saigon for $25.00 cash in April 1975."

 

Talk about a fire sale...

[michaelging]

It was the ultimate Blue light special ,make a offer sale. I only had 25.00 in cash.

[kai_griffin]

Very first was a bakelite <a href="http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~enduin/htm_pages/bilora_boy_black.htm">Bilora BOY</a>, followed by a hand-me-down Agfa Silette.<p>

First "real" was a Yashica FX-3, still going strong after 25 years (and a leather replacement) and is today much used by my wife with Zeiss T* lenses :-)

[terribletomterrific]

Hi,

 

I purchased an Argus C3 along with some outdated film at a garage sale in

1967 for $10. About a year later I was hooked on photography, and

purchased a Leica M4 for $288. I sold the Argus C3 for $12. Six or seven

years after that, I switched to Nikon, and sold the Leica. More than anything, I

wish I still had the original Argus C3 I started with. I do have a collection of

Argus C3's though, purchased at various garage sales, but I really wish I had

the original one.

 

I believe the Argus C3--aka, "the brick"--is indeed, a classic.

 

Tom

[john falkenstine]

My first Camera (age 10) was a Pre-WWII Voigtlander TLR which was given to me by my Grandparents. I still have the camera, and a lot of the images I took with it. There was a shop right down the street from where we lived and the film would be developed and printed quickly. Lots of fun!!

[theokeijzers]

I bought an Olympus OM-10 for a trip we made at our school to Moscow.

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/2701148

 

Don't think the OM-10 is a classic, the OM system is very classic though. That first camera was stolen and I got the OM-2 and later OM-1, both super.

[theokeijzers]

That should be: with our school...

 

And how do I make the image visible?

[michaelging]

Here is Theo's Photo.After leaving message,a sumit box will appear.Find the photo with your browser and attach it,with a caption.<div></div>

[theokeijzers]

Thank you Michael.

[jeffpolaski]

Konica S-II (Roman numeral II), apparently sold only in Japan, carried back by my uncle after I sent him a money order for $42 hard-earned dollars in about 1961. I have yet to scan my old slides (much cheaper to process transparency film in those days). 48mm Hex lens did pretty well. Nice feature was that the exposure meter needle was visible both through the viewfinder and in a window on the top of the camera. Parallax correction.

 

Here's a picture of a Konica S that I bought as a parts camera for the S-II-- looks pretty much the same.<div></div>

[bacsa]

Smena-8M.

[mtk]

Hi All! Agfa 126 cartridge camera purchased in 1972 from Arlan's Discount Department store in Milwaukee...Still have it, not a classic and still takes crappy pictures! Good thing 126 film is hard to find......Mark

[wayne_cornell2]

My first camera was an Ansco Pioneer 620. Second and Ansco Super Memar 35mm. My third camera was probably the first that is rally a "classic" -- a used Canon IV.