Your first "serious" camera... and its influence

[a_e_daly]

Thanks for all your responses - it's always interesting to hear what cameras started others "on the road," as it were. And thanks to Andy for mentioning the distinction between the first camera you take seriously, and your first serious camera. I had this in mind as well, hence the quote-marks round the word "serious" - I believe seriousness is entirely in the eye of the camera-holder and not to be embodied by any particular make or model, especially at the start of one's experience.

[alex macphee]

Thinking about the meaning of 'serious' here, I guess my first serious camera was earlier than I thought. At first I'd have said it was my Agfa Billy 6x9 folding camera, almost an antique when I bought it as a schoolboy, but before that, the first camera I had that gave what I'd call proper photographs was a plastic (even the lens) twin-lens reflex that took 127 film. It had one speed/aperture, which was a 50th at f/8, and B. That's the camera that put me on the road, about forty-five years ago. Many years later, I would spend over a thousand times as much on a 'proper' camera, though I'm not at all sure I got a thousand times as much fun as I did with that chain-store plastic TLR.

[Brian]

My first serious camera, nearly 40 years ago, was a Yashica Lynx. A marvellous camera and I still regret selling it. It was one of that small band of coupled rangefinder cameras with an f1.7 lens, something that I took for granted because it was my first camera.

[carbon_dragon]

Konica I rangefinder -- used it through high school. Still have an affection for rangefinders. My first purchased was the Minolta SR-T-101. Still have the Konica.

[steve m smith]

My first was an Agfa Isolette when I was about 12

 

The first one I took seriously was an Edixa Edixamat with 50mm and 35mm lenses which my father gave to me when I was 16 (27 years ago and I still have it).

 

 

Steve

[chuck_foreman1]

A lot of responses have come with "my father gave me"

I think that's significant. I'm sure the one or the other was encouraged by mother too. I cherish very dearly a camera my

father gave me, but at that point I was already on the way and

was using my "first serious SLR"

My father tried to teach me exposure,depth of field, and focus.

I have a roll of slides I took in 1975 using a Tower 35. I think it had a 3.5 50mm with 1/300th and zone focus. Dad called it his back-up. Frankly the point and shoot concept worked OK and most of the exposures turned out. I remember after listening to my Dad for a half hour explaining how to use it.. I said "that's cool Dad but what do I do if I just want to take a picture" So a good five years later, I started all over with used a Yashica FX2 50mm 1.7 for 75$ that I paid in 3 installments from a friend working at the photo shop. I learned so much with that in two years of shooting primarly Plus-X and doing the development and enlarging myself. It was eventually

stolen some years later. I did get another one and this kind of

heavy SLR with match needle is when I'm in my element, the meter gives enough help to feel confident about the how and what of exposure.

Well then like a lot of us probably... the lure of chrome, leather and mechanical whirrs and buzzes pulled us into collecting more and photographing less... Since I've joined the forum.. I'm really considering going back to shooting just b&w and doing my own processing....Tempus Fugit

BTW the camera my Dad did give me, he found at a yard sale and called it a "yard-sale" special for 3$ the Argus 75. I cherish it dearly.

 

Thanks

[tri-x1]

First serious camera was an Ansco Super Memar back in the early '60s. In those days Tri-X had grain the size of small rocks but it was wonderful to shoot "available light."

[jim_britt1]

My first serious camera was a Canon IVs2, with a 50mm 1.8 and a Schneider 135mm...

convinced me that photography was for me and then bought the most expensive small thing I

had ever bought! Leica M3 with 50 1.4 . I was hooked, became my profession.

[Mike Gammill]

Konica Auto S-2. Bought it at cost from my Dad for helping in his camera shop. Camera (including meter) still work fine today. Using this camera taught me to explore the full potential of my equipment. I continued that tradition with my first SLR, a Minolta SRT 201.

[profhlynnjones]

My first serious camera was an Argus C3 and it was also the first camera from which I sold my first pictures to national magazines, the year was 1947 when I was 16 years old.

 

Lynn

[fred_haeseker]

Yashica 635 TLR, which I bought new for $70 in 1970 (about $380 in today's dollars, believe it or not!). The medium format made for good enlargements and the 35mm kit that came with the camera gave me a portrait lens in addition to the normal lens. I still like the 6x6 negative and the TLR design: my current medium-format outfit is a Mamiya C330 with three lenses, a sturdy camera with great close-up abilities.

[lake_photography]

My first serious camera was a Nikormat. Almost at the same time I was given a Petri 7 and

I loved it. Especially the very quiet shutter. I wish I still had it. Other then the Petri I have

been a Nikon guy. I have had a Nikon F, Ftn, A couple of Nikormats and a Nikon S2

Rangefinder. Currently I am using a Nikon F3. All of my camera's have been serious but I

don;t think I would be a photographer had I not gotten that first Nikormat back in 1967 or

there abouts.