ThomasS Loc: Colorado

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I certainly hope you are spending some money on high quality lenses and not just bodies. It seems that you have enough bodies already.

dickmoody Loc: Cheyenne WY & Pharr TX

There is NO way I would wish for the "good old days" of wet photography. But I wouldn't trade them for anything.
I was fortunate as I had access to an automatic developing system at the newspaper. Load the film into a Nikor reel, and put it in the Wing Lynch and set the computerized timer to color or B&W. Come back at the appropriate time and hang the film to dry.
Then the "fun" began. The image was converted into 4 separation negatives that we used on the printing plates for the press. All under a deadline. Yea, I really miss it!

Jer236

What a coincidence! My first SLR film camera was also a Praktika, but I don't remember what make the 50MM lens was. I remember that the camera was made in the Eastern Zone of Germany, occupied by the USSR at the time. I had an unfortunate experience with it. I was to take pic's of my daughters prom, so I'm snapping away, thinking I'll certainly get some 'keepers' of the event. Alas, the color slide film wasn't on the take up spool correctly so no film, no pic's! I'm not sure who was the most disappointed of the outcome, me, my daughter or the rest of the family.
So I can understand why you indicated putting film in the camera wasn't easy. I had no one to give me the amount of instruction that you rec'd., but learned a hard lesson about 'trial and error'. And I have no idea where the camera went to, sold or traded I'm sure, but its just a question mark for me now.

user2071 Loc: New England

Yes. Nothing automatic about those cameras. They'd shoot, film, no film, lens cap, no matter. It was all up to YOU. Thought I was the only one who'd ever heard of a Praktica!

dll

My first camera was a 120 of unknown brand that I asked for and got on Christmas day when I was 11 years old, that was in 1953. So you don't have to do the math that makes me 69 years old.

The film and flash bulbs were expensive so I did not get to shoot many pictures. At that time my dad had an Exakta Varex and a Weston MasterII light meter. Together we would shoot B&W, develop it, and print it ourselves in a darkroom that was in my grandmothers house.

My dad had a very good friend named Zeke that was also involved with photography. Zeke worked for Dr. Harold Edgerton, MIT professor, co-founder of a company called EG&G, and at that time was also famous for his high speed photography. My dad also occasionally worked for Dr. Edgerton in the 1940's on the first A-Bomb detinators and had some interesting stories about as they called him, Doc Edgerton.

Zeke would come to our house on weekends with all kinds of cool photo equipment and we would setup in our dark basement shooting pictures with strobes.
A few years later Zeke (being single) would leave his vehicle with us when he went on assignment in the South Pacific for extended periods to Bikini Island for EG&G. During these trips Zeke would be responsible for setting up high speed photography equipment for taking pictures of the hydrogen bomb tests at the instant that they we detonated. Some more interesting stories there too.

Enough of the background now back to the cameras.
In the late 60's my dad switched to Nikon and gave me all the Exakta equipment which at that time included an RTL1000. I was on a slide shooting spree until the late 1970's when children and career priorities took over putting all the camera equipment into a closet.

Fast forward to 2010, retired for a few years. By then I knew that digital was the future so I eBay'ed most of the Nikon analog equipment that I inherited upon my dad's passing in 2000 and went digital Nikon while keeping some of the useful items like polarizers, bellows, slide copier and filters.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

My first camera was a Kodak Retina II given to me by father when I was 12 years old. The first camera I bought for myself was a Konica FS 1 which I think was the first all electronic SLR in 1979.

robertperry Loc: Sacramento, Ca.

Bringing back old memories, delayed entry program. I got lucky getting into the Seabees. Got out and later joined the Air National Guard. Retired 2 years ago with 20 years in ANG. What kind of camera do you use now and what type of photography do you do? I have a Nikon D200. Shoot mostly for my own enjoyment now. Lots of flower photos. Going to start shooting landscapes and photoshop the crap out of them, just to see what happens.

Dyluck4 Loc: Georgetown Indiana

Well Robert, As I was saying earlier in a post while in the Navy I was kind of scared too go into the Lens type of camera tat my Navy buddies tried to get me into and because I was into so much other things of intrest it wasn't until actually 2007 when I decided well if my younger brother could do it then I could as I'm normaly not afraid of those things. I frist researched the Lenses and went with two good Lenses and got the Canon XTi and a year later when the XSi came out I got that. At the time I was getting Photo Passes to some concerts and you can see some of my work there. But then found other intrest with other Lenses with Landscap, Buildings and Bridges. So I did some research on the Full Frame Lens Camera's and took a dive about five months later in 2008 and got the 1 Ds Mark lll, now I just need to get my Butt out there and really start applying my self since I've worked with this and gotten better with a lot of studying with all my camera's and just learning. So that's where I'm at my friend.

shoooter

My first camera was also a Hanimex Praktica, which I bought as a teen in the late 60's at TWO GUYS dept store in Jersey City. A totally manual, tough, workhorse of a camera. Haven't used it in decades, but it's still in good shape. In the mid '70's I fell hopelessly in love with a Pentax ME-one of the best cameras ever, great for both newbies and seasoned shooters. I graduated to a Nikon 6006, an awesome camera. Eventually I embraced the future and made the switch to the digital world with my Nikon D50. I now stand on the precipice of an tough decision: move up to another Nikon (5100), or cast my lot with Canon (T3i). My friend has a T2i and the low-light sensitivity is fantastic. Decisions, decisions! Any Thoughts?

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

My first camera is one that probably none of you have ever heard of.. A Mercury 11 (two) that took 1/2 frame size shots... A 36 ex roll would yeild 72 EXCELLANT pictures... It was a very high quality camera with speeds up to 1/1000 and a lens (if I remember correctly) of somewhere in the 2.7 figure... My mother ordered this camera in 1951 when we first moved to Annette Island , Alaska (Ketchikan).... I took some absolutly great B&W shots that we dev and printed ourselves.... As a 15 year old I had a super great high quality camera to work with...
Go here to view it... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Old-Universal-Model-CX-Mercury-II-Original-Leather-Camera-Case-35mm-/190580834068?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item2c5f80bf14

Dyluck4 Loc: Georgetown Indiana

Hey Donrent, Post some photo's that you took with it or send a couple to my email perry88@insightbb.com and if I like what I see I might makes some Bid's

Stanley

I am a Nikon shooter, but Canon has been making an impression on me from some of the photos I have seen. it boils down to personal preference. For me, Canon is a little bit to soft, again; personal preference. The 5100 is a fantastic camera, however; you mentioned work- horse? The Nikon D5100 is the upper-level consumer-grade camera. Features like metal construction, weather sealing and the increased number of shutter-clicks you can get are not part of the package. I was interested in the 5100 also, but after talking to some pros they brought to my attention issues like build quality and strength as a consideration, things you find on pro-grade cameras.
-Stanley

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

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Wish ta heck I could post some.... All of my old pics were lost in a move some years ago....
Believe me, I do not think you would be dissapointed in getting one.... Only problem is finding a company that would put the slides in a half frame mount.. Don't think there would be any problem in devel'ng and printing...
If you do find someone who will still do so, let me know... I just might get one myself....

turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

WOW I love that camera

Dyluck4 Loc: Georgetown Indiana

I'm glad you brout that up Stanley, as I am a Canon user I have judgement against Nikon because I've never had one and sometimes feel some statements are made just because that's what they have. But if you study these camera's as I do and I read up on Nikon's product to see wear there going in comparison with Canon; and would hate to ever have to switch since I have so much of Canon's product's not mentioning there most costly Camera. So with that I agree, it is all preference and I'm sure if I had purchased a Nikon first I would probably have something to say about Canon if someone handed one to me as far as operating. As I have picked a Nikon up but was lost in operating it but still yet I can't give an opinion just from that.