Your First Camera: I’m curious: on which camera did you learn photography, and your first “professional” camera. I owned a Brownie (Holiday? Bullet?), but in my photojournalism class...

lburriss

I’m curious: on which camera did you learn photography, and your first “professional” camera.

I owned a Brownie (Holiday? Bullet?), but in my photojournalism class at The Ohio State University in the late 1960s/early 1970s Paul Peterson introduced us to basic shooting and film processing using a 4x5 Speed Graphic. We then quickly moved to the Nikkormat FTn.

My Air Force public affairs office ("information office" at that time) had a Canon TFb and a couple of lenses. So around 1974 I bought my own FTb ($170), a 50 mm f/1.4 lens ($130) and a Vivitar 70-210 zoom ($204).

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

After my family's Kodak Brownie I got a Yashica Minister D 35mm rangefinder camera. Hard to say which was my first pro camera.
I used a Graflex XL medium format rangefinder camera, a Mamiya C-330, and Nikon F when I was at the Clark AFB photo lab (Philippines) as a high school student.

As an early graduation present, my parents bought me a Mamiya -C-330 of my own. I remember they sold for $180 at the base exchange, same as the Nikon F.

K.Cole

Olympus OM1 with a 135mm lens. Later added a 50mm f1.2, a Soliger 35-140 zoom, and a motor drive. Still have all of it along with a growing collection of old cameras we acquire at garage sales and shops going out of business.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

K.Cole wrote:

Olympus OM1 with a 135mm lens. Later added a 50mm f1.2, a Soliger 35-140 zoom, and a motor drive. Still have all of it along with a growing collection of old cameras we acquire at garage sales and shops going out of business.

Never owned an OM-1 but was amazed at how comfortable a well-designed, relatively small camera can feel in the hand.
Looked good too!

Marionsho Loc: Kansas

GoofyNewfie wrote:

After my family's Kodak Brownie I got a Yashica Minister D 35mm rangefinder camera. Hard to say which was my first pro camera.
I used a Graflex XL medium format rangefinder camera, a Mamiya C-330, and Nikon F when I was at the Clark AFB photo lab (Philippines) as a high school student.

As an early graduation present, my parents bought me a Mamiya -C-330 of my own. I remember they sold for $180 at the base exchange, same as the Nikon F.

I used my Mom's 120 film camera. It had a bellows. Then I used a few Polaroids. Then I bought a Minolta X700 and used it until it got stolen out of my car in the early 80's.
Marion

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

lburriss wrote:

I’m curious: on which camera did you learn photog... (show quote)

As a kid I had a Kodak folding camera that shot 620 film. After that it was that really cool Instamatic, the model 500, with the Schneider Xenar F2.8 lens, Compur leaf shutter and Gossen Selenium Cell light meter, made in Germany. After that it was Speed Graphic, Sinar P, Horseman 985, Alpa, Pentax, Nikon, Contax, Ricoh, Leica, etc etc etc.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Pentax K1000. Stolen in a residential burglary.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

lburriss wrote:

I’m curious: on which camera did you learn photog... (show quote)

My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic that I bought in the Navy. My first SLR was an Olympus OM-1 with a 50mm f/1.2 lens.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

First serious camera was a Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL. To compliment the 35mm, I bought a Yashica Mat 124-G.
Subsequently bought a Nikon F2, and a Mamiya C-330.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

First camera was a Samoca , never heard of it before or since. It was a gift(don't remember from whom). First real camera was a spotmatic with a 50mm prime and a vivatar zoom. Gave it away to a friend's son when I bought my Canon F-1

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

My first real camera was an old speed graphic with a polaroid back. My first 35mm was a Konica, don't remember the model but it did not have interchangeable lens. For high school graduation I received a Minolta SRT-101. The first 35mm SLR I bought was a Canon AE-1 followed by the A-1. My first digital camera was a Sony DSC-300 or something like that. Still have it in a box somewhere. My first DSLR was a Canon EOS 10D. My first "professional" grade camera was an EOS 50D followed years later by a 5DSR, then a D500 then a 5DIV.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

boberic wrote:

First camera was a Samoca , never heard of it before or since. It was a gift(don't remember from whom). First real camera was a spotmatic with a 50mm prime and a vivatar zoom. Gave it away to a friend's son when I bought my Canon F-1

Got curious about Samoca.
Interesting.
Link here http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Samoca
Looks like to they also made a 35mm TLR.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

lburriss wrote:

I’m curious: on which camera did you learn photog... (show quote)

I'm not qualified to answer the "professional" question, but after a Brownie 127 when I was about 8, and a few years later an Agfa Instamatic type camera, I got a Russian Zenit E as my first "serious" camera when I was around 17, then a Canon AE-1, followed by a Canon T90. Onwards from there...

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

My first camera was an Argoflex TLR. As I'm not a professional, I have never had a professional camera.

repleo Loc: Boston

lburriss wrote:

I’m curious: on which camera did you learn photog... (show quote)

My first camera was a Voigtlander rangefinder back in '65 when I was 13 y.o. I didn't have a light meter so I had to expose by the little slip of paper in the film box. Spent a lot of time in the school darkroom dodging and burning trying to fix my exposures. I learnt a lot that way.

I only got my first 'pro' level (?) camera two months ago - a Sony A7Rii. Over the years I have had an old Exacta with a waist level finder, an OM-10, a couple of 'all-in-one' cameras and compact cameras before stepping up to an A6000. I took a lot of great pictures with the compacts that I am still proud of. I still struggle a bit with exposure, but at least it is easier to fix now.