Celtis87

First Camera was Konica Autoreflex T. Loved it.

peterjoseph

Thank you all for sharing your experience with your first camera. Whatever camera we use today our first camera was our First love,which we cannot forget
Peter

ELNikkor

First camera was a Christmas gift, (at 7y/o, 1960) Kodak Starflash. Bated chipmunks for hours to get a photo that looked like the post cards. Even though as close as 3 feet, the chipmunk still looked far away; "How do they do it?" I wondered. Became the family photographer with my dad's Signet 40. Became a college photographer in Florida, so used school equipment. Finally bought my first camera, a Chinon in my early 20's. The shutter rivets rusted, so bought a Nikon FE, Nikon ever since!

(Download)

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

What a fabulous trio, and thanks for the great story 🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣

lburriss

My very first camera was a Kodak Brownie, then when I took a photography course at The Ohio State University the school had Nikkormats we could check out. Kept the Brownie, but when I went into the Air Force the office I was in had a Canon FTb and a couple of lenses. I was able to use the FTb when it wasn’t “on duty,” but that became a little awkward so I bought my own FTb and haven’t looked back since. I still have the FTb and original lens, but just for fun I think I’ll try to figure out my ownership sequence from the FTb to my current EOS 1D X MK III. Can anyone else trace their “first” to “last”?

Warhorse Loc: SE Michigan

I was in the Marine Corps (1975-'79) and was in the Philippines in 1977. I bought a Yashika 35mm SLR from a shipmate, I wanted to shoot pictures and show my friends and family what I was seeing.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I was gifted a Brownie Hawkeye and then an Argus C3. After looking at the TLR's I decided I liked the idea of the SLR showing the image right through the lens with no offset when you get close so I bought a Mamiya 1000 SLR when I saw it on sale in a pharmacy/variety store.

cdayton

I thought the Brownie would be a better carry-around camera than a Graphlex (I have no idea what camera my mother used to get this shot).

peterjoseph

Whatever camera,it's a beautifull picture
Peter

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I obtained my first camera when I was in eight grade in 1968. It was a Kodak something and used 126 film. I set up a darkroom both to develop and print. Somewhere in HS, I purchased a Mamia/Sekor 1000 DTL and eventually a couple of Pentax Spotmatics. In HS I began photographing sports. I eventually purchased a Pentax AF 1. When I went pro in the 1990s, I purchased a couple of F5s then digital with the second generation D1H to the present where I am almost 100% Mirrorless. My initial reason for purchasing a camera/darkroom was fun. My main love is still sports, particularly Football, but all sports.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

The first camera I bought was inspired by a series of events/incidents over a few years. Initially, I was given access to a Kodak Instamatic which I used off and on while in high school. During my freshman year in college, my father, who was a long time amateur movie photographer, died suddenly and I was given all his gear. (Kodak regular 8 movie camera, projector, reviewer/splicer, and all his movies from the years when I was a small child, and maybe earlier.) I still have most of that gear. After joining the Navy and while using the movie camera during a Mediterranean Cruise, a small part on it broke and I was unable to get a record of the remainder of the cruise until it was repaired. In the interim until the movie camera was fixed, I made the decision to purchase a SLR from the ship's store. That camera started a happy and ongoing appreciation and love of still photography that continues today.

Ed Commons

Back in the mid 60's I was in the Air Force. After Basic Training, I was sent to Technical school at Chanute AFB in Illinois. There was one guy in our barracks who went to the Base photo shop on weekend and printed photographs he had taken. (His father was a professional studio photographer.) One week end, we went to the photo shop and I learned to develop film, print and develop photographs. About 3 or 4 weeks later, we got a weekend pass and went to Chicago. I bought my firt camera, an Argus C3. I learned how to take photographs from him and how to develop film and print out the final product. Cropping, dodging, burning and other techniques the newer photophiles will never know.

While overseas, I graduated to a Pentex SLR (no built in light meter), to a Minolta and finally a couple of Nikon's. Stayed with Nikon when I went digital

olddog Loc: louisville ky

Here is my story. I was about 12 and found a box in a closet of our house that said home developing kit. I asked my mother where it came from and she said (this is for real), that she entered me in a beautiful baby contest, and I won first prize. I opened the box and read the directions and developed a roll of film from an old box camera. I was hooked from that point for the rest of my life. After high school, I took a job with a postcard company, traveling Wisconsin, shooting scenic and advertising photos. From there I worked for a publishing company shooting rare coins and paper money. Later, I moved to Louisville, Kentucky and went with a studio. I still live here. My first camera was a Kodak but I don't remember the model. Thanks for your kind attention. Olddog

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

First I bought with my money was a Miranda G, had an Ansco Box (120), a Ciroflex TLR (also 120), and an Argus C-3 before, saw an ad in Pop Photo, liked a lot of the features, got a deal from girlfriends uncle for a new camera at the store he worked in, loved that camera.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

My Dad was a professional photographer and had 5 or 6 cameras. When one of my brothers, or my sister, or myself wanted to use a camera, there was always one available, with film already loaded, as long as we asked Dad first if we could use it on a given day.
When we came home, we took the film out, then handed both camera and film back to Dad. The film sat in his darkroom till he had other films to develop as well, ditto for prints: when he had other photos to print, he'd do ours too.
Then I came to Canada (from The Netherlands) initially for just a few years - without a camera. One of the first things I bought after I had a job, was a camera- if I remember correctly it was an Agfa Silette. Then saved as much of my earnings as a could, and just as I was thinking of returning to The Netherlands, I met this fellow who next month will have been my husband for 53 years!
I used that Agfa till my brother suggested the Olympus E-5. I really liked that camera, but not long after that purchase, arthritis made it difficult to deal with a camera that heavy.
I still have the E-5, but now use the OM-D E-M1 Mk3. It fits my hands perfectly, with a fairly short lens it is not too heavy and I manage to get the photos I want (most of the time - will just have to teach the grandkids to stop behaving like quicksilver and to sit/stand still till after I push the shutter-release button!).
Recently my best grandkid-photos have been the ones I took with the camera sitting on a table, or chair or other solid object, and use a remote cable to take the photo. As long as I don't have the camera pushed against my forehead, the kids don't seem to realize I'm taking their photos!