Grandpaw I was just about to post a thread titled My Life In Cameras. Guess it will have to wait a while. My first camera was a Brownie Junior. The first slr I bought was a Nikon Fn I think it was called, Nikon F body with the first through lens metering viewfinder. I still have it
I had 2 Nikon F's I sold the camera bodies decades ago for the F3HP instead. I kept all the lenses all 13 of them including my favorite thing 16mm f2.8 Nikkie. Still use them all to this day
dandi
Loc: near Seattle, WA
I don't remember my first SLR but this one is probably my second. I bought it about 30 years ago from somebody, used it for many years and it still works perfectly. It has the nicest shutter sound. I had many cameras come and go but this Chinon is going to stay with me. Very basic, very simple, exposure was always right on.
I donât know much about Chinon SLR, didnât see people using them, It has a Pentax mount. If I remember correctly I had it with Pentax ME in the beginning of my photography. ME is another great camera.
Mamiya Sekor 500 DTL in the late '60's. Sold after a couple years when I switched to a Nikomat around 1970. Yes, Nikomat. A friend was going to Japan and we worked a deal... Still have it, along with the 50 f/1.4, the 24mm, and the 135mm, and a Vivitar zoom that sucks. Ran when parked, early in this century when I switched to digital. Can you still get PX-13's?
My first camera was a Kodak Motermatic. Automatically advanced the film after I tripped the shutter.
Second camera was a Hanimax Pratica DL which I had purchased in 1970. In 1976 I had purchased a Mamiya RB 67 with 3 lenses. Used it until 1981 when I purchased a Nikon FE with a 70-210mm zoom, a 28mm wide angle and a 50mm lens.
In 1980 I purchased a Calumet 4X5 on a 16 inch rail.
I still own all cameras except the Hanimax (which I still wish I had).
Now I am using a Nikon D60.
My wish list is to own a Sony Alpha R 2 or 3 (with all appropriate lenses.)
My first camera to purchase was a Canon TL, a stripped down version of the FT that had 1/500 as opposed to 1/1000 shutter speed. Build quality was equal to the FT. It was 1969 and I was 14 years old. I borrowed the money from my dad and paid him back with money I earned on my first summer job.
My first “purchased” camera was in 1978— a Vivitar SL 201 complete with a 50/1.4, 28/2.8, and 135/ 2.8–all Vivitar screwmount glass. A local photography store allowed me to pay $100 down, and $50 a month to pay off the $325 purchase. I worked at a bi-weekly newspaper, and the editor encouraged the store owners (brothers) to give this 17-year old credit. I guess it paid off for them—over the years I have bought practically every new camera system, darkroom equip/supplies from them all the way up until my most recent foray into Nikon digital. The store is now operated by the “brothers” sons, but because of our small market the major manufacturers will no longer license them to sell higher-end bodies. I get it, but it was difficult having to purchase elsewhere.
No, I don’t still have the Vivitar. A year later I bought a Pentax Spotmatic F out of the “Brothers” used case (accepted my screw mount lenses), and I promptly disassembled the Vivitar to see how it worked. Yeah, I only did that once...lol.
grandpaw wrote:
This is not my first camera but it is the first one I ever bought myself back in 1971 and I took this picture of it a few minutes ago with my Iphone 7plus to be able to post it here. I have had a few of these over the years but this is the actual original camera that I started out with. I was eighteen and went with my dad to the local camera store and told the owner that I wanted a camera that would make me happy and I would not regret buying and this is what he put on the counter. A Nikon F body, FTN meter, and a F2 50mm lens and I can say that I have never been let down by this camera and it looks and operates as good today as when I bought it back in 1971.
What was your first camera to purchase.
This is not my first camera but it is the first on... (
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My 1st camera was my Dad's Leica I-G and a hand held meter. My first SLR was a Nikon FTN with a 50 mm f/1.4 and I've been a Nikon user ever since. My current camera is a D850, and it is fabulous!
When our daughter was born in 74 I bought a Mamiya 300dtl with a 50mm 1.8 Lens. Since then l now have 10 film cameras including a TLR Yashica.
I still enjoy film along with my Fuji gear.
grandpaw wrote:
This is not my first camera but it is the first one I ever bought myself back in 1971 and I took this picture of it a few minutes ago with my Iphone 7plus to be able to post it here. I have had a few of these over the years but this is the actual original camera that I started out with. I was eighteen and went with my dad to the local camera store and told the owner that I wanted a camera that would make me happy and I would not regret buying and this is what he put on the counter. A Nikon F body, FTN meter, and a F2 50mm lens and I can say that I have never been let down by this camera and it looks and operates as good today as when I bought it back in 1971.
What was your first camera to purchase.
This is not my first camera but it is the first on... (
show quote)
Minolta SR-102 or possible the 201. It was a very long time ago.
Acufine3200 wrote:
My first “purchased” camera was in 1978— a Vivitar SL 201 complete with a 50/1.4, 28/2.8, and 135/ 2.8–all Vivitar screwmount glass. A local photography store allowed me to pay $100 down, and $50 a month to pay off the $325 purchase. I worked at a bi-weekly newspaper, and the editor encouraged the store owners (brothers) to give this 17-year old credit. I guess it paid off for them—over the years I have bought practically every new camera system, darkroom equip/supplies from them all the way up until my most recent foray into Nikon digital. The store is now operated by the “brothers” sons, but because of our small market the major manufacturers will no longer license them to sell higher-end bodies. I get it, but it was difficult having to purchase elsewhere.
No, I don’t still have the Vivitar. A year later I bought a Pentax Spotmatic F out of the “Brothers” used case (accepted my screw mount lenses), and I promptly disassembled the Vivitar to see how it worked. Yeah, I only did that once...lol.
My first “purchased” camera was in 1978— a Vivitar... (
show quote)
Disassemble is what happened to my Argus C-3. Also only done once as I could not get it together again.
hassighedgehog wrote:
Disassemble is what happened to my Argus C-3. Also only done once as I could not get it together again.
Affectionately known as "the brick."
hassighedgehog wrote:
Disassemble is what happened to my Argus C-3. Also only done once as I could not get it together again.
Yeah—it wasn’t anything like the old Philco radio I took apart in 6th grade.
I’ve got a C-3 parked beside my Spotmatic. An elderly gentleman gave it to me after I shot his daughter’s wedding.
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