Me a long time ago with the first and only movie camera I used. My mother bought this for my father in the 1950s, I think it cost quite a bit back then. It has 1400 watts on a light bar so it was literally a death-ray. If you look at the indoor movies taken with it back in the day everyone is either squinting like someone threw sand in their eyes or has their hand in front of their face like they are looking at the sun. . On top of that the button to activate the camera was on the front-bottom so it was easy to burn your hand on the bulb by it. A few years ago one evening I dragged it out and told my wife, "Watch how bright the lights are for this camera.", to which she replied "Do you want me to turn out the lights so it shows up better?", and I said "That will not be necessary.". From the outside our house probably looked like an A-bomb went off in the livingroom.
-
Cameraderie, a friendly photography forum, join now for free!
Film People have asked, What was your first camera?
- Thread starter kennethcooke
- Start date
-
- Tags
- film film photography
6th grade,Agfa Optima II s. Added closeup filter for insects (parallax was an issue
).
).
Panolyman
All-Pro
- Location
- Wild West Wales
- Name
- Brian
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK.
- Name
- Charles
They don't make 'em like that anymore Brian!
- Location
- Cheshire, England
- Name
- Martin Connolly
I remember those. A relative had one, but I can't remember which relative. It was a long time ago, people!
Primes4ever
Regular
- Location
- Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
My first camera was a Pentax Spotmatic with a 50mm lens.
- Location
- Beaumaris, Melbourne, Australia
- Name
- John ...
And a very nice kit, too, P4E.
- Location
- Boston Burbs
- Name
- David
Some version of a Polaroid Land camera from the mid-1960's, or a Minolta-16 EE. I'm not sure which I was allowed to use first.
- Location
- Beaumaris, Melbourne, Australia
- Name
- John ...
David, IIRC the Minolta was a copy of the original Minox, which I have. Is that correct?
- Location
- Boston Burbs
- Name
- David
No idea.
Attachments
- Location
- Beaumaris, Melbourne, Australia
- Name
- John ...
No, it's quite different.
Unfortunately I don't have any photos of my Minox available, as I'm incarcerated in hospital ATM so no access to my main PC.
Some photos and info here:
RobD
Veteran
- Location
- Leura - Blue Mountains Australia
- Name
- Robert Davidson
My first camera was the EXA 1 followed by the Exakta Varex IIb. I was about 11 or 12 yrs old and worked after school in the local Photographers shop/studio mixing up chemicals and also selling in the shop.
I don't have the EXA anymore but still have the Exakta.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I don't have the EXA anymore but still have the Exakta.
- Location
- Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Name
- Robert Campbell
The first camera I used was my dad's Pentax S1a initially with an external hand-held meter and then with one that clipped on top of the pentaprism. Later he let me use his Pentax SP500.
The first camera I bought after my university graduation was the Minolta XG-M along with a Sigma 28mm and Sigma 80-200mm zoom.
After I few years I added the Minolta XD (XD-11 in some parts of the world). I used that for many years (usually print film in one for family photos and slide film in the other for travel photos). Finally entered the digital world in about 2006 with a point-and-shoot camera (Nikon L4).
I sold the two cameras and one Minolta MD 50mm f/2 lens and the Sigma 28mm to KEH when they came to town in about 2016 or 2017. I still have one of the Minolta MD 50mm f/2 lenses that I used first with my Fujifilm X-A1 and now with the X-T5. After getting the X-A1 I found a 70s-era Minolta MC Rokkor-QF 50mm macro lens and later the Minolta MC 300mm f4.5 lens. I haven't found the 300mm lens to be very sharp and the Sigma 80-200 zoom seems to have suffered from a drop, although I'm not sure it was ever very sharp.
The first camera I bought after my university graduation was the Minolta XG-M along with a Sigma 28mm and Sigma 80-200mm zoom.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
After I few years I added the Minolta XD (XD-11 in some parts of the world). I used that for many years (usually print film in one for family photos and slide film in the other for travel photos). Finally entered the digital world in about 2006 with a point-and-shoot camera (Nikon L4).
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I sold the two cameras and one Minolta MD 50mm f/2 lens and the Sigma 28mm to KEH when they came to town in about 2016 or 2017. I still have one of the Minolta MD 50mm f/2 lenses that I used first with my Fujifilm X-A1 and now with the X-T5. After getting the X-A1 I found a 70s-era Minolta MC Rokkor-QF 50mm macro lens and later the Minolta MC 300mm f4.5 lens. I haven't found the 300mm lens to be very sharp and the Sigma 80-200 zoom seems to have suffered from a drop, although I'm not sure it was ever very sharp.
Last edited:
- Location
- Lota, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Name
- Larry Griffiths
Here's mine. Given to me by my grandmother as a sixth birthday present in the early 1960s. I went through the first 8 photo roll of film with only one "keeper". The first one. All the others were subject to excessive camera shake:
