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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> when and what was your very first camera
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Showing posts 26 - 50 of 62, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 12/10/2013 11:40:51 PM · #26
Kodak Brownie Starflash
 12/10/2013 11:49:11 PM · #27
Originally posted by flaherma:
My earliest memory of my parents taking photos of us kids involved them holding the camera in front of themselves and bending over the top to look at the viewfinder. Have no idea what kind of camera that was.

That'd be a Twin-Lens Reflex camera -- before they developed the movable mirror to allow you to look through the lens to compose (i.e. the Single-Lens Reflex camera), the second lens sent a view to a horizontally-positioned ground glass (thus the looking-down part). The two lenses are geared so that they focus together, and what you see through the top lens on the ground glass should be (essentially) the same image the lower lens casts on the film. This is the only shot I have handy -- the camera is lying on its side ...



Message edited by author 2013-12-10 23:49:48.
 12/11/2013 12:53:47 AM · #28
My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic that I bought for myself when I was 8, and used until I wore out the film advance wheel a year or so later. By then my parents decided I was capable of handling a camera without destroying it, and I was allowed full unfettered access to my dad's Pentax Spotmatic, which I used until I went to college. I shot more pictures with that thing than dad ever did.

After college, I bought a used Olympus OM-1, which I used until I got my D70.
 12/11/2013 01:04:24 AM · #29
My first camera was the Kodak Brownie Starlet (see here) when I was in the second grade in 1958. Absolutely loved it. Still have some childhood photos hanging around from that time.
 12/11/2013 01:10:23 AM · #30
'66-72, A simple Polaroid,
Around 73, a Canon TX and a couple of lenses.
My older brother had a big interest in photography, so I learned all about darkroom techniques about 1964, before I even owned a camera.
 12/11/2013 01:56:12 AM · #31
When I was really young, I had a little slim camera that I think was a Kodak Tele-Instamatic 430 or similar. I don't remember what kind of film it used because I was never given film to use. I just went around taking "pictures" without film. I remember my dad having a Minolta Weathermatic-A Underwater Camera I think, but I wasn't able to mess with it (he used it largely on rafting trips). A bit later, around 2nd grade, we had a photo contest where we were given disposable Kodak film cameras to take pictures with and then write an essay about the photo we entered. I ultimately won that contest and was gifted with a not half bad Kodak as the prize, but it was still largely made of plastic and not the best (I had no concept of that, however), but we didn't really have much money for me to be constantly shooting film. Meanwhile, around that time, my dad had saved up enough Marlboro packs to get one of these, so that was a pretty cool camera that we took fishing and whatnot. I used it a bit but it was mostly my dad's.

A couple years later all of our belongings were destroyed in a flood, so all of those photos and cameras were lost.

ETA: Somewhere here I was given a hand-me-down horribly outdated 2.4 (I think?) megapixel HP that was already outdated when I was given it. It ate batteries like mad and had WRETCHED wb. I actually mailed it off to Slippy's daughter as a camera she could have and destroy (cause who cares?) as a youngster. But I really only used it probably 4 times- it just couldn't do what I wanted it to.
Fast forward another decade and a half and I end up purchasing a Fuji S9100 and joining DPC. Really, the S9100 was probably my first REAL camera that I OWNED and could do whatever I wanted with, but the leadup is a bit explanatory, as well.

Message edited by author 2013-12-11 02:02:13.
 12/11/2013 06:56:32 AM · #32
Mine was a Bilora Boy. As far as I remember the shots were not too bad.
 12/11/2013 07:30:22 AM · #33
For my 8th birthday, in 1960, I was given a Coronet Cadet camera. It used 120 film. I had it for a couple of years then it broke, due to the shutter button failing.



Message edited by author 2013-12-11 07:40:43.
 12/11/2013 08:02:32 AM · #34
My first camera was the one I got from my Dad when he died, its a Vivitar 220 SL. I still have the thing and it still works. When I became a navy photog my first cameras were the Bronica ETRSi and a Canon F1n. The Canon was a tank but the Bronica was such a joy to shoot with.
 12/11/2013 08:47:57 AM · #35
a 1968 Polaroid 250 Land camera...My dad put it in my hands in 1976. Due to the speed at which I consumed film, almost immediately I was "upgraded" to his 1966 Canon FT QL. In turn, he got to upgrade to an Olympus OM2.
 12/11/2013 09:06:30 AM · #36
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by flaherma:
My earliest memory of my parents taking photos of us kids involved them holding the camera in front of themselves and bending over the top to look at the viewfinder. Have no idea what kind of camera that was.

That'd be a Twin-Lens Reflex camera -- before they developed the movable mirror to allow you to look through the lens to compose (i.e. the Single-Lens Reflex camera), the second lens sent a view to a horizontally-positioned ground glass (thus the looking-down part). The two lenses are geared so that they focus together, and what you see through the top lens on the ground glass should be (essentially) the same image the lower lens casts on the film. This is the only shot I have handy -- the camera is lying on its side ...



thanks! I will have to ask my mother if she still has it hidden away somewhere. If so, I'll post a pic.
 12/11/2013 11:47:51 AM · #37
1974 (although the camera was far older and a hand me down)....


Kodak Brownie 127

Funny enough... I have mostly every neg that I took over the years.... including that first roll :-)

Message edited by author 2013-12-11 11:49:12.
 12/12/2013 01:34:05 AM · #38
In 1964, I bought my first camera, a Kodak Retina Reflex III, with 50mm and 200mm Schneider lenses. I followed that with several Minoltas. The Minoltas were followed by a Pentax MX, an LX and ME Super. I used a Nikon F3 for several years. My first digital was a Kodak DCS 420, with a 35-105 lens. Still have all since the Minoltas.
 12/12/2013 01:41:50 AM · #39
12/12/2013 08:04:04 AM · #40
Fun thing to try to remember!! I don't remember much about the camera at all -- but I do remember the flip flash! You could take 4 flashes and then flip it over. So I think the camera was something like this:

camera and flip flash on ebay

But then my dad showed my how to play with his yashica 2 1/4. I didn't play much with it, and I could only use b&w film while learning. But it was fun, and after my mom died (my dad passed away 5 years ago), I retrieved the camera. I need to take it out and play with it again.

to be continued later

Message edited by author 2013-12-12 08:12:03.
 12/12/2013 08:17:34 AM · #41
The very first camera I owned that was completely mine was a used Konica with several different lenses. I bought it with my own money as a used set. My father collected cameras so I always had an array of different cameras to experiment which included every brand under the sun....including Hasselblad, Mamiya, Leica, and several twin reflex cameras. My father had lights, flashes, and all types of equipment. We also developed our own film at the house, and had a make-shift darkroom for many years!!
 12/12/2013 08:50:30 AM · #42
My first camera: the Olympic version of Kiev-4M. My father gave it to me around 1991. I still have it and it still works.



Some more information.

Message edited by author 2013-12-12 08:51:14.
 12/12/2013 09:12:29 AM · #43


they sent me away to boarding school with this camera and I knew then that along with living in the school's art studio I could also hide from everyone in the dark room, develop film, play with the enlarger, develop pictures.......dodge burn clone overlay silvertint smoke drink and sleep

never be found

and never be exposed........lololol
 12/12/2013 09:14:30 AM · #44
why dont I take the time to figure out how to use all those little tab thing a ma jigs

//vieilalbum.com/OlympusOM1US.htm
 12/12/2013 11:01:58 AM · #45
The first camera I remember using was a box Kodak circa mid-'40s.
...and I was hooked.
The first camera that was actually mine was a cheap Kodak circa mid-50's.
What model was it? I dunno, but it took square prints; I still have some of them.
12/12/2013 11:07:44 AM · #46
Coolest. Camera. Ever.



Camera details and more images here

Message edited by author 2013-12-12 11:27:28.
 12/12/2013 11:16:34 AM · #47
12/12/2013 12:18:47 PM · #48
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:


Overachiever....
 12/12/2013 01:54:57 PM · #49
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I stepped up from that to a Nikon F1 in the late 60's:


So what happened that you went to The Dark Side?
 12/12/2013 02:14:52 PM · #50
my first camera I remember was a Brownie Box Camera...I'm not sure of the model but I remember looking down into the view finder and cranking the film on the side

My first SLR....Konica...I can't find anything that looks familiar. But I know that I could change lens and I got it around 1979.
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