My first camera

JCSullivan · 01-18-2009, 05:45 AM

was the Diana - or at least something similar way back in 1964. I remember all sort of excitment as I went around shooting family and friends. Some of those images still adorn my mom's dining room.

Windsor Photo Outfitters has a new newsletter for those interested.

EDIT: I should add the newsletter contains a pic of the Diana and Press Release on the white Pentax. END EDIT

And by the way, our own Rob Way (southshore) is featured in the Friends of WPO on their main site.

ftpaddict · 01-18-2009, 05:48 AM

That's lovely.

My first camera was a Zenit-E.

I still have it and it still works, even after all these years. I'm planning to take it out for a spin soon.

flyer · 01-18-2009, 05:57 AM

My first SLR was a Zenith B with the same 50/3.5 lens as yours. What I hated about the lens is that there is no detent to lock the opening once you set it.

*pasipasi* · 01-18-2009, 06:07 AM

I had a compact 35mm camera in the 90's as my first camera to take on class trips etc. It had a fixed lenght and focus lens, everything was in focus from 2 meters. No idea the name was though, but I might have the camera somewhere

Douglas_of_Sweden · 01-18-2009, 06:22 AM

My first camera was a Kodak instamatic. I was six years old. I shot BW film in it, and my father helped me to break up the cassette in the camera club dark room and to develope the films and make paper copies. I still have the negatives. Surpricelingly good pictures considering how simple the camera is.

*dadipentak* · 01-18-2009, 06:28 AM

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye.

stevebrot · 01-18-2009, 11:15 AM

My first camera was an Agfa instamatic-type camera. It was a handsome little thing that took flash cubes and was better built than the consumer-level Kodaks. I used to shoot black and white and do my own processing. You had to physically destroy the cassette before you could wind the film onto the reel for processing!

Next came a real camera, a Yashica Lynx 1000. It was a really sweet rangefinder with 1/1000s top speed and a 45/1.8. It had built-in metering via a selenium cell (no batteries required) and took really great pictures. Unfortunately I left it unattended at school for 5 minutes and it walked away.

I saw one on eBay a few months ago and it was so tempting to bid. The thing that stopped me was the knowledge that finding a competent repair guy for a CLA would probably be very difficult and parts equally difficult to find.

Steve

*LaRee* · 01-18-2009, 12:10 PM

I was given the family camera which was a Brownie when I went to 6th grade camp. I'm not sure what model it was, I should look it up. I think my very own first camera was a 110. Later I bought the Minolta X700 slr, that is the camera that really got me to have the photography bug.

I still have the camera. I should get some film and batteries and give it a run for old times sake and fun.

**Peter Zack** · 01-18-2009, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Douglas_of_Sweden

My first camera was a Kodak instamatic. I was six years old. I shot BW film in it, and my father helped me to break up the cassette in the camera club dark room and to develope the films and make paper copies. I still have the negatives. Surpricelingly good pictures considering how simple the camera is.

I totally forgot about that camera Douglas. I was about to post the K1000 back around 1977 or so. But it was actually the camera you posted. My Dad had one and I used it a fair amount. But after awhile he decided I should save for my own and withdrew it as motivation (probably because I was going through too much money in film and developing). It was several years before I could get the K1000. And thus the life with a camera nearby started.

**Peter Zack** · 01-18-2009, 12:19 PM

I bet you could get Eric to go over it and fix one up just like new.

Originally Posted by stevebrot

My first camera was an Agfa instamatic-type camera. It was a handsome little thing that took flash cubes and was better built than the consumer-level Kodaks. I used to shoot black and white and do my own processing. You had to physically destroy the cassette before you could wind the film onto the reel for processing!

Next came a real camera, a Yashica Lynx 1000. It was a really sweet rangefinder with 1/1000s top speed and a 45/1.8. It had built-in metering via a selenium cell (no batteries required) and took really great pictures. Unfortunately I left it unattended at school for 5 minutes and it walked away.

I saw one on eBay a few months ago and it was so tempting to bid. The thing that stopped me was the knowledge that finding a competent repair guy for a CLA would probably be very difficult and parts equally difficult to find.

Steve

*deadwolfbones* · 01-18-2009, 12:28 PM

My first was the Canon AE-1. Totally awesome piece of machinery. Hope the K1000 I just bought can match up.

stevebrot · 01-18-2009, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by Peter Zack

I bet you could get Eric to go over it and fix one up just like new.

Does Eric do non-Pentax stuff? If he does, I have a couple of Ricohs I would love to have him look at.

Steve

*woof* · 01-18-2009, 01:44 PM

I used my share of the family communal Kodak Instamatics. However, my first camera was a 1957 Pentax. Dad had moved on to Nikon F by that time, but I'll never forget the reverence and almost awe in his voice when he pulled it out and said "This is an Asahi Pentax." Turns out it was the "original" Pentax. The one that bore Pentax as a MODEL name, not a company name. The camera was such a success, the company took the name.

He also gave me an Isco Göttingen 135mm f/2.8 and a 1953 a 28mm f3.5 P. Angenieux. And he taught me how to use them.

Those was followed eventually by a Super Takumar 35mm f/2.0. I had to use the latter on "Manual" until Dad eventually gave me a Spotmatic.

I still have both cameras and all three lenses. I still use then. I didn't know how lucky I was.

I do now. Thanks Dad.

woof!

**J.Scott** · 01-18-2009, 02:25 PM

My first 'real' camera was a Praktica L like this one I found on the Butkus website.

At the time (early 70's) I had narrowed my choices down to either the Zenit B or this one. For the life of me I can't remember why I chose the Praktica. Probably cost less, dunno.

I still have it too, but haven't run film through it in years (ok, decades).

*ChrisPlatt* · 01-18-2009, 02:35 PM

I got my first camera when I was ten or eleven, an all-plastic Imperial 126 Instamatic clone.
This was followed briefly by a Kodak Hawkeye 110 - not much of an upgrade, really.

At around 13 (1974) my first "real" (adjustable lens) camera was a beautiful,
brand-new Ricoh 500G rangefinder 35. I still have one. Here's what it looks like:

http://www.mattdentonphoto.com/cameras/ricoh_500g.html

Chris