The "Vintage Digital Camera" thread (celebrating old, obsolete digital cameras!)

Turbotak · 03-11-2019, 02:43 PM - **2 Likes**

Took these with the DiMage 7. Love the colors that come out of that thing. Look at that flare... 2001!!

Attached Images

**BigMackCam** · 03-18-2019, 02:36 PM - **2 Likes**

Thanks for all the responses thus far, folks. I'm a little surprised there weren't more, as I'm sure we have a lot more folks here shooting older gear, but maybe they're just busy taking photos (and that can only be a good thing!

).

I bought my first proper digital camera - a 2MP Olympus C-120 "compact" - back in 2002 or 2003, I think. Since then I've owned numerous compact, bridge, DSLR and mirrorless cameras. I still own quite a few of the older ones, though I only occasionally use any of them, mostly for nostalgia

The "vintage" digital cameras I shoot regularly are those I've acquired in recent years. A little background...

Having begun my Pentax journey with my now-sadly-gone K-7, I next bought a K-5, then a K-3 and K-3II (all three of which I still own and use, especially the K-3). But around three years ago I noticed that quite a few members were continuing to shoot much earlier CCD sensor bodies, and getting results that I found very appealing. That prompted me to acquire one out of curiosity, and so began my interest in shooting older digital cameras...

Samsung GX-10:

In October 2016, I bought what I believed (and still believe) to have been a shop demo Samsung GX-10 DSLR (almost identical to the Pentax K10D). It was sold to me as new / old stock at a very reasonable price, and had a shutter count of just 197

After using it for a little while, I fell in love with it. It's built like a tank, the controls are simple, it does all of the core things I want from a DSLR, yet nothing complicated or advanced, and it's very simple and logical to operate. But the highlight is its 10MP CCD APS-C sensor (plus whatever internal processing takes place), which records images in a way I find very hard to describe. It's just "different" compared to my modern CMOS sensor cameras, in a way that I like - certainly when using darktable, RawTherapee or Lightroom. The raw files, which can be saved as DNG or PEF, respond really well to post-processing. There's enough detail for my requirements, too, even with some cropping. In fact, the pixel density is almost identical to the non-Pentax 24MP "full frame" gear I own, so the level of detail is quite familiar. Dynamic range and high ISO performance both lag behind modern gear, of course - especially high ISO. For high dynamic range scenes, I can take two or three bracketed shots and combine them in post-processing (which is what I'd do with my K-3 anyway). I find I can shoot ISO 100 - 400 without any concern, and 800 at a push in situations that require it.

Unless I really need my K-3, I find myself picking up the GX-10 more often than not. I like it so much, I bought a second one - and almost added a third, but (sadly) that fell through. I guess that demonstrates the high regard in which I hold this camera. I also managed to acquire a resonably priced and quite rare SBG-D1V battery grip, which is shaped slightly differently to the K10D battery grip, to accomodate the Samsung body. It increases the already-excellent battery life for a shoot, and makes portrait orientation photography even more pleasurable - but also adds to the weight and bulk of an already-quite-heavy and chunky camera.

One limitation I find frustrating with the GX-10 (K10D is the same) is the inability to store AF fine adjustment offsets for various lenses. This can only be set as a global adjustment via the DEBUG menu (which Samsung and Pentax never intended an owner to do). So, I don't change lenses much when I'm using my GX-10. Typically, I pair the GX-10 with my Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD (originally released in 2003

), which - for my use cases - is an excellent general purpose lens. But, I leave the DEBUG mode files on my SD card, and carry a list of adjustments for all lenses I own in case I should want to change to something else...

Pentax *ist DL:

Some months later, in 2017, I saw a local Gumtree listing for a Pentax *ist DL and a couple of lenses, one of which was the FA 28-105 f/3.2-4.5, priced at about half of what that lens alone can sell for. I bought the lot, primarily for the 28-105 lens, which is competent for its age. But after playing around with the camera, I realised I liked it a lot. Simpler even than the GX-10 / K10D, with rather "leisurely" AF, no image stabilisation and a 6MP sensor that shows its limitations in landscape shooting where foliage and other fine details are concerned... but it's still capable of taking really nice images when used to its strengths. My camera is in good condition, but the control wheel tends to skip or jump settings. That led me to purchase, a little while later, a...

Samsung GX-1L:

Essentially a re-badged *ist DL2 with user interface differences, this is a lovely little camera. Same general limitations as the *ist DL above, but since it's in 100% working order, there's no frustration. Like the GX-10, it has no lens-specific AF fine adjustment, so I've used the DEBUG mode (accessible through simple button presses at startup) to set a general adjustment that works well with most of my lenses. The lower pixel desnity of the 6MP sensor is a bit more forgiving, so swapping lenses is a little easier. Even so, more often than not I use it with the "plastic fantastic" DA35 f/2.4, which makes for a great, small, lightweight combo.

...

I'd be the first to admit that my older gear is more limited than my K-5, K-3 and K-3II. There are times when the newer cameras are preferable, even essential - for example, lower-ambient-light hand-held shooting, or situations where the maximum reach of my lenses means I'll need to crop significantly to get the final image. But for most other typical situations, I continue to be delighted with these older cameras and what they can achieve with a little common sense, care, thought and technique.

I've said it before in these forums... If I had to pick just one combo to shoot with, it would be the GX-10 and Tamron 28-85 f/2.8. I really enjoy using all of my gear, but for my limited (though still quite wide-ranging) use-cases, I could happily make do with this simple, inexpensive, "outdated" kit. It's capable of beautiful results if you work with its limitations, using a little common sense and ingenuity.

You good folks might be interested and entertained by this post from @Snapppy - one of our members who recently tried out an old 6MP *ist DL and produced a great little video about his experience

steephill · 03-18-2019, 04:35 PM - **2 Likes**

I checked that my 2002 Nikon Coolpix 4500 (4mpix) was still working just last week. It really was a cool camera with the swivelling body and amazing close focus capability. It came with a Nikon branded 16Mb (!) CF card but I still have the 1Gb IBM CF microdrive which cost an arm and a leg at the time (about £300 I think). I got a flash sync cable to be able to use it with an old Metz CT45 we have from film days - that is a ridiculous looking combination.

My 2004 *istD still gets an occasional airing as does my 2009 K-7. In 2004 memory cards were still expensive though so I got a portable CD writer with CF card reader built in to transfer images on to CD every night on holiday trips. Now on a K-1 which has been upgraded to MkII.

johnha · 03-18-2019, 07:10 PM - **3 Likes**

My first digital camera was a Pentax EI-2000 2.2Mpx circa 2000/1 as a joint venture with HP (expensive at £750 and superseded by the EI-3000 months later). It still works although the batteries have died (it will run off 4x AA for a few shots) - amazingly batteries are still advertised online. Output was good to 6x4 (7x5 at a pinch) from mini-lab dye-sub printers. This is the most comprehensive review of it: http://www.steves-digicams.com/ei2000.html

It was basically a bridge DSLR camera with a fixed zoom lens that handled a bit like the MZ range of SLRs - the zoom was powered similar to the FA power zoom lenses by turning the zoom collar which drove a motor. It has a curious SLR type finder with a prism of some sort but you can only see through it when the camera is on. It had a flip up LCD and came with a Pentax branded 8Mb Compact Flash card - the 128Mb card I bought later cost an arm and a leg.

EI-2000 front:

EI-2000 rear:

A sample shot from it:

My next was an Optio S with 3.2 Mpx circa 2003: Digital Cameras - Pentax Optio S Digital Camera Review, Information, Specifications a really small camera. This still works (apart from the flash) - incredible to think it has a tiny zooming viewfinder.

Sample shot:

My first scanner was a Jenoptik JS21 which worked quite well although you had to be patient to get the best out of it. It had a four slide and a six negative carrier but only the first slide/neg was properly aligned with the scanning area. It used RS232 or USB (my laptop at the time had Windows 95 which didn't include USB support). I can't remember the resolution, but it was reasonable with interpolation (banding at higher settings).

Sample scan: Originally shot on a Z-1, Kodachrome 64, Sigma 70-300 APO:

Last edited by johnha; 03-18-2019 at 07:32 PM. Reason: Added photos of the EI-2000, reduced images sizes.

Dartmoor Dave · 03-19-2019, 02:37 AM - **2 Likes**

I didn't start seriously considering using a DSLR until after Kodachrome wasn't an option anymore, and after I'd decided that I didn't really like any of the alternative slide films that were available then.

My first DSLR was a used *ist DL in late 2011, but that died less than a month after I'd bought it off ebay, which wasn't encouraging. I'd hated the jpegs it produced and didn't know how to use raw yet, so it wasn't a great introduction to the DSLR world.

I came very close to switching to Canon because I knew I could still use my manual Pentax lenses with an adapter, but instead I tried a K100D that I bought from a local camera shop and that had a reassuring 6 month guarantee. I made the effort to learn how to use raw, added a split-prism screen and an O-ME53 magnifier to help with manual focusing, and before long I'd completely fallen in love with the K100D. I could still happily live with one as my only camera today if I had to. But the non-weather-sealed K100D wasn't really built for the rigours of Dartmoor life, so it died in mid-2013 and I replaced it with the Samsung GX-10 version of the K10D.

And how much did I like the GX-10? Well, I'm still shooting with it as my main camera here in 2019, and if it was to die on me tomorrow I'd just replace it with another GX-10. That's how much I like it. 10 megapixels is plenty for the print sizes I make, and the rendering from the CCD sensor is so beautiful that I'm not willing to give it up no matter how many more megapixels I could get these days. I've got a little K-S1 that I use purely when I need high ISO, but whenever possible I'll use the GX-10 instead.

I've also got an *ist DL2 that I keep in the car for those times when I'm driving along and see something that I just have to stop and take a snap of. But the only camera that I could really imagine moving to as an upgrade to the GX-10 would be the 645D with its medium format CCD. If the colour rendering from CMOS sensors ever catches up with what CCD sensors were capable of ten years ago then I might consider switching, but until then it's the GX-10 for me.

jcdoss · 03-20-2019, 10:00 PM - **1 Like**

I'm shocked that the word "Mavica" hasn't been uttered here yet. I really wanted one of those, but thankfully I was a student and couldn't afford one. A few years later I emptied my savings account on a Canon D30. I off-loaded it to KEH a few years ago for maybe $20. That included the 1G microdrive that came with it.

Memories...

Turbotak · 03-21-2019, 08:50 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jcdoss

...That included the 1G microdrive that came with it.

I've always wanted a working micro-drive for collection purposes. So fascinating by tiny engineering.

photoptimist · 03-21-2019, 09:06 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Turbotak

I've always wanted a working micro-drive for collection purposes. So fascinating by tiny engineering.

Micro-drives were wonderful bits of engineering -- offering huge capacities compared to solid state drives of that era. But they did have slower read/write speeds (3-6 MB/sec) compared to flash.

And unlike flash, you knew when the disk was is in use from the gentle "cha-chick.....cha-chick.....cha-chick" sounds it made when reading and writing.

**steamloco76** · 03-21-2019, 04:56 PM

My first digital camera was a Canon A-75 3.2 MP compact. Given its low resolution I am still impressed with many of the photos from that little silver block. Low light capability was non-existent but given good light it produced sharp, contrasty images with accurate colors.

Late in 2004 I purchased my first DSLR to join my Pentax camera family, a *1st D. The *1st D served me quite well through my last two years as a local newspaper photojournalist and for several more years. I retired it for a used K10D and later sold the *1stD on eBay. I probably should have kept it as a backup body.

photoptimist · 03-21-2019, 06:15 PM - **2 Likes**

I just realized that my wife was digital Pentaxian* before I was. In the early to mid 2000s she had a Pentax Optio S and then a Pentax Optio S6 as her first digital cameras (admittedly, I was responsible for finding & selecting these models based on her preferences). Optios were very compact little aluminum beauties about the size of a deck of cards -- extremely pocketable which is what she wanted.

We still have both of them in my drawer of old cameras. When retired in the late 2000s, they were functional although obsolete in resolution, IQ, and zoom (and with a bit of dust on the sensors from being so pocketable). I don't think I have a working battery for either of them so who knows if still function.

*My wife was also a film Pentaxian with a Pentax IQZoom115 P&S back before digital. That camera is also in the drawer but to tiny little IR remote that came with still works and I use it with the K-1.

photoptimist · 03-21-2019, 06:44 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BigMackCam

Thanks for all the responses thus far, folks. I'm a little surprised there weren't more, as I'm sure we have a lot more folks here shooting older gear, but maybe they're just busy taking photos (and that can only be a good thing!

).

The truth is that vintage equipment people believe in letting others try out the new-fangled stuff first. They wait until the kinks are worked out and the new thing becomes known for stability and performance. And that includes this thread!

Once this thread proves it is not prone to aperture block failure, star-eating, or debates about equivalence, then vintage equipment people will arrive with their stories.

Jan178 · 03-22-2019, 07:21 AM - **4 Likes**

Nice and hopefully longliving thread!

My journey in photography started about ten years ago with Sony Ericsson dumbphone camera that got me interested in subject and soon i got myself the first "real" camera, Olympus SP-560 UZ that had everything, zzzooms´nstuff!
However in about a year i was learning things beyond all-auto and started looking for a DSLR and got a good deal on a used Oly E-410 that was actually really nice camera.
Anyhow, my lenses were restricted to kit lenses since no money, no honey.
[IMG]

[/IMG]

One beautyful summer day of 2013 online and i stumbled on a second hand K-200d. It was cheaper than they are today for it was broken; batteries lasted only couple of shots.
Little digging in the web and the idea of a Pentax, specially the K-mount and cheap vintage glass started to look interesting!
So i bought the K-200d, and the seller was right, alkalines didn´t last but Eneloops were fine and i´m still loving the damn thing, on summer it goes where i go! Just love the rendering of colours, simple interface, everything.
[IMG]

[/IMG]
[IMG]

[/IMG]

Living at arctic circle equals long, dark months with dreaming of higher ISO´s. The K-x was initial answer to the call. Surpassed by K-5 too soon it didn´t get a real chance to shine in the dark, but as a fine little thing it still goes daily in my backpack to work just in case something comes along. Usually that won´t happen, but the beginner level cheap camera has surprised with it´s durability.
The humble K-x also brought lot of joy to this world, since i work with handicapped people with special needs. Some of them are incredibly excited when they get to push the button of a real camera and get the photo printed to their wall!

[IMG]

[/IMG]
[IMG]

[/IMG]

Infrared photography has also being on the long time list of interest, first start was to convert the cheap Canon G3 into full range IR. Quite nice, actually.
[IMG]

[/IMG]
[IMG]

[/IMG]

However, hungering for more i got a chance to buy Sigma SD-14 and whoa, that thing was a monster in size, weight, image quality and nonexisting joy of use!
[IMG]

[/IMG]
[IMG]

[/IMG]

...so i wanted something more compact with an ability to work closer to visible range of colors. *ist DL was small, light and cheap to convert into full spectrum IR and use different filters.
[IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]
[IMG]

[/IMG]

Browsing through older photos and The Forums really makes me forget all the marketing tricks. When the light is low, i need more sensitivity but besides that only one i can blame for bad photos is me myself...

TeeJay · 03-22-2019, 01:37 PM - **3 Likes**

Taken with an *ist DL2:

TaoMaas · 03-23-2019, 06:30 AM - **2 Likes**

Here's a couple of shots from my first digital camera...a Sony DSC-F707. One of the reasons I got it was because it integrated so well with my Sony DCR-VX2000 mini-dv video camera. The lenses had the same filter size, so everything that I had been using on my VX2000...wide-angle attachment, fish-eye attachment, close-up filters, polarizing filter, etc...would all work on the F707. In restrospect, it was a pretty cool idea by Sony to make a still camera and a video camera so closely alike.

**BigMackCam** · 03-23-2019, 12:27 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by johnha

My first digital camera was a Pentax EI-2000 2.2Mpx circa 2000/1 as a joint venture with HP (expensive at £750 and superseded by the EI-3000 months later). It still works although the batteries have died (it will run off 4x AA for a few shots) - amazingly batteries are still advertised online. Output was good to 6x4 (7x5 at a pinch) from mini-lab dye-sub printers. This is the most comprehensive review of it: Steves Digicams - Pentax EI-2000 - User Review

It was basically a bridge DSLR camera with a fixed zoom lens that handled a bit like the MZ range of SLRs - the zoom was powered similar to the FA power zoom lenses by turning the zoom collar which drove a motor. It has a curious SLR type finder with a prism of some sort but you can only see through it when the camera is on. It had a flip up LCD and came with a Pentax branded 8Mb Compact Flash card - the 128Mb card I bought later cost an arm and a leg.

I've been after an EI-2000 for some time! There's one on eBay right now (or, there was a few days ago), but it's not in the condition I'd like - otherwise, I'd have put a bid in.

I have the EI-200, which I picked up a couple of years ago... Fun little camera to use, and surprisingly capable given the low resolution:

03-18-2019, 02:36 PM - 2 Likes	#17
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,674 Original Poster	Thanks for all the responses thus far, folks. I'm a little surprised there weren't more, as I'm sure we have a lot more folks here shooting older gear, but maybe they're just busy taking photos (and that can only be a good thing! ). I bought my first proper digital camera - a 2MP Olympus C-120 "compact" - back in 2002 or 2003, I think. Since then I've owned numerous compact, bridge, DSLR and mirrorless cameras. I still own quite a few of the older ones, though I only occasionally use any of them, mostly for nostalgia The "vintage" digital cameras I shoot regularly are those I've acquired in recent years. A little background... Having begun my Pentax journey with my now-sadly-gone K-7, I next bought a K-5, then a K-3 and K-3II (all three of which I still own and use, especially the K-3). But around three years ago I noticed that quite a few members were continuing to shoot much earlier CCD sensor bodies, and getting results that I found very appealing. That prompted me to acquire one out of curiosity, and so began my interest in shooting older digital cameras... Samsung GX-10: In October 2016, I bought what I believed (and still believe) to have been a shop demo Samsung GX-10 DSLR (almost identical to the Pentax K10D). It was sold to me as new / old stock at a very reasonable price, and had a shutter count of just 197 After using it for a little while, I fell in love with it. It's built like a tank, the controls are simple, it does all of the core things I want from a DSLR, yet nothing complicated or advanced, and it's very simple and logical to operate. But the highlight is its 10MP CCD APS-C sensor (plus whatever internal processing takes place), which records images in a way I find very hard to describe. It's just "different" compared to my modern CMOS sensor cameras, in a way that I like - certainly when using darktable, RawTherapee or Lightroom. The raw files, which can be saved as DNG or PEF, respond really well to post-processing. There's enough detail for my requirements, too, even with some cropping. In fact, the pixel density is almost identical to the non-Pentax 24MP "full frame" gear I own, so the level of detail is quite familiar. Dynamic range and high ISO performance both lag behind modern gear, of course - especially high ISO. For high dynamic range scenes, I can take two or three bracketed shots and combine them in post-processing (which is what I'd do with my K-3 anyway). I find I can shoot ISO 100 - 400 without any concern, and 800 at a push in situations that require it. Unless I really need my K-3, I find myself picking up the GX-10 more often than not. I like it so much, I bought a second one - and almost added a third, but (sadly) that fell through. I guess that demonstrates the high regard in which I hold this camera. I also managed to acquire a resonably priced and quite rare SBG-D1V battery grip, which is shaped slightly differently to the K10D battery grip, to accomodate the Samsung body. It increases the already-excellent battery life for a shoot, and makes portrait orientation photography even more pleasurable - but also adds to the weight and bulk of an already-quite-heavy and chunky camera. One limitation I find frustrating with the GX-10 (K10D is the same) is the inability to store AF fine adjustment offsets for various lenses. This can only be set as a global adjustment via the DEBUG menu (which Samsung and Pentax never intended an owner to do). So, I don't change lenses much when I'm using my GX-10. Typically, I pair the GX-10 with my Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD (originally released in 2003 ), which - for my use cases - is an excellent general purpose lens. But, I leave the DEBUG mode files on my SD card, and carry a list of adjustments for all lenses I own in case I should want to change to something else... *Pentax ist DL:** Some months later, in 2017, I saw a local Gumtree listing for a Pentax ist DL and a couple of lenses, one of which was the FA 28-105 f/3.2-4.5, priced at about half of what that lens alone can sell for. I bought the lot, primarily for the 28-105 lens, which is competent for its age. But after playing around with the camera, I realised I liked it a lot. Simpler even than the GX-10 / K10D, with rather "leisurely" AF, no image stabilisation and a 6MP sensor that shows its limitations in landscape shooting where foliage and other fine details are concerned... but it's still capable of taking really nice images when used to its strengths. My camera is in good condition, but the control wheel tends to skip or jump settings. That led me to purchase, a little while later, a... Samsung GX-1L:* Essentially a re-badged ist DL2 with user interface differences, this is a lovely little camera. Same general limitations as the ist DL above, but since it's in 100% working order, there's no frustration. Like the GX-10, it has no lens-specific AF fine adjustment, so I've used the DEBUG mode (accessible through simple button presses at startup) to set a general adjustment that works well with most of my lenses. The lower pixel desnity of the 6MP sensor is a bit more forgiving, so swapping lenses is a little easier. Even so, more often than not I use it with the "plastic fantastic" DA35 f/2.4, which makes for a great, small, lightweight combo. ... I'd be the first to admit that my older gear is more limited than my K-5, K-3 and K-3II. There are times when the newer cameras are preferable, even essential - for example, lower-ambient-light hand-held shooting, or situations where the maximum reach of my lenses means I'll need to crop significantly to get the final image. But for most other typical situations, I continue to be delighted with these older cameras and what they can achieve with a little common sense, care, thought and technique. I've said it before in these forums... If I had to pick just one combo to shoot with, it would be the GX-10 and Tamron 28-85 f/2.8. I really enjoy using all of my gear, but for my limited (though still quite wide-ranging) use-cases, I could happily make do with this simple, inexpensive, "outdated" kit. It's capable of beautiful results if you work with its limitations, using a little common sense and ingenuity. You good folks might be interested and entertained by *this post* from @Snapppy - one of our members who recently tried out an old 6MP ist DL and produced a great little video about his experience Last edited by BigMackCam; 03-18-2019 at 05:09 PM.*

03-22-2019, 07:21 AM - 4 Likes	#27
Jan178 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Rovaniemi, Finland Photos: Albums Posts: 963	Nice and hopefully longliving thread! My journey in photography started about ten years ago with Sony Ericsson dumbphone camera that got me interested in subject and soon i got myself the first "real" camera, Olympus SP-560 UZ that had everything, zzzooms´nstuff! However in about a year i was learning things beyond all-auto and started looking for a DSLR and got a good deal on a used Oly E-410 that was actually really nice camera. Anyhow, my lenses were restricted to kit lenses since no money, no honey. [IMG][/IMG] One beautyful summer day of 2013 online and i stumbled on a second hand K-200d. It was cheaper than they are today for it was broken; batteries lasted only couple of shots. Little digging in the web and the idea of a Pentax, specially the K-mount and cheap vintage glass started to look interesting! So i bought the K-200d, and the seller was right, alkalines didn´t last but Eneloops were fine and i´m still loving the damn thing, on summer it goes where i go! Just love the rendering of colours, simple interface, everything. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] Living at arctic circle equals long, dark months with dreaming of higher ISO´s. The K-x was initial answer to the call. Surpassed by K-5 too soon it didn´t get a real chance to shine in the dark, but as a fine little thing it still goes daily in my backpack to work just in case something comes along. Usually that won´t happen, but the beginner level cheap camera has surprised with it´s durability. The humble K-x also brought lot of joy to this world, since i work with handicapped people with special needs. Some of them are incredibly excited when they get to push the button of a real camera and get the photo printed to their wall! [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] Infrared photography has also being on the long time list of interest, first start was to convert the cheap Canon G3 into full range IR. Quite nice, actually. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] However, hungering for more i got a chance to buy Sigma SD-14 and whoa, that thing was a monster in size, weight, image quality and nonexisting joy of use! [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] ...so i wanted something more compact with an ability to work closer to visible range of colors. *ist DL was small, light and cheap to convert into full spectrum IR and use different filters. [IMG][/IMG] [/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] Browsing through older photos and The Forums really makes me forget all the marketing tricks. When the light is low, i need more sensitivity but besides that only one i can blame for bad photos is me myself...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Thematic Celebrating celebrities	LesDMess	Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories	2	02-25-2018 01:18 PM
Thematic Ancient - seasoned - obsolete - venerable - post your OLD stuff here!	MetteHHH	Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories	6	01-22-2018 10:23 AM
Abstract Vintage Camera for Vintage Cruisers	jgblodgett	Photo Critique	6	01-11-2015 07:21 PM

03-18-2019, 04:35 PM - 2 Likes	#18
steephill Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 586	I checked that my 2002 Nikon Coolpix 4500 (4mpix) was still working just last week. It really was a cool camera with the swivelling body and amazing close focus capability. It came with a Nikon branded 16Mb (!) CF card but I still have the 1Gb IBM CF microdrive which cost an arm and a leg at the time (about £300 I think). I got a flash sync cable to be able to use it with an old Metz CT45 we have from film days - that is a ridiculous looking combination. My 2004 *istD still gets an occasional airing as does my 2009 K-7. In 2004 memory cards were still expensive though so I got a portable CD writer with CF card reader built in to transfer images on to CD every night on holiday trips. Now on a K-1 which has been upgraded to MkII.

03-18-2019, 07:10 PM - 3 Likes	#19
johnha Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lancashire, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,155	My first digital camera was a Pentax EI-2000 2.2Mpx circa 2000/1 as a joint venture with HP (expensive at £750 and superseded by the EI-3000 months later). It still works although the batteries have died (it will run off 4x AA for a few shots) - amazingly batteries are still advertised online. Output was good to 6x4 (7x5 at a pinch) from mini-lab dye-sub printers. This is the most comprehensive review of it: http://www.steves-digicams.com/ei2000.html It was basically a bridge DSLR camera with a fixed zoom lens that handled a bit like the MZ range of SLRs - the zoom was powered similar to the FA power zoom lenses by turning the zoom collar which drove a motor. It has a curious SLR type finder with a prism of some sort but you can only see through it when the camera is on. It had a flip up LCD and came with a Pentax branded 8Mb Compact Flash card - the 128Mb card I bought later cost an arm and a leg. EI-2000 front: EI-2000 rear: A sample shot from it: My next was an Optio S with 3.2 Mpx circa 2003: Digital Cameras - Pentax Optio S Digital Camera Review, Information, Specifications a really small camera. This still works (apart from the flash) - incredible to think it has a tiny zooming viewfinder. Sample shot: My first scanner was a Jenoptik JS21 which worked quite well although you had to be patient to get the best out of it. It had a four slide and a six negative carrier but only the first slide/neg was properly aligned with the scanning area. It used RS232 or USB (my laptop at the time had Windows 95 which didn't include USB support). I can't remember the resolution, but it was reasonable with interpolation (banding at higher settings). Sample scan: Originally shot on a Z-1, Kodachrome 64, Sigma 70-300 APO: Last edited by johnha; 03-18-2019 at 07:32 PM. Reason: Added photos of the EI-2000, reduced images sizes.

03-19-2019, 02:37 AM - 2 Likes	#20
Dartmoor Dave Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Dartmoor, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,882	I didn't start seriously considering using a DSLR until after Kodachrome wasn't an option anymore, and after I'd decided that I didn't really like any of the alternative slide films that were available then. My first DSLR was a used ist DL in late 2011, but that died less than a month after I'd bought it off ebay, which wasn't encouraging. I'd hated the jpegs it produced and didn't know how to use raw yet, so it wasn't a great introduction to the DSLR world. I came very close to switching to Canon because I knew I could still use my manual Pentax lenses with an adapter, but instead I tried a K100D that I bought from a local camera shop and that had a reassuring 6 month guarantee. I made the effort to learn how to use raw, added a split-prism screen and an O-ME53 magnifier to help with manual focusing, and before long I'd completely fallen in love with the K100D. I could still happily live with one as my only camera today if I had to. But the non-weather-sealed K100D wasn't really built for the rigours of Dartmoor life, so it died in mid-2013 and I replaced it with the Samsung GX-10 version of the K10D. And how much did I like the GX-10? Well, I'm still shooting with it as my main camera here in 2019, and if it was to die on me tomorrow I'd just replace it with another GX-10. That's how much I like it. 10 megapixels is plenty for the print sizes I make, and the rendering from the CCD sensor is so beautiful that I'm not willing to give it up no matter how many more megapixels I could get these days. I've got a little K-S1 that I use purely when I need high ISO, but whenever possible I'll use the GX-10 instead. I've also got an ist DL2 that I keep in the car for those times when I'm driving along and see something that I just have to stop and take a snap of. But the only camera that I could really imagine moving to as an upgrade to the GX-10 would be the 645D with its medium format CCD. If the colour rendering from CMOS sensors ever catches up with what CCD sensors were capable of ten years ago then I might consider switching, but until then it's the GX-10 for me.

03-20-2019, 10:00 PM - 1 Like	#21
jcdoss Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,769	I'm shocked that the word "Mavica" hasn't been uttered here yet. I really wanted one of those, but thankfully I was a student and couldn't afford one. A few years later I emptied my savings account on a Canon D30. I off-loaded it to KEH a few years ago for maybe $20. That included the 1G microdrive that came with it. Memories...

03-21-2019, 08:50 AM - 1 Like	#22
Turbotak Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Photos: Gallery Posts: 73	Originally posted by jcdoss ...That included the 1G microdrive that came with it. I've always wanted a working micro-drive for collection purposes. So fascinating by tiny engineering.

03-21-2019, 09:06 AM - 1 Like	#23
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,126	Originally posted by Turbotak I've always wanted a working micro-drive for collection purposes. So fascinating by tiny engineering. Micro-drives were wonderful bits of engineering -- offering huge capacities compared to solid state drives of that era. But they did have slower read/write speeds (3-6 MB/sec) compared to flash. And unlike flash, you knew when the disk was is in use from the gentle "cha-chick.....cha-chick.....cha-chick" sounds it made when reading and writing.

03-21-2019, 04:56 PM	#24
steamloco76 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,710	My first digital camera was a Canon A-75 3.2 MP compact. Given its low resolution I am still impressed with many of the photos from that little silver block. Low light capability was non-existent but given good light it produced sharp, contrasty images with accurate colors. Late in 2004 I purchased my first DSLR to join my Pentax camera family, a 1st D. The 1st D served me quite well through my last two years as a local newspaper photojournalist and for several more years. I retired it for a used K10D and later sold the *1stD on eBay. I probably should have kept it as a backup body.

03-21-2019, 06:15 PM - 2 Likes	#25
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,126	I just realized that my wife was digital Pentaxian* before I was. In the early to mid 2000s she had a Pentax Optio S and then a Pentax Optio S6 as her first digital cameras (admittedly, I was responsible for finding & selecting these models based on her preferences). Optios were very compact little aluminum beauties about the size of a deck of cards -- extremely pocketable which is what she wanted. We still have both of them in my drawer of old cameras. When retired in the late 2000s, they were functional although obsolete in resolution, IQ, and zoom (and with a bit of dust on the sensors from being so pocketable). I don't think I have a working battery for either of them so who knows if still function. *My wife was also a film Pentaxian with a Pentax IQZoom115 P&S back before digital. That camera is also in the drawer but to tiny little IR remote that came with still works and I use it with the K-1.

03-21-2019, 06:44 PM - 1 Like	#26
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,126	Originally posted by BigMackCam Thanks for all the responses thus far, folks. I'm a little surprised there weren't more, as I'm sure we have a lot more folks here shooting older gear, but maybe they're just busy taking photos (and that can only be a good thing! ). The truth is that vintage equipment people believe in letting others try out the new-fangled stuff first. They wait until the kinks are worked out and the new thing becomes known for stability and performance. And that includes this thread! Once this thread proves it is not prone to aperture block failure, star-eating, or debates about equivalence, then vintage equipment people will arrive with their stories.

03-23-2019, 12:27 PM - 3 Likes	#30
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,674 Original Poster	Originally posted by johnha My first digital camera was a Pentax EI-2000 2.2Mpx circa 2000/1 as a joint venture with HP (expensive at £750 and superseded by the EI-3000 months later). It still works although the batteries have died (it will run off 4x AA for a few shots) - amazingly batteries are still advertised online. Output was good to 6x4 (7x5 at a pinch) from mini-lab dye-sub printers. This is the most comprehensive review of it: Steves Digicams - Pentax EI-2000 - User Review It was basically a bridge DSLR camera with a fixed zoom lens that handled a bit like the MZ range of SLRs - the zoom was powered similar to the FA power zoom lenses by turning the zoom collar which drove a motor. It has a curious SLR type finder with a prism of some sort but you can only see through it when the camera is on. It had a flip up LCD and came with a Pentax branded 8Mb Compact Flash card - the 128Mb card I bought later cost an arm and a leg. I've been after an EI-2000 for some time! There's one on eBay right now (or, there was a few days ago), but it's not in the condition I'd like - otherwise, I'd have put a bid in. I have the EI-200, which I picked up a couple of years ago... Fun little camera to use, and surprisingly capable given the low resolution: