What was your first camera and why did you get it?

jct us101 · 04-08-2010, 01:48 AM

My very first camera has no significant value so I won't mention it, but my first significant camera was a Canon Powershot SD30. An incredibly tiny camera that I took thousands of photos with. I picked it mostly because it was so small, but I never regretted getting it. Of course now I don't have it anymore, I gave it to my mom when hers was getting too outdated for her. I still miss it sometimes though.

kunaalbhasin · 04-08-2010, 01:54 AM

got a ricoh film camera from my dad. It was really good and I have taken tons of pictures. Mis the good old film days where you didn't know what you were going to get, till later. Loved the surprise factor.

RioRico · 04-08-2010, 02:05 AM

Hey there, former neighbor! (I used to live in the B section, on Adrian near Southwest.) Other than gifts as a kid, the first camera I bought was a no-name 135 P&S from Wetzlar W. Germany that I got to shoot colorful stuff. My first *serious* piece, I found in a cabinet drawer in a rented room, so it was free: a German 1934 Kodak Retina I folder with Schneider 50/3.5, the very first 135 camera. It's very much like a Voigtlander Vito II of a generation later that I now have. With the Retina, I really learned photography, how to judge distance and DOF and exposure, and I shot a zillion rolls of B&W film. Why? Because I had to.

The next serious cam, and my first SLR, was a half-frame Olympus Pen-FT system, small enough that an entire system fit into one pocket of a field jacket (except the Spiratone 400mm, which stuck out of another pocket). That, and a YashicaMat 124G, were real workhorses. A few decades later, the next tool and my first digicam was a little 1mpx Sony P&S (DSC-P20), bought to do eBay listing shoots, and still used for artsy stuff. Why, for all those? Because I could afford them. And it's been uphill from there.

TOUGEFC · 04-08-2010, 02:08 AM

My first was a k1000 which i learnt with in the high school photography course.

systemA · 04-08-2010, 02:16 AM

Some really terrible Sony Cybershot that I traded my first, brand new, 20gb Gen2 Ipod for.

rachgamlin · 04-08-2010, 02:50 AM

my first camera was just a MZ-5n which i found to hard to use and bought a auto kodak C743. Then my uncle tought me a few hint to my film camera and a was hooked. First digital was k200d pentax. Now i want a K-7.

LeDave · 04-08-2010, 02:53 AM

My sister gave me her 4 year old half-working Cybershot back when I graduated high school just two years ago. It was partially broken because the Steady-Shot didn't work properly since she dropped the camera so many times. I still have it today and it still takes pictures but not so well in low-light.

As for my first SLR, had the K2000/K-m back last year for a few of months before selling it to upgrade, which I am glad I did. Looking back at the K2000 now, that wasn't a very good first impression I had on Pentax and was a bit disappointed. Was actually planning to swap to a Sony A700 or Canon 50D over K-7, but I was lucky over at National Camera Exchange they had a K-7 on display. I originally went to the shop to try to find a A700 but was surprised they had the K-7 to try-out, it was much better than the K2000 in all ways, I eventually went home and ordered it straight-away from Newegg. Even for the higher price I bought it for last year, it was worth every penny.

When my K-7 dies of high shutter-count, the K-12 will probably be out to upgrade for. The K-7 was probably my first true DSLR over my K2000 since I didn't have it more than a few months.

LensScribe · 04-08-2010, 03:14 AM

November 2004 I got a Cybershot as a gift - loved that camera. Big by today's standards, but no missing 'features' (read - handicapped firmware) - so you could do full manual, 30 sec exposures etc. Absolutely loved it. Somewhere during that, Dad gave me his old East German-manufactured Practika MTL-5 and a couple of Takumars. It was on the back of those lenses (and a couple others I picked up for use on a P30n) that I eventually bit the bullet and bought a K200D.

shawnxji · 04-08-2010, 07:01 AM

I had a few "first" cameras, mostly entry level film cams, and one .3mp (640x480) digital camera that had I think 2MB on-board memory.

My first significant cam was Canon S200, it was built like a tank and it could take pictures! the 1.6mp was more than sufficient for me during college and family gatherings and my whole family loved it.

reeftool · 04-08-2010, 08:01 AM

My first camera was a twin lens Kodak that my grandfather gave me when I was around 10. My first 35mm was a Minolta. I forget the model. It wasn't a rangefinder but a fixed lens camera with a viewfinder. You had to set the aperture and shutter speed so it didn't qualify as a point and shoot. My first SLR was a Miranda. I save up for quite a while for it. I had to sell it after getting laid off in 1975 when the kids both got sick to buy a prescription. There was no Ebay back then. A camera store gave me $35 for the camera and 2 lenses. The following year I bought a Spotmatic. I still have it.

TaoMaas · 04-08-2010, 09:06 AM

For my first camera, I really wanted a Canon TLb, but couldn't afford one, so I found a Yashica TL-Electro in a pawnshop for $27 and bought that instead. When it came time to start adding lenses to my kit, Pentax was about the best you could get in a thread-mount lens, so that's what I bought. That eventually led me into buying Pentax cameras.

macTak · 04-08-2010, 09:17 AM

Minolta Maxxum 5. I wanted a cheap, full featured SLR, and at this price rage (around $250 as I recall) this had some features the competitors didn't have (such as 1/4000s shutter speed). Plus it was TINY; I cannot believe how small and light it is today (I believe Minolta advertised it as the smallest full featured AF SLR).

**klh** · 04-08-2010, 09:38 AM

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Flash 20, a gift from my mother. I had it with me pretty much all the time. (That's me on the right.)

Kodak Brownie Flash 20

I still remember the sound and smell of the flash bulb popping. It took pretty good pictures for years, but it eventually became difficult to find the 620 film rolls.

Then I had a cheap 110 camera in the '70s. Bad pictures during that decade.

My first 35mm SLR was a totally manual Vivitar 335 with a Pentax mount with two Vivitar lenses (35-70 and 70-210). I got that before my sister got married so I could take wedding photos. Big mistake, I underexposed all the indoor shots because my flash wasn't strong enough.

Fortunately, I got better.

I used the Vivitar up until a few years ago (I still have it) when I went digital, first to a Canon Powershot A95, and last year to my Pentax K20D.

Tuner571 · 04-08-2010, 09:41 AM

My first camera was a K100D Super, it was a great camera and really helped me get into photography. However, as time went on I really wanted another camera as my skills improved and that lead me to the K20D which is the camera I use today.

Bramela · 04-08-2010, 01:03 PM

Agfa box camera. It was given to me as a birthday present. I was only about 8 yr old but it started my love of photography.

04-08-2010, 01:48 AM	#1
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	What was your first camera and why did you get it? My very first camera has no significant value so I won't mention it, but my first significant camera was a Canon Powershot SD30. An incredibly tiny camera that I took thousands of photos with. I picked it mostly because it was so small, but I never regretted getting it. Of course now I don't have it anymore, I gave it to my mom when hers was getting too outdated for her. I still miss it sometimes though.

04-08-2010, 09:38 AM	#13
klh Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Posts: 827	My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Flash 20, a gift from my mother. I had it with me pretty much all the time. (That's me on the right.) Kodak Brownie Flash 20 I still remember the sound and smell of the flash bulb popping. It took pretty good pictures for years, but it eventually became difficult to find the 620 film rolls. Then I had a cheap 110 camera in the '70s. Bad pictures during that decade. My first 35mm SLR was a totally manual Vivitar 335 with a Pentax mount with two Vivitar lenses (35-70 and 70-210). I got that before my sister got married so I could take wedding photos. Big mistake, I underexposed all the indoor shots because my flash wasn't strong enough. Fortunately, I got better. I used the Vivitar up until a few years ago (I still have it) when I went digital, first to a Canon Powershot A95, and last year to my Pentax K20D. Attached Images Last edited by klh; 04-08-2010 at 09:43 AM.

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04-08-2010, 01:54 AM	#2
kunaalbhasin Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 53	got a ricoh film camera from my dad. It was really good and I have taken tons of pictures. Mis the good old film days where you didn't know what you were going to get, till later. Loved the surprise factor.

04-08-2010, 02:05 AM	#3
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Hey there, former neighbor! (I used to live in the B section, on Adrian near Southwest.) Other than gifts as a kid, the first camera I bought was a no-name 135 P&S from Wetzlar W. Germany that I got to shoot colorful stuff. My first serious piece, I found in a cabinet drawer in a rented room, so it was free: a German 1934 Kodak Retina I folder with Schneider 50/3.5, the very first 135 camera. It's very much like a Voigtlander Vito II of a generation later that I now have. With the Retina, I really learned photography, how to judge distance and DOF and exposure, and I shot a zillion rolls of B&W film. Why? Because I had to. The next serious cam, and my first SLR, was a half-frame Olympus Pen-FT system, small enough that an entire system fit into one pocket of a field jacket (except the Spiratone 400mm, which stuck out of another pocket). That, and a YashicaMat 124G, were real workhorses. A few decades later, the next tool and my first digicam was a little 1mpx Sony P&S (DSC-P20), bought to do eBay listing shoots, and still used for artsy stuff. Why, for all those? Because I could afford them. And it's been uphill from there.

04-08-2010, 02:08 AM	#4
TOUGEFC Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,561	My first was a k1000 which i learnt with in the high school photography course.

04-08-2010, 02:16 AM	#5
systemA Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New York, NY Posts: 385	Some really terrible Sony Cybershot that I traded my first, brand new, 20gb Gen2 Ipod for.

04-08-2010, 02:50 AM	#6
rachgamlin Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: TAREE Posts: 2	my first camera was just a MZ-5n which i found to hard to use and bought a auto kodak C743. Then my uncle tought me a few hint to my film camera and a was hooked. First digital was k200d pentax. Now i want a K-7.

04-08-2010, 02:53 AM	#7
LeDave Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minneapolis - St. Paul Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,067	My sister gave me her 4 year old half-working Cybershot back when I graduated high school just two years ago. It was partially broken because the Steady-Shot didn't work properly since she dropped the camera so many times. I still have it today and it still takes pictures but not so well in low-light. As for my first SLR, had the K2000/K-m back last year for a few of months before selling it to upgrade, which I am glad I did. Looking back at the K2000 now, that wasn't a very good first impression I had on Pentax and was a bit disappointed. Was actually planning to swap to a Sony A700 or Canon 50D over K-7, but I was lucky over at National Camera Exchange they had a K-7 on display. I originally went to the shop to try to find a A700 but was surprised they had the K-7 to try-out, it was much better than the K2000 in all ways, I eventually went home and ordered it straight-away from Newegg. Even for the higher price I bought it for last year, it was worth every penny. When my K-7 dies of high shutter-count, the K-12 will probably be out to upgrade for. The K-7 was probably my first true DSLR over my K2000 since I didn't have it more than a few months.

04-08-2010, 03:14 AM	#8
LensScribe Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa Photos: Gallery Posts: 316	November 2004 I got a Cybershot as a gift - loved that camera. Big by today's standards, but no missing 'features' (read - handicapped firmware) - so you could do full manual, 30 sec exposures etc. Absolutely loved it. Somewhere during that, Dad gave me his old East German-manufactured Practika MTL-5 and a couple of Takumars. It was on the back of those lenses (and a couple others I picked up for use on a P30n) that I eventually bit the bullet and bought a K200D.

04-08-2010, 07:01 AM	#9
shawnxji Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: DC Metro, USA Posts: 212	I had a few "first" cameras, mostly entry level film cams, and one .3mp (640x480) digital camera that had I think 2MB on-board memory. My first significant cam was Canon S200, it was built like a tank and it could take pictures! the 1.6mp was more than sufficient for me during college and family gatherings and my whole family loved it.

04-08-2010, 08:01 AM	#10
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,554	My first camera was a twin lens Kodak that my grandfather gave me when I was around 10. My first 35mm was a Minolta. I forget the model. It wasn't a rangefinder but a fixed lens camera with a viewfinder. You had to set the aperture and shutter speed so it didn't qualify as a point and shoot. My first SLR was a Miranda. I save up for quite a while for it. I had to sell it after getting laid off in 1975 when the kids both got sick to buy a prescription. There was no Ebay back then. A camera store gave me $35 for the camera and 2 lenses. The following year I bought a Spotmatic. I still have it.

04-08-2010, 09:06 AM	#11
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	For my first camera, I really wanted a Canon TLb, but couldn't afford one, so I found a Yashica TL-Electro in a pawnshop for $27 and bought that instead. When it came time to start adding lenses to my kit, Pentax was about the best you could get in a thread-mount lens, so that's what I bought. That eventually led me into buying Pentax cameras.

04-08-2010, 09:17 AM	#12
macTak Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 759	Minolta Maxxum 5. I wanted a cheap, full featured SLR, and at this price rage (around $250 as I recall) this had some features the competitors didn't have (such as 1/4000s shutter speed). Plus it was TINY; I cannot believe how small and light it is today (I believe Minolta advertised it as the smallest full featured AF SLR).

04-08-2010, 09:41 AM	#14
Tuner571 Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Ohio Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,549	My first camera was a K100D Super, it was a great camera and really helped me get into photography. However, as time went on I really wanted another camera as my skills improved and that lead me to the K20D which is the camera I use today.

04-08-2010, 01:03 PM	#15
Bramela Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Newcastle Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,284	Agfa box camera. It was given to me as a birthday present. I was only about 8 yr old but it started my love of photography.