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first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:13 pm
by Jockissimo
I remember well my one! 126 was dying a slow death, while 110 was ImHo worse than any mobile phone camera today.

35mm it had to be.

After being loaned my uncles praktika, with external meter required and dof preview aperture ring i wanted the then just affordable TTL. Through the lens metering.

on the market there were of course the ricoh and pratika offerings, and at the mid end the pentax k1000: a bit pricey the pentax. Fujica stx 1 ijt had to be then! With an f 1.8 lens with pretty good edges and not notable aperture or chromatics to worry a bout . . . For forty eight quid splitting new with a leatheret case to boot!

poor mans OM1. !!

took many a great pick, esp transparencies with kodakchrome for summer snd fujichrome 200 for other seasons.

If you read this far then all i can say is you saw the anorak avatar and i hope it has been a good cure for insomnia

Got stolen just after the ttl packed up. New for old policy meant i got a replacement qoute on. . . A K1000 whichn im still have!

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:20 pm
by Boxer6
My first SLR was a Praktica too; an "E" I seem to recall, but it was nearly 40 years ago, so it's difficult to remember!

Even got a book about photography entitled "The Praktica Way"> That, I still have!! 8O

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:26 pm
by Vinegar Tom
Minolta XG-1. Still got it, and it feels reassuringly compact compared to my current camera. Set the dial to "on" tonight, and the wee red light is still there in the viewfinder. Brings back memories of loads of photo-horrors delivered from the lab. ::):

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:41 pm
by Jockissimo
Vinegar Tom wrote:Minolta XG-1. Still got it, and it feels reassuringly compact compared to my current camera. Set the dial to "on" tonight, and the wee red light is still there in the viewfinder. Brings back memories of loads of photo-horrors delivered from the lab. ::):


Yes, transparencies were a far better bet!

I did my own BW developing and printing but it was so expensive even using the clubs equipment, that i ended up using tha Ilford XPS or whatever, gave a kind of sepia under some colour process, others more degeurotype purple tinge.)
Boxer6 wrote:
Even got a book about photography entitled "The Praktica Way"> That, I still have!! 8O



I've seen that very title at a few jumble sales!

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:26 pm
by fiain
an elderly Ilford Sportsman, bought from Charlie Jeffries stall in the barras c1975. I think I've still got it- somewhwere.

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:41 am
by MacotheIsles
An obscure beast from some remote outpost of cameradom that had found its way onto the pages of Exchange & Mart back in 1972. It was a Bierette KF: a 35mm camera, but with an unusual film spool called 'Rapid Cassette' which was incompatible with all other 35mm cameras. I actually unearthed it again last year, along with an undeveloped spool from 1974 or thereabouts, having thought it lost forever years ago (although have misplaced it again since) and it brought back all the excitement of the time. Taking photos was a very hit-and-miss experience and my holiday on the Norfolk Broads (long, hot summer of 1976) was entirely lost to overexposures, but I still loved it!

Prior to that I had a second-hand Kodak Box Brownie that probably dated from the 1930s with a viewfinder in which the world appeared upside down and caused the image to slide about horrendously, like some demonic reversely-connected periscope on ice. Subsequent to that it was the legendary Zenit EF and then the OM1.

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 9:21 pm
by Vinegar Tom
MacotheIsles wrote: along with an undeveloped spool from 1974 or thereabouts, having thought it lost forever years ago (although have misplaced it again since)


You really should have a hunt for that spool; who knows what has been lost to posterity ??? 8)

Could make you FAMOUS

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:09 am
by MacotheIsles
VT...

I have it!...

Image

36 (overexposed) treasures of Glasgow (possibly) railway scenes (likely) circa 1973 (almost definitely). Will see if I can get them developed and if the film emulsion has stood the test of time...

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 7:43 pm
by Jockissimo
Fascinating ! Well for me in a good sofa-anorak mood it is.

The zenit! My best pal hE one of those with ttl IIRC.

Where were they made , Czechoslovakia?

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2012 8:36 pm
by tobester
My first camera was a 110 way back in the early 80s, had it for years then moved up to 35mm, but not SLRs.

Got my first SLR in 2007 eos 400d

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Fri May 04, 2012 10:47 am
by MacotheIsles
Jockissimo wrote:
The zenit! My best pal hE one of those with ttl IIRC.

Where were they made , Czechoslovakia?


Not sure where they were made - I always assumed it was Russia itself. They were very heavy, solid beasts (as has been mentioned several times previously on HG), constructed of titanium and dense-neutron matter. Favourite weapon of the Spetznaz who swung them with deadly effect whilst photo-ing the event. I wish I still had mine, but after two dislocated shoulders I gave it away.

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:23 pm
by robertpool
1973 Zenith 'B' soviet camera

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 12:07 am
by PaulK
My first was a Zenit also, heavy beast and upgraded to an Olympus OM20 after a year or so.

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:16 am
by tombro
My first 35mm was also a Zenit, purchased (with an extra telephoto lens) Duty Free in Fiji in 1975 ! It actually took a very good picture ! I still have it in the cupboard, it's still in top order but doesn't get used due to the exorbitant cost of film and processing when compared to my new Canon EOS600D. The Canon though did cost about a hundred times more than the Zenit.

Tombro :roll: :roll:

Re: first 'proper' camera you owned?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:29 am
by The Egg Man
I had a box Brownie donated by an aunt, followed by a couple of instamatic type things. Then I bought a Canon AV-1.