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Link to 1974 Modern Photography review of 60 cameras

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Can’t wait to read. 1974 was an interesting time and actually within fading memory!
 
Paul Howell said:
Below is a link to 1974 Mod Photo review of 60 cameras...
Click to expand...

Of which, I own only three.

Very interesting to go back in time reading these articles.

I'm surprised the Minolta XE-7 didn't make it... unless it hadn't been released by the time the article was published.
 
Wow. A Petri FT EE in the list! I like my FT EE, but it's not a camera I would have thought to see there...
 
Oh my! I was not even born in '74, however, my most used cameras were already listed in these MP catalogues (Yashica TL Electro-X, Mamiya C330, Leicaflex SL...)
:redface:
 
I agree, only thing I can think of is that Petri filled the bottom feeder list and lens were quite good. As I understand it Petri made telescopes then branched out to cameras, rangefinder, the scale focus compact Color 35m and SLRs. From an ergonomic perspective the FT was quite good, the meter and stop down lever over the shutter release on the front, a sperate ASA dial, easy to change, and the battery near the top of the camera, no need take the camera from the case to change battery. Too bad build quality was so bad.
 
miha said:
Oh my! I was not even born in '74, however, my most used cameras were already listed in these MP catalogues (Yashica TL Electro-X, Mamiya C330, Leicaflex SL...)
:redface:
Click to expand...
You are very enlightened!
 
I own a Spotmatic, Minolta 101, both Mirandas, the Petri EE along with a FT, FTII, and the M42 version, the Topcon IC, Kowa, Konica T3, Yaschica 124G, Kowa 66 and Super66, Mamiya Universal and Press. I've owned the F2, from the 1969 add the F, Canon 7S and Konica T, Kowa RE and R. All of the reviews seem to be accurate. What we know 40 years later is how all these cameras stood or didn't stand up.
 
The review of the Leica M5 pretty much said it was the ultimate camera. Nothing has changed.
 
When in the Air Force we had M2 and 3s, as far as I know the last rangefinders the Air Force bought, moved to all Nikon SLRs. I did lust for a M5, the size seemed to fit my hands well, just never won in Monaco to pay for one.
 
Paul Howell said:
When in the Air Force we had M2 and 3s, as far as I know the last rangefinders the Air Force bought, moved to all Nikon SLRs. I did lust for a M5, the size seemed to fit my hands well, just never won in Monaco to pay for one.
Click to expand...

The only Leicas I saw while in the Air Force at that time, were a couple that an acquaintance had brought back years before, and he was an airframe mechanic or some such. The units I was in only had Nikons which we weren't allowed to use most of the time.
 
Of course the RB is on there.... and C330. In 1974 I was 11. Wasn't into photography at all but the only camera cool camera I'd see then was when my Grand Father brought out his SX-70 and took instant snaps of us horsing around.
 
I was in the early 70s, the last of the Vietnam debacle, we had a M2 and 3, Nikon F, non metered head, 35mm, 50, and 200mm lens, Superspeed Graphics which we did not use in the field, too large and heavy to be lugging around, a Graphic XL which we did nor take into the field as it was unreliable. Some units had Rollie, cords and flexs, I've talked with some at stateside bases who said they had Yashica 124 and Ds, I never saw one. Until the late 70s a lot of state side bases were still using a variety of Graphics, 4X5 and 2X3, also Bessler's 4X5 which was an improved Busch with cams for a set of lens. The Navy was shooting Topcon and Canon F1. The last base I was a photographer was Mather, we used Graphics XL later Konica Rapid. The superintendent was a civilian, he felt that 35mm was miniature camera only good to shoot slides for technical purposes and kept the Nikons locked up. We also had a 4X5 view, don't remember which made and a Burk James 5X7 Rembrandt studio camera with 4X5 reduced back for portitrates. I once saw the table of allowance for out unit, we had a lot of old gear that should have been sent to salvage but was kept on hand and hidden when the I.G came snooping around.
 
I, too, have some of these cameras.
Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F
Yashica TL Electro X ITS
Nikkormat FTN
Rolleiflex SL 35
Asahi Pentax 6x7
 
drmoss_ca said:
At the time I was using a Praktica Novaflex (and I was not surprised to see it didn't make the list).
Click to expand...
The Praktica Nova came out in its TTL version in 1965, 2 years after Topcon and 1 year after Canon. At a time japanese SLRs were even practically not available in West-Germany.
The Nova range ended in 1969. Thus it is not surprising finding no Praktica Nova model in a 1974 review...

In 1974 however the Practica VLC was released. The first, and long time only, SLR with electrical open-aperture-TTL coupling.
 
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The very first issue of Modern Photography I ever bought was December '72. It had that same 47 top cameras review, probably pretty similar list to the 74 edition the OP linked to. I was 13 at the time, and even though I had owned and used a couple of cameras previously, this was about the time my lifelong interest in photography started.

Thanks for the link Mr. Howell. A fun look back.
 
AgX said:
The Praktica Nova came out in its TTL version in 1965, 2 years after Topcon and 1 year after Canon. At a time japanese SLRs were even practically not available in West-Germany.
The Nova range ended in 1969. Thus it is not surprising finding no Praktica Nova model in a 1974 review...

In 1974 however the Practica VLC was released. The first, and long time only, SLR with electrical open-aperture-TTL coupling.
Click to expand...

Believe me, I knew it was old at the time. In 1975 I saved up the requisite £30 and swapped it for a Praktica LTL which was a closed-aperture metering camera, but at least I could do away with my Soviet selenium meter.
 
Interesting that the Nikon F2-S is referred to as a Nikkormat S2-S in the first line of the blurb.
Also the redesigned Bronica S2A new film advance and shutter-cocking gearing is explained in a straightforward way.
I loved Modern Photography magazine and more than likely perused this fresh issue in HS.
 
Last edited:
Hi everyone! I saw some hits coming in on these old Kepplers Vault articles and followed them here! Sounds like you all found them useful. If there's any questions you guys have, let me know! :smile:
 
I found quite some of the morsels you present most interesting. More so as I never came across any sample of Modern Photography over here.
 
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