worst camera

[summicron1]

Certainly the Fotron has to be on the worst camera list (though it's 828 format, so it might not qualify). Has anyone every actually used one of these? I would if I could find it at a bargain price, like $5 with free shipping.

But seriously, I think of all the cameras which broke after a few uses, where the film was too expensive to use much (like Polaroid), which lacked practicality, like fast lenses on scale focus cameras, or those "focus-free" crap cameras that used to be given away, whose manufacturers basically ripped off the buyers who sunk some portion of their income into the equipment only to come away disappointed with photography, with themselves, thinking they were the ones at fault when their photos didn't look like the ones in the brochure. Those are the worst cameras, the ones that made photography feel like a grievance instead of fun.

Fotron does qualify as something -- not only was it a HUGE camera, with built-in batteries/flash AND focusing buttons and god knows what else, but it was also a huge scam -- they were sold door-to-door for huge amounts of money and used only proprietary film cassettes which held 828 film you had to mail in.

I had one for a while but tossed it. Unusable and no collector value, the space it took up was worth more.

 

[michr]

I have one stashed somewhere, might have tossed it, bought it for $1.00 at a yard sale, intended to find a cassette to see if I could put 35mm film in it, also had rechargeable batteries for the flash so needed to have the batteries rebuilt and find a cord, just never found a cassette. The film was 828 but respooled in the Fotron cassette, don't know if the film was Kodak or maybe GAF. I think the lens is a doublet or triplet, appeared to be coated. Mine does not have a "made in" stamp, not sure who made the camera for Fotron.

Sounds like a lot of trouble to get one working again.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

My 120 Holga. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[Huss]

Nikon F. Shutter button in the wrong place. Really noisy mirror. Draws too much attention from hipsters.

 

[BMbikerider]

It has to be the Pentacon 6 or Practisix 120 format slr's. Beautiful Zeiss lenses, but there was an inherrent problem with the wind on, with frames overlapping sometimes by as much as 50%. Plus it was very easy to lock the wind/shutter speed dial on so the lever jammed. A good idea but crap execution.

 

[flavio81]

Nikon F. Shutter button in the wrong place. Really noisy mirror. Draws too much attention from hipsters.

Are you sure? My Nikon F is quieter than my F2 and than my Nikkormats. I've have had about 3 Nikon F and they all were quiet.

In fact, what I like about the Nikon F is it's quietness.

 

[flavio81]

It has to be the Pentacon 6 or Practisix 120 format slr's. Beautiful Zeiss lenses, but there was an inherrent problem with the wind on, with frames overlapping sometimes by as much as 50%. Plus it was very easy to lock the wind/shutter speed dial on so the lever jammed. A good idea but crap execution.

This is true, I had the Praktisix II and my (great) camera technician couldn't really do anything about the wind. It was unreliable.

Probably it was the worst camera I've used (because of the mechanicals). The idea, the concept, was really good.
I've been tempted of having a Kiev 60, but from what i've seen on the 'net, apparently it has too much shutter/mirror jerk.

At the end i had the Pentax 67, which was better in all ways.

 

[Huss]

F100. The plastic film door just isn't that satisfying to slam shut. I like my film doors to be made of metal. So when I slam them shut, they feel like closing the door to a 1969 Mercedes 280 SEL.
And it is very annoying that the Nikon script on the prism is painted on, not engraved like on real Nikon such as the EM.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Is there a worst camera '35' or medium? or are we all blinded by love for our failing beauties ?? My Lubitel II from 1967 has a mind of her own about opening her shutter.(n.p.i.) But even 2 times ok on a roll of twelve I forgive her.

For me that would be the EastGerman Practical . With mine the shutter died after one week on a brand-new model.Not even good as a door stop.

 

[Huss]

My brand new Zenit 12SD showed up with a pinhole in the shutter. But at least it was an easy fix - following the advice of those on apug, I just painted the area on the curtain and it is fine now.

 

[mshchem]

I've got a lot of beautiful Kodachrome slides my Dad took with an Agfa Memo and an Argus. At 1 silver dime a piece for the 25B flashbulbs he got it right most all the time. He took time to get it right, it was more expensive then, early 50's, to make nice slides than it is today.
I always had a decent camera, even my Instamatic had a wind up motor drive. I remember really wanting a Beseler Topton Super D? First serious camera was a Pentax SP500. Once I got into medium format I was done with 35s except for slides.
Mike

 

[darkosaric]

Worst camera that I ever had is Minox 35. It is small (great), with superb lens (great), and shittiest shutter in the world - dies without any warning, and then you shoot all day without knowing it is dead.

 

[RauschenOderKorn]

Depends on how you define "worst." Construction? Ability to be used? Quality of image? Least durable.

In all these categories, there is only one ultimate winner:

The Ouyama Canomatic​

and its sisters and brothers (all also by Ouyama): the Charman, the Pearl, the Nippon, the Kamachi, the Olympia, the Nokina and last but not least the MAXIM (and whatever other names there were).

But then again, this depends on how you define "camera"

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Rolleiflex 35mm SLRs... So bad at reliability... The things you do to use those wonderful lenses

mine spent more time in repair than in my hands

 

[guangong]

I agree with Darkoseric about the Minox 35's unreliability. A tie between it and before mentioned Petri (circa 1957-8). But I find all my Minox 8x11 cameras...III, B, C and Lx to be extremely rugged and reliable.

 

[Fujicaman1957]

ANY Kowa 35mm SLR-I had an "H" and it died after a roll and a half. No repairman I ever met would guarantee his work on one and most would refuse to work on them. Oddly, their MF SLR's are very well thought of and seem to hold up well.

 

[removed account4]

i can't think if a MF camera that could ever be thought of as "the worst"
they take film, they take rolls or sheets or paper, to quote "tony" they're G-R-E-A-T!

 

[summicron1]

In all these categories, there is only one ultimate winner:

The Ouyama Canomatic​

and its sisters and brothers (all also by Ouyama): the Charman, the Pearl, the Nippon, the Kamachi, the Olympia, the Nokina and last but not least the MAXIM (and whatever other names there were).

But then again, this depends on how you define "camera"

Yes -- where would the world of "You May Have Won!!!" Be without an amazingly cheap 35mm camera to give away --- the thrift stores are littered with them to this day.

 

[eddie]

Is there a worst camera '35' or medium? or are we all blinded by love for our failing beauties ?? My Lubitel II from 1967 has a mind of her own about opening her shutter.(n.p.i.) But even 2 times ok on a roll of twelve I forgive her.

A few years ago, a friend sent me a Lubitel2 he found at a garage sale for $3.00. Knowing of my use of Dianas/Holgas, he thought it would fit in. I was actually surprised about the quality of the negatives it produced. Light years "better" than my usual cheap cameras. I was hoping for less...

 

[trythis]

All the Zenits I have smelled.

 

[dmr]

Certainly the Fotron has to be on the worst camera list (though it's 828 format, so it might not qualify). Has anyone every actually used one of these? I would if I could find it at a bargain price, like $5 with free shipping.

When I first saw this thread the Fotron popped into my mind.

I've seen these but I never remember actually pressing the shutter. I knew a few people (suckers) who actually bought them. IIRC they were sold mainly by door-to-door high-pressure salesdweebs, probably those who could not make quota selling encyclopedias.

I was curious so I searched Ebay for "Fotron" and got several hits. Lowest was $10 BIN.

Now the other really bad camera I remember was called the Cub (IIRC) and it was a cheap plastic 127 or 828 (forget?) camera with a press-on back. The shutter was really wonky. You pressed it down for one shot, then up for the next one. I think it was $0.50 and three cereal box tops. It actually worked, however.

 

[blockend]

Is there a worst camera '35' or medium? or are we all blinded by love for our failing beauties ?? My Lubitel II from 1967 has a mind of her own about opening her shutter.(n.p.i.) But even 2 times ok on a roll of twelve I forgive her.

When I saw the thread title my first thought was Lubitel. It wasn't a terrible camera for its intended market, which was people who only had £12 to spend on a roll film camera, but it was awful judged by any other criterion. The body was made from the kind of brittle plastic that Christmas cracker toys were constructed, and the door was locked by a piece of bent tin. The lens wasn't too bad for a 3-element uncoated hunk of glass but the shutter would fail without warning. Selling it for the kind of premium camera prices that would have bought a Yashicamat or Mamiya in recent years was a joke.

 

[k.hendrik]

I was 15 when I bought her for the hefty sum of 25 Dutch guilders; that equals a lot of nights doing dishes in a restaurant. She's still around and shooting.

 

[blockend]

I was 15 when I bought her for the hefty sum of 25 Dutch guilders; that equals a lot of nights doing dishes in a restaurant. She's still around and shooting.

My first Lubitel cost £12, and when the Soviet Union collapsed they were about £20. The current price is £289 and as far as I'm aware the Lubitel hasn't been improved. eBay currently has a very nice Rolleicord for £199. I know which I'd buy.

 

[Huss]

A few years ago, a friend sent me a Lubitel2 he found at a garage sale for $3.00. Knowing of my use of Dianas/Holgas, he thought it would fit in. I was actually surprised about the quality of the negatives it produced. Light years "better" than my usual cheap cameras. I was hoping for less...

I recently bought a 'new' 166 Olympic edition off of ebay for $20. While it is a bear to focus (geddit?!!) the photos are just great. I too was really surprised.