Your FIRST 35mm Camera...

[mrosenlof]

like many, my first was an Argus C3 that had been my dad's. I set exposures from the film instruction sheet and learned to use the rangefinder. It was replaced on my 10th or 11th birthday with a Minolta AutoPak 126 something or other that never took a sharp photo in its life. The first 35mm I bought was a Yashica TL-Electro-X in summer of 1973.

 

[Roger Thoms]

Rollei 35S

First 35 mm was a Rollei 35S which I purchases new in 1979 or there abouts. As I recall I paid about 175 USD. I still own the camera and shoot with it occasionally.

Still my first 35mm, still own it, need to run a roll through it.

Roger

 

[StanMac]

My first 35mm camera was a Kodak Retina IIf, purchased in ‘68 or ‘69. I paid $125, IIRC, which was a lot for a college student working part time at the local post office. It was the most sophisticated camera the local portrait studio had in their display case. I still have it and it works great, even the selenium light meter, although the shutter ring is getting a bit stiff - probably needs a CLA. My second 35mm was a Miranda Sensomat, ‘71 or ‘72. Served me well for many years.

 

[FriedLouisStudio]

Of course, my parents were pros, primarily working in 4x5, and they were slow to take 35mm seriously - the only 35mm we owned at first was a Stereo Realist for vacation slides. We got a Nikkorex F and 50/2 in 1963, with a lot more Nikon gear to follow shortly.

I had access to the studio Nikons and Nikkormats, and I had already owned a couple of "personal" Kodak roll film cameras and a Minox B submini by age 15.

But my first personal 35mm camera was a Petri Color 35 I got in 1969. It was an excellent shooter that I used well into the 80s. It was so small that I often carried it in a belt case. Some 1970-1982 shots I took with that camera, all Tri-X in D-76 1:1, scans from 5x7 prints:




That Petri Color 35 was a great little camera, and it did a really fine job documenting my teens and twenties!

 

[Donald Qualls]

My first 35mm was an Argus C3, The Brick! No fond memories of the camera itself but I photographed much of the country with it.

My brother had one of those not long after I got my Pony 135 Model C. Despite having a rangefinder that my Pony lacked, I wasn't that impressed with it or his results. I'd probably enjoy it more now, but I have several good fixed-lens RF cameras and a fully working Kiev 2, so no need to hunt down a good C3.

 

[cullah]

an Alpa 9d. I had problems with it, and the Apo-Switar 1.8 wasn't very good at infinity. I went on to buy three more Alpas and had problems with all of them.

 

[Tomwlkr]

This place was looking a bit dead...not much doing, so i thought this might be fun. Lets see what all you folks cut your teeth on - what was your first 35mm camera!

Here is me: this little East German thing that you had to walk ten steps away from your subject to be more less in focus! Then you wound the little wheel until it stopped. As far as I recall, your legs were the only adjustment.

But the first real 35mm (I had a Lubitel after that) camera was a Zenit ( I forget which letters - I think MF - it had a photo-cell light meter over the lens). It still works although the rewind knob broke and I cant locate the pieces to fix it (and I just realized that I can't locate the camera... wife cleaned the place...it can be anywhere... it may be in YOUR house!). Pretty good for over 20 years of use!

Hope everyone has fun recollecting!

Peter.

Petri Racer rangefinder, followed by Nikkormat FTn

 

[Tomwlkr]

Zenit EM with the standard lens + a 135mm telephoto, all brand new out of the box Sadly I no longer have it as it was lost during my first (and only at the moment) divorce Some things you want to lose others you don't

Zenits were Russian made, used to be imported under Kalimar brand

 

[drg3rd]

I was in high school and saved my money for a Canon Ftb(n) with the 50mm f/1.8 lens. In subsequent years I added a Vivitar 90mm-230mm and a Soligor 28mm. Later I was given a Canon A-1 as a graduation present. I still have the A-1 and the lenses (though the Vivitar and the Soligor are falling apart), but I gave away the Ftb(n) many years ago. I did replace it a couple years back partially because it came with the f/1.4 50mm.

I've been going through piles of old family slides recently. It is funny to see how my dad started appearing in photos around the time I got the Ftb(n), and how I disappeared!

 

[benjiboy]

My first camera was a Zeiss Contax given to me by my Dad when I was thirteen, it had the Sonar 5cm 1.5 lens and the original pigskin leather case.
The camera was a war souvenir traded with a German civilian in Lubeck North Germany for 2Lb of coffee near the end of WW 2.
My dad had no idea how to use the camera, so I had to find out for myself for which I used the local public library to borrow books to study photography, and the rest is history.

 

[Disconnekt]

First slr was a Sears TLS, came with a Auto Sears 50mm f1.7. Its a rebadged Ricoh TLS (lens is also rebadge), mine is the later 70's version.

 

[Dustin McAmera]

I have no humble start to brag about. I got a Canon AE-1 when I was seventeen, and life was good, at least in the camera department. Of course, I still have it.