The first camera I ever used was a Yashica Minister II. This was notionally my Mum's camera - a fairly typical fixed-lens rangefinder from the mid 60s, with a 45mm f2.8 lens, an uncoupled selenium meter, reminiscent of a chrome-and-black brick. I took some really bad transparencies of a Scouting trip abroad, which put me off photography for about the next 10 years.
Much later, when I met my wife-to-be, she had just bought a Canon AV-1 with standard 50mm f1.8 lens. We shared this (and much more!) until, in the middle of an argument about who was going to use it next, my parents suggested I should have my very own camera body. Thus, at my next birthday, the family clubbed together to give me a Canon A-1, which I have to this day with that original Canon prime. (It also has a Tamron FD-fit telephoto zoom but, sadly, the companion wide-angle zoom wore out after less than twenty years!)
Nowadays, I use a Nikon body (after all, Canon dumped FD without any warning or backward compatibility) and really love the ease and autofocus in my middle age! Even so, I still miss the amazing feel of my A-1, which is usually to be found in my daughter's hands these days.
Peter
