Your FIRST 35mm Camera...

[narsuitus]

The Argus C3 was my first 35mm rangefinder camera. It was manufactured in Detroit Michigan during the 1940s in an era when Michigan was one of the largest manufacturers of cameras in the U.S.

It is the oldest cameras that I still use because the interchangeable lenses (35mm, 50mm, and 100mm) that I have take sharp pictures and the cameras are easy to use to make intentional double exposures. This totally manual/mechanical 35mm rangefinder camera is lovingly refer to as “The Brick” by camera collectors because of its size, weight, shape, and durability.

 

[Jan Cornelius]

17-06-1966 (11th birthday) - Leica M3 and 50mm elmar, present from my father
Must of shot over 5000 rolls (yes 5000!)

Still use it on occasions ...

 

[clogz]

Not a bad present I must say.

 

[ajuk]

An Olympus OM-10 thought I would expiremnt with an SLR. (was using an Digital compact)

 

[Trivette]

Argus C3. It was my dad's camera. He gave it to me. This was before the SLR revolution.

 

[Robert Budding]

My first 35mm camera (after years using a Kodak Instamatic with 126 film) was a Nikon FE2. I bought it with a 50/1.8 lens, which was all that I could afford in those days.

Robert

 

[Russ - SVP]

Robert

The FE-2, was, and still is a helluva good camera. I'd never part with mine.

Kiron Kid

 

[Mongo]

Robert

The FE-2, was, and still is a helluva good camera. I'd never part with mine.

Kiron Kid

Maybe we should start a club for those of us who still use the FE-2's that we bought brand new. They'll pry mine from my cold, dead fingers.

 

[j_plupp]

My first 35mm was an OM-1 with three lenses 28/3.5, 50/1.8 and 135/2.8. It used to my mothers but I sort of took care of it in the mid '80. One day it broke and I got me a Olympus SuperZoom or something instead. That last camera is long gone, I now has repaired the OM-1 and use it for slide film.

/ Johan

 

[elekm]

My first 35mm camera was a spanking new Cosmorex SE (rebadged Zenit, I believe) that I bought new in the mid-1970s with Christmas tips from my paper route. I took that camera all over the place and shot a lot of film. I loved that camera, because 1) it was mine, 2) it was an SLR and 3) it was mine.

Later, when I had more money, I bought a Konica C35, then a Pentax MX. I got curious, disassembled the Cosmorex, then threw it in the trash.

When I got shipped to Germany, I sold the Konica and Pentax and upon arrival in Germany, I bought a Rollei 35T, then a Nikon FE, then a Nikon F2A and later a Rolleiflex Automat and a Rollei 35S.

Two years ago, I bought another Cosmorex for $12. It now seems very primitive and unnecessarily heavy.

 

[bob01721]

Minolta SRT-101 purchased at a PX in Vietnam. It's still my main 35mm.

 

[Robert Budding]

Kiron Kid,

The FE2 really is a good camera, but I sold it when I started graduate school. I had no time, nor did I have money for film!

The good news is that I now have plenty of good cameras - Contax IIIa, COntaflex Super B, Mamiya 645 Pro TL, Minolta Autocord. And I have enough money to buy film!

I do have a question about how you chose the name "Kiron Kid." I used to work for the CHiron COrp, which is probably completely unrelated.

Robert

 

[seadrive]

First 35mm was a used Canon FTb I bought in '73 at Olden's Camera on Broadway. I'm pretty sure they're gone now...

 

[Russ - SVP]

Kiron Kid,

The FE2 really is a good camera, but I sold it when I started graduate school. I had no time, nor did I have money for film!

The good news is that I now have plenty of good cameras - Contax IIIa, COntaflex Super B, Mamiya 645 Pro TL, Minolta Autocord. And I have enough money to buy film!

I do have a question about how you chose the name "Kiron Kid." I used to work for the CHiron COrp, which is probably completely unrelated.

Robert

Robert

Please tell me more about your working for CHiron COrp. Are you referring to Kino Precision Industries, whom made the very good Kiron lenses, and some of the early Vivitar Series 1's, and much of the Nikon E series glass? I'm a bif fan, collector and user of Kiron and early Vivitar Series 1 lenses. About two years ago, I started the Kiron Klub, for like minded folks. We pretty much know all there is to know about Kiron's and Vivitars. Are you interested in the Kiron Klub?

Thanks
Kiron Kid

 

[laz]

Timely question for me since I just sent my Nikkormat FT2 off to KEH for a CLA. Counting only "real" first cameras, one chosen and paid for by me, it was the Yashica TL Electro X I bought with my first pay on the last day of basic training (Boot camp) in 1972. I slowly bought lenses until I had a medium size Hallburton suitcase full(in particular I remember the 400mm which was gigantic)

But within 3 years I had the revelation that all that gear was weighing me down and really getting between me and the point of it all, taking pictures; I also hated that the Yashica became a paperweight when the battery died (and die it did with regularity, especially in cold weather) I sold the whole caseful and bought the Nikkormat FT2 at the PX in Kodiak Alaska. There was some sort of weird PX rule that camera and lens could not exceed $200 and the FT2 with a 50mm 1:2 Nikor lens was the best Nikon to be had. I added a 28mm later and have loved it ever since. Just recently I realized that all the kewl lenses from that era were on ebay for next to nothing and I have been "shopping."

While I've been shooting MF and am in the market for an 8x10, I will never give up the rock-like FT2.

 

[Leonardo Villafranca]

my first slr camera

greetings of peace!

mine was a used nikon f2. it was memorable since it was the camera that gave me an award: 5th place, basic photography class, the theme was glass. a sort of beginner's luck. later, i got luckier to win first place in bridal portraiture and third place in black and white portraiture, advance class. it seems to tell me that i may have a chance to get a career out of an acquired passion: photography.

lately, it was affirmed when i got hired as a cruise photographer. another chapter on my continuing journey..of course, with my nikon f2. i hope to photograph the various ports of the world in this odyssey. in the mean time, the photographer's journey continues...

 

[gnashings]

Leonardo, that is a wonderful story! Sounds like an exciting "trip"!

 

[Leonardo Villafranca]

Leonardo, that is a wonderful story! Sounds like an exciting "trip"!

greetings of peace!

gnashings, thanks! it will be a wonderful journey, hopefully, like the one done by michael yamashita in national geographic's marco polo book. there's always something positive to gain in traveling and enjoying photography. again, sir, thank you for the warm welcome! i appreciate it.

 

[gnashings]

I think I speak for many others when I say my pleasure and looking forward to all your experiences and images from the journey! Should be a wonderful wealth of images!

 

[Ralf]

My first 35mm was a Canon EOS 650, bought from a friend second hand back in the eighties. I still have it, and it is in perfect condition.

I did take some pictures with a hand down Voigtländer (Voigtlaender) before when I was a kid. This camera is still in my possesion, a VITORET D, with a 50mm 2.8 lens.

 

[nzeeman]

my first camera was zenit e. i was walking around flea market that day and i saw some guy selling cameras. everything was pretty expensive but then i saw zenit for 10 DM (now its 5 euro) i had exactly that sum of money and i called my parents to ask them if that any good? they told me that its nice camera so i bought it. unfortunately i broke that zenit when i tried to experiment with reassembling it. but i bought another and i bought two zorkis ( zorki 1 and zorki s) now im using these cameras and i think i wont buy anything different, because i like to get my shots in a harder way.

 

[skiparvid]

Long history: Brownie when I was a kid. In high shcool, I got a 1/2 frame 127 German Thagee w/Compur shutter for $5.00. Guesswork focusing, but adjustable exposure settings. Japan, 1960, picked up an Aires Viscount rangefinder (1st 35mm). Nice camera at the time. 1962, a used Practica FX3 SLR (Removable pentaprism). 1975, Mamiya 1000DTL. 2001, Canon Rebel G w/Tamron28-300mm, 2003, Elan 7e, 24-135mm Tamron, recently, a ton of Canon FD bodies and glass. I think I'll stop buying cameras now! Clint

 

[matchat]

1st 35mm camera

At the age of about 7 I was given a small plastic Halina compact. I remember thinking it was the bees knees and having great fun bossing my family into posing for me (imitating my dad with his Yashica FR1 or Pentax compact).
I later came to borrow my dads Yashica and then bought myself a Minolta XD7 as the lenses were more readily available and somewhat cheaper.

 

[roteague]

It was a Petri FTEE, in 1973. Before that I had a Polaroid; which was the first camera I ever owned. After the Petri I got a Nikon F2, then an F3, N70, N80, and now an F5. Along the way, I migrated to mostly LF (but I still managed to shoot 20 rolls of 35mm Velvia 100 in New Zealand last month).

 

[blumesan]

The year was 1943 and I felt the need to graduate from my Brownie Box. In spite of the ongoing conflict all my reading had convinced me that only a German camera would do. I saved up my paper route money and on a trip to New York City I made the rounds of the used camera stores. A sympathetic salesman came up with the ideal solution: An Agfa Karat. A collapsible 35mm camera with split image rangefinder, Compur shutter and a 2.8 Schneider lens. Film advance with a one stroke lever. It was probably manufactured in the mid 1930s. Best of all it was really inexpensive (I don't remember the price, but my budget couldn't have reached to more than $15.00). It was such a bargain because you couldn't buy film that fit this camera. The Agfa used a unique casette that had no spool. Fortunately the camera came with a few empty casettes and I would buy Kodak PanX in 50 foot rolls and load the casettes myself. Then I had to learn to do my own developing in order not to loose the casettes. It was a great learning experience. I used that camera for 10 years until I was involved in my own generations war (excuse me, I think the correct term was "Police Action") and was able to purchase a lovely Contax IIa at a PX in Korea.

Cheers,
Mike