Your first camera (of each format you shoot if applicable)

First ever camera - Agfa Isolette I 6x6 about 1974
First 35mm - Halina 3000
First 35mm SLR - Edixa Prismaflex about 1980 (still got it)
First 5x4 - Home made non folding camera


Steve.

 

I've been slowly assembling a set of pages on my motley collection in a corner of my PBase galleries.

The first that was mine, all mine! was a Brownie Target Six-20, prior to that I used a couple of folders, one 127 (I think) and one 620 that were my parents' cameras from the late 1930s.

DaveT

 

First Camera (~1974) -- Rolleiflex 3.5 MX-EVS
First small format (1975) -- Kodak Instamatic 304 (while attending university in New Zealand)
First shots with 4x5 (1978) -- the university's monorails -- Linhof, Graphic View and Calumet
My first 4x5 (1981) -- Raja, an Indian knock-off of a Deardorf Special -- with a massive light leak in the camera back
Next 4x5 (1983) -- Gowland Pocket View
First 5x7 (~1991) -- the above Raja with a Deardorf 5x7 back
First 8x10 (1995) - Zone VI (bought with insurance money from stolen 5x7, Rolleiflex, etc)

Vaughn

 

First Camera = Kodak Instamatic 126
First 35mm = Konica TC, followed by Fujica Ax-3, then a few p&s, now Nikon FM3A
First 4x5 = Crown Graphic, followed by a Cambo 4x5 SX, now a Zone VI 4x5
First 8x10 = Wisner, followed by a Zone VI, now a Ritter 8x10 (with 5x7 reducing back)
First 7x17 = Ritter

I HOPE I'm done buying film cameras....

 

First camera, Brownie 127
Then a Kodak Tourister
First owned 35 Nikkormat
First MF 2 1/4 3 1/4 Crown Graphic, followed by a Linhof baby Technica, Hasselblads, and some Rollei's, Graflex XL's and Koni-Omegas supplied by employers
First 4x5 Calumet view
First 5x7 Rochester Optical
First 8x10 (borrowed) Calumet

I've concluded it's not possible to stop buying film cameras, or else, they reproduce.

 

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Mini - had a Kodak disc camera back in '85
35mm - XG-M in 97, shot my Mom's X370 for ten years before that
MF - had an old box camera, maybe a Brownie, in 82
LF - erie made an Alleta design view camera, I got it last year

 

First instamatic = Kodak Instamatic 100 (1968)
First 127 = Anscoflex (1972)
First 35mm SLR = Zenit-E (1973)
First 620 = Kodak Model 1 (1973)
First 16mm = Minolta-P (1974)
First 6x6 = Yashica 124G (1975)
First Rolleiflex = 2.8F (1985)
First 8mm Cine = Bolex H8 (1991)
First Minox = LX (2002)
First 6x9 = Horseman VH-R (2006)
First 4x5 = Horseman FA (2007)
First 35mm Rangefinder = Zorki-4 (2008)
First 8x10 = Century (2008)

 

My childhood cameras were Instamatic 126s, and after they became pretty much obsolete, various 110 cameras.
My first 35mm camera: Canon point and shoot (age 15)

My first "actual" camera: Canon FTb/50mm f/1.4, received as a giveaway at age 23. I never shot the Canon shot it until age 26, when I had the time and money to go to school. I never had a real interest in the camera until I was forced to take a photo class as part of a journalism degree.

Within half a year of that class, I had procured:

My first 4x5: Graphic View II (now sold)
My first medium format: Mamiya Super 23/100mm f/3.5
My first 4x5 press camera: Pacemaker Speed Graphic/127mm Ektar

My favorite cameras for 35mm are still the Canon FD system. My Mamiya M645 and RZ have become the favorites for medium format, and the Sinar for large format.

 

1. Kodak 110
2. Yashica 35G Rangefinder ?
3. Minolta XG1 35mm SLR
4. Omega 45D 4x5"
5. Kodak 2D 8x10"
6. custom hybrid Arca/Canham 11x14 back for my Arca 8x10"
These are my "firsts". I now use Arca 4x5 Field, 8x10 F-metric and the 11x14 for film exclusively, except for a digital SLR.

 

My first ever camera was a little toy 35mm camera that looked and from what I remembered, functioned like a 35mm SLR. It had a chrome body and everything. I don't remember what happened to it, nor if I've got any photos I took with it. I still remember they day I bought it from the toy store though.

From there, my first real camera was a 35mm Minolta zoom point and shoot when I was about 12. I saved up all the money I got from doing chores for about 2 years before buying it. I also have no idea what happened to it (though I think my brother took it when he moved to London). It served me well and I've still got some good shots from a trip I went to New York in 2000 taken on it.

Then there were the dark digital years which I won't mention, because thankfully I only bought two of them.

After I got sick of my snappy snappy ways of digital (after coming home from a trip to Europe with stacks of unimpressive shots), I decided I wanted to slow down and think more carefully. I jumped straight into my first 120 camera with a Yashica 635 TLR. Loved it and I took some great photos with it.


Then I really jumped in deep with my first (and still only) LF camera. Went straight for a Shen Hao 4x5 with some money I received for my 21st birthday. Since buying it has spent extended time in it's bag, but I've started using it a lot more lately and loving it all over again.


Have since bought another 35mm (EOS 30) and 120 (Mamiya 645 Pro). I haven't owned many cameras, and what I've got now covers almost everything I shoot so I've found a happy constant, for now.

 

First camera - 127: Brownie Starlite
First used 35mm camera: Kodak 35
First medium format camera (actually a "miniature" camera, in it's time): Kodak SIX-16 folder, circa 1934 (the camera, not me);
First new 35mm camera: Retina S1
First 35mm SLR: Olympus OM1
First modern medium format (6x6) camera: Mamiya C330
First medium format (6x4.5) SLR: Mamiya 645 Super
First (reasonably) modern medium format (6x7) rangefinder: Koni-Omega M
First digital!! (cel phones don't count): Kodak DC4800 (7 years old when purchased - but it does have a PC socket, manual aperture, and a whopping 3.1 megapixel sensor!)

Matt

 

My first 110 camera was a Pentax Auto 110. My grandfather gave it to my mother, she never used it so I took it.
My first 35mm was a Carena 35F that my mom bought me (my first camera ever.) I promptly dropped it down the stairs within an hour of getting it, but it still worked I still have it.
My first 120 camera was an old Ricohflex TLR. It broke within an hour of buying it (shutter was gummed up.) I got a refund and bought a Primoflex instead.

I haven't tried LF yet, but there's always a chance

 

First camera: Kodak Brownie World's Fair Flash Camera, a 127 shooter.
First SLR: Minolta SRT 102.
First MF: Rolleiflex 2.8C (Still have it.) Have added a Fuji 6x9 and a Hasselblad since.
First LF: Calumet 4x5, the old cast-iron beast. Replaced 4 times, most recently with a Zone VI.
First (and last, probably) 8x10: Late 1920s Korona.

Peter Gomena

 

first cameras hmmm
mickey mouse camera that took 126 cartridges 1970ish
hawkeye flashfun (127 ) 1973ish
pentax k1000 1981
yashica 124mat g 1984 ( sold 1991 )
speed graphic ( pacemaker ) 1988
szabad 5x7 1995 ?
pentax auto110 2000
szabad 8x10 2004
centuray 8a ( 11x14 ) 2007ish

 

First camera I took a photo: Minolta AF101
First camera of my own: Digital "compact" brick
First SLR I shot on: Nikon F401s
First SLR of mine: Olympus OM-1
First MF: Still not arrived here, I pretend it to be a rolleicord or low end 'flex.
First LF: still far of here, but I have wishes of getting a 4x5 in one of the far next years
First ULF: Still got no plans, I don't think I will arrive here, but who knows.

What I did, and some plans:
1997-8: Minolta Af101
2003: The digi brick
2007: upgraded to another compact (digi...)
2008: Took the Nikon on a family celebration, loved the results, bought OM1
2010/11: Plans for starting medium format
2015: Large format
2020: Might have a nice darkroom

 

In grade 9 I bought a Kodak X15.

By grade 11 I had a Pentax Spotmatic F, then a Nikon FM, FE, F3,F4,F5,F90x, F100 (also some other Pentax models in the mix)... and I just bought a used Minolta to use my Sony Zeiss lenses with.

Mamiya 645 was first 120 camera... then a Pentax 645, Rollei T, Rollei 6008, 4 blads, Rollei GT and now a Pentax 645AF. Holga is next... or maybe the Bessa III.

Arca Swiss was first 4x5... then a Zone VI, then a Wisner, then Ebony... now I don't shoot 4x5.

M6 was first rangefinder... had four of them but now I use the Zeiss Ikon's.

Deardorff was first 8x10, then Wisner, now I shoot with an Ebony and will never sell it.

PhaseOne was first real digital on the blad

Nikon D1x was first 35mm style digi, then a Canon Mark II, now I use the Sony A900 full frame.

I think I've switched too many times but always felt the need to up-date because of the hyper-competitive area of photography I was shooting in. In the future I plan to shoot film with the Zeiss rangefinders, portraits with the Pentax 645AF and still life and landscapes with the 8x10. I'll continue to up-grade the digi for the stuff that has to be done that way.

Interestingly none of my personal work is ever digi.

For what it's worth.

-Rob

 

I've borrowed and used many cameras over the years, but in terms of cameras I actually own(ed), the list is as follows:

First Camera: Olympus OM-1 (35mm, previously used by my father)
First Medium Format Camera: Hasselblad 500C/M
First Polaroid Camera: SX-70 Alpha 1 Model 2

Looking at this list, I'd say I've made out pretty well. Maybe I'll start getting into LF soon...

 

My first camera of each type...(in order of appearance more or less)

Toy Camera - My very first camera was something called a Universal 16. 16MM movie film, lever film advance wire view finder

35MM fixed lens - Minolta A (Terrific little gem)

Medium Format SLR - Reflex Korelle, 6X6 (the granddaddy of them all)

Roll film rangefinder - Kodak Medalist II (the brick)

35MM SLR - Practika FX

Press Camera - 6X9 Speed Graphic

View Camera - 8X10 Gundlack w/4X5 back

Rangefinder (interchangable lenses) - Leica IIIc

6X6 TLR - Minolta Autocord

4X5 SLR - Graphlex Super D

Camera System - Sinar Norma 4X5, 5X7, 8X10 (finest camera ever made)

Polaroid - 110B

Panoramic Camera - Widelux VII

Underwater - Nikonos/Calypso

Motion - Bolex H-16 REX

Video - SONY Betamax portable (I did the first Ads)

Digital (sort of) - Canon RC-250 Disc camera

4X5/6X12 Point and Shoot - GranView

Digital - Kodak PRO/14n



All Time favorites - Hasselblad 1000f, Canon IVS2, Szabad 8X10, Kiev 88C/M , Leica M2 MOT, Leica M5, Leica SL2, Minolta XD-11, Minolta XK/M, Alpa 11, Horseman 450, Linhof Teknica V, Rollei SLX

 

First Camera - Kodak Hawkeye Flashfun II (127) - my grandmother got this for me by saving breakfast cereal box tops
First 126 - Keystone Everflash
First 35mm - used Olympus RC
First 35mm SLR - new Vivitar 220SL screw mount
First medium format - damaged Yashica 124 G from a garage sale, ample use of black tape required.
First large format - Leonardo pinhole

 

35 mm: throwaway
Med. format: yashica tlr
4x5: crown graphic
5x7 / 8x10: cambo

 

First MF - Kodak Brownie Flash Six-Twenty - hand me down from my mother - early 60s
Polaroids - Swinger and another all plastic model that shot the regular pack film - late 60s early 70s
First 35mm - Olympus auto range finder in the mid 70s, don't recall the model number
4x5 -Super Speed Graphic

 

1st camera: 31/4 X 41/4 C.P. Goerz.

 

First 35mm Canon AE-1 (when I was 15)
First Medium- Mamiya RB67
First 4x5- Sinar F
First 8x10- Winser

 

Praktica 35mm
Bronica ETRS