Your FIRST Medium Format Camera

[craigclu]

Yashica D purchased used in 1976 for $32. Surprisingly capable and rugged.

 

[Ara Ghajanian]

Asking about "Your first (whatever camera)" is like asking about your first sex experience; it is something you won't appreciate for twenty years, and you did it alone, and then another twenty years later you are over it.

So get over it.

If you're going to put it that way then my first camera was a disposable camera (or maybe I was the disposable camera[?]).
Ara

 

[arigram]

My very first MF camera was a Hasselblad 501CM with 80mm CFE lens and a A12 back. Sorry, not to be romantic, by mentioning a 50 year old folder or something of that sort.
It actually was a christmas gift and it came inside a sports shoe box. My father used my dislike of sport shoes to turn an initial dissapointment to the biggest surprise in my life!

 

[Rock Poper]

Mamiya RZ67 Pro II bought second hand sight unseen - since then its been a Holga 6x6 and a Brownie 6x9 conversion ...

 

[P C Headland]

My first was an Iskra, just over a year ago, followed by by more 6x6 and 6x9 folders, a 2x3 press camera, a TLR, then a 9x12 and now a 4x5".

The Iskra (I have both a I and a II) are perfect travel cameras.

 

[unohuu]

It was a Yashica, but I can't remember which of the two came first - the 44 or the 124G. Sold the 44 so I would not have 3 formats to work in.

 

[joeyk49]

Yashica D purchased used in 1976 for $32. Surprisingly capable and rugged.

WOW!

Yashica D. Purchased in 2004: $45.00, plus shipping...

I may just like it better than the 124G I bought, almost at the same time...

 

[Peter Williams]

First MF are also first cameras for me. I inherited a Fuji GX680 II and a Mamiya 6 from a dear friend about a year and a half ago. About a month ago I stole a Rolleiflex 2.8F 12/24 from a pawn shop (<$250) and sold it last week. I should have a Hassy in the next few weeks.

 

[Sparky]

YASHICAMAT!

This was my very first camera of any kind! My whole kit was that with a lunasix 3, manfrotto tripod and panatomic-x, baby! That was 1981 or 82 I think. I was probably about 16 or 17 years old. My folks gave it to me for xmas. must have been already about 20 years old. Made some wonderful images with it though.

Here's a link to someone who used the same camera to make some really beautiful images IMHO.

http://blog.naver.com/post/postView.jsp?blogId=ridersilnam&logNo=40008741734&copen=1

 

[SteveGangi]

My first was a YashicaMAT 124G. I still wish I had kept it.

 

[Robert Brummitt]

My first and still have medium format is my trusty RB-67 pro with a 90mm lens and 120 back. I've taken that camera everywhere even though it's a studio camera. It's a tank but it sure does the job for me.

 

[B-3]

I was given a Holga as a Christmas present by a Hassy-owning aunt. I acted pleased, but honestly, my first thought was "What the he11 is this palstic p.o.s.?" I did try it - it wasn't so bad, especially after I taped up the sides to stop those ugly light leaks. The biggest problem, imho, was the shutter release - it takes a mighty squeeze to trip that thing, surprising in such a lightweight camera. Some of my early shots actually have a circular blur from heaving on that crazy button.

 

[dr bob]

I fooled around with my Dad’s Kodak Tourister 616 until he gave me my very own Ansco 620 (Kodak Brownie clone). I used it from 3rd grade ‘till 11th grade and did all my own “processing”. At that time I went to work with the local pro. When exposed to 35mm. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. All throughout college I used my Kodak Bantam and Signet (still have them) and on graduation and marriage, kept up the 35mm fantasy until one day when I finally admitted that my photography was just not up to the standard of my youth. The Mate suggested a “class in basic photography” taught by a local artist-photographer. “Who, me? Take a course for what I already have complete knowledge?” I did and it paid off big time. It was based on 35mm, but it gave me a jump start mentally to realize that MF was the only way back. I arranged to purchase a Koni Omega from a friend’s friend. Looking over the merchandise, I noticed a C330f and lots of lenses. I bought the whole lot for $600.00US. Only when I got home and began to search through the three cases did I realize what he had given me: Two cameras, two KO backs and lenses, four C-series lenses, one was the 55mm, a light meter, a lab timer, manuals, strobe-flash accessories, filters, shades…. The list continues. Of the two MF cameras, I use the KO most often but the Mamiya, with all those lenses, certainly gets a good workout too. I love the 6x7 format.

 

[narsuitus]

The Kodak Brownie that I received as a Christmas gift was my first medium format.

The Mamiya C3 twin lens reflex was my first professional quality medium format.

 

[Travis Nunn]

Mamiya 645 1000s about 2 years. I got it because I wanted bigger negatives than what 35mm has. All of my b/w is shot with that camera.

 

[raucousimages]

Mamiya 645 1000S. My mother purchased the camera in the late 70's and abandoned it for video about 5 years later. That is when I moved from 35mm to MF.

 

[bohica]

Yashica 635 in 67 that I used mostly with the 35mm adapter for about 3 months and sold it to buy a Petri rangefinder. In 80 when I started developing and printing , a friend gave me a Yashica A. Loved the bigger neg but was cumbersome though light, just didn't like the feel of wiat level finders, , so I bought a Mamiya m645, followed by another for back-up and then a 1000s. Still use all of them today though the A is starting to suffer from sticky shutter at low speeds.

 

[fingel]

My first was a Yashica Mat 124 (not the G version)
It was actually my dads but he let me use it.
The picture below is me using it at Yosemite around 1975, we used to go up every year when I was a kid. I still try to get there as much as I can.

 

[George Collier]

1st - 1956 Baltimore- Official Cub Scout (box) camera, with flash attachment - took 620 film (Verichrome Pan, no doubt). Gave it to our maid when we left Japan (see next entry)
2nd - 1959 Japan- Pop gave me an early Yashica 2.25, don't remember the model, we were in Japan - $10 in the PX (remember, 1959 Japan, gas was 10 cents/gal.) Sold it to a guy in the Army in '65 for $10 (always wondered about the wisdom of that, but, the beer and all....)
3rd - 1966 Vietnam- PX again, Mamiya C3, w/ a 75 and 180, cheap, of course. Traded it when I was in college, '73, to fortify my Leica system-low on cash, natch.
4th - 2003 Richmond - (yes, 30 years without one!) Rollei 3.5T, late 50's model, gray leather, made expressly for military sale in the PX (has a decal inside proclaiming such). I love it, as I get older (no comments, please), it's a great option to the 4X5.

 

[jeanba3000]

My first camera was a Lubitel 166, then a Mamiya C330F and 4 lenses. I sold them a few years after for a Rollei 6008 with a 80 mm and I still have it. Now I got more than 25 cameras from half-format Olympus Pen F to 8x10" field camera. I still have my Lubitel, but without the taking lens that was broken, now it's a nice little pinhole camera.

 

[Snapper]

A Minolta Autocord from around 1954 - and I still use it from time to time.

 

[modafoto]

But there's nothing like licking your roll once it's exposed!

This I misunderstand in a very funny way!

Anyway...my first MF camera was a Balda Front Box...

...after that came Agfa Clack and Click....

....then came the Holga...

...Maybe a real MF camera is coming along the way...

 

[Dan's45]

use 4x5 now, but i used to have a rolleiflex tessar tlr(which i miss dearly-pictures were sharp as a tack!) had nice leather case and strap. i think i paid less than 200 for it...good luck trying to find one now....oh,stupid life choice...live and learn. but as said, i use a 4x5 mostly now or a nikon 35mm.

 

[Tom Stanworth]

first MF was a Bronica SQB, which I did not get on with and sold after a few years. I then bought an old Rolleicord VA which was wonderful and then a Mamiya RZ67II which was great (for studio use). The only MF camera I own now is my Bronica RF645 which I absolutely adore beyond words. Ahhhh, I love that camera and it is here to stay, no question about that. Smaller than my Eos 3 by far and with negs to die for.

 

[Claire Senft]

Rolleiflex 3.5F with Xenotar brand new in 1962 $225.00