Your last new film camera

[Ces1um]

Are you unhappy with the small print size, the minimal camera controls, or... ?

I almost bought one, but knew I wouldn't like such small prints.

Specifically the small prints have proven to be a serious disappointment. I also find the flash is far too strong and I usually have to use the "darken" feature a lot. My daughter's mini 9 actually performs better. I even find the macro mode, which is supposed to account for parallax error, doesn't fully compensate. The size of the print is my own fault. I thought it'd be ok but after using it for a while I realized the mini size is just too small to be usable (in my opinion, your mileage may vary).

 

[ciniframe]

The first and last camera I ever purchased new (for myself) was a Fujica ST 701 in 1973. Nice little camera, don't have it anymore. About 5 years ago When I got a good bargain on a 55mm f2.8 Vivitar Macro in M42 mount and needed a body I found a Fujica ST 605n for cheap, works fine.

 

[ciniframe]

It occurs to me that people who are happy with a single camera are much more likely to look to buy something new than those of us who like cameras and own several.

Good point, I have a lot of cheap $5-$25 cameras, including several 35mm SLR's. So Matt, fess up, how many cameras crowd your shelves?

 

[MattKing]

So Matt, fess up, how many cameras crowd your shelves?

Lots and lots.
Just quickly going through the inventory in my head, and including a couple of P&S cameras that I would identify as my wife's:
1 x 616 folder
1 x 620 - 6x9 folder
6 x 35mm fixed lens
4 x 35mm - Olympus OM film SLRs
5 x 35mm - Canon EOS film SLRs
1 x 120 fixed lens folder
1 x 120 - 6x6 - Mamiya TLR
1 x 120 - 6x4.5 - Mamiya SLR
1 x 120 - 6x7 - Mamiya SLR
1 x 120 - 6x6 ~ 6x12 pinhole
1 x APS-C - digital Canon EOS.
I think that is it.
I need to reduce the number of 35mm fixed lens cameras, and I'm really only using two of the Canon film SLRs, so the rest should go.
The rest of them get used reasonably often or, in the case of the 616 camera, have immense sentimental value (and still gets used sometimes).

 

[ciniframe]

Lots and lots.
Just quickly going through the inventory in my head, and including a couple of P&S cameras that I would identify as my wife's:
1 x 616 folder
1 x 620 - 6x9 folder
6 x 35mm fixed lens
4 x 35mm - Olympus OM film SLRs
5 x 35mm - Canon EOS film SLRs
1 x 120 fixed lens folder
1 x 120 - 6x6 - Mamiya TLR
1 x 120 - 6x4.5 - Mamiya SLR
1 x 120 - 6x7 - Mamiya SLR
1 x 120 - 6x6 ~ 6x12 pinhole
1 x APS-C - digital Canon EOS.
I think that is it.
I need to reduce the number of 35mm fixed lens cameras, and I'm really only using two of the Canon film SLRs, so the rest should go.
The rest of them get used reasonably often or, in the case of the 616 camera, have immense sentimental value (and still gets used sometimes).

About the same number for me.
2 x OM-1
1 x OM-4Ti (found "jammed" at a second hand store for $35, A couple of SO batteries fixed it.)
4 x Olympus pen VF cameras
2 X Olympus Pen F &FV reflex cameras
2 X Kodak Tourist 6X9
1 X Box Tengor
1 x Ricoh KR-5
1 x Minolta SRT McII
1 x Fujica ST-605n
1 x Oly 35RC
1 x Canon GIII 17
1 x Kodak 1A think it took #116 roll film (been meaning to convert to 120)
A bunch of other stuff, toy & plastic cameras, old U-build 4X5, home made 'box' style 4x5, pinhole too many to mention, etc.
Gas! Yeah, we both got it bad.

At least once a year the missus and I drive past Delta on the way to Tawwassen ferry to Duke Point and eventually to Hornby Is. to visit her folks.

 

[mikemgb]

early 1999, Arca Swiss f-line classic 4x5. Still in use, mostly with an 8x10 back acquired later.

hmm, this is a 35mm sub-forum. last 35mm I bought new was a Yashica TL Electro-X in the summer of 1973. The body is gone, I still have and use the lens, mostly on a Pentax K-01.

How do you fit an 8x10 back on a 4x5? That would be very handy.

 

[mrosenlof]

How do you fit an 8x10 back on a 4x5? That would be very handy.

There's a conversion kit. It includes a bellows that fits between the 8x10 back (also part of the kit) and the 4x5 sized fromt standard. So you remove the bellows and the 4x5 back from the rail and replace with 8x10 back and tapered bellows.

 

[mikemgb]

There's a conversion kit. It includes a bellows that fits between the 8x10 back (also part of the kit) and the 4x5 sized fromt standard. So you remove the bellows and the 4x5 back from the rail and replace with 8x10 back and tapered bellows.

Thank you, I had no idea. There's probably nothing like that available for my 5x7 Gundlach......

 

[gary in nj]

My first new film camera purchase was my last - 1977.

 

[johnnyh]

My last new film camera purchase was a Kodak 35AF1, in the late'80s

 

[OlyMan]

What's very clear from the results of this thread is, as I suspected, people tended to buy a new camera way back when, then stick with it or buy used. Unfortunately, because of that it's easy to see why manufacturers stopped building new film cameras, even though the consumables market stayed buoyant for much longer (eg film, probably less so chemicals).

When the time came when new photographers stopped buying film cameras, it's clear from just the responses in this thread that manufacturers couldn't rely on the existing base of film-users to justify the effort and expense of maintaining the production of existing models or developing new ones,

 

[E. von Hoegh]

What's very clear from the results of this thread is, as I suspected, people tended to buy a new camera way back when, then stick with it or buy used. Unfortunately, because of that it's easy to see why manufacturers stopped building new film cameras, even though the consumables market stayed buoyant for much longer (eg film, probably less so chemicals).

When the time came when new photographers stopped buying film cameras, it's clear from just the responses in this thread that manufacturers couldn't rely on the existing base of film-users to justify the effort and expense of maintaining the production of existing models or developing new ones,

The sales of new film cameras plummeted due to good affordable easy to use digital p&s cameras coming on the market, cameras which would allow the user to share pictures with a couple of keystrokes, or a few mouseclicks.
As for new film cameras, I have never purchased a camera new.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I also have to disagree with that, OlyMan, but for another reason. The last camera that really made me think "oh wow, this sooo beautiful, I absolutely have to buy one" has been the Nikon FM2. From that time onwards, all of the cameras that I saw in catalogues and brochures just disappointed me and depressed me. I will not even try to argue about the marvel of battery packs, super fast winders, on-board LCD displays, matrix metering, auto-focus and all that stuff - I'm sure they are all wonderful technical achievements. Simply, I did not want to have in my hands, absolutely NO WAY, a camera that looked like a black plastic thing. And so I completely quit buying newer cameras.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I also have to disagree with that, OlyMan, but for another reason. The last camera that really made me think "oh wow, this sooo beautiful, I absolutely have to buy one" has been the Nikon FM2. From that time onwards, all of the cameras that I saw in catalogues and brochures just disappointed me and depressed me. I will not even try to argue about the marvel of battery packs, super fast winders, on-board LCD displays, matrix metering, auto-focus and all that stuff - I'm sure they are all wonderful technical achievements. Simply, I did not want to have in my hands, absolutely NO WAY, a camera that looked like a black plastic thing. And so I completely quit buying newer cameras.

I agree. Mid 1980s, they began to drift into the "buy this camera get PROFESSIONAL results" type of marketing, a few years later the pro grade cameras began to follow with the multimode, auto everything nonsense. All of the cameras I would have purchased new were long off the market by the time I could afford one.

 

[TheRook]

The last film camera I bought new was a disposable camera in 2001. It was either a Fujifilm or Kodak brand disposable camera... I'd need to look at the negatives if I can find them.

 

[flatulent1]

My last new film camera was a Canon 7N, bought locally in 2005, a few months before I caved in and bought my first dlsr.

 

[MattKing]

One factor that people seem not to be considering is that to date there has almost always been a robust market for used photographic equipment including the necessary support infrastructure (meaning repairs). In addition, as people become more knowledgeable and experienced, their ability to evaluate and make use of used equipment tends to improve.
A couple of days ago I was out with a medium format camera I did buy new -- in 1977! I was working in camera stores at that time, and had a fair amount of knowledge and experience, but back then if I was asked to recommend a camera to someone who was less knowledgeable and experienced, I would have been much more likely to recommend a new camera that had local support.

 

[tessar]

My last new camera purchase was a Nikkormat FT3, still working and in use. I've gone secondhand since then.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I only ever bought ONE film camera brand new - that was a Contax 167 MT. I don't have it any more, not from any fault of the camera, but because I'm just not shooting 35mm with any frequency. I still have a Contax RTS III should the need arise, because that's a camera I drooled over when they were new but in no way could I afford at the time. I did buy several digital cameras new - an Olympus E-1 (hot stuff at the time it was new, now it's probably a giveaway), a Leica Digilux 1 (lost that one in a break-in to my house), and a Canon EOS 5D Mk 1. But my medium format film cameras and large format cameras are my true loves. My most recent camera purchase was a trade of some stuff that was sitting around gathering dust for an RZ67 and two lenses.

 

[Lee Rust]

About three years ago, a Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s... Surprisingly, it has four manual exposure settings. Nothing automatic except for the film eject.

 

[cooltouch]

My last new film camera was a Canon A-1 I bought in Osaka Japan in 1984. About six months after buying that A-1, I discovered Canon's older models, like the FTb and the original F-1 and was captivated by them. Ever since then I have bought only used film cameras, but frequently I would buy new lenses.

 

[guangong]

A high quality all mechanical film camera would be incredibly expensive today. Progress in manufacturing now comes down to how cheaply a product can be produced and sold for maximum profit with much of cost being put into advertising to convince consumers the new one is better. Does anyone really prefer touchscreens and toggle knobs and scrolling compared with simple buttons and knobs when driving.

 

[ic-racer]

I found a complete Rolleiflex 3003 kit, new in the big silver box with charger, and lens, etc. in 1992. They sold it as new with a warranty, so I'll say that was the last SLR 35mm. After that I got a brand-new Shen-Hao in 2010. After that I went to a wedding and got a brand-new Kodak disposable in 2012. I took it home and still have not used it.
After that I got a brand-new Bessa 35mm rangefinder in 2013 while you could still get them.

 

[Helios 1984]

During the summer 2016, I bought a brand-new Kodak VR35 K80 (Sealed box). I shot a single 36epx, and the auto-rewind failed miserably..... still managed to salvage a few shots. I kept the Ektanar 35mm for an eventual homemade box camera project.

My Grandfather's 90th birthday

 

[Helios 1984]

Double post, sorry.