Your last new film camera

[NedL]

Wow. I think the ONLY new film camera I've ever had was a little "instamatic" type camera my parents gave me when I was about 6 years old -- I think it might have been an Agfa but I'm not sure and I don't know where it is now. My dad bought me lots of Agfa slide film.... I still have a box of slides. Later, in high school, I had a hand-me-down rangefinder from my dad, and in grad school I had another hand-me-down SLR from my future father-in-law. I think every film camera I've gotten since then was used. My wife has an olympus P&S 35mm camera that she bought new almost 40 years ago. So the only new camera I ever had was more than 50 years ago.

 

[mshchem]

My last new film camera was a Fuji GW690II that I bought from B&H in 1991. It is big and clunky to use but has amazing optical quality. In 2016, I broke it (I know, I know, I was a klutz) on my Route 66 trip, so I sent it to Fuji repair from a little town in Arizona, thanks to a helpful UPS store. Thereafter, I continued my trip with digital only ☹. Lesson: take a spare film camera, even if only a compact 35mm. The example below is Drew, Mississippi, taken on Kodak Panatomic-X film.

View attachment 193961

I bought a GW690II USED from B&H sometime in the late 90's. Fabulous camera. Just in case I bought 2 more type GW690III and a GSW690III. These cameras are jewels. My favorite all around cameras.
Mike

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I bought a GW690II USED from B&H sometime in the late 90's. Fabulous camera. Just in case I bought 2 more type GW690III and a GSW690III. These cameras are jewels. My favorite all around cameras.
Mike

Wow, I am impressed, you like really big jewelry. Actually, I would classify a Rolleiflex as more jewel-like because it is smaller and has that German precise feeling to it. The 3.5E below came from an eBay seller in 2016. Short story: around 1980 or 1981, genuine old-tradition Rolleiflexes were still available brand new from the New York mail order stores. The 2.8F model cost about $2000, which was a big chunk in 1980. At that time, a Hasselblad 500 and lens was $1300. Of course, after Rollei's bankruptcy in the mid-1980s, many photographers and I wished we had bought one of those new 2.8Fs when we could.

 

[David Luttmann]

That

Wow, I am impressed, you like really big jewelry. Actually, I would classify a Rolleiflex as more jewel-like because it is smaller and has that German precise feeling to it. The 3.5E below came from an eBay seller in 2016. Short story: around 1980 or 1981, brand new genuine old-tradition Rolleiflexes were still available brand new from the New York mail order stores. The 2.8F model cost about $2000, which was a big chunk in 1980. At that time, a Hasselblad 500 and lens was $1300. Of course, after Rollei's bankruptcy in the mid-1980s, many photographers and I wished we had bought one of those new 2.8Fs when we could.


View attachment 193963

Beautiful

 

[MattKing]

My OM-2s in the early 1980s.
My Noon 6x12 pinhole in 2017 was only a year old and had just one previous owner who bought it new from the manufacturer in 2016 - does that count?
I also bought a new 40mm f/2.8 Canon EF lens in 2016.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Never bought new. My father did, but that was in 1969, when he bought his Nikomat FTn, which he passed onto me in 1987.

 

[CMoore]

Canon Sure Shot 80.....just like this.

Dead Link Removed

I pretty much shoot Black and White, 35mm, Street/Human Interest/Political/Festival kinds of things.
But i frequently carry the Sure Shot, with color film, in my bag.....just in case.
I guess i bought this in circa 1993.?
This was my First Experience with Auto Focus. It remains my only auto focus camera. I am sure it is quite Slow by the standards of today.....but It sure is nice at times.

 

[LeftCoastKid]

Last camera, purchased new, was an F6, which I picked up in 2012. Prior to that, only my F3HP (1984), an F3 (1981), and a pair of F2AS bodies (1979) were "fresh from the factory." Most of my Nikkor glass was purchased new (except my 300 F2.8, 400 F3.5, and 600 F4 telephotos). All my Hasselblad and Leica equipment came used.

 

[Ces1um]

In order of most recent to least (over the past 5 years):
Harman titan 4x5 pinhole (This Christmas)
polaroid onestep 2 (October I think they released it?)
Lomo lc-a 120 (Last Christmas)
Voigtlander bessa r3m (The Christmas before)
lomo lc-a+ (The Christmas before that...)
Fuji instax mini neo 90 (the only camera I regret buying)

There are still tons of new film cameras to buy.

 

[blockend]

The last new film cameras were Nikon F601 and F601M bought in '91 and '92. I used them regularly until both rear doors fell off while sitting in a drawer. This coincided with various Sigma lenses melting, also while being stored. I concluded AF cameras and the lenses that fit them were disposable, unlike previous consumer cameras such as the Nikkormat, or even the manual F301, never mind my old F.

Since then I've considered AF film cameras throw away items, which as they cost about the same as a disposable camera, is fair use.

 

[baachitraka]

Diana mini not new but not old either. Pressing the shutter is one terrible experience, even though I like the form factor.

 

[guangong]

Several years ago I bought a new Fuji GF670. I avoid buying used electronic laden cameras. Bought most of my cameras used, with the exception of two Leica M4s in 1960s. With the exception of Nikon F6 and FM and over priced Leicas, I don’t believe it is possible to buy a quality film camera nowadays.

 

[R.Gould]

My last new film camera was a Pentax MZ5n, bought around 1994/95,

 

[film_man]

The first new film camera I ever bought was the first camera I ever bought with my own money, a Canon EOS 300 kit with the 28-90mm lens in 2002. The second new film camera I bought was a Fuji 210 Wide Instax in 2012. All the other film cameras I have bought where used. If I ever buy another new camera it will be a Leica M7 a-la-carte. If I buy that and still want to buy a new camera then my only choice would be large format I suppose.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Have never bought a new camera .I always let someone else pay full price

Same here. I've never been wealthy, and new cameras were always too pricey for me. When used, they fell in a reasonable price range instead.

I also feel more comfortable with used stuff, as there is always the occasional light scuff here and there, so I don't have to be maniac about the camera. Should I add a scuff, there were already others so it doesn't change that much.

 

[Ces1um]

Diana mini not new but not old either. Pressing the shutter is one terrible experience, even though I like the form factor.

I had one of those but had to return it. It decided 14 frames into a roll that it was never going to advance again. That was only my second roll with it. I did like a few of the photos I got out of it though.

 

[baachitraka]

I had one of those but had to return it. It decided 14 frames into a roll that it was never going to advance again. That was only my second roll with it. I did like a few of the photos I got out of it though.

Mine with a film jammed and torn sprocket holes. I am very sure the will happen again. It just stays there as deco but I am willing to shoot with Diana old from 1960 which shoots 4x4 on 120.

 

[baachitraka]

I had one of those but had to return it. It decided 14 frames into a roll that it was never going to advance again. That was only my second roll with it. I did like a few of the photos I got out of it though.

I was expecting to print some grainy prints from those negatives but the shutter release is very stiff and it will always cause a camera shake.

 

[k.hendrik]

1980 Nikon FM 50-1.8 still works like a charm. Rest of the herd all used before.

 

[4season]

Something from Lomography circa 2016. Probably my Lomo LC-Wide.

 

[mrosenlof]

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.

 

[MattKing]

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.

 

[David Brown]

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 observation. It also "occurs to me" that many of us that have been shooting film for decades (Other than working pros) rarely even bought brand new unless it was something we couldn't get any other way.

 

[Paul Howell]

As a college student in the 60s I bought used, Pentax, Konica and later when in the Air Force Nikon F, when working I bought new, F2, F3, + lens, wanted the full warranty and the tax deduction. Once I no longer working in the field the only new cameras I bought were Sigma SA7 and 9, later a Sigma SD 14, all my others have been used.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...
Fuji instax mini neo 90 (the only camera I regret buying)
...

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.