First Camera

[DWalt]

There are lots of threads her about first rifles, first shotguns, first revolvers, etc., but I don't remember any about first cameras. Last week, I was doing through some old boxed-up stuff, and found some animal pictures I took at the Cincinnati zoo back when I was in the first or second grade. And that wasn't yesterday. I remember that trip well, mainly because that was the first time I took pictures of any animals. I received a Kodak Baby Brownie camera (127 roll film) for Christmas or my birthday (I don't remember which). I even had a leather carrying case for it. For awhile, I was taking pictures of everything, but all were B&W. Color film was too expensive to buy and have processed. I used that camera into my early teens, and even started doing my own darkroom work, but nothing fancy like enlargements, just contact prints. I got a Sears kid's starter darkroom set for Christmas. Mainly just a darkroom light, a film developing tank, a set of trays, and an electric light printing box. I have no idea what happened to that Baby Brownie, because somewhat later I moved forward on the photography trail with a succession of better cameras, ending high school with a half-dozen others, the best of which were a used Speed Graphic 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 cut film camera from the 1940s and a Zeiss Contessa in 35mm, plus a fairly well-equipped B&W darkroom. None of that stuff remains today, as I went digital back in the 1990s. But it all started with that Baby Brownie. Does anyone else have any interesting "First Camera" rememberences?

 

[rkittine]

I had three first camera's though they really weren't mine. Freshman Year in High School and I joined the Photography Club. We were pretty sophisticated for 14 year olds. Shot the Cheerleaders and sold the prints to fund equipment and did the entire year book. Got to use three cameras, a Speed Graphic 4X5, a Rolleflex Twin Lens Reflex and a Pentex 500. 59 years later and at least that many cameras behind me, I still have fond memories of nights in the dark room and rooming the halls, dances and sporting events taking pictures.

Bob

P.S. - That is me on the left

 

[MRB1]

Like most, my first camera was a small Brownie, around 1960. Later picked up a used Zeiss Conterex with 35mm lens, but didn't like it because it was a view camera, and the SLR cameras were the thing then. Later moved to Nikon, and thanks to a BIL that was a Nikon Rep, had quite a collection of Nikon equipment. I gave up photography when the digital cameras took over.

 

[meaneyedcatz]

My first was the Kodak instimatic. With the drop in cartridge film. Took lots of pics of stupid stuff.
I have literally wore out about four point and shoot digital for work as every assignment needed multiple pics.

Now for fun I have a Nikon d3200 and a d7500.

Thinking of taking photography classes at the community college now.

 

[rkittine]

Still have many of my film camera. I have 5 Canon Bodies, 4 Digital to 29 Megs and one 35mm, but my best cameras are my Mamiya RB67Pro and 645 and my Blad all with Lync Digital Backs to 50 meg.

Bob

 

[arjay]

My first was a Kodak instamatic and somewhere I have an album with pix I took in Europe at 13 (‘68) In high school I had a b&w darkroom I’d set up with a borrowed enlarger and bought a Fujica 35 mm slr. I think my daughter or ex still has it

 

[snubbyfan]

I had a Kodak pocket instamatic. Cool little camera. Took pretty good pictures. Had to use magic cubes indoors.

 

[Rustyt1953]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGK19Pg6sB0[/ame]

 

[Chubbo]

My first camera

My first camera was a Kodak box camera, that used roll film. That was circa 1943. I don’t recall, who gave it to me. I do remember taking snapshots of my pets, friends, and the area that I lived in.

That camera may still be in my ‘stuff’, if it hasn’t been disposed of, as so much of my stuff has been. Pictures taken with it, have also been misplaced. I don’t know if any of them can be found.

I can remember photos, of kittens, one in an old drinking water pitcher, and one in a flower urn.

I've got’ a quit, nostalgia just bit me in the ankle.

 

[DWalt]

I believe darkrooms have now become obsolete, or nearly so, due to the appearance of digital photography. When I was in college (Chemical Engineering at Ohio State) I made a little money photographing equipment setups the graduate students had made for their thesis and dissertation projects using my Speed Graphic. The Department had a fairly decent darkroom at that time, which to my certain knowledge was occasionally used for extracurricular hanky-panky by some of the undergraduates. At the time I quit the dark arts over 20 years ago, I had four different enlargers and ended up throwing away two of them (including a superb Omega 4x5 with color head) as no one was interested in buying them at any price by then.

I never owned an Instamatic, but they were fairly popular back in the 1970s as film loading and unloading was simplified. But I don't believe that the Instamatic design was ever adopted by the higher-end film camera makers such as Nikon, Canon, etc., pretty much limited to simpler cameras for the amateur market. I don't remember seeing film of any kind or size for sale anywhere for years, but I suppose it still has limited availability as I believe that some of the pros may still use it. I don't know if even the Hollywood studios use film these days, I'd guess they have also gone digital.

As the cameras contained in Smart Phones are so good now, I'd believe that there is not much of a market remaining today for dedicated digital cameras, except among professionals and semi-professionals. Today, 99% of my use is with an older Panasonic Lumix digital that does anything I need done very well.

 

[pmanton]

As near as I can remember it was a 4X5 Speed Graphic I got while in High School.

 

[PALADIN85020]

My first camera was the world-renowned Donald Duck camera!





And here's a picture of me with that camera around 1948, on the beach in Oceanside, California -

John

 

[len917]

Had a Kodak Duoflex as a kid. Later in my 20's I tried B & W developing and liked it but too expensive to do color so I gave up. Most people don't appreciate B&W pictures. Have 2 Konica view finders-freat pictures, an Olympus 1/2 frame Canon SLR with lenses and filters etc.
Cannot sell any of them-no one wants them.

 

[WardenRoss]

When I was 6 years old, I saved my money and bought a Thunderbird box camera.

I found this pic on the web.

My Dad was an amateur photographer. He was in the Korean war and he could get all the 35mm film he wanted from the air recon guys. He shot a lot of stuff during the war.

He was surprised that I wanted a camera and bought me a roll of film for it and showed me how to load it. We went to Ft. Knox and Lincoln's birthplace. I shot the roll.

I remember, to this day, the surprised look on his face when he developed my roll. They were all good shots. Apparently, good composition is genetic! LOL

,

 

[2tall79]

First serious camera was a Pentax K1000.....a Christmas gift from my wife and son. It was kind of a bare bones 35MM SLR but it took great photos. I still have it but have switched to modern Canon SLRs these days.

 

[LVSteve]

Instamatic 104. My dad got it for me during the brief time we lived in Texas when I was a kid. I still have it, but 126 film is unobtanium AFAIK.

 

[TX-Dennis]

My first camera was basically a toy, but it worked. I don't remember the brand. It used 127 roll film. I could only afford B&W. Still have some of the prints from that camera. The camera itself, though, is long gone. Later got a Kodak instamatic that used the larger 126 cartridges. In high school I saved and bought a Pentax ME Super 35mm camera and a couple of cheapo lenses for it. Had the 50mm "kit lens," a 50-200 Vivitar zoom, a 2x multiplier, and an 85mm Vivitar lens. Still have the Pentax gear, but now I shoot (rarely these days) with Sony digitals.

 

[AJ]

My first was a Kodak instamatic and somewhere I have an album with pix I took in Europe at 13 (‘68) In high school I had a b&w darkroom I’d set up with a borrowed enlarger and bought a Fujica 35 mm slr. I think my daughter or ex still has it

My Grandson has my old Fuji AX-3. Bought it in Naples at AF South. Lots of pictures taken with that. Next door neighbor ran the station photo lab. He must have developed 50 rolls of film for me.

Sorry: My first camera was either a Kodak 110 or a Polaroid Square Shooter.
As a kid I was given an old Kodak Brownie to play with, no film of course.

 

[waffles]

A rectangular 110. Took bunches of awful pictures of Mystic Seaport and Aquarium.

 

[bigwheelzip]

My first camera was the worst piece of junk ever invented for the purpose. I got it to be pocketable for a long camping trip to the national parks, and expected it would not survive the trip, so didn't want to spend for a good one. Even cheap it was a rip-off.

The Kodak disc camera: