What cameras have you owned?

[Reschsmooth]

Here's something that I think is very interesting.

...

Each of these cameras share the same basic body/mechanics. I think it is quite astounding that, for many of us, many other bodies have come, and gone, through our possession, yet these ones remain, and do so with great respect for the capabilities of the camera.

These are from the posts where I can discern that the camera remains within the realm of the poster: there may be others, but the post may not have made clear the disposition of the camera.

Given this thread, my FE is very much alive and kicking.

[gstark]

Given this thread, my FE is very much alive and kicking.

Thanx, Patrick. Corrected.

One of my biggest regrets is having sold the FM2 (and the Blad) not so with the F80, that camera never did much for me, although I got it just as digital was getting started so that may have had some influence.

Possibly, but I doubt it. There is something very special about the FM/FE and related bodies. They were just very simple, easy to use, but quite robust and serviceable cameras. Perhaps they come close to epitomising what an ideal film 35mm camera might be?

I'm seeing just a couple of OMx bodies here, as well as some Canon A1 or AE1 (but no AV1), but I think it's fair to say that any of these bodies are in a similar class to what were talking about here: some truly classic, and classy, film SLRs, any of which would not be out of place in the hands of a photographer, even today.

[BullcreekBob]

2 Zecanon nit (I paid two weeks wages)

I'd like to swap two weeks wages for a D3X, and even a third week's wages if you throw in the holy trinity of f/2.8 zooms.

My previous camera list is
Koday Box Brownie
Agfa Box
Kodak Instamatics
Canon AE1's
Canon A1
Canon T50
Canon T70
Canon T90
Pentax MZ50
Pentaz MZ10
Sony Mavicas (about 8 of the latest newest etc between 1997 on 2005)
Nikon D70S
Nikon 40X (for the wife)

Current cameras are

1952 German Kodak rangefinder
Nikon D300
Nikon D90 (for the wife)

[Critter]

I started in film with an instamatic 18 years ago. My grandfather used to shoot heaps of slide film exclusively.

Since then though,
Coolpix 5700 x2
D80
D300

Funny thing though, the first 5700 cost the most of all of them so far! I still have all of them though, I just don't use the coolpix's anymore!

[losfp]

Nikon L35AF-2 QD (~1985) - Small P&S film camera. Fixed focus lens, but that meant you could take plenty of awesome surprise candid shots. It is a 1985 model, so I was probably 7 or 8 when I got it. Used it all the way through about 1996 or so. I believe it is still kicking around at my parents' place somewhere (in a storage box with my dad's 1960s Nikkormats) in perfect working order.

Olympus 2100UZ (~2000). My first digital camera, cost me around $1800. Actually pretty big for a digital, but had a stabilised 10x (38-380mm equiv) zoom lens. Gave it to my parents in the end. Wifey had an Olympus also at around this time, I think it might have been the 3000 or 3030?

Canon Ixus 400 (~2003). Great little camera and served us well through many holidays and whatnot. I think the sensor is borked though.

Nikon D70s (2005). First DSLR. Wonderful camera and really one of the first to make DSLRs accessible. Sold.

Nikon D200 (2007). Significant upgrade from the Nikon D70s. Still have it, though it is now relegated to second camera status (or, Wifey's camera)

Nikon D300 (2008). Not quite so significant upgrade, but still a fantastic DSLR - especially the improved battery grip.

Canon Ixus 70 (2008). Replacement for the Ixus 400. I love the Ixus range, and they keep getting better (for the most part, though I am unconvinced about the tendency to just cram more pixels on the compact sensor)

Now that we have a babbling money-sucking monkey rug-rat (albeit a cute one) crawling around our house, I doubt I will be upgrading as often as I have been doing in the last couple of years!!

[petal666]

Cameras I have owned at one time or another. No particular order.
Sony DSC-F2
Canon G2
Canon G3 (still have)
Canon Ixus 70 (still have)
Canon 300D
Canon 10D
Canon 20D
Canon 30D
Canon 40D
Canon 5D
Canon 1D2
Canon 1D2N
Canon 1D3 (currently using)
Canon 1Ds2
Nikon D200 (didn't have this for long)

[zafra52]

BullcreekBob, did you get it right?

Number 2 camera was a Zenit (A Russian beauty for which I paid a two weeks wages circa 1978 and my first SLR). In fact at one stage I had two of them (one in Spain and another in Scotland).
The problem was I did not know how to use them properly. It was a mecanical camera no batteries or anything fancy but it worked each time, but the lens was very poor and the technology obsolete.

[who]

Whew - Nothing like that in my "collection"

Hanimex 35mm compact - fixed lens, cheap and cheerful, but took a good photo. 100ASA film only.

Ricoh 35mm compact - zoom lens, again took a very nice photo - bought in early 2001 as digital was too expensive for me then.

Canon Powershot S1 IS - First digital, March 2004. Has been repaired by Canon for the CCD fault that plagues their compact models from that timeframe, still going.

Ricoh Digital Compact, bought in a hurry while the Canon was out of action. Worst camera of the lot. Probably should have tried to find the film Ricoh and used that.

Nikon D200 - first DSLR, start of a gear collection addiction

[scott s]

started with my dads old pentax SLR
then
nikon F400
nikon F801
nikon F90
nikon d70
nikon d300

i hope it stops there for a while, but then again...

[ozboyerp]

Very good topic

1982 Konica Pop Paris don't know where it is!!!
1993 Nikon F6001 Bruxel sold
1998 nikon F100 Los Angeles sold
2001 Nikon D100 Boston sold
2004 Nikon D2x Melbourne stolen
2007 Nikon D3 Melbourne replacement...

As I started, I used Sigma and Tokina, and slowly replaced with Nikon lens

12-24, 17-35, 24-70, 70-200 & 85 1.5

[zafra52]

Perhaps the next question could be:
"What lenses do you have and how do you use them?"

[shakey]

Film

Olympus OM1
Olympus OM2n (stolen)
OM2n (replacement)
Nikon F80

Digital P&S
Nikon Coolpix 800

Digital SLR
D70
D300

I still have them all - well apart from the stolen OM2n - lifted from my camera bag at Sydney Aquarium 8 or 9 years ago. I got the F80 to replace the stolen Om2n as it seemed to be the best AF camera at my price point at the time. But then I had a nostalgia moment and got a used OM2n a year or two later.

[colin_12]

Here we go,
I started out with an old Braun Paxette ( still have down in shed )
I had a hand me down Pentax till I gave it to my sister
I bought a Minolta x300 and put a load of slide film through this
I then up graded to digital and my first auto focus camera with a HP photosmart 912, never really impressed me but a digital slr was way out of my price range at that point.
I then did some cashies to get a Nikon D70s, great camera and it renewed my interest.
I have now upgraded to a Nikon D700 and wow is all I can manage on this so far. This should do me for some time, I hope.

[Bugeyes]

In the following order~

Nikon:
FG-20
FM2n
F3

Hasselblad:
500C/M

Kodak:
Retinette 1A

Canon:
G1
40D
50D

Edit: also had a Panasonic FZ-50 between my G1 and 40D

Lenses... I've lost count

[muzz]

Inherited dad's Voigtlander Vitoret and Canonet rangefinders.
First SLR was a screw mount KMart brand (?Copal) - saved up while at high school.
Bought a Ricoh XR-10 once I started working.
Went overseas, bought a Canon EOS 600 (still have) and an Olympus Infinity Zoom compact later (still have).
First digital was a Kodak DC240 1.0MP - from memory cost $900 but one of the few that had Macintosh software.
Next was a Canon G5 PowerShot (still have).
Bought Canon 350D three and a half years ago, and a Nikon Coolpix S51 just recently for work (needed a bigger LCD than the G5).

Getting ready to upgrade to better glass and a new body (40D, 50D or used 5D - still not sure).

[Potoroo]

Ricoh XR-P (sold)
Canon EOS 1
Canon EOS 100
Canon EOS 50D

The XR-P was a lovely little camera, fully featured yet about the same size as a compact today.

The EOS 1 is why my list of owned cameras is so short. EOS 1 owners have no need to buy every second new body release. This camera is utterly superb, especially with the Power Drive Booster E1 and hand strap, and I only recently retired it and then with the greatest reluctance and sadness. My favorite films are long gone, alas.

The EOS 100 was a backup body to the 1. I would sometimes use the two in conjunction, one with the 28-80L and the other with the 100-300L so I wouldn't lose a shot while changing lenses.

The 50D I bought just before Christmas 2008. Ill-health, concomitant low income and the decline of film/rise of digital had resulted in a steady decline in my picture taking. However, I became increasingly irritated at having $8,000 worth of L-series lenses idling in the camera bag. The 50D is the compromise (one day the budget will allow me to go FF again) to get me back into photography. I remain unpersuaded by digital. Instant feedback and custom white balancing are very useful, of course, but it won't do ISO 25 and it has more controls than the Space Shuttle.

[gstark]

The EOS 1 is why my list of owned cameras is so short. EOS 1 owners have no need to buy every second new body release.

But still not a patch on the A1.

[surenj]

I am going for the "shortest list" record.

Minolta Vectis - APS god awful apart from automatic midroll change
Canon powershot A80 - nice little P&S
Canon 350D - Still have

[petermmc]

Wow looking through those camera lists brings back lots of memories. My life in cameras.

Kodak instamatic
Voigtlander
Zenith EM (Built like a brick)
Pentax ME Super (This was a great camera)
Ricoh KR10 or close (Solar)
Pentax MX
Nikon F3 (Still have)
Nikon FE2 (Still have)
Nikon 601 (Still have)
Canon A70 (Doesn't work now)
Nikon D70 (Still have)
Nikon D200 (Still have)
Panasonic LX3 (love this one)

I have owned a few others over the years mainly compacts but have not included these.

Regards

Peter Mc

[surenj]

Panasonic LX3 (love this one)

Peter where did you get the LX3 and how much? I have been trying to get one for a while....no stock...

[gstark]

Zenith EM (Built like a brick)

And optics to match.

Pentax ME Super (This was a great camera)

Interesting. I've never considered any of the Pentax K-mount cameras to be particularly memorable.

The ME series was, IIRC, Pentax's answer to what Olympus was doing in terms of camera size: these were smaller bodies, reasonable feature set, but build and lens quality was quickly going downhill as they seemed to focus mainly on the amateur (not enthusiast, nor pro) segments of the market.

They were building, IMHO, Volkscameras.

Olympus had the OM1 and OM2, Nikon the FM/FE ranges (probably FM2/FE2 when the ME series was around) Minolta had the XG7 and Canon the A series, all of which were being used to some degree in the prosumer arena; Pentax were rarely seen in this company.

[Rick]

This topic really brings back some memories.

I got my 1st camera at about 14, it was a family Christmas present. When I opened the box and saw all the bits in their own little compartments I thaught it must be the best present a kid could get. It was a 110film camera, the lens extended out like a p&s, by hand though no batteries, a flash gun, blue flash bulbs, 2 rolls film, instructuions and cleaning cloth. The flash fitted on a bracket on top (no hot shoe) and plugged into the side of the lens, the reflextive blades expanded out as you rotated the top one and the bulbs (single use of course) burnt like hell when you ejected them into your hand.
I baught my 1st 135 SLR at about 17 it was a fixed 50mm lens with split screen focusing and very heavy, I cant rember the make.
I sold this to a mate after about 2 years and baught a Pentax Spotmatic 11 black body, (very cool back then) with a 50mm1.4lens. This served me well for about 15-20 years, I still keep it loaded with B&W film but don't use it as much as I would like. Lens have grown to between 35mm and 500mm all primes. This is a great camera.
Next, Sankyo supa 8 movie
p&s for Kerrie to use
Pentax SFX & 2 zoom lens still have but don't use, daughter uses lens.
2 0r 3 p&s for Kerrie to use
Nikon F70 still have but don't use
Nikon D70 now my main body

Thanks for the memories,

Cheers Rick.

[petermmc]

Panasonic LX3 (love this one)

Peter where did you get the LX3 and how much? I have been trying to get one for a while....no stock...

Hi Surenj

I purchased the LX3 in November last year just as it was released in Australia. I managed to get one from Teds in Sydney. Mind you the only option I had was the display model which had only been there for a day or so. I paid $700 and also received a fast 8g card 'thrown in' and a screen protector. I had a good experience with Teds.

Since then I have taken about 3-4 thousand shots as I took it with me OS for 6 weeks. It is a truly splendid camera. Its big limitation is its wide to normal focusing range but for an OS trip, this only was a problem on a few occasions. Flash also seems to redden people up a bit much.

All the best.

[petermmc]

Zenith EM (Built like a brick)

And optics to match.

When I was at uni, I once had my flat robbed and they took the old broken 300kg HMV b&w TV, A fridge full of heavy beer and a baby grand piano and left the Zenith....This didn't really happen. I didn't have a baby grand.

They actually took the Zenith but found it particularly difficult to sell at the Cooks Hill pub. Finally someone bought it for a Midi of Hunter Black and a smallish half eaten packet of chips. Unfortunately the guy who bought it was nabbed by a plain clothes police man for accepting stolen property. When the police man checked the alleged stolen property, he laughed loudly and let the guy who bought it off because, and I quote, 'nobody in their right mind would steal that piece of cr..p'...this may not have happened either.

But seriously, I did make a screw attachment for my Zenith and attached a small glass wall brick. The optics improved immensely. The only problem was that I neglected to detach the brick from the wall and kept getting the same photos all the time.

Yes Gary...it did have the optics of a brick.

[phillipb]

Interesting. I've never considered any of the Pentax K-mount cameras to be particularly memorable.

The ME series was, IIRC, Pentax's answer to what Olympus was doing in terms of camera size: these were smaller bodies, reasonable feature set, but build and lens quality was quickly going downhill as they seemed to focus mainly on the amateur (not enthusiast, nor pro) segments of the market.

They were building, IMHO, Volkscameras.

Olympus had the OM1 and OM2, Nikon the FM/FE ranges (probably FM2/FE2 when the ME series was around) Minolta had the XG7 and Canon the A series, all of which were being used to some degree in the prosumer arena; Pentax were rarely seen in this company.

The interesting thing about the ME-Super was that for the first time a camera was using electronic switches on the top deck to control shutter speed and apertures, a predecessor to the current thumb wheels I suppose.