What camera did you own before?

[Honu-Hugger]

Originally Posted by backalley photo

who can remember them all?

i know that i have at one time or another owned (new) the top model in the nikon, canon, miranda (don't laugh) and olympus slr lines.
the top model in the leica m and minolta m rf lines.
the top model in the mamiya 120 rf line.

it's only with the canon p did i start to buy used and found true happiness.

joe

Funny thing you mention the Miranda; of all the SLR cameras I no longer own (Nikon, Contax, Leica, Voightlander) the only one I really miss and may replace is the Miranda Sensorex.

[unohuu]

first camera was Minolta x-570*
Minolta XD-5*
Minolta X-700*
Minolta 7000i
Minolta 3Xi
Minolta 300si
Minolta X-G1*
Minolta X-9
Minolta 800si
Yashica 44
Yashica 124G
Samsung something or the other
Minolta Maxxum 7*
Minolta Maxxum 5*
Minolta Maxxum 7xi
Minolta Maxxum 650si
Olympus C4000
Mamiya 645*
Mamiya 645j*
Yashica Lynx 14*
Yashica Lynx 5000
Yashica Lynx 14E
Voigtlander Vitomatic II*
Minolta HiMatic 9
Minolta HiMatic 7
Fed 5*
Nikon FG
Nikon FG-?
Minolta Maxxum 7D*
A couple of no-name cameras that came from mag subscriptions. I should load and shoot them as Holga-esc like cameras.

My wife's Minolta XTsi*
numerous other cameras I have purchased for others. Dad's Minolta Vectis and a Pentax or something like that.

[Stephanie Brim]

I had a Nikon FE. I'd like to send the other body I have in for CLA and then use it again too. It's a great camera.

[Brian Sweeney]

I did not own any before 1961. By 1970 I had a Minolta 16-II, Argus/Cosina STL-1000, Minolta H-Matic 9, and Polaroid 350. That was a Lot of Lawns! 1977, Nikon, and into the abyss.

[hoot]

1993: Olympus Stylus Zoom (P&S; 13th birthday present). Sold 2003
2000: Olympus C-2000 Z (digital P&S). Sold 2002
12/2002: Nikon F80 (AF SLR). Sold 2004
10/2004: Horizon 202 (swivel-lens camera). Still got it!
10/2004: Nikon FM3a (manual SLR). Sold 2004
11/2004: Nikon FA (manual SLR). Sold 2004
12/2004: Kiev 60 (meterless medium format manual SLR). For sale!
02/2005: Olympus XA (semi-manual RF). Sold 2005
03/2005: Mamiya 6 (medium format manual RF). Sold 2005
05/2005: YashicaMat (TLR). Still got it!
08/2005: Konica IIIa (meterless fixed-lens RF). Sold 2005
09/2005: Zorki-6 (meterless interchangable-lens RF). Returned to seller
09/2005: Leica M3. Still got it!

Is there a noticable trend here?

I'm glad to say that a quick calculation shows I've spent FAR more money on film than on cameras. Yay!

[Uncle Bill]

Well here is my list. I had an agfa rangefinder from the late 1950's that mom gave me in the 1970's when I was a kid to shoot with hence the love of rangefinders today, my recent gear list is as follows:

Canon Rebel XS
Canon AE1 (sold 2005)
Nikkormat Ftn
Nikon F eyelevel prism, earlier model
Nikon F with FTn meter head
Pentax Spotmatic 1000
Pentax S1a
Asahi Pentax model K c 1958
Contax IIIa
Leica M3 Two stroke
Kiev III
Canon Canonet Ql17 GIII

Shorter than a few other peoples list, make note I rationalised the lens mounts to Nikon F mount, Leica M mount, the M-42 screwmount and Contax Kiev mount whatever that designation is. So any new hardware ie camera bodies or lenses has to fall in those categories, well famous last words.

Bill

[RJBender]

Miranda Sensomat
Mamiya C3
Zeiss Ikoflex
Rolleiflex 3.5 MX automat
Rolleicord
Vintage Mamiya 6
Mamiya C33
Yashica D
Yashicamat
Nikon FE
Rolleiflex T
Nikon FE2
Rollei SL35E
Rollei SL35M
Leica IIIa
Crown Graphic
Mamiya 645 1000S
Mamiya C330S
Nikon FM2n
Mamiya C330F
Mamiya C330
Olympus C2020
Rapid Omega 100 & 200
Zeiss Icarex
Nikon F with WLF
Rolleiflex 3.5F “whiteface”
Olympus C5050
Olympus E10
Olympus E20
Fake Contax (Kiev IVb)
Real Kiev (IIIb)

Orange = no longer have

R.J.

[el_rico_es]

I own the following cameras (in order):

Canon FTb w/50 f1.4 fd
Canon A-1 w/50 f1.8 fd
Yashica D TLR
Canon EOS 5 w/28-105 f3.5-4.5*
Konica Auto S2
Mamiya C330 w/80 f2.8
Mamiya 6 w/75 f3.5*
Mamiya 6MF*
Olympus 35 SP*

Dark Orange=Rangefinder
*=use regularly

[sf]

From past to present :

Fuji rangefinder - something plastic and toylike when I was a child
Nikon n65 when I was in high school
Canon AE-1 - inherited from a family member - nice lens (50mm 1.9)
Mamiya 645E when I was in college - great camera
Crown Graphic 4x5 in college and now
Pentax 645nII in and out of college, sold it
Cambo 4x5 - pain to use because its knobs and things are all cruddy and I can't
get it to align - ever. Bought in college, still use it.
Nikon D70 - awesome camera - for unimportant stuff, but never when it counts.
Sold it.
Voigtlander R3A - awesome camera - really nice, with the Nokton WOW. But the
rangefinder was out of alignement on my first one. Sold it. I miss it, but not the
costs of using it. I forgot how
expensive 35mm photography can get compared with shooting a couple of
4x5s a week.
Currently working on getting something else in the medium format range or an
XPan . Oh my god. I just got a great idea - how about a digital camera with a
panoramic sensor - an XPan D?

So right now, I just have a little toy fuji RF, a little Norcent Digital RF, a Crown Graphic, a D70, and my Cambo. I only use the 4x5s and the D70 though. BUT am soon to do something about that.

[ErnestoJL]

Well, it´s good time to remember all the cameras I had, and still have...
I´ll write all them in the order they apeared in my life, beginning in 1958, when my dad gave me the first opportunity of shooting film.. (I was 5 y.o.)

Kodak Borwnie Target 620 * 1958
Wirgin 120 foldable * 1958
Voigtländer Vitomatic II B* 1966
Miranda Sensomat - in use 1970
Topcon Primo Jr - not in use - uses 127 film 1975
Fujica ST801 - in use 1980
Praktica Nova I PL - in use 1980
Yashica 635 - Sold in 1988
Kiev 4 - in use 1981
Yashica MG 1 - in use 2005
Beirette Electronic - in use 2005
Yashica Electro 35 GT *** gift for a friend 2003
Meopta Flexaret Auto VII 2005
Haking 35 - converted to pinhole 2005
Mamiya Auto Lux 35 - under repair 2005
Carena Micro RSD - under repair 2005
Mamiya Super Deluxe 1.5 - under repair 2005
Canon New Canonet QL17 *** - gift for a friend 2005
Voigtländer Vitoret DR - under repair 2005
Contax II - (1937) under repair 2005
Canon Canonet QL17 - in use 2005
Yashica Mimy - under repair (the only half frame I have) 2005
Yashica Lynx 14 - in use 2005
Praktica Super TL - under repair 2005
Yashica Electro 35 GSN - in use 2005
Konica Auto SE - yet to arrive 2005

Of all those cameras, I regret to have the Yashica 635 sold many years ago when I decided to go 35 mm only. Those under repair are either waiting to locate spares or in the waiting list, until I have time enough to do a proper job on them. The cameras listed with * were stolen many years ago. The date is year of purchase. 2005 was the year I discovered again RFs!!
The Meopta Flexaret belongs to my wife, and is a family souvenir from her dad, so I do not use it, instead I repaired it just for the love of doing it.

Most important fact about the cameras I own, is that I do collect cameras but my personal specification is: cameras I like to own and are to be used.

Ernesto

[Alec]

hm... tough question... in chronological order :
Minolta SRT-303
Minolta XD-7
Minolta X-500
Minolta 9000 *
Olympus XA
Minolta Dynax 9xi
Minolta Hi-Matic 7
Leica IIIa
Leica M5
Kiev 88
Kiev 4A *
Minolta XM
Olympus E10
Canon Ixus 430
Minolta Dynax 9 *
Leica M2 *

* = current

and the list is probably final regarding film cameras... but you never can tell!

my better half has a Canon Prima 130
our elder son has a Canon Powershot A60
number two is getting into single-use cams
and number three likes to handle gear but is rarely allowed to

I'm glad you didn't ask about lenses. ;-)

[RJBender]

Originally Posted by Toby

A model of restraint I'll think you'll agree (although they are giving away nikon FM2N's away free with happy meals now...)

Could it be because the Nikon has more nutritional value?
Don't answer that question, Toby.
http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/

R.J.

[hugivza]

I started with:
Dacora Digna
Dacora Dignette
Retina 1a
Microcord
Periflex I
Contaflex 1
Contaflex IV (Pro Tessars and Proxars added very much later!)
Yashicamat
Zeiss Ikonta 6x6
Canon AE1
Canon F1
Canon F1n
Zeiss Ikoflex
Rollei 35 T
Nikon F
Nikon F2
Nikon F3
Nikon FE
Nikon F4
Nikon F5
Nikon F100
Nikon FM2
Nikon TI35
Contax TVS
Contax IIIa
Retina IIa
Minolta 7s
Fujipro S2
and this past week a Contaflex Super B which I have just finished a test roll.
I am waiting for Godot, and a Kiev 4A and a Zorki 1 the latter were last seen on the back of a yak somewhere in Siberia. I have them all save the Microcord, Periflex Canon AE1, and TVS which was stolen a couple of years ago.
In answer to the obvious questions I have been around cameras for more that five decades, and have been known to be self indulgent at times. They take up less room than my wife's three pianos.

[Stephanie Brim]

I have some catching up to do, I see. I'm young, though, and on a low income. :P

[atelier7]

I started with the japanese RFs thanks to sites like karen's site photoethnography...
Minolta Himatic 7, Petri 7SII

Then, I got curious about interchangeable lenses and explored the FSU cams...
Zorki 4K, Kiev 4AM, Fed 2,

Issues about reliability brought me to the voigtlanders...
Bessa R and Bessa L.

But dante stella's review on the Hexar AF and it's 'japanese summicron' lense
brought me full circle to the point n shoot (albeit a very sophiticated one)
unforuntately, mine had a lot of electronic problems ....

So i decided to go backwards to FSUs- Fed 1 and Zorki 3m
The fed was cosmetically minty but didn't work.

Then i finally gave in to the dark side and bought a Leica IIIC
Meanwhile, a Yashica GSN meets the occasional need for auto exposure

so now, it's leica IIIC (still being CLA'd), Zorki 3m (missing a take up spool!) and GSN.

[StuartR]

Ok, well here we go:

Owned but not bought (given to me by my avid amateur photog father when I was starting out)
Olympus XA (when I was 12...it was stolen by a classmate at some point).
Canon F1N
Canon T90

both awesome.

That I have bought in rough chronological order:
Canon S30
Leica MP .72 black
Hexar AF
Hexar RF
Leica M3
Fuji G690
Mamiya 7II
Horseman 45LE
Leica R9
Rollei 35
Canon VT
Iskra
Leica M7 .85 a la carte
All phenomenal cameras (except perhaps the s30, which was my first camera of adulthood...)

[StuartR]

It was a very slippery slope though. As the purchase order might hint, I kept trying to "increase the functionality" of my kit. The Hexar AF was to supplement the MP so that I could shoot both color and black and white at the same time. Though I loved the AF, I really missed being able to change lenses, so I got the RF. The RF is good, but I was not huge on the noise or on the viewfinder (more the magnification than anything else). So I bid 600 dollars on a mint M3 and 50 collapsible cron and was shocked to win it. The Fuji was the result of really wanting to try medium format. I loved the results but hated the functionality of the Fuji (it came with a screwed up lens, it is giant and no meter etc. I decided to get the Mamiya. Everything was great for about a year. No purchases. Then I was going to enter a photographry school in the masters program that required mastery of 4x5 for acceptance. Hence the horseman that i bought from a former student. From the R9 on, I have no excuse. Sheer sickness. I will say however, that I use every single camera I own, with the possible exceptions of the S30 and the Fuji. Anyway, I think we are pretty much all sick here...just of varying degrees and means...

[Doug]

Cameras "before".... I take to mean formerly owned.... I'm surprised at how many there are!
Kodak Brownie Super 27
Regula scale focus 35
PetriFlex V
Petri Half-7
Minolta 16II
Heiland Pentax H3
Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic
Honeywell Pentax H3v
Kyocera Contax G1
Nikon FG
Asahi Pentax ESII

[mac_wt]

The first camera I bought for myself was a Canon Eos 300. I went into the store and asked for 'a camera with some manual control'. The salesguy must have thought it was his lucky day. I have put something like 15 rolls trough it. I was still left with the feeling that the camera was taking the pictures, not me. It went into a drawer and still resides there.
A few years later came a real 'Trust' digital camera. It went on 1 trip and then the LCD-screen died. It was replaced with an Olympus c350(?), that is now used by my 74 year old father.
But I was still looking for some manual control. I bought a Panasonic DMC-LC5S. That one has a Leica lens and this brought me to you guys and to the discovery that the best cameras with manual control you can buy are between 30 and 60 years old and (at least some of them) dirt cheap.
And that my Eos 300 is a plastic toy with a lousy zoom lens and about 0 resale value.

Wim

[nomade]

I only have 3..I've a modest list compared to what i've seen till now...

Canon sure shot(that's an automatic camera with zoom(great for speedy film iso800 or 400)
Fed 2 (my father's)
Fed 3, i've just bought it last month.
More to come, more to come

[Brian Sweeney]

I remember my first Nikon's.

Nikkormat FT2
Nikon F2a
Nikon Photomic F

That was in college, 1977. I still have all three. I've added some Nikons since then.

[Stephanie Brim]

I'll admit to owning three digital cameras before I bought the Nikon. I won't admit, however, to liking the results I got for more than a couple photos.

You can find the old digital ones, newly uploaded, here. Everything except the squirrelingaround set were taken with various digitals. The squirrelingaround photos were taken with the camera I prefer to forget about, a Minolta Maxxum QTsi. That camera is what made me hate autofocus.

[rbiemer]

Hmmm,
Started with an Argus C-3, then a couple of 126 Kodaks, Polaroid SX-70(still have that one), then my high school loaned me a Pentax K-1000 for my last two years in school. A couple of 110 cameras.
Owned and foolishly sold/traded: Yashica Mat 124(not the "G"), Miranda Sensorex II,
Nikon FA(don't regret not having this one--good camera but I'm left eyed and couldn't see all the info in the VF), Pentax ZX-5, Minolta 370n and some others I can't recall right now.
Scads of pinhole cameras in most sizes(35mm up to 11x14 paper negs).

The Argus I still have--inheirited from my grandfather--but don't use because it is in the leather bag with various bits and when I unzip the bag, the smell reminds me of grampa. If I were to use the camera it would soon lose the smell and I'm not ready to give up that reminder of the man.
Rob

[Fred]

OK, in chronological order of use from my dodgy memory:

Halina 3000 (first intro to manual shutter speeds an aperture settings)
Praktica MTL3
Chinon CE-4
Pentax MX (Still got it and works a treat)
Lubitel 166B (First foray into MF)
Oly AF-1
Nikon F80
Nikon F65 (Backup for the F80)
Canon A-1 (Saved)
Pentax ME Super (Saved)
Fujica ST605n (Saved))
Canon FP (Saved)
Bronica ETRS (proper MF)
Nikon D70
Leica M7
Leica M7

Cameras marked as saved were being off loaded in danger of spending their last moments in a skip.

[TPPhotog]

Too many but never enough for GAS attacks