Your First Camera?

[pfigen]

It's interesting to see what people started out with and where they went.

My first camera was a Tower Snappy which gave way to my Dad's Rolleicord with Weston Master III selenium celled meter and finally on to my own first "real" camera - a Kodak Retina IIIC, which died in a fire in McKay's Camera Store in Monterey around 1968. From there it was on to SRT-101's which got me through high school yearbook and newspaper. Then there was a series of Nikons, Pentax 6X7, Brooks Veriwide, RZs, view cameras and on and on. Sold the Veriwide to help pay for my first semester at Art Center, and that's the camera that I miss the most, most of the time.

[daleeman]

My first camera was some kind of a Brownie black brick. As a kid I longed for my dad's 3F Leica red dial. I must have been about 5 and was allowed to take 4 pictured a day.

Throwing a fit at Niagra Falls wanting to use dad's Leica, I threw my black brick camera over the falls.

Yes, I took "the" beating of my life !

Today I have great respect for all cameras and I too am afraid to let my little grandson look through my Leica and never at Niagra Falls.

[Anthony R]

I'm pretty sure it was a Petri  MF-101A. I inherited it from my father who used it to shoot real estate that he had appraised. Awful JC Pennys zoom lens attached. Man, I loved that camera. It was almost identical to a Pentax K1000 which I later also inherited and still use today on occasion.

http://www.tradera.com/auction/1/aid_58435926#pic

[vandevanterSH]

Another Argus C3....followed by Leica IIIf (stolen) Nikon F..etc.

Steve

[tjwilson]

First camera was a Kodak Instamatic (125?) I got for Christmas in the early 60's.

Then a 35mm P&S which I have only a vague recollection of.

Then my superlative Minolta SRT 102 in 1971 (72?); I couldn't even begin to say how many images that camera shot over the years and the places it went with never a problem or repair... still have it today with the original 50mm 1.7 & 135mm 2.8 Rokkor X lenses.

Today all new Nikon gear supplemented with some great 70's & 80's MF lenses which I love.