Cameras that I’ve owned

Posted by Paul on January 22, 2010
Posted in: Photography. Tagged: , .

PDL_20100121_031.jpg

Leica M6 – Ilford HP5+ – Rodinal 1:50

I was reading a post over at Shutterfinger. Gordon was talking about the cameras that he’s known and loved. In his post said that he made a list of all the cameras that he’s ever owned. That list came to 30 or so cameras; unfortunately, he didn’t share the entire list, but did share some information about a few of his favorites.

I began to think about how many cameras I’ve owned over the years and came up with slightly less than half that many, 14. Here is the list of the cameras that I owned at one time. They are in purchased order as I remember them.

  1. Minolta XG-1
  2. Minolta SRT-101
  3. Minolta X-700
  4. Minolta XD-11
  5. Minolta XD-11
  6. Yashica Mat 124g (6 x 6, film)
  7. Canon Powershot ??? – My first digital
  8. Minolta Dimage A1
  9. Nikon D2x
  10. Nikon D300
  11. Nikon D40
  12. Mamiya 645e (6 x 4.5, film)
  13. Olympus 35 LC (film)
  14. Leica M6 (film)

As you can see, I used to shoot nothing but Minolta. My first Nikon was, believe it or not, their flagship (at the time), the D2x. What a thrill that was!

The ones in bold are the ones that I still own. I’m sure that you probably wonder which was my favorite. Well, that’s hard to say. In the digital realm, I’d probably have to say the D2x. Man! That was a tank and an impressive camera; however, the D300 outperforms it every step of the way, but it was close to my heart as it was my first real digital camera.

My favorite film camera … Minolta XD-11. That camera was way ahead of its time and could seem to do no wrong, although I did enjoy my SRT-101. I know, you expected me to say the Leica, but it runs a close second. Also, I really liked the square frame of the Yashica Mat 124g.

Least favorite of the bunch? By far, the DiMAGE A1. I never did get to like electronic view finders. I know that EVFs have improved a lot, I’ve looked through them, but, I’m still not feeling them! I like to look through glass!

Sometimes it’s nice to take a trip back down memory lane. Let’s see. I’ve been shooting for about 31 years. 14 cameras, or about 1 every two years? I’m quite the moderate camera buyer! :-)

Think you can remember all of the cameras that you ever bought?

Addendum: I forgot that I also owned two view cameras. A Sinar 4×5 monorail and a Shen Hao 4×5 wooden field camera. It was some kind of wonderful. :-)

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23 comments on “Cameras that I’ve owned”

  1. Interesting – the first camera that I bought was Minolta XG-1, and that I used for a long, long time. The first camera I was allowed to use (a couple of years before the Minolta, when I was in early teens) was Canon Canonet QL 17 GIII, a nice but cheap rangefinder-looking camera. Still remember it fondly.

  2. Interesting post. Inspiring me to follow up, I must say. BTW, KEH has shipped the replacement 645e, so I might have it back this weekend. If I get it and it works, you’ll hear me yee-ha all the way in Charleston. BTW, Ray and I had a chat tonight and we have some plans afoot about the trip. I’ll email ya soon.

  4. Yashica GSN rangefinder

    Pentax MX
    Pentax K1000

    Nikon F2
    Nikon FE

    Nikon D300 (Still have)
    Yashica GSN rangefinder (got another one)

    • Rob: Somehow I knew that this post would draw you out. You’re the first person that I thought about when I wrote this. I just have to have the right bait! :-) I hope that you’re still using that D300!

      • Haha, yep, you got me!

        (And I knew that SRT-101 would get recognized as special. I’ll never forget you using that camera early on. Great stuff!)

  6. The first camera I bought was in 1953 – a Wirgin Edinex for about $25 new. So I’ve been shooting for well over 50 years. On occasion I use a Minolta Autocord 6×6 these days, and I’ve used the 124G in the past. What puzzles me is why you gave up the 124G, a superb camera, and then went to the 645. Lenses?
    My lineup now consists of every camera I ever bought: Edinex, Minolta HiMatic 7s, Nikkormat FTn, Nikon FM2, 2-Nikon FAs, Minolta Autocord, and finally a Zone VI 4×5 field.

    • What puzzles me is why you gave up the 124G, a superb camera, and then went to the 645. Lenses?

      Let’s call it a fit of insanity. After I moved to digital, I got rid of all of my film cameras. Some years later, like last year, I started purchasing film cameras again. The 645e was my first film purchase. I really liked the 124g and actually gave it to a friend of mine. It has a good home!

      Dang! I forgot about my 4×5 that had for a while. I had a Sinar 4×5 camera and a beautiful Shen Hao wooden field camera. Sometimes I miss it, except when I remember what a hassle it was to do 4×5. It’s a different world. Oh well, move that total up to 16!

  7. “I’m quite the moderate camera buyer!”

    Paul, didn’t those last three cameras all get purchased in about a years time? ;-)

    • Earl, let us not talk of such things! I seem have forgotten when I purchased those other ones. :-) We’re working with averages here. There was a period of about 10 or 12 years that I didn’t even purchase a camera.

  8. Well Paul you brought back old memories for me,

    my first Agfa 35mm-I bought it in 1967 before I went in the Marines
    Yashica TL Super 1969 Vietnam
    Yashica Electro 35 Vietnam
    Nikon FTN Photomic finder-still own
    Nikkormat
    Mamiya Twin Lens Reflex C330
    Canon Rebel 35 mm-still own
    Polaroid digital bought it around 2003
    Fuji FinePix S5100-youngest son still has this in Florida
    Nikon D50-oldest son has this now
    Nikon D40-still have and love it
    Nikon P50-still have but not a fav
    Nikon D90-still have
    Nikon D60-wifeys camera

    Thanks for the memories
    Don

  9. Speaking of digital – woops! I forgot to include the Nikon D200 in my list. Though I’m basically a film guy, the D200 is a marvelous tool for some jobs, and I use it a lot.

  10. I remember very well some of these cameras, like the X-700, which were very popular among photo enthusiasts.

    This is always interesting, kind of “tell me what camera you use and I can tell who you are. We believe so, anyway, hahaha. I know I have written about my cameras, too, but the blog post remains for some reason unpublished, somewhere in my blog’s dungeons. You inspired me now to look it over, again. :)

    • Well, I hope that you dig through your archives and post it. I don’t know how much I can tell about you from your camera purchases, but I’m sure interested to know. :-)

  11. Well, I’ve been a Canon guy all my life. Not on purpose or for any strong reason, I simply never could muster the energy to swap the whole system.

    One exception: DImage A1. And yes, it’s an exception best forgotten. Fast.

  12. 1st- Kodak Retina

    Lots and lots of different tools still own most of them film and digital

    last- D700

    future- depends on what stories I want to tell

  13. Wonderful post. I’ve started a list and will post it soon. Mine has included twins-lens reflex, and several 35 mm film and digital cameras. I have had some wonderful memories this morning from reflecting back.

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