The WORST Cameras of all time..

And the runner up ...

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Larry Cloetta said:
For marketing majors, and many internet camera forums, the main job, at which they are often successful, is to convince people that the worst camera of all time was the one they bought 3 years ago.
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This is so true, Larry! My first serious digital camera was the Sony NEX-5T, which I purchased in 2014. I hardly shoot digital anymore, but all the film images that I share here on the forum are digitized with that camera. If I ever wanted to "un-retire" it and use it for normal stills, I'm sure it would still work great.

Huss said:
The Pixii.
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I see your Pixii and raise you a Konost. Wait, nevermind...
 
It's the darnedest thing, but seemingly any camera that I happen to get my hands on and make use of instantly turns into the worst camera ever. I have a similar problem with guitars.
 
Bronica RF645

Bronica RF645

My copy of this camera (beloved by many here at RFF) was a piece of junk. It spent more time back at Bronica for repairs than in my hands taking pictures. I sold it before the warranty ran out. Good lenses, but the body was a dog.
 
BillBlackwell said:
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Oh my gosh. Earlier this year on an online motorcycle forum that I run, I scanned and posted a series of photos that I taken at a motorcycling-related event back in the 70's when I was a kid. After scanning the photos, I tried to remember what exact camera it was that I had received as a gift when I was young. I could only recall that it was an instamatic of some sort.

I realized as soon as I set eyes on your post that the camera I had owned back then was of course "The Handle" by Kodak. Talk about a flashback (not to be confused with a flashbulb). The Handle might well have been one of the worst cameras ever. I know that I have wished many times over in my adulthood that I had owned a better camera back then. But looking at those and other photos that I took as a child, I'm made aware of the fact that even the worst camera is better than no camera at all.
 
dourbalistar said:
With all due respect, Bill, I strongly beg to differ. Worst camera of all time? Maybe very, very ugly, but I have no arguments with ugly. ;)
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Erik van Straten said:
This must be a joke. The best of the best. ...
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I meant it as as tongue-in-cheek. But, in fact, it did nearly bury Leica. So I suppose in a manner of speaking, it was Leica's "worst" camera.
 
I think it shared that honour with the Leicaflex SL Bill.

Strangely both of my absolute favourite cameras (with meters) almost destroyed Leica. As with cars, I do seem to be taken by over-engineered German stuff!
 
Guth said:
Oh my gosh. Earlier this year on an online motorcycle forum that I run, I scanned and posted a series of photos that I taken at a motorcycling-related event back in the 70's when I was a kid. After scanning the photos, I tried to remember what exact camera it was that I had received as a gift when I was young. I could only recall that it was an instamatic of some sort.

I realized as soon as I set eyes on your post that the camera I had owned back then was of course "The Handle" by Kodak. Talk about a flashback (not to be confused with a flashbulb). The Handle might well have been one of the worst cameras ever. I know that I have wished many times over in my adulthood that I had owned a better camera back then. But looking at those and other photos that I took as a child, I'm made aware of the fact that even the worst camera is better than no camera at all.
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That's too funny! I Googled "worst 35mm camera of all time" and 'the Handle' was my first hit - the second was the Kodak Instamatic; I had one when I was kid (man, what a POS). That's where I got the picture(s).
 
Can’t agree with that choice. 126 went away, butback n the day those Kodak Instamatics delivered and were hugely popular.
 
CharlesDAMorgan said:
I think it shared that honour with the Leicaflex SL Bill.

Strangely both of my absolute favourite cameras (with meters) almost destroyed Leica. As with cars, I do seem to be taken by over-engineered German stuff!
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Yes! Especially the SL2 (a camera I particularly loved, BTW). I've been told by numerous sources (Don Goldberg being one of them) that Leica lost money on every SL2 they sold.

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kshapero said:
Those 3D cameras back in the eighties were pretty terrible. Can't recall their name.
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Nimslos were great cameras, Nishikas were horrible. In fact, I would nominate the Nishika as the worst camera ever made! it even has a lead weight in it to make it seem more substantial than it is.

I've had a few Nimslos and they are great cameras. Sharp lenses, well built and easily pocketable. Kinda wish I still had one.
 
RichC said:
Any 110 snapshot camera. Back in their heyday, every time you collected your photos from the chemist you were reminded how shockingly poor they were: grainy and fuzzy, barely able to hold up in a 4 in. print.
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Rollei A110 is an excellent 110 camera. Tessar 3.5 lens, AE, manual focus. Titianium construction. Most probably the best 110 made.



And 100% crop from above:



To be fair, most 110 cameras were garbage. Add to that awful 1hour developing counters and you'd get horrible results.
 
dourbalistar said:
This is so true, Larry! My first serious digital camera was the Sony NEX-5T, which I purchased in 2014. I hardly shoot digital anymore, but all the film images that I share here on the forum are digitized with that camera. If I ever wanted to "un-retire" it and use it for normal stills, I'm sure it would still work great.



I see your Pixii and raise you a Konost. Wait, nevermind...
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Do not confuse the Konost with a Kronost. Those had delicious custard fillings.
 
I suppose I would classify as my worst camera as I’m still learning how to use it. I need to get in a different frame of mind when using it.

The camera is a Zero 2000 wooden pinhole.

That is my worst camera!

But it ‘s fun! And I’m going to make good photographs with it.
 
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