What cameras did you use in the late 80s and early 90s?

In the late 80s and early 90s, I was a kid using an Olympus OM-G (OM-20 for those outside the USA). In 1992, I got an old prewar Rolleiflex; and in 1994 I got an Olympus OM-4T, and a Mamiya 645 Super. That was final year of high school; my dad bought me the new cameras so I would have pro-level gear to take to art school.
 
Late 80s thru '91 I was using mainly F2A, F2 and FM cameras--all for work. Into the 90s I switched to Canons, the A2E and EOS 1n. Leicas came in the early 2000s but I had used Leicas in the early to mid 80s as well. The main thing I took out of the Canons and other brands after them was that electronic cameras were reliable. That made it easier to move to digital as the quality improved.



..............................
 
Pentax MX (which I still have) with 50/1.7 and Vivitar 24/2 and Series 1 70-210 zoom, Minolta AFZ P&S with a very good 35/2.8 lens and an Olympus Trip. Also, weirdly, a Leica M3 for a short time which I was given but did not get on with and sold for a song. I don’t remember which lens was on it.

The MX went everywhere until my girlfriend in the 90s (now wife) wanted to travel light and we ended up using a Minolta P&S zoom for years.
 
In the early 90’s I had an F with WL finder. I met this guy living in his van. He claimed to be a photographer really really really down on his luck, so I bought the plain prism, swapped out the WL and gave it to him with the 50/1.4. I still have the WL! I was broke and had to learn sunny 16 because I didn’t have a meter now not even a camera. I took a darkroom class at the community center and made prints. When I got a job I bought a new Nikon N50 with a zoom.
 
Last edited:
In the 1980's, Pentax MX bodies (4) and 28, 35, 50,85, 135 and 200 primes for 35 mm, Rolleiflex 3.5 E, Mamiya Universal with 65, 100 and 150 lenses, Toyo 45F with 65, 90, 115, 150, 210 and 300 lenses. The MX bodies were replaced by Pentax LX bodies by the mid 90's after wearing out the MX bodies, and I finally succumbed to Pentax 35-105 f/3.5 zoom lenses for events. The 4x5 Toyo 45F was supplemented by a Toyo 45G in the late 90's for studio work that required more magnification and greater rigidity.
 
I started the 80's with a Pentax K1000 and finished out the 90's with a Pentax ME Super. Both were fine cameras and the K1000 is the legendary stone ax that can take pictures, too. In 2000 I made the jump to digital with the Sony DSC S70 and have been digital since, well up until recently when I picked up a sweet Contax II as a gift. My first roll of XP-2 is soon to be sent off for developing and scanning. After Oleg's CLA the shutter is a sweet whisper.
 
Timmyjoe said:
This:

View attachment 4871457

Was working for a paper in NYC, this was my workhorse, along with a 50mm f1.4 & 28mm f2.8.

Also used it for some fashion shooting. Wish I hadn't sold it.

Best,
-Tim
Click to expand...
Looking at this camera makes me think it plays Thus Spake Zarathustra while hairy homo habilis club each other with bones in the foreground 😁
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom