what is the longest you have held onto a piece of photography equipment?

[DanOnRoute66]

Olympus OM-1N, Zuiko 100mm f2.8 and 28mm f2.8 I bought in early 1984. They all still work fine although I don't use the camera body much these days, as I have since bumped it to "backup status" in favor of the OM-2N and OM-4.

 

[raid]

My Canon F1N must be 28 years with me, or so. I have sold the Canon AE1 and the A1. The oldest equipment was a Zeiss Contina, which I have had since the late 70's, but it broke down and I sold it for parts. My first camera was an Agfa Rapid camera, which should still be somewhere in some closet in Baghdad. I had that one since middle school in Germany in the mid 60's.

 

[sepiareverb]

I've got the Brownie Hawkeye I got in 1969, still shoot it every now and again. I've got an F4 I shot for years and years but I never shoot with it anymore. My .72 M7 is likely the longest owned camera in the regular rotation. Got that in 2005 I think.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I bought an Olympus XA new in 1980 and gave it away a only year or so ago.
Hard to believe I had it 30 years...

Chris

 

[Johann Espiritu]

I still have a Konica C35AF2 from 1983 - the first camera I ever used (literally) and owned (since I was nine years old).

 

[splitimageview]

I still have my Nikon F2s I got in 1979...

 

[Particular]

Someone offered me a leica m3 in January 1991. I finished a few rolls with it this week.

 

[Timmyjoe]

My first SLR, a Canon TX, I've had since April 1, 1976, so thirty six years. Second longest, Nikon FM-2n since March 1996. Longest Leica, M6-TTL since May 26, 2000.

Best,
-Tim

 

[ChrisN]

Olympus OM-10 that I purchased in 1979 or early '80. Still working.

 

[charjohncarter]

Leica IIIf with an Elmar 50mm f3.5, I bought it in 1964. I still use it, I've had a few CLAs but for $50 it has been worth it to do the repairs:

 

[Paul Connet]

Kodak Retina I, bought from a pawn shop sometime in 53 or 54 while in the Navy. Still works but the shutter is way off on the slow side.

You guys must all be a bit younger than I.

Paul C.

 

[charjohncarter]

Kodak Retina I, bought from a pawn shop sometime in 53 or 54 while in the Navy. Still works but the shutter is way off on the slow side.

You guys must all be a bit younger than I.

Paul C.

Yikes, that is great.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I have a Nikon 28/2.8 that I have had since 1990. Everything else I owned at that time has been a complete turn-over. I have an F4 and a 50/1.4 AF from 1991. I traded a Pentax LX and all my lenses (and a wad of cash) to get that Nikon in '91. Ooo - I also have an 80mm Schneider Compenon enlarging lens from 1987. Great f--in lens. In 1992 I got my Pentax 67 and a 90mm lens.

 

[rover]

My SRT 101 is the camera my father bought for me in the late 70s when I first became interested in photography.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I still have the very first camera that I ever got, a crappy plastic fixed-focus camera with four apertures: cloud, half cloud, half-sun, and sun. It was a giveaway my parents got when I was about 6 yrs old. I also have all of the Olympus OM lenses that my dad bought me when I was a kid, 11-15 yrs old. Still have the OM-4T, Nikon F4s, and Mamiya 645 that I got when I was 18.

 

[Al Patterson]

I've had an old 1921 vintage Kodak camera that was my grandfather's from 1965 until now. The film for it ran out in 1980 or so.

In 1881 I bought a Canon AE-1 which I still have. It needs work, so I don't use it, but it isn't worth selling anyway.

 

[kshapero]

I found my Rollei 35s from I think 1978 when I got it. Drove down to 47th St Photo to get it. I think the meter is whacked.

 

[ssmc]

30 years and counting: 45/2 MD Rokkor. I still have the camera I bought it with (XG-1) but that gave up the ghost long ago, to be replaced by an X-700 & X-570 🙂

 

[alfredian]

Ansco tank, Nikon F2

Ansco tank, Nikon F2

Still have my first film developing tank, an Ansco from 1969. Pinhole chip covered w/Mystic tape, but still usable. Nikon F2A from June 1975 plus 105/2.5 and 55/3.5 MicroNikkor - graduation present. Vivitar E54 + Nikkor 50/4 enlarger still in use. Ditto the entire darkroom set-up. Buy well and hold.

 

[Oren Grad]

Still have my dad's Signet 35, bought new ~1952, his Pen EE-S (~1962) and his Spotmatic (1968). Also my own Brownie Fiesta R4 (1969), Polaroid Square Shooter 2 (1974) and first SLR (Pentax MX, 1979).