What is the oldest camera you still own that you bought new ?

nickthetasmaniac said:
I..

1975 Nikonos III and UW.Nikkor 28/f3.5 - this one has some stories to tell... Purchased new by my dad during his first job as a clearance and construction diver on the wreckage of the Tasman Bridge (which partially collapsed in early '76 after the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra collided with a pylon). He was a working class 19 year old at the time so I have no idea how he could afford it... He then took it with him to diver training school at Fort Bovisand in the UK, before using it to document a commercial diving career that went to the North Sea, Libya, India, Australia, China and others...

Click to expand...

Please post some of the pics he took!
 
Huss said:
Please post some of the pics he took!
Click to expand...

I'm getting there!

I have a long term project to digitise Dad's diving photos and Mum's shots from Antartica (she spent five seasons down there working in cultural conservation). Unfortunately I haven't had the time to get started yet though...
 
The first camera I bought new was an Olympus 35RC, in 1972 or '73, though it is long gone, along with my other cameras from the 1970s.

The oldest cameras that I bought new and still have are from 1984:
1. Minolta SR-T 201.
2. Minolta X-570, with an Autowinder G added soon thereafter.

I lived in and out of the country in the 1970s (mainly Brasil and Portugal). I came back to the US from Portugal in 1981, which was the last year of production for the Minolta SR-T 201. I really wanted one of these, but I didn't have money for new photographic equipment at the time.

In 1984, Tall's Camera in Seattle found an overlooked cache of new Minolta SR-T 201s in their warehouse and offered them for sale. So, I was able to buy a new camera, under warranty, three years after it had gone out of production.

In the case of the X-570, I had been waiting for Minolta to introduce a new body with Aperture Priority Auto and AEL (Auto Exposure Lock). They finally did this with the X-700, but I was frankly outraged that a camera for serious photographers would have a Program Mode. :confused: Then they introduced the X-570 with no Program Mode, an improved Manual Mode, and low-shutter synch TTL flash. This was the camera I was waiting for (along with the SR-T), so I bought it.

- Murray

PS. Then again, I still have the Kodak Duaflex IV that I got for Christmas in 1959.
 
Pál_K said:
Good photos. A time capsule. Mad Magazine cover is April 1974. Still have the guitars?
Click to expand...

Thanks, all guitars are all gone but were replaced with others which I still have.

Still have that MAD magazine along with most from the 60's/70's/80's in my collection. Those bring back memories...
 
purchased with my own money: Minolta 16 II in early 1966
received as a gift (Xmas): Polaroid Model 20 "Swinger", Xmas '65


new "family" purchases bought with Dad's money and primarily for his use but occasional use by me:

Kodak Vigilant 620 (f/4.5 version) 1948 but not used my me until after I repaired the 1956 impact damage to the shutter in '62
Steky 16 ~1947-49 but not used my me until '62

Sears Tower 51 (35mm RF by Iloca), Spring '56


All still work perfectly well.
 
The first SLR, I bought was a Yashica TL Super, bought about 1971 while in Quang Tri in Viet Nam. I still have it but haven't used it in some time. For one thing, around late 1974 of early 1975, I purchased a Fujica ST 901 in Korea. I still have it. It was and is a terrific camera for me. The Yashica continued to be used, but not nearly as much. Sadly I haven't used either on in some time, due to health/mobility problems.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/gallery/50/med_U50I1182913014.SEQ.0.jpg

The next two cameras were a Yashica 124 and a Mamiya Super Press 23. I still have the Mamiya. I bought it to replace the Yashica after it was stolen.
 
I don't have any cameras that I bought new, anymore. There have only been two of those though. In 1999, I bought a Pentax ZX-5n brand new to "replace" the perfectly fine ME Super which had traveled with me everywhere since I was 14. Anyway, the new Pentax stayed with me for maybe 2 years then I sold it to "upgrade" to a Contax, which was nice but is also another story.
The other new camera I bought was a Leica M9. I sold it after only 21 months of ownership because during that 21 months, I only had it in my hands for 10 months, the rest of the time it was off to Leica for repair.

Other than that, I haven't bought any new cameras. My mom still has the camera I learned to shoot on, her 1969 Spotmatic, which she bought new. I should send that off to Eric for a complete overhaul...

Phil Forrest
 
Bought brand new in 1997. Within 2 months the command dial was spinning around - got repaired by canon and never had any issues since. A fab camera.


57870543_10156914518365772_7727017340872687616_o.jpg
 
Nikon F, 1968 50/1.4 Imported from Japan by a stewardess friend of my sister saving me a lot of money. She grabbed a shiny one for me. Now I have way too many film cameras, always a buyer, never a seller.
 
Never been one to keep a previous camera as I usually traded it/them in for the next iteration. The oldest camera I still have (and use) was bought by my dad in London in 1972 and passed on to me when he passed. I will load up the old Yashica Electro35 GS with Tri-X on occasion and spend the day shooting with it.
 
p.giannakis said:
Bought brand new in 1997. Within 2 months the command dial was spinning around - got repaired by canon and never had any issues since. A fab camera.


57870543_10156914518365772_7727017340872687616_o.jpg
Click to expand...

Same camera, same issue. Twice with two different cameras. Not a bad ride for a "plastic fantastic". I really enjoyed using those cameras.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom