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a olympus 35rc bought in 1972...NYC...first image (long gone) was of a fire hydrant.
What is the oldest camera you still own that you bought new ?
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Huss
Veteran
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...
Please post some of the pics he took!
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
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...
CMur12
Veteran
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. 😕 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.
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. 😕 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.
sevres_babylone
Veteran
Olympus OM1 - summer 1975
DMA1965
Established
I have an Olympus Stylus Zoom I bought for my wife for our trip to Italy for our honeymoon in 2002.
Shac
Well-known
Nikon F - plain Prism + 50/2 in 1968
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
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...
Dwig
Well-known
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.
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.
oftheherd
Veteran
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.
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.
stefan_
Newbie
My Contax 139, a Christmas present from my parents 1981. Was serviced in the early 90s and is still working.
benlees
Well-known
Kodak VR35. Got it in 1989 and haven't used it since 1997ish.
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
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
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
randy stewart
Established
Oldest "new" camera
Oldest "new" camera
Nikomat FT2, bought in Japan in 1976.
Oldest "new" camera
Nikomat FT2, bought in Japan in 1976.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
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.
Russell W. Barnes
Well-known
Pentax MX, 1981.
Archiver
Veteran
Come to think of it, I started a similar thread here:
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=169661
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=169661
bmcnew
Newbie
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.
Photog9000
Well-known
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.
Dogman
Veteran
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.
Same camera, same issue. Twice with two different cameras. Not a bad ride for a "plastic fantastic". I really enjoyed using those cameras.
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