Cameras I Have Owned

I developed an interest in photography at a young age. However, it was during a time when there was not a large selection of even film, at least not for a teenager in a small West Texas oil town. There was the black and white film that I don't even remember if it had an exotic name, like Kodak Panatomic-X™. In fact, as I recall now by looking at some old manuals of black and white film, I believe that the most common was Kodak Verichrome™ if indeed it had a name at all.

Here is what I remember from those days:

The first camera was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. It used 120 roll film. Thinking about it now, I would bet that the body of this camera, although it looks like plastic, was Bakelite. One could get 12 shots on one roll of film and then would anixously wait for the developed and prints to return. Hover mouse over image to the left.

My second camera was a real treat! It was a Kodak Pony 135mm™ and that offered the opportunity for 20 to 36 exposures for each cartridge and most exciting — color film was readily available. pony135 Kodak had two film size models of this camera. We had both. The one I used was the 135mm or as commonly called 35mm, as I mentioned. The other one was a roll film designated 828, first introduced in 1935 and was discontinued 50 years later in 1985. It only had eight exposures per roll. Both of these cameras had a viewfinder but no rangefinder. Distances were either guessed or determined with a separate handheld split image rangefinder as I had. Also, the lens turned and extended for use. Some Kodachrome slides that were taken with the Pony 35mm I still have and they are in excellent condition. Not bad for a camera of 60 years ago.

rolleiflex

Finishing college, I joined the Navy to “see the world”. As a graduation present, my sisters gave me what is known today as the “Baby Gray Rollei”. This was a twin lens reflex, just as the big Rollei, but it used 127 roll film. Color films that were readily available were Kodacolor and Ektachrome, a positive film. I carried this little camera all over Japan, Thailand and three years or so in the United States taking thousands of photographs with it. I still have it but do not desire to purchase the film as it is very expensive today. While in Japan, the military newspaper, Stars and Strips sold their 6x6 Rolleiflex cameras. I was successful in winning one for the price of $25. I also still have this camera and at times use it for medium format black and white photography.

nikkormats

The day finally came when the little Rollei needed an overhaul. To take its place, I bought the SLR (single lens reflex), Nikon Nikkormat™. A less expensive body than the F2 which was popular at the time, but the same glass. In short, it is a very good camera and before I finished I had five lenses for it. One afternoon, I visited a pawn shop just to see what was for sale. I found the black body Nikormat. Since the name was not the same, I bargained for a reduced price. We settled on $50 and I had a second body. The difference in spelling is that Nikkormat is for sell outside of Japan while inside Japan the name is Nikormat. The shop owner didn't know that.

880

The digital age has arrived! In the year 2000 it was time to join the crowd of digital camera users. My first was a Nikon Coolpix 880™, 3.34 megapixel point and shoot camera. While this was only my first digital, it would not be my last and more importantly, it is an outstanding little camera. I even dropped it from a wrist onto a concrete floor and it continued to work although I had to have the case repaired to close a joint that opened on impact.

This camera has been to Alaska, although use of it was in the “learning stages” and the Nikkormat was also at hand. The Coolpix 880 was the primary camera on the Panama Canal trip, Japan, Russia. The photographs that I got in Russia turned out to be the best that this little camera has captured.

8700

With time, the digital world will out-do itself. More megapixels call for a new camera. How about jumping to an 8 megapixel camera. Okay, the question is, “which one?” There was the Nikon Coolpix 8400 which is an outstanding camera but comes with a high price tag. The Coolpix 8700™ has a deeper zoom and more than adequate wide angle and the price is lower. So it is, the 8700. Loaded with features for controling shutter speed, aperture and exposure, some have said that it is a close to a SLR one can get with a point and shoot camera. It was the primary camera on the trips to the Mediterrian, Yellowstone National Park, China and Austria & Germany.

Are we finished? No, megapixels have increased to 12! It is time to go shopping again but this time for a SLR. Just in time for Christmas of 2009, a Nikon D5000™ found its way into our mailbox. Sweet camera, excellent glass, vibration reduction, fast and compared to the Nikkormats, it is lighter than the Nikkormat.

d5000