Oldest Camera/Lens you Own?

[YobB1n]

Just wondering, I don't know why. Let me know if it still works too

 

 

 

P.S.: I only got into photography a little while ago. My oldest lens is a Canon 50mm 1.8II.

[Zodiark1593]

I have my grandparents Sony Cybershot from 2006. 7.2 megapixels and a 1/2.3" CCD sensor gives it worse low light performance than my phone.  ISO 400 on it behaves worse that ISO 6400 on my G7X. 

 

The Zeiss lens is quite good though. With small subjects at the long end gives very good quality blurring 

[harryk]

The oldest camera I have is a Kodak Flash Bantam circa 1947-1953. It still works just fine, though no one makes 828 film anymore so I either have to find expired film or cut my own.

 

The oldest digital camera I have is an Agfa 1680 from 1999. I haven't toyed with it for some time now but it should still be working.

 

The oldest camera I use regularly is my Hasselblad 500 C/M with dated manufacture in 1985.

[Guest]

I picked up my first old camera at my school boot sale, an old box brownie. I became a little obsessed after that with getting old cameras. From aged 9-14 I built up quite a collection with the oldest being a late 19th century plate camera. It does work but not used it for a very long time as it is just too expensive per shot. I paid 40p for it, and today the cost per shot is about £30.

 

Oldest lens I currently still use is a Canon 400mm f5.6. I think it is also the oldest lens Canon still have in production.

[porina]

The oldest one I can date would be a Kodak Disc camera from the 80's.

If we're talking more serious stuff, if gets more difficult. Lens wise, I have a Canon FD 50mm f/1.2 which I mount converted to EF. Body wise, it would probably be either a Canon 300D of 1D, both are very early digital cameras. The 300D I converted for IR photography. The 1D was an impulse buy, it was described as broken. I broke it trying to fix it, then later found out the fault wasn't actually a fault but just how it worked. Doh! I might have a film body somewhere but if I can't remember it, I guess it doesn't count.

[ka_re_t]

I just got an Industar 50-2 lens yesterday.  Amazingly shallow DoF when you want it, neat little lens.  Haven't had any good chances to test it in real sunlight yet, but I'd imagine it will do well.  It's worth looking into old Soviet lenses, they're cheap and have some historic value.

 

oh, right, and they started making that lens in 1959, don't know when they stopped so I'll just guess mine is from the 60s.

[YellowJersey]

I don't have anything particularly old. I always sell my old stuff to help pay for new stuff. Until recently, the oldest bit of kit I had was a Canon EF 100-300mm 4.5-5.6 lens; the old push-pull one from the 80s that pre-dated the USM. I think I've got an old film Rebel kicking around somewhere, which I guess would be the oldest thing I currently have.

[Blue4130]

My oldest camera body is a Leica m2 from 1960. It gets about 10 rolls shot per month.

 

Oldest lens is a rapid aplanat from late 1890's that I use on my 4x5 

[MandicReally]

I primarily shoot photos on a Canon AE-1 Program from the 80s.  My Mom bought it new and gifted it to me a year or so ago.  I genuinely enjoy shooting film far more than digital on the whole.  Aside from the expense of developing and time to scan in negatives.

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, MandicReally said:

I primarily shoot photos on a Canon AE-1 Program from the 80s.  My Mom bought it new and gifted it to me a year or so ago.  I genuinely enjoy shooting film far more than digital on the whole.  Aside from the expense of developing and time to scan in negatives.

@MandicReally if you don't already, develop yourself. It is so much cheaper than using a lab. 

[YobB1n]

On 11/29/2019 at 11:29 PM, Zodiark1593 said:

I have my grandparents Sony Cybershot from 2006. 7.2 megapixels and a 1/2.3" CCD sensor gives it worse low light performance than my phone.  ISO 400 on it behaves worse that ISO 6400 on my G7X. 

 

The Zeiss lens is quite good though. With small subjects at the long end gives very good quality blurring 

Cool to see how far we've come!

[YobB1n]

11 hours ago, Blue4130 said:

My oldest camera body is a Leica m2 from 1960. It gets about 10 rolls shot per month.

 

Oldest lens is a rapid aplanat from late 1890's that I use on my 4x5 

Wow! Seems in great condition!

[Thanatopsis]

I have a couple of Canon A1, T1, and AE1 that are all probably about the same age.  I used to have a 1950's Kodak movie camera but recently sent that off to salvation army.

[Radium_Angel]

This

[atxcyclist]

My grandfather's Pacemaker Speed Graphic that he used in the 1950s. 4x5 inch film, and it has a color-compatible lens. I've gone through it and made sure it functions, but I haven't taken any photos yet. I need to buy some film...

 

https://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/pacemaker-speed-graphic.html

[Blue4130]

1 minute ago, atxcyclist said:

My grandfather's Pacemaker Speed Graphic that he used in the 1950s. 4x5 inch film, and it has a color-compatible lens. I've gone through it and made sure it functions, but I haven't taken any photos yet. I need to buy some film...

 

https://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/pacemaker-speed-graphic.html

Color compatible lens? All lenses are color compatible. Some are just better Tha than others. Case in point, my 100 year old lens works fine with color 4x5. 

[atxcyclist]

2 minutes ago, Blue4130 said:

Color compatible lens? All lenses are color compatible. Some are just better Tha than others. Case in point, my 100 year old lens works fine with color 4x5. 

Some of the earlier lenses didn't have the better coatings that the later-production lenses had, it's what my grandfather told me at least, although he really only ever used Tri-X 320 in it. Color film gets nutso expensive in 4x5 though, so I'll probably mostly run B&W as well. I may purchase a package of Portra for it just to try the camera out, because my local lab can do C-41 in-house for sure. I think they send all the E series and B&W stuff across town to a bigger lab. I have some always-frozen Fuji Velvia 50 in my freezer, so if the camera works then that stuff will get used.

[Blue4130]

15 minutes ago, atxcyclist said:

Some of the earlier lenses didn't have the better coatings that the later-production lenses had, it's what my grandfather told me at least, although he really only ever used Tri-X 320 in it. Color film gets nutso expensive in 4x5 though, so I'll probably mostly run B&W as well. I may purchase a package of Portra for it just to try the camera out, because my local lab can do C-41 in-house for sure. I think they send all the E series and B&W stuff across town to a bigger lab. I have some always-frozen Fuji Velvia 50 in my freezer, so if the camera works then that stuff will get used.

Its true that early lenses didn't have coatings, but they work fine with color. You'll just get less contrast, it works well for portraits. 

 

If you want cheap film, shoot xray film. It's orthochromatic so doesn't register reds, but makes for interesting photos. And works out to about ten cents per 4x5. 

[Williamchan87]

leica M3 double stroke?

[TheOtherKav]

The oldest one I have dated is a Graflex Speed Graphic press camera from the USS Alabama circa 1943. One of my favorite cameras to use to this day.

[nazodayi]

My oldest and probably most favourite lens is a Minolta 50mm 1.2 (mid 60s probably), below photo is shot with a sony a7R and that lens.

 

My oldest camera is a minolta SRT 101 (60s again) but i don't use it that often. The oldest camera i use very often is a beast of a minolta alpha 9000. circa 1985. It has better features than some of the modern cameras. Total workhorse

 

Untitled by nzmcnsk, on Flickr

 

Untitled by nzmcnsk, on Flickr

[callmeJozef]

Mine is a Praktica BCA electronic that i got from my father in law, still works fine. I dont like the fact that i cant set it to full manual but i dont plan to sell it ever. 

[Chrisokane]

The oldest cameras and lenses I own are a Canon Ftb + 28mm 2.8 FD followed by my favourite Nikon F3 + 50mm 1.8 Ais, then a Praktica BC1 + 50mm 1.8.

 

They all work, I found the FTB in a vintage store (for £30 I had to have it). 
The F3 I got on eBay (my dream film camera) is my daily driver.
And the BC1 was my father's he bought it a few weeks before my brother was born in 1985 (still have the receipt).

[Lenovich]

On 12/1/2019 at 1:18 AM, ka_re_t said:

oh, right, and they started making that lens in 1959, don't know when they stopped so I'll just guess mine is from the 60s.

 

First two digits of lens number is year of production this current  lenses

[atxcyclist]

On 1/3/2020 at 4:02 AM, nazodayi said:

My oldest and probably most favourite lens is a Minolta 50mm 1.2 (mid 60s probably), below photo is shot with a sony a7R and that lens.

 

My oldest camera is a minolta SRT 101 (60s again) but i don't use it that often. The oldest camera i use very often is a beast of a minolta alpha 9000. circa 1985. It has better features than some of the modern cameras. Total workhorse

The SRT series is awesome, I have a 100 that has become my sole 35mm camera I use. The focus screen and metering are just better than anything else I've used in 35mm. Aside from the funky PX625 battery (and meters adjusted to old mercury-based batteries), they really have few weaknesses.