It is a bit strange to think that many of the citizens of today’s world created their first-ever photograph casually with a smartphone or other mobile device. For those who grew up in the age of film, while we might not remember the first image we created—although we likely knew it was a moment of permanence and carried a small cost (film and developing), we may remember, and have fond memories of, the very first camera we used or owned.
While some cannot look fondly on their first picture-making machine, some photographers have a special attachment to their first camera… and stories to tell!
To hear some of these stories, I polled my fellow B&H employees, as well as our B&H Creative partners and affiliates, to come up with this reminiscence of first cameras and experiences.
Levi Tenenbaum, B&H — @ibelevi
“Like most others, I started off with point and click 35mm cameras that our family used to capture vacation memories. My father was also one of those who invested in a proper shoulder mounter VHS camcorder to record our family memories—and that’s probably where the idea of documenting family moments became ingrained.
“The trigger for photography for me was when my cousin and his friend shot some amazing high fashion style B&W on disposable cameras. I was shocked that it was that simple and shot tons of rolls of disposable camera until another cousin started a Photo 101 class.
“Enter my first use of a Canon film SLR and learning that I could stalk deer with just a camera (that was before I understood telephoto lenses, so no good photos to show from that escapade). The bokeh hooked me in strong! Next, I had a simple point-and-shoot that I took with me when I went to Australia for 11 months.
“The real breakthrough came when I splurged and bought a used Canon 10D on Craigslist. Not only did I have a great buying experience, but I immediately bought a Tamron 17-35 wide angle lens, and a 55–200 (thank you, Samy’s Camera). And that is where the true beginning of the journey was born!”
Bjorn Petersen, B&H
“[The Canon AE-1] was my first real camera and was the only camera I used for the first five years of my photographic education. As my skill set improved and my curiosity was piqued, I gradually moved away from the AE-1 in favor of other, more esoteric cameras—medium format and large format—and eventually digital. And even though I had hardly looked at an AE-1 in more than a decade, having the opportunity to work with one again felt akin to returning to your childhood hometown and still knowing your way around the block.
“I wrote about the camera in this Classic Cameras article. Be sure to check out the Comments section, where the real entertainment is!”
Brent Eysler, B&H — @brent_eysler
“My first camera was an Olympus Stylus 400 given to me by my aunt. I saved up for a whole summer to buy a 256MB xD memory card from the local camera store for it. It had room for something like 400 photographs, and I still remember standing there after popping in the xD card and being like, ‘Whoa… that’s going to take me forever to fill!’”
Bridget Haggerty, B&H — @bhaggertyphoto
“My first camera was nicknamed ‘Pretty in Pink.’
“I didn’t realize what I had. I couldn’t tell you if I ever used it to actually shoot film—I don’t think I ever did. I was 5, I don’t remember when or how I got my Pink Barbie 110mm point-and-shoot. I remember stuffing it into my gel fanny pack when I went to kindergarten for show and tell. I remember telling my mother she was a superstar as I pretended to be paparazzi, firing in rapid succession. The camera does not have flash, so that was pretend, too. I remember periodically digging it out of the toy box and shooting my imagination.
“My camera was a toy to me, and I loved playing with it. Rather than taking a photo of something real in front of the shutter, I’d imagine a scene and snap away. The camera disappeared by time I was 8. I don’t know if it lurks in my parents’ basement with our other nostalgia or if we threw it out. When I was 12, I bought a digital point-and-shoot and really felt the photo bug bite me. I can’t say my first camera was responsible for making me a photographer, but it nudged me a tiny bit. I found one on a resale site recently for $10. Yes, I bought it.”
Chuck Capriola, B&H — @chuckxpics
“My first camera was my father’s Fujica 35M, introduced at the World Expo, in 1957, held in Japan. The film advance was on the bottom of the camera, much like the Rollei 35 miniature viewfinder cameras, and you focused by turning a recessed wheel with your thumb on the back of the camera. The shutter was in-lens and, as I recall, would stick and not open unexpectedly or unpredictably.
“Giving me his old camera, my father would come home from work one evening with a ‘GOLDEN BOX,’ which contained what would be my first real camera and now a cherished family heirloom. The Nikkormat FTn would be the camera I learned photography with and be the camera I’d return to time after time, straying to other flavor-of-the-month models. The camera is rock solid with the customary 1970s security engraving that was a popular thing to do. I also own a black-body version, which I do use from time to time. My father’s Nikkormat sits on my desk. While the original 50 f/1.4 and 200mm f/4.0 lenses are long gone, I do have two versions of the same 50; the one pictured is a black nose copy. The build and durability of the camera made it a favorite of Vietnam War photojournalists and the camera made a brief cameo in Stanley Kubrick’s movie, Full Metal Jacket.”
David Brommer, B&H — @suspectphotography
“My first camera was a Polaroid Land Camera when I was about 8 years old. I thought it was the bee’s knees and quickly blew through the two packs of film I received with the camera. My mother took me to the local pharmacy to get more packs of film and it was super expensive, so she bought me one pack (ten shots) and said, ‘Make this last, because you’ll have to use your allowance to buy more film.’ With my allowance rate being a meager $2.00 a week, it would take me a month and a half to get more film! Little did I know this was my first lesson in shooting discipline and was a great primer 30 years later using large format, where you carefully choose what to expend a sheet of film on.”
Ido Jacoby, B&H - @idojacoby
“The first camera I owned is the Canon SD980. I bought it in a very sketchy place, in Lima, Peru. This camera endured extreme humidity, some water damage and still got great shots. That was my portal to photography and videography.”
Jill Waterman, B&H — @nightpix
“I remember my father showing me how to work several of his cameras as a young child (including the Argus C3 I wrote about here), but the very first camera I could call my own was probably the Polaroid Swinger my parents gifted me at age 10—and it delivered instant results.
“Both form and function had a classic ’60s groove, as famously expressed in the TV jingle, ‘It’s more than a camera, it’s almost alive.’ Instant film cameras have come a long way since Polaroid’s domination of this niche, and today one can get instant gratification from different camera brands. Yet, long after my Swinger and most of its pictures have been lost to history, a pungent whiff of its chemistry still lingers in my mind, perpetuating the memory of this early mass-market phenomenon that ignited my passion for photography and connected me to the spirit of the times.”
John Harris, B&H — @jrockfoto
“My first camera was a Polaroid SX-70, but it was not really mine; it was my fathers. I used it at holiday gatherings and on vacation, but he mostly kept it out of my hands. I still have many photos taken with this camera from the 1970s, and the color holds. My own first camera was the Canon T-50, a wonderful starter SLR for folks of my vintage. I wrote about the T-50 and the incredible Canon T-series in an article from 2021.”
Jorge Rojas, B&H — @nothingbutgrain
“I didn't get a camera as a kid but, rather, as a college student interested in photography, so the first camera I ever owned for myself was a battle-hardened Nikon FM2 that I bought secondhand, in 2012. It turned out to be the only camera I would ever need. There has been a lot written over time about this camera, but I was hooked instantly by the quality feel of its film advance and shutter mechanism, the durability of the construction, and the simplicity of its design. It made me appreciate the straight functionality of it, and how it was a type of beauty in itself. It was also a deeply humbling experience having to learn to shoot with something so unforgiving to mistakes, but that had the ability to make really beautiful images when I got it right, which made it that much more rewarding.
“And yes, I still have it and use it every day. The titanium shutter will probably outlast me.”
Josh Brown, B&H — @xxjoshbrownxx
“The Canon 110ED was my first camera. I was tearing through 110 cartridges at 3 years old, so my mom cut me off at some point. I think I sold the camera at a garage sale for $2.”
Joshua Fischer, B&H — @joshuamfischer
“My first camera was a tank: The Canon AE-1 Program.”
Maria Perez, B&H — @shotbymariaperez
“My first camera was the Canon Rebel T3i. Technically, it was a gift we gave my dad but, then, I basically took it.
“This camera was really what helped me figure out my passion for both photo and video. The Canon T3i helped me figure out my interviewing skills and learn how to shoot video properly. When I started to travel, it was my companion going across the country and world, learning to love to document the details, colors, and find my love for portraits. Today, I’m a video producer and a portrait photographer and without my little T3i it never would’ve been possible.
“This camera also taught me the importance of gear. When I started to have the need to level up, I quickly realized I would need a mic input, which the T3i didn’t have. I ended up selling it a few years ago to a realtor. I like to think after so many years of travel, my T3i, with its 18-200mm Sigma lens, is enjoying retirement—taking photos of backyard pools.”
Matthew Emond, B&H — @emondphoto
“Like countless others, my first camera was the Pentax K1000. With its barebones simplicity, rugged build quality, and affordability, it’s no surprise the camera was made for over two decades (1976-1997). It was the perfect camera with which to learn photography. The only thing that made my K1000 better is that it came to me free of charge from a cousin who had taken a photography course and decided it wasn’t for her.”
For more information on the Pentax K1000, click here.
Thomas Simms, B&H
“The first camera I ever used was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. The first camera I bought, with money from mowing lawns, was a Kodak Instamatic X-15F, from K-Mart, at a counter that also sold Casio watches, cherry Icees, and popcorn. The X-15F produced square images and used film in cartridges and flash bars with eight flashes that burned out after each use. After that, I had a couple of 110 cameras that never really worked well; I never had enough money for the yellow, waterproof one (the Minolta Weathermatic-A). Then, my dad gave me his Pentax Spotmatic, my first “real” camera, a 35mm SLR with a 50mm lens and a 135mm. The Spotmatic’s metering consisted of a plus and a minus sign and a needle floating between them: simple to use and a great way to learn the fundamentals of exposure.
“It’s pretty beautiful. I thought about it for your Best Looking Camera article, but I thought it was too plain and “basic SLR” looking. It is the quintessential SLR. I like that it doesn’t even have a hot shoe or connection to add a winder.”
Yana Zabavnik, B&H — @yanafauna
My first camera was the Nikon FM10. Completely manual, this camera was a powerhouse of truth-telling—it told you exactly where you lacked and how you can learn from it... but only days after you drew it out of the darkroom bath. I think my amazing photography professor had a certain joy in giving it to us. I went through a lot of ‘out of focus’ or overexposed film rolls during that time, all of them memorable for their flaws and imperfections—with some truly lovely standouts that I still have framed.
Todd Vorenkamp, B&H — @trvphoto
“I have two cameras that share the ‘first camera’ moniker in my past; the first camera that I ever owned and my first ‘real’ camera.
“The first camera I ever owned was a Kodak 110 Instamatic 30 that my grandmother gave me when she upgraded to a new Kodak Disc camera. I shot many rolls of film with it—memorably a great many frames of pigeons flying around our balcony at the Contemporary Hotel in Disney World—and some of my other early adventures. I still have the camera (adorned with a 40+ year-old Snoopy sticker on the bottom) on my shelf today as a reminder of how I started down this path.
“And my first ‘real’ camera was my trusty Nikon N6006 that traveled the world with me and that I wrote about in this 'Classic Cameras' tribute.”
Kodak 110 Instamatic 30
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Share Your Thoughts
Now it’s your turn! Tell us the story behind your first camera in the Comments section, below!
