What camera first made you fall in love with photography?

Question

What camera was it that made you fall in love with photography? Was it a little crappy point and shoot that you still took great photos with? Was it an old film SLR? The magic of polaroid as a kid? Or the DSLR you bought the other day?

To copy the guidelines from the equivalent stack overflow question:

• As with all poll type Q&As, please make certain your answer is NOT listed already before adding a new answer - searching doesn't always find it (model naming variations, I assume).
• If it already exists, vote that one up so we see what the most popular answer is, rather than duplicating an existing entry.
• If you see a duplicate, vote it down so the top entries have only one of each model listed.
• If you have interesting or additional information to add, use a comment or edit the original entry rather than creating a duplicate.

Answer 1

Minolta DiMAGE 5

My first camera, bought from 2nd hand.

Answer 2

A Kodak Box Brownie Vintage about 1948

Answer 3

A Voigtlander that belonged to my then-father-in-law. I don't know the model--fixed lens (Zeiss?), 35mm film and no electronics. I estimated exposures using the guidelines on the (color print) film box, and estimated focus based on distance--and still managed to take some pretty decent photos.

Edit
After looking at the company history (when I checked the spelling), I'd just about bet that that camera--if it still exists--is older than I am (but not by much...).

Answer 4

A Yashica TL-Elkectro borrowed from my brother-in-law in 1977.

Answer 5

Pentax ME Super. I was 15 and Mum told me I needed a hobby. At the time I just refused to touch point and shoots. I actually ended up going through 3 of them, thats the problem of buying second hand. Pentax ME Super http://www.kenrockwell.com/pentax/35mm/cameras/images/me/D3S_4313-me.jpg

Answer 6

This bulky film fisherprice monster I got when I was in kindergarden, unfortunatly the films don't seem to be available anymore.

Answer 7

My firse real camera was Zenith EM

It was very good camera. I did few films on my hollidays in Budapest, when I was 10 year old, and 100% of photos was good (light and focus). I had later few more modern models of Zenith cameras, but only this on photo was good. In rest problems with light measure and filmm transport. Also with times.

My second camera I loved was Practica MTL. I can't say any bad word about this SLR. All was good and great lenses.

Answer 8

I used some 110s and 35mm point and shoots occasionally, but they didn't pique an interest in photography. I used my Dad's old Chinon SLR (dunno which model) a little bit on and off for a while, but it was literally falling apart and shutter speeds were so inaccurate that an acceptable exposure was not repeatable. I finally decided to buy a Nikon N70 along with a 35-80mm f4-5.6, and as my interest in airbrush was waning, photography became my new creative outlet!

Answer 9

My Nikon F/Ftn. I still have it, it still works. Used it for 40+ years.

Answer 10

My grandfather's Leica M3, which he bought new during his travels and I inherited and still keep in repair.

I took that camera all the way from Pan-X to Tri-X and then later to TMax. Learned darkroom operations, pushed and pulled, tried everything from D-76 to Rodinal, Microdol-X and even some homebrew mixes.

One busy little camera.