The Attraction of Old Forgotten Cameras and your favorites?
I think it’s fair to say that a lot of the members here like old and often forgotten cameras.
It was one of the ways I found this place.
I got interested in them a while ago when I was wondering how a 20-year-old camera would hold up today. I’ve bought and sold half a dozen over the last 2 years.
For me the attractions are:
- Price, you can buy them for very little.
- Depreciation you can buy a camera that sold for 10% of its RRP now and often less.
- Build a £20 camera from 20 years ago is built like a £500 camera today.
- It’s interesting to see how brands colours / menus have evolved.
- Using them make you a better photographer. No fancy eye detects autofocus or massive burst rates.
- You can use them without worrying about your expensive gear, they are very replaceable.
- It makes you more grateful for what you have.
My favorite old DSLR is the Olympus E330.
I Don’t have a favorite point and shoot at the moment but I am hoping to buy an early Canon Ixus e.g. V1 or V2.
What are your favourites?
Oh, man. I wrote this long post that was basically a love letter to my K10D and when I went to post there was an error and *poof* gone. I'll have to be more concise this time. :'(
I agree with everything you said. All of your reasons are the same for me. Plus there's a cool factor with using an old camera. Like driving a classic car. I mean, maybe it's considered nerdy but to me it's just badass to use old cameras and lenses. 😎
My favorite is my Pentax K10D because <insert love letter>. 💘
The short version is I have something like 15 years of history with it and I've grown with it. I was terrible with it at first, and for the longest time, and just stopped taking photos (except for cell phones...) for the longest. Then in 2019 I got back into it and made an effort to learn and grow and realized it was never the camera, it was me. And to my surprise I found that there's a lot of love for it out there. I was like what, people use it still? CCD sensors? My camera is special? Huh? Maybe there's something wrong with me. Sure enough, I just sucked. 😆
Quote from JBP on August 4, 2022, 5:21 pmOh, man. I wrote this long post that was basically a love letter to my K10D and when I went to post there was an error and *poof* gone. I'll have to be more concise this time. :'(
I agree with everything you said. All of your reasons are the same for me. Plus there's a cool factor with using an old camera. Like driving a classic car. I mean, maybe it's considered nerdy but to me it's just badass to use old cameras and lenses.
My favorite is my Pentax K10D because <insert love letter>.
The short version is I have something like 15 years of history with it and I've grown with it. I was terrible with it at first, and for the longest time, and just stopped taking photos (except for cell phones...) for the longest. Then in 2019 I got back into it and made an effort to learn and grow and realized it was never the camera, it was me. And to my surprise I found that there's a lot of love for it out there. I was like what, people use it still? CCD sensors? My camera is special? Huh? Maybe there's something wrong with me. Sure enough, I just sucked.
Thats impressive having a camera for 15 years and I can imagine it’s still competent for most tasks. 11 autofocus points is more than enough and amazing for a 15-year-old camera.
The design looks nice too and modern even by today's standards.
Quote from Lim on August 4, 2022, 8:11 pmQuote from JBP on August 4, 2022, 5:21 pmOh, man. I wrote this long post that was basically a love letter to my K10D and when I went to post there was an error and *poof* gone. I'll have to be more concise this time. :'(
I agree with everything you said. All of your reasons are the same for me. Plus there's a cool factor with using an old camera. Like driving a classic car. I mean, maybe it's considered nerdy but to me it's just badass to use old cameras and lenses.
My favorite is my Pentax K10D because <insert love letter>.
The short version is I have something like 15 years of history with it and I've grown with it. I was terrible with it at first, and for the longest time, and just stopped taking photos (except for cell phones...) for the longest. Then in 2019 I got back into it and made an effort to learn and grow and realized it was never the camera, it was me. And to my surprise I found that there's a lot of love for it out there. I was like what, people use it still? CCD sensors? My camera is special? Huh? Maybe there's something wrong with me. Sure enough, I just sucked.
Thats impressive having a camera for 15 years and I can imagine it’s still competent for most tasks. 11 autofocus points is more than enough and amazing for a 15-year-old camera.
The design looks nice too and modern even by today's standards.
Thank you! Yes, it's plenty for most tasks, it can even do wildlife to this day! The birds don't fly any faster than they used to! 😆 It's only in low light situations that I feel its age.
Quote from JBP on August 4, 2022, 5:21 pmMy favorite is my Pentax K10D because <insert love letter>.
Where do I have to sign?
My K10D cameras are fairly new in this household, but I like them very much, because they challenge me already at the "do your homework" level (getting the exposure right is not as easy as with more modern cameras) - but when I master that challenge and take a photograph within the limits of that camera, the reward is just stunning.
The colours even in the raw files are so beautiful and a guy who also uses darktable to develop his RAW files was rather astonished when he saw the JPEGs files that came straight out of the standard pixel pipeline of darktable: "Why do these images have such vibrant colours?"
I can't imagine a better matching camera for me for "slowed down" photography.
E.
Quote from EckyH on August 4, 2022, 8:50 pmQuote from JBP on August 4, 2022, 5:21 pmMy favorite is my Pentax K10D because <insert love letter>.
Where do I have to sign?
My K10D cameras are fairly new in this household, but I like them very much, because they challenge me already at the "go your homework" level (getting the exposure right is not as easy as with more modern cameras) - but when I master that challenge and take a photograph within the limits of that camera, the reward is just stunning.
The colours even in the raw files are so beautiful and a guy who also uses darktable to develop his RAW files was rather astonished when he saw the JPEGs files that came straight out of the standard pixel pipeline of darktable: "Why do these images have such vibrant colours?"
I can't imagine a better matching camera for me for "slowed down" photography.
E.
That's so true, I'm still amazed by the colors. "Slowed down" photography is such a good thing for us to do and strengthen our photography skills. In that way these old cameras have a lot to teach us. 🙂
Favourite old DSLR would be the Pentax K-5, just feels so nice in the hand, great IQ plus some features that even modern cameras don't have. Like moving the sensor to recompose, comparing 2 pictures in camera among other things.
Favourite compact has to be the Pentax MX-1 the brass plates give it a reassuringly heavy feel of an old film SLR, though it has a small 1/1.7" sensor it's BSI and the lens is a bright 28-112m zoom (f/1.8-2.5) which is super sharp and maximises the 12MP resolution. The IQ out of this rivals the Lumix GX80 with Lumix Leica 12-60mm lens.
But for me the best is (and face it most of us have heard this I'm sure) when people say "that's a nice photo you must have a really good/expensive camera" you get to say actually this is 10yrs old and cost me 150USD. It often inspires, I know several people who've gotten into photography as a result of seeing pictures I took with old cameras or lenses it was something they didn't consider because they assumed it had to be expensive.
I touched on this on my d700 thread. I think it's focus. There are no video modes, fewer options, and yet still the same number of buttons and dials - meaning everything does something genuinely useful to you, at all times.
Having video modes, "film simulations", WiFi (that never works properly anyway) - it's all fluff to me 99 percent of the time, so when some of those tactile buttons are to change from a regular, good looking jpeg to the nasty, zombie-mode classic chrome mode everyone loves... I feel less connected.
Don't get me wrong, a d800 would be great - but it doesn't make me money and I seldom print beyond 8x10, although I'm looking forward to see how an A3+ goes with 12mp...
I can't pick a favorite, I love too many, for different reasons!
But the one that started it all for me is the Pentax Q. I mean what a little performer it is! It's so tiny and portable, it's fine for even my worst joint pain days. And it's a pleasure to hold and use, too.
The original Q gives a surprisingly film-like look, has IBIS (!!), and works with quirky old 8mm motion picture lenses you can't use for anything else. The original AF lenses are also great. Love it.
Quote from ahoyhere on August 5, 2022, 10:52 pmI can't pick a favorite, I love too many, for different reasons!
But the one that started it all for me is the Pentax Q. I mean what a little performer it is! It's so tiny and portable, it's fine for even my worst joint pain days. And it's a pleasure to hold and use, too.
The original Q gives a surprisingly film-like look, has IBIS (!!), and works with quirky old 8mm motion picture lenses you can't use for anything else. The original AF lenses are also great. Love it.
The Q is a really fun camera I still somewhat regret selling mine! I wish the wide angle lens was more affordable.
