Collecting old 35mm SLR cameras

sniper x · Jul 28, 2017

I started off my photography addiction way back in 1970 when My dad got back from Viet Nam for the third and next to last tour. He left his Yashica 35mm camera with a 50mm lens on it at home, and I taught myself how to use it using a book I got from the library. I was 12. I wish I still had that camera, It did three tours in Viet Nam with my Dad, and we had countless Kodachrome slides from all those tours. I also wish at least I knew what model it and the lens were so I could replace it. I can;'t remember what happened to that camera, but I was given a new AE1 with a 50mm 1.4 lens sometime in the year 1976. I got the bug badly, especially for the Canon brand. I got a new A1 in about late 1978, and then a F1 in about 1979 right after I had been in the Army myself for about two years. I was stationed at Fort Sam Houston a beautiful duty station at the time. My barracks mate was the editor of the Ft. Sam Houston Times and after a day out shooting at the local Zoo, he asked me to be a contributing photographer for the paper.

I loved that job. Took many pics for the paper and loved seeing my work in print. I had the F1, and quite a few nice primes and a few zooms I had accrued over the years. Still had, and have my original A1. I regret selling the F1 and all the higher end pro primes back when I bought my first two A2e bodies when I started shooting Field Football for the UNM Lobos. I had made some fairly good money on the side with the F1 shooting every year at the International Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque after coming back here from Monterey California.

I am back into trying to not only replacing all the nicer lenses I sold but the F1, and the motordrive for it and getting one for the A1. I am happy that most everything for the old FD mount cameras is so cheap and seemingly in excellent condition! I picked up a replacement for my AE1 and the lens I had on it yesterday for 20 dollars and it looks brand new save for the UNM sticker on the base. I am going to go ahead and replace all the light seals, and do a CLA on it next week. I am also picking up a Motordrive MA for it and the A1 tomorrow, as well as a lens I have wanted back since I originally had one the Tokina ATX 24-40 2.8. That thing was SWEET!

webestang64 · Jul 28, 2017

Cool story.

I remember selling my Pentax MX back in the late 90's.......missed it so much I had to buy another.

dxqcanada · Jul 28, 2017

Ah, you ain't collecting ... collecting equates to stuff that looks pretty on the shelf, and bragging to others that they don't have one ... you are a USER !!!

Hmm, I am going to guess it may have been one of the Yashica TL models.

I also miss my Canon F-1, it was an awesome camera system.

table1349 · Jul 28, 2017

Yep sounds like a user to me as well. I have every camera except 1 that I ever used. The one I used that don't have was my Uncles Leica M3 that he lent to me. It was the first "real" 35mm I used. After I gave it back to him I got a Yashica 35 before graduating to a Nikon F and then to my beloved F2's. I have my grandmothers box Brownie, my folks Kodak Duraflex II, as well as an assortment of Instamatic cameras. My favorite has to be moms old Minolta Talker which still works. Wasn't a great camera, but it talked to you if you didn't load the film or needed to use flash.

sniper x · Jul 29, 2017

I am also looking for the finds to buy a nice 1958 Leica M3. In the meantime, I will keep collecting the Canon stuff I sold off and of course some more. I am also considering a Canon rangefinder and am hopefully getting a deal on an FM2 with a Nikkor 28 2.8 tomorrow for a measly 40 clams from the guy I got the AE1 from .

fmw · Jul 29, 2017

The F-1 was an awesome camera system indeed. It is the first model that aimed competitively at the Nikon F system. Rugged, solid and accurate. It was certainly a successful launch. Canon is now larger than Nikon as a company.

sniper x · Sep 18, 2017

I have aquired a few since this post. A super nice Yashica Electro 35 GSN, a very nice Minolta Hi~Matic F, and a super clean Minolta Hi~Matic 9. All work well but I had to fix a couple little issues with the F. I am taking the first roll of Tri X I shot or am shooting with all three in for processing next week whilst waiting for developing equipment I ordered to get here.

davidharmier60 · Sep 19, 2017

My Winder A fell to corroded batteries. I still have my and my Dad's AE-1. One serial number starts 209 and the other 383.
However I have an EOS650 that works and looks great. However I have not made good money since the middle 90s. I have rolls of mostly aircraft that were never processed. I'm trying to get a 40D digital to use my EF lenses.
And should my job work out and allow it I will shoot some film.

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Gary A. · Sep 19, 2017

Waiting anxiously for the results.

davidharmier60 · Sep 22, 2017

The job probably won't allow much.
In the meantime I have a Nikon Coolpix P60 with 8.1MP and 5x optical zoom.
Forum won't allow a picture of it.

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snowbear · Sep 22, 2017

sniper x said:
I have aquired a few since this post. A super nice Yashica Electro 35 GSN, a very nice Minolta Hi~Matic F, and a super clean Minolta Hi~Matic 9. All work well but I had to fix a couple little issues with the F. I am taking the first roll of Tri X I shot or am shooting with all three in for processing next week whilst waiting for developing equipment I ordered to get here.

Hi-Matics aren't SLRs, or at least the Hi-Matic 7 isnt.

davidharmier60 · Sep 22, 2017

I'd sure like to trip over some of those old 35mm cameras!

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cabledawg · Oct 7, 2017

I have a Canon AE-1 I bought years ago to replace my Olympus OM1 that was stolen. While the Canon will never replace the sentimental value of the OM1, I have dove head first into the Canon family of products. Used the AE-1 for many years, then when film was falling out I bought a 30D and an adapter for the old FD lenses. Now that I'm going back to film, I decided to buy a few more bodies and lenses to expand my collection. As of right now I have a F-1, EF, A-1, AT-1, AE-1, AE-1 Program, T70 and recently bought a Rebel G II. I havent run film through a few of these but they pass the function checks and are pretty clean for some of them being 30+ years old. I intend to use the A-1 and Rebel as my new go to cameras and bought the rest so I can do a full F and A series collection. So as I find ebay auctions or yardsales I'll keep picking up these old relics and maybe start my own museum someday.

The Barbarian · Oct 9, 2017

The two SLRs I find most interesting are the Exactas and the Topcon RE Super.

VidThreeNorth · Feb 15, 2024

YouTube in it's usual semi-predictable fashion provided me with a link to a video about Exacta cameras and in particular, the one in the old movie "Rear Window". It is quite detailed and as such, a bit long (almost 35 min). But some people "here" might be interested in it:

"Testing the Camera from Rear Window (1954)", posted by "Bayliss Projects" on Feb 12, 2024:

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