truls
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Posts: 568
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Post by truls on Sept 17, 2012 13:30:25 GMT -5
I love cameras, as I assume others here also suffer from this illness.  As an absolute beginner, I wonder where to begin and what to start collecting. Is it what one finds interesting or should the cameras belong to a period of history. Is it nice to have all Nikkormats or Minoltas? What I have today is not so much: Leica R3, Nikkormat, Minolta, Chinon, Canon, Praktica, Zenit, Agfa Silette-L, Exa1, several M42 lenses, and more. I like old manual film cameras, and plan to buy some cameras now and then. As we don't have any used camera shops where I live, the internet is my friend. Any advice? Thanks in advance! |
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hansz
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Hans
Posts: 697
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Post by hansz on Sept 17, 2012 14:06:57 GMT -5
Truls, a man can collect nearly everything... also cameras:-)
Collection motivators are many, time, brand, body-type, landmark types, first-of-a-kind types, Point&Shoot, I've even seen a guy collecting all cameras from one particular catalogue!
Just try to know what you like, or what happens to you during life.
In my case, my father had a modest Zeiss Ikon collection, he died young at 52, and I was the only son who took interest. Today my interests are Zeiss Ikon, the Carl Zeiss Stiftung and its history. And not only cameras, but binoculars, microscopes, whatever those kobolds in Jena dreamt of...
Like me, every person here has his own, equally interesting and valid story.
Hans
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Doug T.
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Pettin' The Gator
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Post by Doug T. on Sept 17, 2012 14:29:45 GMT -5
Hi Truls! It looks like you already have a very nice collection there Collect whatever tickles your fancy. In addition to the cameras you can add old advertisements, brochures, and accessories for the cameras you collect. I'm partial to the oddballs that aren't often seen, as well as anything made by Ansco. Ansco because they were based in my home town of Binghamton, New York. Camera shops are rare here as well, so I go to the antique shops, auctions, estate and yard sales, you probably get the picture. It's a very wide field, but most of all, it's FUN ;D Good hunting!! Doug |
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Sept 17, 2012 14:56:11 GMT -5
Truls, Unless you have a specific goal in mind, why impose limitations on yourself. If you see it and you like it and have room for it and can afford it - get it. That way you wont regret it.  Mickey P.S. One caveat. Check it out as thoroughly as you can.  M.O. |
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truls
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Posts: 568
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Post by truls on Sept 18, 2012 7:10:41 GMT -5
Collecting cameras is for sure a challenge.. I think I will start with a modest goal. It could be nice to have one camera from each decade, for a visualization of the camera history?
I have won two auctions lately at the Swedish ebay called tradera.com. One of the cameras a large format from early 1920, called Glunz model 300 (carl Zeiss Jena lens), the other a Zeiss Ikon Tenax. I will wait for them to arrive in the mail, and to post some pictures with sample pictures. I hopefully will get the old camears into action.
Do you think this is a nice addon i a camera collection?
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daveh
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Post by daveh on Sept 18, 2012 7:51:37 GMT -5
Mickey has said just what I was thinking.
Truls, welcome.
I just bought a Kodak Box camera last Sunday - in a charity shop. I didn't particularly want or need it but it came in its brown canvas case with the original instructions. I bet the instructions are worth more than the camera. I bought the instructions rather than the camera!
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Sept 18, 2012 8:39:47 GMT -5
Mickey has said just what I was thinking. Truls, welcome. I just bought a Kodak Box camera last Sunday - in a charity shop. I didn't particularly want or need it but it came in its brown canvas case with the original instructions. I bet the instructions are worth more than the camera. I bought the instructions rather than the camera! Dave, You have reminded me of a question to which I have never been able to find an answer. Since you are on location, perhaps.......... Those ubiquitous brown canvas cases seem to have been used by a number of British firms instead of everready leather cases. They are unattractive but highly practical and are surely much cheaper to produce than leather. What, if anything, can you tell me about them? Mickey |
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Post by pompiere on Sept 19, 2012 21:23:57 GMT -5
I love cameras, as I assume others here also suffer from this illness. As an absolute beginner, I wonder where to begin and what to start collecting. Is it what one finds interesting or should the cameras belong to a period of history. Is it nice to have all Nikkormats or Minoltas? What I have today is not so much: Leica R3, Nikkormat, Minolta, Chinon, Canon, Praktica, Zenit, Agfa Silette-L, Exa1, several M42 lenses, and more. I like old manual film cameras, and plan to buy some cameras now and then. As we don't have any used camera shops where I live, the internet is my friend. Any advice? Thanks in advance! A lot of new collectors start out buying every old camera they find, especially when they are "helped" by friends and family that don't know much about the hobby. They can quickly become overwhelmed by the volume of the collection. Since you already have a variety of cameras, you probably have an idea of what you like, and can chose to concentrate your efforts on that. When I started collecting, there was a lot of talk about rangefinders, so I bought a Petri 7s to see what it was all about. That led to a few more rangefinder purchases until I decided that I preferred SLRs. One summer, I was buying a lot of plastic autofocus cameras for a dollar or two. I like to shoot a roll in every camera to know that it works, so that got expensive. As my collection evolves, I try to move up in quality. Lately, I have been concentrating on Minolta autofocus SLRs and various accessories. One thing I have learned is that having too many cameras makes it more difficult to keep straight in my mind where the controls are. That has caused a few missed shots as I fumbled to change settings. Good luck to you on your quest. |
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daveh
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Post by daveh on Sept 20, 2012 2:51:16 GMT -5
Dave, You have reminded me of a question to which I have never been able to find an answer. Since you are on location, perhaps.......... Those ubiquitous brown canvas cases seem to have been used by a number of British firms instead of everready leather cases. They are unattractive but highly practical and are surely much cheaper to produce than leather. What, if anything, can you tell me about them? Mickey Well, they are brown and they are canvas - other than that I can't tell you much. I presume they "did the job" at a fraction of the cost of leather, so on a cheap camera they were perfect. Cheaper for the customer but, no doubt, bags more profit for the manufacturer. I have always associated them with Kodak, but no doubt other manufacturers used them too. |
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Berndt
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Post by Berndt on Sept 21, 2012 9:31:40 GMT -5
I started with a similar idea. Not exactly from each decade but of all types. TLRs, SLRs, viewfinders, rangefinders, 35 mm, medium and large format, folders, and so forth. On the way, you also might find special brands or types, which you like and want to have other models of. To limit the frustration, I would try to fall in love with smaller brands though, better than starting to collect all Canons or Leicas. Welcome to the club ;D |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2012 15:11:08 GMT -5
Don't ever collect with the idea that someday they will appreciate in value to any degree. Very few will do that. Collect for the pleasure and don't think about how hard it will be to get rid of them in the future. W. |
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
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Post by Stephen on Sept 21, 2012 15:59:06 GMT -5
On the use of less expensive canvas camera cases and bags in the UK, both just before and after the war, it was the cost of imported leather, not all UK cows leather could be used, and there were restrictions of moving leather from abroad or exporting it afterwards, due to worries about spreading anthrax. I believe using leather only re-started with specially treated leather from known sources, and this restricted it to expensive models. Several makes from Germany were sold with English leather cases, the import of the original cases was banned for a time.
Stephen.
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