Hi fellow collectors...

[jack]

Hi, I'm Jack. I've been into photography since the mid-80's and really only started collecting cameras since the late 90's. Back in those days it was really fun to go to camera shows, walking up and down the rows of tables looking for bargains, picking up and playing with different cameras, talking to the vendors and the "dyed-in-the-wool" collectors looking to sell some of their cameras and lenses so they could go and buy more stuff. Now, (probably) like most of you, I spend my time on the internet trying to hunt down good (at least good user quality) cameras and lenses.

My camera collecting started when I bought a Graflex Norita with 80mm lens, next thing you know I had to find and acquire the entire lens range and whatever accessories I could manage to find. Then I got fascinated with Chinese cameras, which in the late 90's were not so easy to find. But fortunately the really good "user quality" ones I did find, everyone basically wanted to give them away. That is not the case these days. Since several of my Chinese cameras are medium format folders, it was a natural progression for me to appreciate the vintage folding cameras that were produced in Germany and Japan as well, though I don't have many of them.

Anyway, I hope to join in on the fun of this forum.

Cheers,
Jack

[mickeyobe]

Welcome Jack,

It sounds like you too are one of the afflicted.
There are a lot of us here.

[Deleted]

Hi, Jack (Oooops! Better not say that too loud!!!!!)
Welcome aboard.

Wayne

[truls]

Hello and Welcome Jack!

I am also new to this forum, and folks here are very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I look forward to learn from you, as I am a newcomer to collecting cameras. Chinese cameras, are these copies of e.g. Hasselblad and the likes or is it genuine Chinese constructions?

[hansz]

Welcome Jack,
And we like to learn more from you as Chines cameras were never imported on a sizable scale here in The Netherlands.
Hans

[Randy]

Howdy Jack!

[vintageslrs]

Welcome!
Happy to have you aboard.

Bob

[photax]

Welcome Jack !

Chinese cameras sounds very interesting, I have a few of them in my collection, a Seagull 203 folder and two or three of the Rolleiflex-copies. I took some good quality 6x6 pictures with these TLR`s in the late 1980`s.

MIK

[Doug T.]

Hello Jack!
Welcome to the forum!
I only have one Chinese camera in my collection.



It's a Minolta (SD9 ?)clone, and I was told that it's a commemorative model of some sort.


Doug

[jack]

Wow! Thanks for the great welcome.

I've seen a couple of other threads here that talk about Chinese cameras, but they weren't too in depth. I'm quite busy atm, but I'll get a new thread going and upload some pics of the Chinese cameras I've collected so far. Just as Doug has pointed out with his pic, on the whole, Chinese cameras have been simplified copies or direct clones of European or Japanese designs. Having said that, I'll admit that I'm no expert on Chinese cameras, but let's see if a lively discussion can be developed....

Jack