The Ideal Camera Collection

[jeephoto]

After many years in this hobby as a rank amateur up to part-time professional, I think I have finally figured out just what I want to do with my love of photography.

I want to teach photography to new photographers. I want to share all the little things I've learned through trial and error. Most importantly, I hope to ignite that spark of photographic passion in my students and give them "tools" to capture their vision.

My question to the board is: What would be an ideal camera collection to use as teaching tools for new photographers?

Right now, I hope to collect one of every type of camera to actually show students the history of photography. I have now: a Rolleicord TLR, a Nikon dSLR D40 digital, a Nikon L-11 pocket-size digital camera, a Speed Graphic 4x5 press camera, an OmegaView 4x5 monorail camera, a Canon Canonet 35mm rangefinder, a Kodak box camera and a Polaroid instant camera.

I am currently looking to acquire a folding rangefinder 6x6 like Agfa Isolette. I need a Nikonos underwater. Maybe add a Graflex 4x5 slr? Or a Hasselblad or Mamiya RB67?

What else to do I need?

[jp]

There's more than you or I can list for types.. It's like how many types of guns are there, I want one of each....

You need a manual 35mm film camera (Olympus OM series, Nikon F series, Pentax K1000, etc..)

Pinhole camera.

[Paul Ewins]

You need an earlyish Leica (I guess a Russian clone would do the job) preferably with a collapsoble lens. A Pentax Spotmatic and a Nikon F with the big metered finder. One each of the cheap and nasty plastic Kodaks in 127, 126, 110 and disc format. I'd choose a Hasselblad ahead of an RB67 if funds permitted, since Hasselblad is often known to non-photographers. Something to illustrate the arrival of real autofocus (not the clumsy lens based systems).

And you need an 8x10, preferably a studio camera, since this bridges the gap between the wetplate era and the monorails. And nothing will teach like an 8x10 image on a ground glass.

[goamules]

This is a fun project. And you don't have to have absolutely everything, you can have samples of most types. Also consider a stereo camera, panorama camera, Exacta VX or Graflex for an early SLR....

[Ron Marshall]

Have a look at the KEH inventory for some ideas; they have a tremendous selection of vintage cameras:

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/BrandTableOfContent.aspx

[jeephoto]

This is a fun project. And you don't have to have absolutely everything, you can have samples of most types. Also consider a stereo camera, panorama camera, Exacta VX or Graflex for an early SLR....


That's what I was trying for, just a sample of important or milestone cameras.

The idea is to let the students see/handle the camera and see famous photos taken with that type of camera. As a comparison to the digitals we have today.

[jnantz]

[...] a Kodak box camera [...]

What else to do I need?

there were a lot of them!

http://www.boxcameras.com/

[Gordon Moat]

Olympus Pen, Nikon rangefinder, and possibly a pre-WWII 35mm camera. Odd stuff would be a Robot, early ALPA or an Exacta.

I still have a bunch of odd cameras, even after selling many last year. My rule now is that I need to be able to use it, or it has to look cool as a prop. Unfortunately I still have many parts for various folders, and some old large format items, so I am not quite at a good working point with all this.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[aduncanson]

I agree, add a nice MF folder, an RB-67 and a 500CM, a whole plate camera, (a packard shutter), a half frame (preferably a Pen F as well as a Canon Dial 35) and definitely a Stereo Realist plus maybe an 8x10 Deardorff, some 4x5 wooden field camera, a Technika, a real Rolleiflex, an LF strut camera, some Mamiya, Konica or Graflex MF press camera, a Graflex XLSW, Brooks Veriwide or Hasselblad SWC, a Holga, some LF point & shoot, a Nikon F (not photomic), a Minolta SRT-101, a Pentax Spotmatic and a Canon breechlock mount SLR (a Pellix would be great), one of the old 35mm SLRs with a non-focusing screen like the leaf shutter Voigtlaenders, some early Leicaflexes or a Canon EX Auto, an Exacta, an Alpa 35mm SLR, a Leica M3 or M4, an old Contax RF, a late Contax autofocus 35mm, a Canon 7 with its f/0.95 lens, a Rollei 35, a Minox submini ...

Sorry, I know that this is not helpful, but to me these are either historically important cameras, classics that everyone should know, or they illustrate significant variations in how cameras might be made to work. And a very few are just cameras that I wish I had been introduced to at a young age so that I might have avoided years of expensive wandering in the wilderness.

[Bob Salomon]

That's what I was trying for, just a sample of important or milestone cameras.

The idea is to let the students see/handle the camera and see famous photos taken with that type of camera. As a comparison to the digitals we have today.

You missed some real milestone cameras:
Rollei 35 the Minox sub miniature a Brownie box camera, an Instamatic, a Kodak disk, 8mm movie, Super 8, 16mm movie a Contax II or III or IIa or IIIa or a Leica, the oldest continuous production camera - the Master Technika or an earlier one and the first camera to use 220 film and 67 format - Linhof 220.

[John T]

I used to have the ideal camera collection. 32 different varieties of Huttig, Ica and Zeiss Ikon Ideal cameras.

[Robert Hughes]

My collection is ideal for me: my dad's old 35mm Leica w/collapsable 2.0 lens, a 6x6 Agfa Isolette folder (it fits in my back pocket!), a 6x6 Zeiss Ikoflex, the Busch Pressman D 4x5, and a sprinkling of digital, movie cameras and a video digi camcorder. I'm about to build a guerilla 8x10 camera from cardboard boxes and whatever old lens is about.

[D. Bryant]

My question to the board is: What would be an ideal camera collection to use as teaching tools for new photographers?



Your best bet is to show them photographs that stir their imaginations. Dwelling on gear is a non sequitur, IMO for teaching photography.

The majority of today's beginners are more interested in using a DSLR rather than a film camera and I can't blame them for that.

Don Bryant

[Robert Hughes]

"Film? You mean you've gotta focus AND set exposure - In 2 places? Like, fer real?
"Damn! I'm outta here..."

[Peter York]

What else to do I need?

Here is a cheap suggestion: a Holga or similar plastic camera. Not my cup of tea, but some fine images have been produced with these, and students should know that they are an option.