I was always fascinated by cameras and drove my parents mad fiddling with the various family snapshot takers that came and went. One Christmas when I was about eleven or twelve I received an unexpected present – a Polaroid Swinger! Once I had smelled the chemicals and seen an image develop in my hand I was hooked. Before long I was in the photo section of the local Boots purchasing a Bierette camera complete with ever ready case and some own brand slide film with my saved up pocket money.
“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Before my teens were over I invested in a Konica Autoreflex A at our local camera shop and I have owned a Konica ever since. It travelled with me for several years until that same shop offered an amazing deal – not only would they trade in my A, but the manufacturers were offering Hexanon 135mm and 35mm lenses free to buyers of the new all electronic FS-1. I could not resist. I still have that camera although, sadly, the main board died some years ago.
However, I had anticipated its demise so I had already a replacement, a very nicely preserved Autoreflex T which still sees daylight from time to time. Sturdy beasts, these old Konicas.
About this time digital cameras started to make their presence felt. I was not impressed with the quality of these newcomers so resolved not to go near them (I think I said something similar when CDs were introduced!). As time passed, digital cameras improved and everyone, it seemed, was jumping on the bandwagon – they were convenient it had to be said, and this had a rather unexpected side effect. Lots and lots of people were dumping film equipment which could be picked up on auction web sites and in charity shops for peanuts.
Thus my collection began and I now have maybe a hundred film cameras in all conditions, some are still pristine like my 1958 Rolleicord, some offer little hope and some will revive with a little TLC. Over the coming months I hope to share my experiences with the better cameras and also my attempts at restoring some of the more poorly ones.