My earliest camera reviews

8 comments on My earliest camera reviews
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This was going to be Saturday’s post, but because I delayed my Ride Across Indiana I’m moving it to today. Wednesday through Saturday I’ll post about the trip.

I thought it would be fun to link you to some of my oldest camera reviews, from 2008-2010. I’ve been considering making a book out of my camera reviews. Is this something that would interest you? Let me know in the comments.

Here now, the early reviews:

Gracie
Kodak Retina Ia, Fujicolor 200, 2008.

📷 Kodak’s Retina line were fine cameras. I’d seen other photo bloggers get good results with theirs, so I found a Retina Ia for a good price and put it through its paces. Read Kodak Retina Ia

📷 When I started reviewing cameras, I thought I’d focus on folders and rangefinders. The first rangefinder I reviewed was the Minolta Hi-Matic 7, and it’s a great camera. Read Minolta Hi-Matic 7

📷 I bought a bottom-of-the-line Kodak Tourist, a folding camera for 620 film, and hated every minute of using it. Read Kodak Tourist

📷 In contrast, the folding Voigtländer Bessa I found was a delight, even though it wasn’t in perfect working condition. Read Voigtländer Bessa

📷 My Aunt Maxine gave me her Minolta X-700 — what a gift! Unfortunately, I got just two rolls out of it before it suffered from the dreaded Locked Winder Problem. Read Minolta X-700

📷 I’d been curious about Canonets for a long time, and the first one I found at a price I was willing to pay was the Canonet 28. Read Canon Canonet 28


Comments

8 responses to “My earliest camera reviews”

  1. Steve Mitchell Avatar

    Thanks fro the reminder, I must send my Retina 1a out for a service and then run some film through it!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      You’re fortunate that’s an in-country thing for you!

  2. Andy Umbo Avatar
    Andy Umbo

    Plus One for the Minolta Hi-Matic line. Had a high-school sweetheart with either the 9 or 11 (probably the 9, because it still had manual settings), and I was already working at a photo studio part time, and was impressed with quality, even tho I was borrowing some pretty big “guns” from my employer. Almost bought a “reno’d” 7 or 9 from Japan Vintage Camera a little while ago, but it disappeared pretty fast, haven’t seen one I’d trust since…

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I kept the Konica Auto S2 and the Yashica Lynx 14e as my only large rangefinders. I sold my Hi-Matic, but by the time I did its meter wasn’t reading quite right anymore.

      https://blog.jimgrey.net/2018/07/16/operation-thin-the-herd-minolta-hi-matic-7/

      1. adventurepdx Avatar

        One advantage to the Hi-Matic 7/7s/9 cameras is they work in full manual mode, and work easily. My Olympus 35 RD can do full manual, but the small aperture ring placed flush with the body makes doing so a bother.

    2. adventurepdx Avatar

      I got my 7s last year off eBay for just $35 plus shipping. It wasn’t overhauled, but at that price I took the chance. It worked well! Still, I went ahead and got it CLA’d this year.

  3. Greg Clawson Avatar
    Greg Clawson

    Jim, I have always enjoyed your camera reviews, that’s what lead me to your blog.

    Maybe could do a series based upon either manufacturer, or by type SLR, TLR, Rangefinder, etc. just a thought.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      There’s an idea. I’ll bet 50% of my reviews are SLRs. Maybe I should do three groupings: SLRs, non-SLR 35mm, and medium format. There aren’t enough examples of some types to make full books out of them. For example, I’ve reviewed just two TLRs.

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