Unwrapping that Brownie camera with a few rolls of black and white film on my birthday was exciting. I couldn't wait to start taking photos. First I had to learn to load the film in a dark closet and then I became paparazzi. I took photos of everyone, never caring about how they looked or if the background was just right. I had no regard for lighting and such technicalities would only dampen my enthusiasm of clicking that lever that activated the shutter and advanced the film roll forward. I had photos of everyone but my grandma because she was just getting out of the shower. I yelled through the door that I needed to get her photo. She said she didn't have any clothes on and you can't take photos of folks without their clothes on. I told her I didn't understand because Uncle Jack had a photo of a woman without her clothes on out in his shop.
I think my first camera was also a Brownie, but likely a hand-me-down. My first brand-new camera was probably an Instamatic. Mine had the flash cube, while some (later models) had the pop-up flash. They solved the "accidentally exposed the film" issue with a cartridge-type 110/126 format container:
I guess I didn't appreciate my first camera. It was a large box camera that had previously belonged to someone else in the family. I would hide my candy inside of it, and call it my candy camera. I never had film for it.
My first camera was a Polaroid Black & White. I was a Senior in high school and took the camera with me when the class took a day trip to a couple of Chicago museums. Due to the cost, my step-parents almost didn't let me go, but then decided to let me go. It was a fun and highly educational day at Shedd Aquarium and Museum of Science and Industry. Left the camera at home when I left and went to Navy Basic Training. Never seen it, or any pictures I took, after that. This was in 1968 and didn't get another camera until around 1989.
My first camera was also a Brownie Instamatic. It was thrilling for the first couple of rolls, but after that my dad told me he wasn't paying to have blurry photos of the dogs and mama hanging clothes on the line so my enthusiasm waned. My career in professional photography was snuffed out in its infancy.
My first camera was one of those that printed the photo ..what was they called ….Polaroid… I I still had it when my children were small and only lost it when the house burned down in 1977. I was as poor as a barn mouse most of my younger years so camera was the last thing on the list to buy I still have a couple of very old snaps of me and the one or two of the children taken with the camera that’s in my photo box. Now days my camera is the phone
My first camera looked like this. I think it's the same model. It was a birthday present from my Aunt, I think I was in the 4th grade.
Our cameras now are our iPhone 13, a Canon Digital and a Sony Handicam (video/photos). Since we've been married, we have taken a lot, and I really mean "a lot" of photos and videos. Everything from rodeo action to visits to Yellowstone N.P., Rocky Mountain National Park and Key West, Florida.
I found a picture that looks similar to the first camera that I had . I remember the first one had the roll-up film and not the little cartridges that came out later. You had to be in a dark place to put the film in the camera and be sure that you had it rolled all the way to the end before you took the film out of the camera to be processed. We took it to the local Greyhound bus station, where they also sold all kinds of newspapers and magazines, and they would send it somewhere to be processed. It would be a week or so later before my pictures came back. My mom was the main person taking pictures when I was growing up, and I think that I was probably 12-14 when I got my first camera. Mostly, my pictures were black and white because color film was more expensive.
That is exactly what I remember my mom taking pictures with when I was young, @John West ! She eventually got a newer one, but not until quite a while later. Those old cameras did not have a flash bulb, and you had to make sure that the sun was behind you when you took the picture; so I remember her moving us around until she had the photo lined up just the way she wanted it to look before she snapped the picture.
I don’t think I ever had a camera until I started working and bought my own, a Konica Autorelex T2 IIRC. I still have it.