Collecting vintage cameras

United States
June 20, 2011 9:20am CST
I think collecting vintage cameras would be fun. I don't collect yet, but I used to have my mom's old Brownie camera. That Brownie camera was not much more than cardboard covered in leather, if I remember right, but I remember it taking great pictures. A friend of mine takes great pride in his vintage camera collection. He has all kinds. Many of them have an accordion type bellows in them for focusing. I wonder? Who here at Mylot enjoys vintage camera collecting, and what kind do you have. Please tell me all about your camera. What make are your vintage cameras? What do you like about them? What don't you like? Let's have a real discussion about vintage cameras. Today is all about digital cameras; they are fine, but film cameras have been around since the early 1900s and before, I think. When you look at an antique or vintage camera you are looking at history. When you hold one in your hands you are holding a bit of history in your hands... just what has your vintage camera seen in its lifetime?
2 people like this
1 response
suspenseful
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
20 Jun 11
I do not have them now, but when I was young I had a brownie camera. I also have a brother-in-law who has the old Canon cameras. I did have a Kodak camera that was sort of like a poleroid camera. I do have my husband's 35 mm cameras, but do not know if that would be considered vintage now. I also think if you go into thrift places like Valley Village, or the Salvation Army or a pawn shop you can get some old cameras. I know when I used to work downtown in VAncouver, I would shop in the pawn shops to see what they had and there were some good ones there.
Charlene Sally C.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
20 Jun 11
Hi Suspenseful, I think some of the 35 mm cameras are vintage, for sure. I remember the Kodak camera that worked like a Polaroid. I had one.. it was called The Handle. It cranked out the pictures.. it worked really good too.. then I think Polaroid sued Kodak and they had to stop making them. My mom used to have an old black and white Polaroid too. I wish I had it. There are others I wish I had too.. Yes, I think pawn shops are ideal and so are the thrift shops you mentioned.. there is the Potters House and other thrift stores too that might have them. I want to look for some and then maybe do some selling on eBay.
2 people like this
suspenseful
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
20 Jun 11
IK did not know about 35 mm cameras being vintage, because I have one that my husband had. And I did have that Kodak polardoi camera. I also remember when my brother-in-law had one of those crank cameras and of course seen them on those old movies.