Murry's camera history
Even though I had a couple cameras as a child this is the list and description of the cameras that I bought for myself and used to produce photos for over sixty years. The reason for changing cameras was sometimes financial but usually to upgrade to better technology. I have included a camera timeline for each decade but there was always some overlap of cameras. As I stepped up to a new camera the older model in many cases found its way to a kid or grand kid. Here is the brief summary by decade with more details outlined below.
My 1950 cameras were the 1955 Minolta A-2 rangefinder, the1956 Leica IIIg rangefinder and the used Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex. My 1960 cameras were the Asahi Pentax S1/H1 (1961) — also sold as the Honeywell Pentax H1/Honeywell Heiland Pentax H1, the Konica Autoreflex T and the Konica Autoreflex T3 SLR. My 1970 cameras were the Olympus OM-1 SLR and the Rollei 35 LED rangefinder 35mm camera. My 1980 cameras were the Minolta X-700 SLR and the Minolta Maxxum 7000 SLR. My 1990 camera was the SONY Mavica MVC-FD7. It wrote to standard floppy disks as image recording media. My 2000 camera was the Canon EOS D30 DSLR. This is the camera that reignited my passion for photography. I also used up the rest of the film and sent the film cameras to Jim and Melissa. By 2001 film was out and digital in--finally no more buying film and stinky processing chemicals to deal with. My last DSLR was the Canon 20D. In 2012 I sold all of my DSLR gear and bought the small Canon SX50HS camera with the BIG zoom.
My first camera was the 35mm 1955 Minolta A-2 leaf shutter camera with a bright frame viewfinder and fixed lens.
In 1956 I traded up to the 35mm Leica IIIg rangefiner camera with screw-mount interchangeable lenses although I never could afford to get any additional lenses. The IIIg had automatic parallax correcting frame finders for 50 and 90mm lenses. Flash synch was automatic with a black arrow at 1/60th for electronic flash and a red arrow at 1/30 for bulb.
In 1959 I traded the Leica for a used (complete set ) Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera. This model differs from the previous cameras with a viewing lens above the photographing lens. The photographing lens was the Zeiss Tessar 75mm f3.5 with a shutter Synchro-Compur 1 to 1/500. It could take 2 1/4, super slides and 35mm film. This was an excellent camera for kid portraits when using the waist-level viewfinder.
In 1962 I sold the Rolleiflex outfit and bought my first 35mm Single Lens Reflex camera the Heiland Pentax.
In 1965 I replaced the Pentax with the 35mm Konica Autoreflex T and soon added the 35mm Konica T3, both with auto-exposure and TTL metering combined in one body. It was fully mechanical with shutter-priority auto exposure. The batteries were only needed for the CdS light meter. The shutter speed range was from 1s to 1/1000s and B. The Autoreflex T3 provided stop-down (depth-of-field) preview, double-exposure possibility as well as a wider range of film speed (ISO 12–3200). Both the meter scale (apertures) and shutter speed setting were visible in the view finder.
In 1973 I switched to the 35mm Olympus OM-1 SLR. The main characteristic of the OM cameras were their small size bodies, lenses and accessories, without giving in on the reliability or versatility of the system.
In 1978 I bought a 35mm Rollei 35 LED f/3.5 Triotar PX-27 with viewfinder LED metering. At the time it was the world's smallest full-frame 35mm camera.
In 1981 I bought a 35mm Minolta X-700 35mm SLR camera.
In 1985 I added the 35mm Minolta Maxxum 7000 35mm AF SLR camera to my kit. It was the world’s first 35mm SLR camera with integrated auto-focus.
In 1997 I bought the digital SONY Mavica MVC-FD7 my first digital camera. It was the first digicam to use standard floppy disks as image recording media and first to combine floppy disk capability with 10X zoom: 1/4-inch 640 x 480 pixel CCD: ISO 100: Shutter 1/60 to 1/4000 second: 10X zoom 40mm to 400mm f/1.8 lens: Lithium Ion battery: MSRP $799. At various times Sony Mavica cameras accounted for up to 40% of the U.S. digicam market.
In 2000 I bought Canon's EOS D30, the first new popularly ($2400.00) priced digital SLR camera with a large-area 3.25 million pixel CMOS Imaging Sensor that accepted all the lenses in the EF series.
The D30's imaging sensor was a large 3.25 mega pixel CMOS sensor, with a primary color RGB filter, and a newly developed digital signal processing LSI (Image Engine), to insure high image resolution and excellent color balance. Canon's unique noise reduction technology produced significant effect for the long time release images such as night scenes. The stainless steel chassis was both light and strong and combined with the high-strength engineering plastic covers gave it a light, strong, rigid body, the smallest in the class (as of August 2000). Major specifications of the D30 included: three selectable focusing points, multiple shooting modes including five easy-to-use Image Select modes, 35-zone Evaluative metering, built-in retractable flash with E-TTL capability, an EOS system first, and continuous photography at approximately 3fps for up to eight frames. In addition to allowing immediate playback of images captured, the built-in 1.8" LCD color monitor on the rear of the camera also displayed shutter speed, working aperture, metering mode and other information including a histogram graph of the brightness of a selected image.
The image-recording medium was a CompactFlash (CF) card.
In 2004 I added Canon's EOS 20D digital SLR camera. The EOS 20D incorporated a newly developed large APS-C-size (22.5 x 15.0 mm) CMOS sensor with 8.2-million effective pixels and, maximizing the performance potential of the sensor, Canon's new proprietary DIGIC II image engine. Coupling superlative image quality with speed, the EOS 20D enabled continuous shooting of high-quality (JPEG large/fine) images at around 5 fps for up to 23 consecutive shots. Further contributing to stress-free use was a fast startup time of just 0.2 seconds, a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000 second, and the high-speed writing of image files to the CompactFlash card media. Also, a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed external interface combines with the DIGIC II image engine and enhanced digital circuitry to enable file transfers at up to ten times previous transfer speeds. Advanced shooting features included a high-speed 9-point wide-area autofocus (AF) with focusing points superimposed in the viewfinder that make accurate framing simple. Enabling ideal white balance performance and a range of effects equivalent to Canon's flagship EOS-1D Mark II, the new EOS 20D offered six lighting presets (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light, and Flash), three freely settable Custom Modes, and a Color Temperature setting, in addition to an enhanced-performance Auto Mode. Other features contributing to the EOS 20D's boosted shooting functionality include: expanded processing parameters enabling black-and-white image conversion; compatibility with the entire range of Canon EF lenses, including EF-S models; and Canon's E-TTL II flash metering system which, when used with Canon's EX-series Speedlite flashes, utilizes distance information provided through the lens for more precise and stable direct-flash exposure than ever before. The Canon EOS 20D featured magnesium-alloy body covers for rigidity and durability, while a total design revision and reduction in the overall number of parts used has resulted in smaller body dimensions. Moreover, the camera's back panel featured a new easy-to-use "multi-controller," enabling users to control camera settings -including white balance correction and bracketing, AF point selection and, when direct printing, the image trimming frame - with a minimum of effort. By this time I had added a stable of Canon lenses--normal, macro, wide-angle zoom, telephoto zoom, tele-extender along with tripod and many accessories. Twenty pounds of equipment to carry around.
AND FINALLY my last camera: At age 75 I got tired of lugging all that heavy gear around and in 2012 I gave the D30 and normal lens to a grandson and sold the rest of my DSLR gear and bought the Canon SX50HS bridge camera with the following features:
World's first 50x Optical Zoom,(24-1200mm) and 24mm Wide-Angle lens with Optical Image Stabilizer delivers magnificent images whether you are up close or far away.
12.1 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with a DIGIC 5 Image Processor creates the Canon HS SYSTEM for improved low-light performance up to ISO 6400 and enhanced image quality. Capture stunning 1080p Full HD video in stereo sound with a dedicated movie button; zoom while shooting and play back videos on an HDTV via the HDMI output. High Speed AF greatly improves focus speed and High-Speed Burst HQ allows for continuous capture at a maximum of 10 frames while maintaining superb image quality. Intelligent IS automatically chooses from six different modes to optimize image stabilization for the shooting condition.
Bright 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD with 461,000 dots for shooting at a variety of angles, plus an Electronic Viewfinder.
Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper camera settings based on 58 predefined shooting situations and the Face ID function adjusts focus and exposure priority based on pre-registered faces. Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW+JPEG for the ultimate creative control.
Built-in hot shoe allows compatibility with optional Speedlite flashes for additional lighting options.
Unless this little marvel breaks down this camera should take me to that big (digital) darkroom in the sky!
Read MoreMy 1950 cameras were the 1955 Minolta A-2 rangefinder, the1956 Leica IIIg rangefinder and the used Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex. My 1960 cameras were the Asahi Pentax S1/H1 (1961) — also sold as the Honeywell Pentax H1/Honeywell Heiland Pentax H1, the Konica Autoreflex T and the Konica Autoreflex T3 SLR. My 1970 cameras were the Olympus OM-1 SLR and the Rollei 35 LED rangefinder 35mm camera. My 1980 cameras were the Minolta X-700 SLR and the Minolta Maxxum 7000 SLR. My 1990 camera was the SONY Mavica MVC-FD7. It wrote to standard floppy disks as image recording media. My 2000 camera was the Canon EOS D30 DSLR. This is the camera that reignited my passion for photography. I also used up the rest of the film and sent the film cameras to Jim and Melissa. By 2001 film was out and digital in--finally no more buying film and stinky processing chemicals to deal with. My last DSLR was the Canon 20D. In 2012 I sold all of my DSLR gear and bought the small Canon SX50HS camera with the BIG zoom.
My first camera was the 35mm 1955 Minolta A-2 leaf shutter camera with a bright frame viewfinder and fixed lens.
In 1956 I traded up to the 35mm Leica IIIg rangefiner camera with screw-mount interchangeable lenses although I never could afford to get any additional lenses. The IIIg had automatic parallax correcting frame finders for 50 and 90mm lenses. Flash synch was automatic with a black arrow at 1/60th for electronic flash and a red arrow at 1/30 for bulb.
In 1959 I traded the Leica for a used (complete set ) Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera. This model differs from the previous cameras with a viewing lens above the photographing lens. The photographing lens was the Zeiss Tessar 75mm f3.5 with a shutter Synchro-Compur 1 to 1/500. It could take 2 1/4, super slides and 35mm film. This was an excellent camera for kid portraits when using the waist-level viewfinder.
In 1962 I sold the Rolleiflex outfit and bought my first 35mm Single Lens Reflex camera the Heiland Pentax.
In 1965 I replaced the Pentax with the 35mm Konica Autoreflex T and soon added the 35mm Konica T3, both with auto-exposure and TTL metering combined in one body. It was fully mechanical with shutter-priority auto exposure. The batteries were only needed for the CdS light meter. The shutter speed range was from 1s to 1/1000s and B. The Autoreflex T3 provided stop-down (depth-of-field) preview, double-exposure possibility as well as a wider range of film speed (ISO 12–3200). Both the meter scale (apertures) and shutter speed setting were visible in the view finder.
In 1973 I switched to the 35mm Olympus OM-1 SLR. The main characteristic of the OM cameras were their small size bodies, lenses and accessories, without giving in on the reliability or versatility of the system.
In 1978 I bought a 35mm Rollei 35 LED f/3.5 Triotar PX-27 with viewfinder LED metering. At the time it was the world's smallest full-frame 35mm camera.
In 1981 I bought a 35mm Minolta X-700 35mm SLR camera.
In 1985 I added the 35mm Minolta Maxxum 7000 35mm AF SLR camera to my kit. It was the world’s first 35mm SLR camera with integrated auto-focus.
In 1997 I bought the digital SONY Mavica MVC-FD7 my first digital camera. It was the first digicam to use standard floppy disks as image recording media and first to combine floppy disk capability with 10X zoom: 1/4-inch 640 x 480 pixel CCD: ISO 100: Shutter 1/60 to 1/4000 second: 10X zoom 40mm to 400mm f/1.8 lens: Lithium Ion battery: MSRP $799. At various times Sony Mavica cameras accounted for up to 40% of the U.S. digicam market.
In 2000 I bought Canon's EOS D30, the first new popularly ($2400.00) priced digital SLR camera with a large-area 3.25 million pixel CMOS Imaging Sensor that accepted all the lenses in the EF series.
The D30's imaging sensor was a large 3.25 mega pixel CMOS sensor, with a primary color RGB filter, and a newly developed digital signal processing LSI (Image Engine), to insure high image resolution and excellent color balance. Canon's unique noise reduction technology produced significant effect for the long time release images such as night scenes. The stainless steel chassis was both light and strong and combined with the high-strength engineering plastic covers gave it a light, strong, rigid body, the smallest in the class (as of August 2000). Major specifications of the D30 included: three selectable focusing points, multiple shooting modes including five easy-to-use Image Select modes, 35-zone Evaluative metering, built-in retractable flash with E-TTL capability, an EOS system first, and continuous photography at approximately 3fps for up to eight frames. In addition to allowing immediate playback of images captured, the built-in 1.8" LCD color monitor on the rear of the camera also displayed shutter speed, working aperture, metering mode and other information including a histogram graph of the brightness of a selected image.
The image-recording medium was a CompactFlash (CF) card.
In 2004 I added Canon's EOS 20D digital SLR camera. The EOS 20D incorporated a newly developed large APS-C-size (22.5 x 15.0 mm) CMOS sensor with 8.2-million effective pixels and, maximizing the performance potential of the sensor, Canon's new proprietary DIGIC II image engine. Coupling superlative image quality with speed, the EOS 20D enabled continuous shooting of high-quality (JPEG large/fine) images at around 5 fps for up to 23 consecutive shots. Further contributing to stress-free use was a fast startup time of just 0.2 seconds, a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000 second, and the high-speed writing of image files to the CompactFlash card media. Also, a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed external interface combines with the DIGIC II image engine and enhanced digital circuitry to enable file transfers at up to ten times previous transfer speeds. Advanced shooting features included a high-speed 9-point wide-area autofocus (AF) with focusing points superimposed in the viewfinder that make accurate framing simple. Enabling ideal white balance performance and a range of effects equivalent to Canon's flagship EOS-1D Mark II, the new EOS 20D offered six lighting presets (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light, and Flash), three freely settable Custom Modes, and a Color Temperature setting, in addition to an enhanced-performance Auto Mode. Other features contributing to the EOS 20D's boosted shooting functionality include: expanded processing parameters enabling black-and-white image conversion; compatibility with the entire range of Canon EF lenses, including EF-S models; and Canon's E-TTL II flash metering system which, when used with Canon's EX-series Speedlite flashes, utilizes distance information provided through the lens for more precise and stable direct-flash exposure than ever before. The Canon EOS 20D featured magnesium-alloy body covers for rigidity and durability, while a total design revision and reduction in the overall number of parts used has resulted in smaller body dimensions. Moreover, the camera's back panel featured a new easy-to-use "multi-controller," enabling users to control camera settings -including white balance correction and bracketing, AF point selection and, when direct printing, the image trimming frame - with a minimum of effort. By this time I had added a stable of Canon lenses--normal, macro, wide-angle zoom, telephoto zoom, tele-extender along with tripod and many accessories. Twenty pounds of equipment to carry around.
AND FINALLY my last camera: At age 75 I got tired of lugging all that heavy gear around and in 2012 I gave the D30 and normal lens to a grandson and sold the rest of my DSLR gear and bought the Canon SX50HS bridge camera with the following features:
World's first 50x Optical Zoom,(24-1200mm) and 24mm Wide-Angle lens with Optical Image Stabilizer delivers magnificent images whether you are up close or far away.
12.1 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with a DIGIC 5 Image Processor creates the Canon HS SYSTEM for improved low-light performance up to ISO 6400 and enhanced image quality. Capture stunning 1080p Full HD video in stereo sound with a dedicated movie button; zoom while shooting and play back videos on an HDTV via the HDMI output. High Speed AF greatly improves focus speed and High-Speed Burst HQ allows for continuous capture at a maximum of 10 frames while maintaining superb image quality. Intelligent IS automatically chooses from six different modes to optimize image stabilization for the shooting condition.
Bright 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD with 461,000 dots for shooting at a variety of angles, plus an Electronic Viewfinder.
Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper camera settings based on 58 predefined shooting situations and the Face ID function adjusts focus and exposure priority based on pre-registered faces. Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW+JPEG for the ultimate creative control.
Built-in hot shoe allows compatibility with optional Speedlite flashes for additional lighting options.
Unless this little marvel breaks down this camera should take me to that big (digital) darkroom in the sky!
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