I have never been short on hobbies: ceramics, road-tripping, cooking, and a few handfuls more. However, certain hobbies like 3D printing and photography are "gateway" hobbies to me, which is to say, they enable the deepening of other hobbies.
I have enjoyed road-tripping and history for a long time. Upon the inheritance of a hefty camera collection, I was granted a way to document my own history and living history around me. The cameras and their maintenance are access to history. Still, their repair and usage have been a driving force in my recent life as they built my curiosity for the past. Below are the cameras that are part of my active collection and some unique cameras that offer little function but are fascinating pieces to enjoy.
Each photo was taken on the camera within the section. This page acts as a living archive of each camera's capabilities.
Canon AE-1
The Canon AE-1 is a classic 35mm film camera released in 1976, seven years after my father was born. It is a welcome addition to mine and many other photographers' collections due to its convenience. This camera is my daily driver and is used for most photography experiments, and anywhere I need consistency. I often pair the AE-1 with the Canon 50mm f1.4 S.S.C as I can generally get some version of the shot I want with this lens pairing.
Canon III
The Canon III was made from 1951 to 1952 and is a copy of the famous Leica IIIc. The Canon III is rather impressive for being a copy; my example's viewfinder is far superior to the camera it shamelessly imitates. This camera is part of a "bonded pair" of cameras for me, this along with my Leica IIIc. Joining me on day outings and traveling street photography, the pair excel due to their small size. The Canon III takes advantage of the LTM (Leica Thread Mount), thus allowing me to have the same "look" from each camera but use different films entirely!
Leica IIIc
The Leica IIIc is a jewel in my collection; the build quality, shooting characteristics, and conversation-starting ability are all in a class of their own. The Leica IIIc was released in 1940, with this specific camera being produced between 1948 and 1949. When I began my film photography journey in June 2023, I started with this camera, mainly for the attention. Still, I have since learned the magic contained within such a classic form.
Ihagee Exakta VX
The Exakta VX was the long-time favorite of the man who passed me his beloved camera collection. Like many collectors, he had multiple examples lying across the broad spectrum of "functionality." Of seven "whole" cameras, three work well enough to be used, two have the potential to be fixed, one is missing every single external dial/button/switch, and finally, the "for parts" body is nicely rebuilt (as much as it can be) between its inevitable dismantling when one of the other six require its donations. Along with the widest variety of lenses among cameras in this collection, the original owner clearly loved this camera. He told me stories of bringing it on nearly all his personal and work trips for almost sixty years, shooting Kodachrome Slides for many of those years. Because of the love of this camera, Alan C. Jones, the original owner, built his entire collection, which includes all but three cameras in this list.
The Ihagee Dresden Exakta VX was produced from 1951 to 1956 in former East Germany. The available lenses for this camera are nearly overwhelming. Currently, eleven different lenses inhabit the collection passed to me by Alan. This camera is unique, as, according to Alan, it was loved by many in the scientific community at the time. Alan was a geophysicist with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the U.S. Navy for decades. His work demonstrates he was certainly not the only one in his circle with this camera. Why is it so beloved by these researchers? It is wildly feature-rich and modular. With a modular viewfinder and a specific modular line of lenses, Alan acquired six different viewfinders and four modular lenses in different focal lengths. It is the most feature-rich film camera in my inherited collection; the second-place camera is nearly thirty years newer! It has shutter speed dials, one for slow shutter speeds between 1/5 and 12 seconds and the other from 1/25 to 1/1000, an incredible shutter speed range for the time. It also has a built-in self-timer. Its two most exciting features are a film cutter, which lets you cut frames from the film cassette so you don't need to shoot all thirty-six shots before developing (a feature much loved by the scientists who could photograph a few things then get on with developing for analysis).
By far, its biggest quirk is that it is left-handed! It is the only left-handed camera I have ever seen. Both the shutter advance lever and shutter button are on the camera's left side. There are a variety of left-handed cameras out in the world, but they are certainly uncommon.
Thank you for reading this far into this camera's description. The Exakta VX was the long-time favorite of my great-great uncle, Alan C. Jones, who gave me his entire collection of cameras and unlocked hobby. He loved these machines, but none had many stories behind them, except this one. He tells me of vacations with his wife and kids where he had three of these in tow when he was in the middle of the ocean, and his friend dropped one of his beloved Exakta cameras into the sea and a lifetime's worth of Kodachrome slides captured near exclusively on this camera.
Thank you, Alan.
Fujica G690BL
While the Fujica G690BL, weighing in at a hefty six pounds, is an unwieldy beast of a camera, there's no doubt that it is my unchallenged favorite camera. Despite its near inability to fit into a shoulder bag, I bring it to nearly any shoot. As a 6x9 medium format film camera, I only get eight shots per roll of film. This limitation forces me to consider which shots I actually want. That very pressure has resulted in this camera generating a higher "good" photo rate than any of my other film cameras. Could I slow down and be more mindful of each shot I take on digital or 35mm film? Sure, but this camera does that all by itself! I may have failed to mention that I only have one lens (Fujinon 100mm F3.5) for this camera, yet another limitation, but that does not stop this beastly machine. I believe the images from this 1970’s medium format film camera speak for themselves.
Fujifilm X-T5
A rock that proclaims itself to be a great pillar that merely needs a stone mason to make it so. My photography is dramatic, vibrant, and, with occasional luck, knocks on the emotion given when reading a storybook. It is from the X-T5 I can fully capture my style. The X-T5 was released in 2022 and is by far my newest camera. I picked it up in June 2023 and have rarely put it down since. This camera and I pair so well together that no other digital cameras have made themselves attractive to me despite the legendary images I know they are capable of. Part of my enjoyment of nearly anything is its tactile refinement and build quality. The form of an item draws me to its use. The X-T5 is a beautiful machine that calls me to use it. This camera's classic look and feel only magnify its repeated ability to stun me. I have yet to feel limited by this camera despite Fujifilm's smaller sensor and odd characteristics. It connects with me, and that is something I cherish.
Being the only digital camera in my collection, the XT-3 in the cover photo does not really work; it is old and reliable. My film photography informs my digital meaning; I keep a scant few of my digital images. I will take eight hundred photos but keep eight, and I welcome it as I know those eight, after trial and error or often luck, I get precisely the shot I envisioned. So rare is this camera the limiting, rather my ability to use it.
The Fake Leica “Goldie”
Goldie is a fake camera of semi-unknown origin. Many companies took Leica's (a German Company) patents after the end of WWII and used them to make their own clones. The Canon III is one of these clones as well. However, Goldie has had its original Russian branding ground off and hastily engraved with Leica branding. Many fakes like this exist in the world, and there is no shortage of fakes like this one, whose chrome was stripped down to brass to make it look like a rare Leica to trick some poor buyers in the 1950s. Goldie is a poor imitation of its progenitor (see the Leica IIIc above) with its poor build quality, horrid operating sounds, and poor usability. Despite that, this camera oozes charisma and charm. It is a blatant fake but is a wonderful shelf piece and even occasionally taken out when in an experimental mood.
Minolta 110 Zoom
As its name alludes to, the Minolta 110 Zoom is a 110 film camera. Produced from 1976 to 1979, this Star Wars-looking, oddball camera is a unique part of my collection. Being a 110 film camera, its resolution is inferior to 35mm film and even more so to 120 film. However, this is a unique 110 camera because it has an aperture priority dial and exposure compensation switch. Meaning that among 110 cameras, which usually have a shutter button and flash toggle, this offers a unique amount of control. I dream of making a 35mm to 110 cutter to load my own 110 cartridges since it is a nearly dead format these days.
Olympus ∞ Stylus
The Olympus ∞ Stylus line of cameras began production in 1991 and only ceased in 2004, making it and its zoom-enabled brother below my newest cameras. This little thing is hyped up to be one of the best point-and-shoot film cameras due to its f3.5 maximum aperture, allowing it to take photos with excellent backgrounds. For me, this is the ideal family travel camera because its 90’s look makes the images it takes almost feel like a memory rather than a screen capture. This example boasts a 35mm f3.5 prime lens, so it is capable of capturing nearly any moment.
Olympus ∞ Stylus Zoom
The zooming brother of the camera above, the Olympus ∞ Stylus Zoom, also joins me on vacations when I don't want to agitate my family and friends with the longer-than-desired moments it takes to set up and compose most of my other cameras. The 35-70mmm zoom lens is widely capable and returns images reliably. Though with both the ∞ Zoom and the ∞ Prime above, I love giving them to those hanging out with me while we wander. This camera's ease of use and ability to return 99% of what you want shines. The ∞ brothers act as wipers, clearing my mind of overthinking certain moments while trying to compose, meter, and define each shot. Instead, these cameras return moments not as clinical procedure results but as memories as your mind would see them.
Pentax Auto 110
The Pentax Auto 110 was manufactured from 1978 to 1981 and later got version two in the Pentax Auto 110 Super. This camera is a baby measuring four inches long on its longest side and weighing not even half a pound. Taking 110 films, the resolution offered by the Auto 110 is rather poor on paper, but denying the charm of the images it can produce would be close-minded. In a way very different from the standard point-and-shoot, this subminiature camera doesn't capture images as "memories" but instead as near novelty. The pictures lack detail, sharpness, dynamic range, and color vibrance, and the camera offers no control over any settings. Yet, this camera is outright fun and funny while dipping its toes into the pools of absurdity. This little thing has six interchangeable lenses (one zoom lens!), filters for each, an auto winder, a flash module, and even lenses made by third parties. All for a camera that could be hidden inside a box for a deck of cards with many of its accessories! Its undeniable charisma inspires me to finish my collection of all the first and third-party lenses.
Pentax IQZoom 115
The Pentax IQZoom 115 is another family travel camera that, unfortunately, hasn't seen much love from me yet. It is a reasonably capable point-and-shoot with a 38-115mm zoom lens and a wide variety of flash settings; I'm sure this camera is suitable for capturing moments of life. In recent years, film has grown in popularity for its more interpretive images when compared to smartphone cameras. The IQZoom is a good piece for a fun situation when family or friends wish to try film out or even take on a trip but not own one. Cameras like this are excellent for this role and allow me to bring my hobby to loved ones who just want the image. Released in 1992, this camera carries that 90s look into all of its pictures, providing it a much-appreciated nostalgic look.
Pentax SF7
The Pentax SF7 is the only functioning, fully automatic camera camera with complete manual control over all its settings. I came across it in Sonora, California, and due to the sad state of the four lenses it came with (only two of which were compatible), I got a very fair price for it at $35, which is about the market rate! Aside from my Fujifilm X-T5, it is the first camera I "collected," I was looking for a decent, control-able, but automatic 35mm film camera with a wide variety of lenses. Being a Pentax body, there exists a wide variety of lenses with its KAF mount that will also take manual lenses.
Rolleiflex Automat Model 2
The Rolleiflex Automat Model 2, aka the K4B, is likely the oldest camera in my collection, manufactured from 1939 to 1945. My model boasts the Tessar 75mm f3.5 lens and is a medium format T.L.R. that takes 120 film, providing 12 shots per roll of film. This camera and I have a love-hate relationship. I fully recognize the beautiful images taken in the long history of Rolleiflex T.L.R. photographers. Still, for the life of me, I struggle with the 6x6 square format this camera takes. Every image is a square, which absolutely changes the visions of compositions provided by my eyes. I even like some of the photos I've taken with this camera. However, while taking them, I struggle to find the images I want within a square format. When you add in the reverse motion when you look down into the viewfinder, I find myself getting too involved with capturing the image and frustrating myself. Despite that, there is something in this camera that these whines are merely the fault of my vision and not the failure of such a beautiful machine closer to a century of life that I am to the first half of my own.
Sears Tower 22
The Sears Tower 22 was made by Ashai as the Asahiflex IIA and re-branded by Sears when they were an all-encompassing giant of the U.S. economy. This little camera is deceptively heavy, with much of its weight coming from its screw-mounted lens, which opens to f2.8, which is relatively fast for a camera manufactured from 1957 to 1959. It is in a mostly non-functional state despite its incredible external condition. The shutter cloth does not move smoothly, shutter speeds are off, and the advanced system jams until you perform a specific, learned through trial-and-error, trick. That got this camera to "function" enough to generate an image. With a 36-shot roll of color film, nine shots turned out with a discernible subject. The others? Lost to other issues I did not know existed due to my impulsive excitement of discovering the twist trick to advance the film. If I had listened to a handful of shutter firings, I would've heard that the cloth moves far from smoothly, resulting in smears across the images. Why keep it around? It's a cute piece that I do not want to see out of my collection, and it is novel due to its small size and waist-level viewfinder.
Tessina Automatic
Likely the most unique piece in my collection, the Tessina Automatic is in a class smaller than subminiature cameras, the spy camera. While not all are actually meant for spies or spying undoubtedly many examples of that exist. Produced from 1957 to 1996, this camera saw a shockingly long manufacturing run, even among cameras like the Leica IIIc and Rolleiflex. Boasting 14x21mm negatives, which is three times smaller than a 35mm frame! Even more shocking is that it is eighteen times smaller than 6x9cm medium format images like those from the Fujica G690. The little thing takes 35mm film, which must be loaded into special miniature cassettes using a custom film-loading device. The viewfinder is a tiny window on the top that is hardly usable in only the brightest lighting. Still, the camera offers all the controls of a camera many times larger than itself: aperture, shutter speed, and focus control, along with focus distance guides. This camera is not tiny for novelty's sake but by sheer mechanical mastery. It is an object lesson in the ability of the Swiss to make small, fine machinery.
