Photography "still" cameras
Mamiya/Sekor - Fall of 1971 to 1974
This was my first decent still camera. It was never used for any professional work though it did serve me well at the time. It was eventually destroyed in a fire while it was on loan to a family member.
I probably learned a lot of my skill in photography with this camera.
Yashica Mat 124G - 1974 to 1979
My first "wedding" camera was a Yashica Mat 124G, a 6x6, bought in 1974. It did a very good job but it only had one 80mm lens. Any add-on lenses were of inferior quality so I used this until the purchase of the Bronica cameras and lenses in 1979.
The camera did have inconsistent frame spacing but it was okay for the most part. I probably should have bought an older Yashica D instead of this camera.
Olympus OM1 and OM2 - 1974 to 2005
I also had a parallel camera system using an Olympus OM-1 (35mm camera) and later I added an OM-10 and OM-2 along with various Olympus lenses. This was used for some weddings and also for many professional/commercial assignments.
In hind sight (always clear) I should have just used this for the weddings, although the square format Bronica made composition much easier with no need to decide on horizontal of vertical.
Bronica S2A - 1979 to 2005
I still have a large 30x30 inch samples left but all the business cameras are gone. Even the fabulous Bronica 2 1/4" (6x6) large format cameras and lenses. I had 3 camera bodies, 5 film backs and 6 lenses. I kind of miss those days, but not too much. The five 220 film backs allowed me to shoot an entire wedding without reloading the 220 film.
This was a fabulous portrait camera.
Olympus IS-30 - 2005 to 2008
This camera wasn't used very much. After selling my Olympus OM system cameras and lenses I attempted to keep my 35mm film capabilities, so I bought this camera. I was immediately frustrated with nearly everything about it from the lens cap to the lack of controls on the camera. I only recall using it for a couple of things. After the purchase of the Nikon D40 I put it in a drawer, never to be used again. Even now I tend to be frustrated with almost any point and shoot camera, though if I work within the limits of a point and shoot I can still do some decent work.
Nikon D40 - 2008 to 2016
Now I do everything with a digital Nikon DSLR that weighs about 2 pounds and with tripod is not more than 5 pounds. The old gear with Halliburton cases and tripods was about 75 pounds so the last wedding (above) was a shock for us because even Melissa wasn't really prepared for how light everything was with the Nikon DSLR. It is 6.1 megapixels but the image is superb due to the bit depth of the imaging sensor.
This has only 6.1 megapixels but the image is beautiful. Even 15 years later the quality of the image is still impressive. Other than Kodachrome and maybe ISO 100 color negative film this is superior to 35mm film.
Sony DSC-WX220 - Spring 2016 to Now
The new pocket-sized DSC-WX220 model is extremely slim and compact, yet packs a ton of imaging punch thanks to its 18.2 megapixel Exmor R® CMOS sensor and 10x optical zoom Sony G Lens. The high-resolution sensor and versatile lens are paired with Sony’s powerful BIONZ® X processor, ensuring that all images and full HD (1920x1080 @60p) videos are captured with exceptional detail and low noise.
This is my favorite vacation camera and it never disappoints me with the in camera results.
Nikon D3200 - 2023 to Now
This camera is newer than the D40 and is a four fold increase in pixel count from the D40 which was my first DSLR.
The total pixel count is 24.2 megapixels. Coupled with an 18-200mm Nikon VR lens it does a very nice job.
This cost about 20% of the new price since it was released in 2012. I had the sensor cleaning wipes and tools so it cleaned up very nice.
Sony RX100V (RX100M5) - 2023 to Now
The Sony RX100V is the company's 2016 addition to its lineup of premium compact cameras. It has a 1" sensor with a 20.2 megapixels, 24-70mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 lens, and it can shoot both JPEG and RAW, and oversampled 4K video recording. The RX100V has an incredible amount of technology stuffed into an easily pocketable package. This camera feels like a little brick and is incredibally solid. I got it for a very low price and I restored it to full operation myself.
