How about a roll call?  What make/model camera do you have and what has been
your experience with it?
a) ease of use
b) durability/quality
c) features
d) intent to buy again
e) other?

If this subject gets enough attention, I will keep track of the responses and
publish a summary.  If enough interest, perhaps we could do the same thing
on film.

Let's hear from you!

19 responses total.

A Minolta (or is that Vivitar?) Freedom Zoom 270 (or something to that
effect).  So far pretty good, easy to use, etc.  Only odne 2 rolls of film
since I got it though.  Seems very easy to use, although there is a fair
amount of little tricky things you can do if you study the manual carefully.

Canon EOS 10s
Easy to use basics but so many options, keep manual nearby
No quality problems - probably 50-75 rolls so far
It has almost any feature you can think of except red-eye reduction
I'd buy it again.
Comment - heavy use of flash makes it a battery hog - $12/battery - I'd 
guess it is good for only 4 rolls of 36 with flash (Book says 10 rolls of 24)

For a long time my camera was a Voightlander VT2 - I did my "best"
photography with this, until the shutter broke. I then got an Olympus
OM-1. It is certainly more versatile than the Voigtlander, but clunkier,
and for me not as successful (except for closeups and similar
technical photography). I still use it a bit. What I now use the most
is a Nikon "Action Touch" - somewhat waterproof - automatic-speed (not
focus) camera. Mostly because I got lazy and less dedicated as a
photographer (incidentally, does anyone know why the Action Touch, 
which was the only less-expensive waterproof camera on the market when
it came out, has disappeared from the market?).

  I use a Keystone 450 which has 2 lens settings on it, regular and telefoto.
I usually usthe regular lens. I firmly believe that an award winning photo
can be taken with a cheapo camera, because it's not the film, or the camera,
it is the photographer which makes great photos.
  I usually use Polaroid OneFilm (it's cheap) 200/400 speeds, and I'm waiting
to see the results. (I took 250 shots in WV). I am one to look at the speed
of the film in deciding which film to buy. Like I said earlier, It's the
photographer that counts, not the film, or the camera.

Hmmm...I've used so many cameras over the years, beginning with a couple of
old range finder types which had no metering.  My 1st SLR (and so far, my
favorite camera) was a Nikormat EL.  It wasn't too heavy, simple to change
lenses and film, pretty sturdy and took great photos.  After over 20 years
it finally died.  I now have a Canon A-II E with only one lens (28-80) and
I'm still on the learning curve.  Good shots still come out great looking,
but I'm not getting the results I'm getting are less than I expected.  I guess
I just have to learn to live with the new technology, heh.

Oh, I also have a Nikon point and shoot, and I use the Kodak disposable
waterproof and panoramic cameras a lot in the summer.  That waterproof
(Weekender ? ) camera takes great shots if you've got enough light, and it
goes down to about 8 or 10 feet I think.

For a while I got into a camera buying jag.  I must have had 40 at one time
and sold most of them.  My favorites were a Nikon Photomic F, and a Nikon F2
(the best).  I still don't know why I sold the F2.  I had two Canon AE1's (one
for black and white & 1 for color) which were superb.  Owning the Canon's was
what convinced me to buy the Canon EOS (at the time I was saving for a Nikon
N-90).  I have had a few antique cameras also, and currently own a circa 1944
folding 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 German camera with a neat Schneider lens.  I've tried
to sell this one for $45 but no one would bite.  it's near mint, too.  

My Canon EOS pictures are the best I have ever taken.  

Oh, yes, I just bought a Minolta XA2 kit from someone at work.  3 lenses,
flash, etc. for $100.  I have not shot it yet, but it is mint.  (this will
be for my daughter who wants to take a photography class).  

Finally I use a Samsung AF slim for travelling.  It is very good, high
featured, great lens, and very small.

I have a Pentax K1000 with various lenses [the camera I got babout
15 years ago...]. And I also have a Nikon 400--something that is/was
lightweight and autofocus... But this has been giving me a lot of grief
for the past year or so, so I'm not going to trust it with any more of
my film or time.  :-(

 I had a Pentax, the model before the K1000.  It was called an Asahi Pentax
and did not have metering.  It was a good camera.  I used it for black and
white.

I bought my Canon because an old Nikon finally bit the dust (after 25 years!)
and I didn't get _any_ assistance whatsoever from Nikon when trying to get
it fixed!  They essentially said I'm sol and had to buy a new camera...so i
did, a Cannon.

It seems like Canon has won a lot of Nikon users.  It used to be that if you
saw a picture of photographers at a sports event, the predominant camera was
a nikon - maybe 80% of all cameras.  Now it looks like Canon is moving toward
that spot.

OK, the several rolls complete status report on my Minolta:  Pretty good,
worth the $170 or so.  There isn't much in the way of control, beside some
flash options (on, off, auto, special light background), but within those it
handles pretty much all situations well.  With fast (400) film, it takes great
shots of big warehouses (I do warehouse computer systems, and I end up taking
photos in case we do a story or seminar featuring that facility).  It takes
pretty clear photos, and usually does a fine job with the flash and lamps,
background lights, etc.

well, most points in my life I've been on low-budget.
The camera I use most is an old Sears SLR.  A Photographer I know has let me
use this on  a pretty much "perpetual loan".  No way could I have afforded
an SLR for photography class in High school.  This camera has manual focus
and f-stop, etc., but it had automatic shutter speed.  Since I learned on this
one, I've done some very bad shots, and some good ones.  This thing is mad
elike it was fisher PRice.  tough to break.
        I have an old 110 camera still that I used in grade school a lot.  IT's
a Keystone XR108  We've had this thing for about 15 years, and it's still
going.  Pretty clear images for a 110.  Even a few gems of shots that I can't
convince some people were not done on a larger size of film.
        On the amusing side...  I have a little gadget known as the "gameboy
camera".  You plug this into Nintendo's handheld video game system, and you
have a low resolution digital camera.  This one is great for kid-amusement.
Even for the adults who love gadgets.(oh if I'd had this when I was 9!)
        My newest aquisition is not yet arrived.  IT is a Mustek digital
camera.  It'll be the most expensive camera I've ever purchased.  has a
resolution of 640x480, and a colour LCD screen that lets you delet bad shots
from memory right away.  

The digital camera i was going to buy months ago turned out to be out of
stock.  figures.  
     I bought an old camera at a yard sale yesterday for $1.00  !  Looking
on the net, i find it is an early Argus C3 rangefinder.  Made about World War
II.  It's all mechanical.  heavy metal construction 35mm.  I took a roll of
film and went to a 1 hour developer.  This thing makes some nice shots!  A
range-finder with a split focusing system, and focusing lens, and a bulb
setting, and can take a cable release and tripod!  wow. (or maybe i've only
seen really cheap rangefinders before)
I put some pics I took with it up on the web. Here's the address
http://chrys.addr.com/photo/camera.html
   Anyone here ever use one of these?  Know much about them?

They were very popular when I was in high school. I had a 2.25x2.25
instead, which I thought was vastly superior for home photography
use - B&W of course. 

Weren't Argus cameras made in Ann Arbor, home of Grex?  

 Yup. We had an Argus projecter. It was very reliable. 

The factory still stands on Second and William.

My camera is a Minolta Maxxim 500si that I bought about two years ago.
I've been pleased with it.  It seems to have great battery life, I've
never had a roll of film not load properly, and I'm pleased with the
pictures I've gotten out of it.  There are a few features I'd like that
it doesn't have, such as depth of field preview, but all in all I'm
happy with it.

I recently inherited my Dad's collection of Leicas.  I haven't played
much with them, but they are excellent 35mm rangefinder cameras.  
 

I used to use an Argus/Cosina SLR, not sure of the model.  It had nothing
automatic on it, but did have through-the-lens metering.  I took some great
shots with that camera, but eventually the shutter jammed.

Its replacement is a Canon AE-1.  Many people seem to consider this a
'classic' from Canon, and I've been very happy with it.  It has two modes;
full manual, and auto-iris, with an in-the-viewfinder meter.  Lenses are
readily available on the used market, for good prices, and this is a key,
because it's the lenses that really count -- a camera is really just a box
to keep light out. ;)  The Canon seems well made, and has that 'precision
instrument' feel to it that I love...everything moves easily and clicks
neatly into position.  After nearly a year of use, my only complaint is that
the shutter speed knob, which is concentric with the film advance, is too
easy to accidentally bump.

I should probably note that Canon also made a slightly updated version
called the AE-1P, which added a full-automatic mode.  I don't have one, so I
can't comment much on its advantages.  My experience with the AE-1's
auto-iris is that you can only trust it on evenly lit scenes, since the
through-the-lens meter seems to average over the whole screen.

I use a Nikon N70 with a Series E 50mm lens and I love it.
I set the camera to manual and work the speed and aperature myself.
The meter is great.  It's not one of those +/- ones.  It has a scale, so you
can see what's going on.  I've had it 3 years and no problems whatsoever. I
love Nikon because I can use a len from 20 years ago on a camera I brought
last week.  Which is great, because I also have a Nikon F.  My next one will
be a Nikon F3HP and a 20mm lens.

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