Who are we?

pw-pix2 · Jul 11, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

1960s, I received a Kodak Instamatic kit for a childhood birthday or Christmas present.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

As above, 1960s, it used 126 film cartridges and a bulb flash attachment.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

I made my workplace buy a Kodak DC120 or Apple Quicktake in the mid to late 90s (one of those weird flat binocular shaped bodies where the viewfinder was at one end and the lens at the other end. It had internal storage and a serial cable to download the files. Then later a Sony Mavica that used floppy disks. My first personal digital camera was a KonicaMinolta DiMage A2 that I got in 2004/5.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography.

It's mostly a hobby/passion. I sometimes ell work and have worked as a photographer occassionally. It's a great accompaniment to my love of walking and exploring. Urban and industrial landscapes are my favourite thing, but I do a bit of everything from time to time.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

126 film point and shoot, 35mm point and shoot, 35mm professional and amateur slr, 620 roll film folding camera, 120 roll film slr (6x6 and 6x7), small sensor digital bridge camera, aps-c sensor dslr, full-frame dslr, small sensor mirrorless, aps-c sensor mirrorless.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

No, not for about 10 years now. I used to do darkroom work, mainly in black and white, but also Cibachrome printing.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Both, I have a pigment ink Epson A2+ printer that I print work for sale and exhibition on, I also have a Canon A3+ inkjet photo printer that I print zines and low cost books and prints on. I also use commercial printing services, both high end (for exhibitions/sale) and cheap work prints for projects.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography

I've been doing photography since I was in primary school and intensively since secondary school, over 50 years in total.

biza43 · Jul 11, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

Around 40 years ago, with my father´s Canon FTB.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

1988. Olympus 300 Superzoom, with a 38-105mm lens.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

2004. Canon Pro1.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography?

No.

Truman Prevatt said:
Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends?

Yes.

Truman Prevatt said:
Do you enjoy producing fine arts?

No.

Truman Prevatt said:
Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife?

No.

Truman Prevatt said:
Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

Mostly stills. Recently started to do some videos of the night sky, star trails, etc, with an old GoPro. Found out that they are easier to do with my Samsung S23 really.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

35mm. FF, 4/3, APSC. Prefer the latter because it is normally smaller and lighter and the sensors are good enough. I can live with the minimal difference between FF and APSC.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

No.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Sometimes.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

I simply like being in the nature and knowing other cultures.

Yours truly camping in the Oman mountains.

--
www.paulobizarro.com

PauloBizarroPHOTOBLOG – Some of my photography

markgv · Jul 11, 2024

1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.
An old Brownie when I was in 2nd grade back in 1962 or so.

2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.
A Kodak Instamatic 104 (w/ flashcube deal) in late 1960s. I got a Yashica in 1978 or so.

3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.
I got an Olympus D450Z (3x optical; 1.3MP) in 2000. Fun little camera that got me hooked on digital.

4. Tell us your interest in photography.
Almost exclusively a stills guy. I'm a Biblical Studies professor, so I have especially focused on documenting biblical sites. Even then, I attempt both a documentary style (making sure to show features, etc.) and a storytelling style (trying to be more artistic). Of course I also document family moments and vacations. I'm better at scenery and architecture than I am with people or street photography.

5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.
After that old Olympus D450Z, I got a Olympus C700Z (10x optical; 2Mp) and then a Canon PowerShot A710IS (6x optical; 7.1Mp), before getting a Pentax K-x in 2010 (APS-C with interchangeable lens), and I've been happy with APS-C and the improvements that have been made along the line. I moved up to the Pentax K-30 then a K-3 then a KP. I love that KP. It remains my weather resistant system, and I have accumulated enough lens on a budget to be ready for most anything. Shooting the K-3 and then KP somehow makes me feel like a photographer with the optical viewfinder and 100% coverage and the satisfying button click. To save weight and space, I have also started getting into Fuji and mirrorless. I got a Fuji X-100T which is a fine little camera but just enough limitations so that I got the X-S10. That's been a fine camera. So, depending on the weather and how much I want to carry, I go out with either Pentax or Fuji.

6. Do you still shoot film. No

7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing? No

Meeces · Jul 11, 2024

Very cool idea.

1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

Canon AE-1 my dad had sometime in the very late 1980's . . . I was about 12 or 13 years old.

2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

He gave me the AE-1 once he realized how much I liked photography. I kept using it more and more, until I used it more than he did. He also bought himself a Minolta Maxxum.

The first camera I bought, or chose anyway, was the Canon EOS3. It was a college graduation gift in 2000. I got to choose a new SLR set up or a Hawaiian vacation, and I chose the EOS3.

I remember hearing about this digital concept at the time. I also remember thinking that the 2 or 3 mp of those digital cameras didn't seem like much (which I think most had at the time?). Besides, how could they possibly advance that fast? So, it came down to EOS 3 or the Nikon F100, and the eye control in the EOS3 was a way cooler gadget (I'm a bit of a gadget geek). I also liked the control layout of the EOS. Of course, digital advanced faster than my early 20's brain guessed it would.

3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

Canon 30D. I saved up and got it shortly after it came out in 2006. Chose it over the Rebel with the better build/quality/features of the xxD line. Moved to the 40D. Then this beautiful thing called the 7D came along. That seemed like the first complete package digital camera I owned.

My 7D (with some lenses/flash/tripod) was stolen out of my car. With the insurance money I discovered Fuji (like many, I only knew them for film). I remember some consternation in the photo world that Canon didn't seem like it would ever update the original 7D (which was about 6 years old by then), and Fuji represented the future with mirrorless.

The X-T1 reminded me so much of the AE-1- it was a no brainer. I have had, and enjoyed, every X-Tx since. In a bit of an ironic twist, I probably would have stuck with Canon had the 7D M2 come out sooner (I still had some Canon glass leftover). The X-T1 was Jan. of 2014 and the 7D M2 Sept. of 2014.

4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

Call it advanced amateur. I do not make my living through photography. I have made some side hustle money, mostly from some weddings, newborn, and family stuff. I am hoping to expand a little more with the photo business in the next 1-2 years. I enjoy documenting others peoples family and friends, but not my own too much. My partner does not like having her picture taken either. Trying to work to overcome that.

Currently, mostly a landscape/nature/wildlife photographer. I also love shooting airshows and live music- neither of which I get to do nearly enough. Some of my strongest memories are seeing how fast I could load film in that AE-1 during the middle of demonstrations at airshows back in mid-90's.

98% stills. Video is on the iPhone. I've tried video on the X-Tx's, but falls under "I'll take it more seriously someday."

5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

35mm and APS-C. It would be awesome to someday get into GFX. APS-C was (and is) more affordable and allows me to carry two bodies much easier. I like the extra reach for wildlife, far away landscapes, and action. I also think there is a depth of field advantage compared to full frame.

6. Do you still shoot film.

Nope. I kept the EOS3 (the body was not stolen) with the intent to try film again, but digital is too convenient. I sold it to KEH a few years ago.

7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

I used to print a ton at Costco. Ahh, the good old days of 'Costco dark', as our local camera club used to refer to those prints. Stopped printing when they took out the printing labs from the local store (and all Costco stores a few years ago). In the last year or so I found WHCC and CanvasHQ and use them for canvas prints. Printing more is high on the priority list. As well, I have purchasing a printer on the wish list, but keep bulking at how expensive to maintain your own printer seems to be.

8.Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

I love using photography as a catalyst for travel and vice versa. I also love gadgets, and cameras just seem like the perfect gadget.

--
-----
Matt
http://www.instagram.com/photosbymattjames
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akita/
Fujifilm X-T5 (black and silver). 18mm f/1.4, Viltrox 75mm, 16-55, 50-140, 70-300, and 100-400mm, 1.4 ext. and MCEX-11. X-T2 (paper weight).

Bill Ferris · Jul 11, 2024

Thank you, Truman, for starting this survey.

First Camera: Nikon F3. I bought it, used, in the early 1990s. It was in rough condition with lots of brassing but felt perfect in my hands. While I enjoyed shooting film, I didn't love it. I put the F3 down for good in 2002. I have no plans to return to shooting film.

First Digital Camera: Nikon D70. It was an early Christmas present in 2004. The camera was destroyed during a backpacking trip in Grand Canyon in 2010.

First Fujifilm Camera: X-T20 in March 2017.

I had made the transition from Nikon APS-C to full-frame in 2013 and been packing a D600/D610 on GC hikes for a few years. As much as I liked the image quality, I was doing more off-trail hiking and didn't want to pack all that weight. So, when Nikon announced their DL 1-inch format cameras, I was among the first in line. A year after the introduction, Nikon canceled the DLs without having sold or shipped a single camera.

I had a 7-day backpack coming up that April (2017) and needed an alternate plan. It didn't take me long to land on the X-T20 as my best option. I placed an order and waited. The camera arrived four days before the start of my hike. I packed it into Grand Canyon for the first time, absolutely loved shooting with it and the X-T20 has been my primary lightweight hiking and travel kit for the last 7 years. Spring of 2017 is also when I started visiting the X System forum.

In summer of 2023, I did a 3-week road trip with my older brother and used the X-T20 and D500 on that adventure. Here's a link to a few photos from my epic summer road trip: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67439499

Interest in Photography: My primary photographic interest since 2015 has been wildlife and birds. During my film years, I didn't have a particular focus. I did occasionally do night sky photography but was more into visual observing with telescopes. When I got into digital almost 20 years ago, I pretty quickly took up an interest in HDR photography. After upgrading to the D600, I started working with single exposures and my primary interest was landscape photography. My D600 suffered from the infamous oil splatter issue and Nikon replaced the camera with a D610. In addition to landscapes, I did a bit of sports photography and also did some portraiture.

It was during a trip to the North Rim of Grand Canyon in July 2015 that my life as a photographer was unexpectedly and completely changed. I'd driven to a meadow near the entrance station to photograph wildflowers and saw a herd of bison grazing there. I had a 70-300mm lens that I used for landscapes and put that on the D610. Two huge bulls started brawling with each other. The battle moved from one meadow into another on the other side of the state highway and returned back to where it had started. It was the most intense natural display I'd ever seen. I arrived at GC a landscape photographer and left a wildlife enthusiast.

I upgraded my lens to a Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E. In 2018, I upgraded from the D610 to an APS-C D500 and that kit has gotten regular use the past six years. I retired from a long career in television and video production (emphasis on live sports coverage) in December of last year and have made photography my principal activity. Two months ago, I upgraded from the D500/200-500 to a Nikon Z9 and NIkkor 800mm PF.

Photography has never paid the mortgage or put food on the table but I do strive to do work at a professional level. The #1 item on my bucket list is to photograph Mexican Grey wolves in the wild. They've been reintroduced in Arizona and the Coconino National Forest around Mormon Lake near Flagstaff is an area the Game and Fish Dept. would allow them to expand into, should a male and female head this way to establish a pack in new territory.

baobob · Jul 12, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

With a Kodak Brownie Flash when I was10 yrs old...

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

1950's

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

2000's

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

Family, events, nature, wildlife (birds), only stills, moon, the earth viewed from the sky (ULAircraft), macro

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

6*6cm, 24*36, FF, APSc now

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

No

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Send to lab

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

My site : https://www.flickr.com/people/robertjf/

ddtan · Jul 12, 2024

I’m not going to count Instamatics, my first “real” camera was a Yashica TL Electro X. I probably got it in the late 60’s. Back in the day, the ultimate SLR was the Nikon F, so that eventually replaced the Yashica. This was succeeded by a Nikkormat FTn, and later an FE. There was a strong camera culture back then in Singapore. Once digital started coming out around the dawn of the 21st century, I got a Canon IXUS, which looks so quaint compared to what is available today. After that it was succeeded by a procession of Canon Rebel’s. I have always been an amateur photographer taking pictures for fun. After awhile I got tired of big DSLR’s and was searching for a small pocketable camera, which got me started with Fuji with the Finepix F30. This was followed by the F200EXR. Those cameras were known for impressive low light capabilities (for the time and size), but their successors didn’t seem to be worth the upgrade, and it wasn’t until the Fuji X10 that my interest was piqued again. After awhile, the promise of even better resolution made me give up the obsession with smallness to go back to an ILC. I got the X-T1 when it came out, and them moved to an X-T20 followed by the X-T30 when my T20 died. Photography has diverged for me into 2 separate categories. Snapshots for fun and documenting life with my iPhone, and the X-T5 with big lenses for bird, wildlife and stuff for which extreme resolution and range overcomes the benefits of computer enhanced iPhone tricks. I don’t print, mainly for the reasons that photo printers of sufficient quality are so expensive, and the fact that I don’t have enough wall space for all those prints. I am tempted by a new M4 iMac Pro with it’s 13 OLED screen though. No patience for film anymore, plus my daughter adopted my Nikomat FE.

NorCal Jim · Jul 12, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
I was going to do this in a poll, but there are limitations on polls to one question on DPR so I decided to post as a thread. We don't really know each other. All we see is screen names. When someone post we don't know the experience level or interests in photography. I believe this forum would be more useful if we had a better feel for the community. Below is a series of questions. Answer as many or few as you want and feel free to expand and comment.

1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I am originally from the East coast and had several relatives and friends of the family with interesting camera gear. I remember my grandfather (born 1880) showing me some of his bellows cameras including some fold-out cameras. I did get to handle them but didn't take any pictures.

Occasionally, I was asked to take a picture with my parents' Rolleiflex twin reflex camera prior to 1957. I got more opportunities during our trip across country in 1957.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

My access to my parents' Rolleiflex was significantly curtailed in the early 60s when they presented me with my own camera, a Kodak Brownie, with the expectation that I would pay for the film and developing costs.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

Throughout the 1990s, I purchased various digital cameras (mostly Canon). Finally, I got my wife a Canon APS-C ILC camera. Somewhere in that time period, I had a Canon ELF camera that was rather convenient to use.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

My earliest photography-related memories were of my mother going through boxes of pictures with me when my father was overseas (WWII & Korean veteran). I was also fascinated with my grandfather's camera gear as well as the camera gear owned by various relatives and family friends.

During the 60s, I had several friends and acquaintances with SLR cameras but as much as I admired their equipment and darkroom access, I didn't have the funds for my own SLR. It wasn't until the 70s that I got my own Nikon SLR and was fortunate enough to have friends to mentor me and provide darkroom access. I am essentially a hobbyist with no interest in any commercial venture related to photography. In the late 70s, one of my photography friends asked me to photograph his wedding. He and his wife were very happy with the results but that was my first and last time as a wedding photographer.

After retirement, I spent more time indulging my photography interests and finally became a registered user of DPR.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

Various film formats including medium format and 35mm. These days, I enjoy three camera systems (Sony APS-C, Micro Four Thirds and FujiFilm APS-C). Each of these camera systems offer key advantages that I would not want to relinquish.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

No.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

I have had various printers over the years but these days I use an Epson ET-8550 to print 4"x6" photos and occasionally letter size photos.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

Although I am principally interested in photography, I have explored video and have chosen cameras that work well with both. I chose the Panasonic GH3 and later the GH4 precisely for their video functions but spent more time with Sony's a5100 (also RX100 M3 and later RX100 M5) for video due to the convenience. This dovetailed into exploring multiple digital audio recorders and merging improved audio in post processing. These days, all of my newer cameras have microphone input and better capabilities for capturing quality audio and video but I doubt that I would have explored the use of separate digital audio recorders without those earlier cameras with no audio input capability.

I still have various older cameras that I keep for sentimental reasons and that only see occasional use. Almost all of my newer cameras have the capability to serve as my only camera. However, I am very attached to using cameras from Sony, FujiFilm and Olympus. Each of these camera systems have features that I would not want to do without. For example, my FujiFilm X-T3 has the retro-style dials that are reminiscent of my film days (but with separate ISO & EC dials) and I appreciate the fact that I can glance at the camera dials and aperture ring and know the settings without delving into a menu!

Jeff Biscuits · Jul 12, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I honestly can’t remember, but one of the earliest things I remember was shooting Buccaneers taking off from RAF Valley on Anglesey with a cheap plastic point-and-shoot, probably around 1981, when I would have been about 6. Square format of some sort. My dad told me not to shoot into the sun, you don’t get a good photo that way. So I shot into the sun. And I loved the minimal silhouettes that resulted.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

Either late 70s or right at the start of the 80s.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

Late 1990s, but they weren’t very good. First “proper” one was a Canon Powershot around 2000. Then a Canon DSLR a few years later. But the first digital cameras I really clicked with and loved were the Pentax K10D in 2006 and the Ricoh GR Digital II in 2008. I have used GRs constantly since the GR1 film camera i. the late 90s.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

Purely amateur. Mostly as a pastime, something to do. I’m very visually-driven. I used to do art (including photography) at school but regrettably never kept it up. Back then I had decent skills with some media, but completely lacked ideas. Now I’m far more interested in the idea but have lost the drawing skills. Photography has an easier entry point and it’s always stayed with me on and off anyway.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

Film SLRs, P&Ss and the Ricoh GR1. My favourite film camera is probably the Olympus Trip 35.

All sorts of digital compacts (mostly Ricoh GR/GX/GXR), a couple of DSLRs (mostly the Pentax K10D), a handful of Lumix MFTs (mostly the GF1), the GFX 50R, and a ton of Fujifilm X bodies (several only quite briefly, but I’ve tried most of them).

My favourites are the Ricoh GR (especially the IIIx), the X-Pros, the X100s, the X-E3, and the GFX 50R.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

Minimally, but yes. I’m rubbish at getting around to se ding it to be processed these days (in the past I’ve enjoyed doing my own B&W processing, but I’ve never had my own darkroom.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Yes, sometimes. But a lot of my favourite images aren’t ones that I’d hang on the wall of a family home—and I have nowhere else to hang them. I’m never quite sure what to do with them.

dccberry · Jul 12, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I was about seven or eight when I held my first camera. My dad was the Peace Corps' first photo editor, so I had access to Nikon F and Leica M bodies as a kid.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

I got my first camera in the 60's, a Kodak Instamatic X-15.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

I got my first digital camera, a Nikon D-100, in 2002. It broke during a wedding shoot, and I had to switch back to film in the middle of the gig.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

I am a full-time professional photographer and large format printer. My partner is a custom framer, so one-stop shopping for our clients. I do a lot of art copywork and printing, and my real interest is editorial and documentary photography. I still do an occasional portrait, and avoid weddings like the plague at this point. I like photographing landscapes as a personal project now and then. No video.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

In film, I used 35mm and 120. I digital, APSc and full-frame. 120 roll film was my favorite, because of the cameras and output quality, but Leica M would run a close 2nd for the pure pleasure to quality ratio.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

No film at this point, as it is not really viable for production work anymore. Not in terms of quality, but turnaround time.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

I do most of my printing in-house, but do use a traditional lab in the Midwest for those times when out-sourcing is easier and more cost-effective.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

I feel lucky to have started in the era of film, and then transitioned to digital. I was a master B&W darkroom printer for several decades, and use the same tools now in Photoshop to achieve the results I want in the digital print realm. If someone local sets up a high end chemical darkroom, I may venture back into printing occasionally, but I feel like I have absorbed enough heavy metal over the years, which never bodes well for retired printers. I can make a digital print that is every bit as good as a chemical print these days, and while not as spontaneous as a darkroom print, it will most likely last longer.

--
http://www.conklinphoto.com

Rightsaidfred · Jul 12, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I was a boy under 10 years. Already in that age I was interested in photography.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

I was about 11 years old. It was an Agfa Optima Flash. Little later I bought the used Pentax ME from my father.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

I bought it in 2002. It was a Casio Exilim. Until then I had a Pentax Super A.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

Hobbyist. I shoot family, in the company, other groups, and my own stuff. My own stuff is "everything", macro, nature, architecture, land, and especially the "little observations", small odd things I encounter. Rarely video but I do sometimes.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

I absolutely loved the Pentax SLRs of the 1980s and 1990s. Today, Fujifilm are my favorite. I re-discovered photography with Fujifilm.

See here, X-T20 - My cute little camera

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

Nope.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Rarely. But I repeatedly printed 70 cm x 110 cm from X-T20 and X-T4 and am very happy.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

KR,

Martin

--
SmugMug - https://martinlang.smugmug.com
500px - https://500px.com/martinlangphotography
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/martin.lang.photography
Co-author on https://frickelfarm.de/

acollins · Jul 12, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
I was going to do this in a poll, but there are limitations on polls to one question on DPR so I decided to post as a thread. We don't really know each other. All we see is screen names. When someone post we don't know the experience level or interests in photography. I believe this forum would be more useful if we had a better feel for the community. Below is a series of questions. Answer as many or few as you want and feel free to expand and comment.

1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I don't remember exactly...it might have been a Polaroid when I was about 10 or 11.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

1975. It was a Kodak Instamatic X-15 that I got before our family trip to Europe that summer. I had 3 cartridges of 126 film with 24 exposures each and with that much film, I was ready to travel the world!

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

April 2003, my Canon 10D.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

Photography is a passionate hobby for me, although at times I've done a few paying gigs. I especially enjoy shooting nature, skyscapes, astrophotography, and wildlife. I do frequently document family as well, although more family members also do with their phones.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

I've shot a lot of film cameras. I got serious about shooting film around 1994 when I bought my first serious camera, a Canon A2. I shot mostly 35mm but I did get into APS (Advanced Photo System) cameras for a while until they were squeezed out by digital. I dabbled in 110 film for a little bit but the shots were not up to my expectations, although the cameras themselves were pretty cool (especially the Canon 110 ED20). Once I started using my 10D, it has been mainly digital, but I have maintained a nice collection of 35mm film SLRs, my favorites being the Minolta XD, Nikon FM3A, Canon F-1n, Pentax LX, and the Nikon F6. I have a number of 35mm rangefinders as well. I'm currently shooting the Canon R6 MkII (perhaps my favorite AF camera ever!), R7, Fuji X-T5, and the Fuji X100VI.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

I have not been shooting much film lately even though I've been acquiring many of the older cameras that I loved in the past. I hope to shoot some as soon as I can line up a good lab to send the pictures to. I love handling the film cameras though, especially the SLRs, and my Fuji X-T5 is a wonderful modern interpretation of those cameras.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

I print many of my digital shots.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

I love photography but I do it for my own gratification and creative challenge. As I said earlier, on occasion I shoot a paying gig, but it's mainly for my enjoyment. I don't do video so all of the amazing video capabilities on my R-bodies and Fuji cameras don't mean much to me. To be honest, I'm quite happy with the video from my iPhone 14.

BeatX · Jul 12, 2024

it's not who I'm underneath, it's how and what I photograph that defines me

--
My gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maciej_k/

Dick Ginkowski · Jul 13, 2024

First camera was a 127 with electric eye from Sears which I got in the fourth grade and took pictures during a tour of the Wisconsin State Capitol. First 35mm cameras: point and shoot Olympus bought in a 1972 trip to Nassau and, later, a Vivitar SLR replaced by a Canon AE-1P then Canon Rebel, A1 and 1V. First roll of Tri-X processed while in law school included a shot I took of a car that crashed into a bank lobby that I sold to the newspaper.

First digital camera: Canon D30 in 2001! Haven't shot film since. Canon D60, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 7D and EOS1. Still have 7D.

Fujifilm: X-E1, X-E2, X-T2, X-T20, X-E3, X-T30, X-T3 and X-T50 that died less than three weeks later. Still have: X-T2, X-T20, X-E3, X-T30, X-T3 and awaiting replacement X-T50.

Serious amateur who has sold some shots. Almost exclusively landscape and wildlife and almost exclusively shot on a tripod.

35mm and digital equivalent except for that old Sears 127.

Do you still shoot film? That's what we shot in the 20th century!! But I do miss developing my own black and white and printing.

I have an Epson photo printer but if I make a print it's cheaper to send it out.

No video work yet. Maybe someday.

Asla · Jul 13, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
I was going to do this in a poll, but there are limitations on polls to one question on DPR so I decided to post as a thread. We don't really know each other. All we see is screen names. When someone post we don't know the experience level or interests in photography. I believe this forum would be more useful if we had a better feel for the community. Below is a series of questions. Answer as many or few as you want and feel free to expand and comment.

Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

Do you still shoot film.

Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

Hi!

Thank you for interesting thread!

Safety first! Selfie at anchor.

1) I might have first time make a shot perhaps 1978. Some casette camera with cubic flash. In extented family event. I guess it was my cousins camera. That "new technique" left me interested (even when my father photographed with olympus half frane and made 8mm films).

2) I got my first camera at 1980, Minolta AL.

Minolta AL. Now long time dead... I accidentally dropped it from canoe. Got it up from bottom of river, but , surprisingly, it didn't work anymore

3) I got my first digital camera at 2004, It was Minolta Z1.

4) I'm amateur. When I was young I was intrigued by possibility to get photography my profession, but I thought, and still do, that that would have evently diminish my interest for photographing.

I make photos of many things: landscape, family, events, nature, little bugs, macro ice... Ice has been one of my biggest passions in photography; it is so fragile and it's shapes shift so fast, especially in springtime. Too bad that best season for photographing Ice only last for couple of days- weeks. Also I do long exposures (60-1800 seconds) mostly with water in frame. Relativity of permanency (and stillness) in our enviroment is very interesting. Travel, too: I was at EBC trek at this march, maybe I get some photos to this forum some day!

Sialmokoski. Rovaniemi, Finland

Old Deer; Detail In Ice.

A fellow trekker. Between Dingboche and Dhukla, Nepal

5) Oh, srl's, rangefinders, compacts, dslr's, mirrorless... Film with practically only 35mm, digital with 1/2,3"- full frame. I don't do videos.

6) I still shoot film; currently I have Kodak Gold 200 in Nikon FG-20, and Agfa APX 100 in Minoltina-S. I don't develope films myself. I do post-process scanned images. There has been years I have not exposured a single frame of film, but I still get back to film repeatedly!

Minoltina-S.

7) Both. However, currently my printer does not co-operate...

A s l a

William the X-T5 guy · Jul 13, 2024

1 & 2) The first time I held a camera and took a picture I was probably 6 or 7 years old, so that would have been 1963 or 1964. I was given a 126 cartridge camera for Christmas.

3) My first digital camera was a used Canon G1 that I bought from a friend who was on a rapid upgrade path in IIRC, 2002.

4) I took up photography seriously in grade 8, when I was introduced to the darkroom in industrial arts. That was 1970. My dad gave me his old Fujica rangefinder that he bought when my older brother was born, so the camera dates from the mid 1950s. I still have it. It's a lovely little jewel.
By the time I was in grade 9 I was mentoring with one of the teachers who shot weddings on weekends and was going off with him working as an assistant. When I got my driver's license in 1973 I started shooting weddings for him on my own as one of his pool of photographers.

I spent a few decades working semi professionally, but I made much of my income working in various photo labs, so I was never 100% pro photographer. I could probably have done it except that I liked the lab work and more importantly by working in a lab I was able to control my color work from beginning to end.

As for what types of photography I did as a semi pro, it's a pretty long list. Weddings & portraiture were pretty big for me, but I also did product photography, shooting everything from jewelry for a local manufacturer to large road building equipment.
In the studio I branched off of portraiture into boudoir stuff and from there into art nudes, and from there into some pretty pornographic stuff rather by accident. Sometimes the oddest things happen when it turns out a client wants "more" and has a bunch of like minded friends.
That was fun.

I also did a lot of landscape work, going on month long excursions to the American Southwest pretending I was Ansel Adams.
Along the way I had a few gallery shows and won a few awards for my work.

5) I've shot with everything from a Kodak Disc camera up to 11x14 sheets, though my camera ownership stopped at 4x5. Much of my shooting was on 35mm until the late 1970s when I bought a Bronica ETR-S from my old mentor and I pretty much dropped 35mm in favor of medium format. When I managed to destroy the Bronica by dropping it from the top of a 13 story building to the parking lot below I used the insurance money to help underwrite a Pentax 6x7 in 1985.

I bought my first camera with my own funds in 1971, an Olympus OM-1 and in 1975 a Nikon F2S, and in 1983 an F3. Concurrently I had an FM and an FE2. At some point I had a Nikon F as well. When the F4 came out I already had the 6x7 and looked at the F4 as a piece of bloatware that was almost as big as my 6x7 but only took a postage stamp sized negative and ended up selling my smallish Nikon kit in favor of a Pentax LX and a few K1000s.

Not long after I bought an old Burke & James vew camera and then a couple of years later a Tachihara field camera.
I started toying with digital in 1997, not with a camera, but with a film scanner (an HP Photosmart that would scan 35mm negs).
Eventually I bought the used Canon, and when the Pentax *istD was released, that camera, and then a K10, K20, K7, K5, K3 and K1. I bought an X-Pro1 and when the X-T1 was released I picked up one of those. When the K1 came out I stopped using the Fuji gear until last year when I bought the X-T5.

6) I haven't shot film since 2006 and the only reason I did that was because I needed a much wider angle lens than the crop sensor would allow for a job I was doing. A large home renovation that began in 2002 demanded that I take down my darkroom, and by then it was pretty obvious where photography was going. I wasn't a fan, and darkroom supplies were already getting a little hard to get, so I tried future proofing myself by buying and freezing a few thousand sheets of film and about the same amount of paper.

At some point during the reno the deep freeze got unplugged without my noticing and was probably that way for a couple of years. By the time I noticed the contents were destroyed by mold and I made the decision to let the darkroom go. The loss of that much film and paper took away the ambition to rebuild my darkroom. I just didn't have the heart for it any more.

7) I do occasionally send files for printing, though I expect it will become very infrequent. I bought an Epson 4800 in 2005 or 2006 but didn't use it enough and ended up killing it through neglect.
A month ago I bought a Canon Pro 300 and am quite content with it.

These days I shoot mostly landscapes and macros with the very occasional portrait session for good measure.

Wow, congratulations if you've made it this far.

--
Bill.
Proud user of Pentax and Fuji camera gear.

JohnS59 · Jul 13, 2024

First shot with a Kodak Instamatic 100 camera (126 cartridge, squared format). Age 10 or so (in the sixties). It used to be my dad's camera. He bought it, he told me later, because our queen of the Netherlands (named Juliana), known for her modesty in public appearances, used this type of camera. So it must be a good one.

As a multi billionaire the queen could not afford something better I guess or was not technical enough to operate a more advanced device.

The camera had only one shutter speed (1/60 s), a plastic f/11 fixed focus lens, and no way to adjust the exposure at all. The ultimate point and shoot camera!

I remember I spend a lot of my scarce money on a slide film cassette. It's should not surprise you most of slides were heavy under exposed as exposure is critical and - as I said - you could not adjust it

. B&W was oké most of the time though.

Later, in my teens I bought a Russian Leica 3 copy Fed camera (very nice!). Later on (still in my teens) I got a Practica (my first SLR) and later a Pentax ME with several lenses. I had my own darkroom then too, which was quite common those days.

Today I shoot Fujifilm X but still have a several Pentax 6x7 film camera's with quite a few lenses which I occasionally use. I have a Leitz Focamat IIc enlarger too (bought very cheap 20 year ago). I don't use the darkroom anymore though.

Kodak Instamatic 100

Hesman · Jul 13, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
I was going to do this in a poll, but there are limitations on polls to one question on DPR so I decided to post as a thread. We don't really know each other. All we see is screen names. When someone post we don't know the experience level or interests in photography. I believe this forum would be more useful if we had a better feel for the community. Below is a series of questions. Answer as many or few as you want and feel free to expand and comment.

1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

Probably asked my parents when I was a child if I could take a picture with their camera when I was very young. But, the first time taking a picture with a camera would have been when I took a photography class in 7th grade in 1991 or 1992. It was with a Pentax Spotmatic, I believe, and black and white film. I remember the teacher not being that good at teaching us and telling us what was an assignment and when it was due. I was always a good student, but this was the one class that I failed, which was out of the ordinary for me. It freaked my parents out that I failed the class and it was worked out with the teacher that I turn in assignments I had already completed and/or complete the assignments I was close to finishing in a two week time frame to earn a passing grade. I did this and passed the class with flying colors. I never did take another photography class until college.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

Because I was able to pass the above mentioned photography class, my dad brought home a surplused camera from his job as a reward. It had to of been in the later part of 1992 when I got the camera. The camera was a Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II. A friend of the family gave me a 135mm lens to use with my Spotmatic along with the 55mm lens that came with the camera. I used this camera regularly until the mid 2000's.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

I bought an inexpensive point and shoot digital camera in 2007, a Pentax M20. I barely used it for a year before getting a better point and shoot digital camera, a Panasonic Lumix LX8. I heavily used this camera until I pretty much wore out all the buttons and dials until the camera no longer worked in 2011. By this time I had saved up enough money to purchase my first DSLR, a Nikon D5100. A few years down the road in 2017, I decided to go mirrorless bought a Fujifilm X-E1 and year or so after that a X-E3 along with the 16-55mm f.28 lens. I went with the Fuji's because they reminded me of my Pentax Spotmatic. After a few years of using the Fuji cameras I grew frustrated with the worms/watercolor effect from the X-Trans sensor in high contrast pictures and the soft focus I kept getting with the 16-55mm lens. I sold all my Fuji gear a little over 2 years ago and went back to using my Nikon D5100. I soon missed using a camera that had a lot of focus points like the Fuji cameras and being able to compose pictures with live view as I had with the Fuji cameras. (The live view on the D5100 was okay, but it just wasn't the same as mirrorless live view to me) So in early 2024, I began looking at and researching full frame mirrorless cameras. I settled on purchasing the Nikon Z6II earlier this year. Of course 3 weeks after I bought the camera, Nikon announced the Z6III. There weren't many differences that made me want to return the Z6II and get the Z6III, though I did miss the flippy screen from my D5100 and the Z6III had one. Oh well, I wasn't going to let buyers remorse ruin my day and decided to keep the Z6II.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

I'd say that my interest in photography is for my own enjoyment of taking pictures and learning new things like how to focus stacking or improving my astrophotography skills or just to get out to find something that interests me enough to take a picture. I guess I would say I am amateur. I shoot stills, though I would like to begin experimenting with video with my Z6II.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

Point and shoot digital cameras, APS-C and full frame. I like APS-C because of the extra 1.5x reach, though at the moment I am liking my full frame Z6II.

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

Yes, but not that often. A couple of years ago I bought a used Nikon F100 that was and is in really good condition.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

No, but I would like to get my own printer and start printing some of my pictures.

Truman Prevatt said:
Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

I have always done landscape photography. I have been thinking of doing some other styles of photography, but haven't dedicated the time to do so.

abmetJ · Jul 14, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

I’m sure used my parents camera at some point, but took photography class in high school in early 90’s.

Truman Prevatt said:
2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

That lead to me purchasing a Pentax K100 somewhere around 1991.

Truman Prevatt said:
3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

Nikon E3200 in in early 2000’s then Nikon D70.

Truman Prevatt said:
4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

just a hobby mostly nature and family photos very little video. I wanted to pursue sports photography when started college but locally was mostly small paper journalism jobs so decided against it as was not interested in writing.

Truman Prevatt said:
5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

35mm film and ASP-C/DX

Truman Prevatt said:
6. Do you still shoot film.

Not since moved and dismantled my darkroom years ago, but once went digital wasn’t shooting or developing much film.

Truman Prevatt said:
7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

A little of both.

Ed USA · Jul 14, 2024

Truman Prevatt said:
I was going to do this in a poll, but there are limitations on polls to one question on DPR so I decided to post as a thread. We don't really know each other. All we see is screen names. When someone post we don't know the experience level or interests in photography. I believe this forum would be more useful if we had a better feel for the community. Below is a series of questions. Answer as many or few as you want and feel free to expand and comment.

1. Tell us about the first time you held a camera and took a picture.

2. I got my first camera in what decade, the 1950's, 60's, ... 2020's.

3. I got my first digital camera in 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, or 2020's.

4. Tell us your interest in photography. Are you a professional - making all your living through photography? Do you enjoy documenting the growth of family and friends? Do you enjoy producing fine arts? Do you enjoy documenting nature and wildlife? Do you shoot stills, video or both?, etc.

5. How many different format and styles of cameras have you shot and which are your favorite.

6. Do you still shoot film.

7. Do you print or send images out to labs for printing?

Anything else that you think might help the community better know your and your interest in photography and here by photography I mean both stills and video.

1. Polaroid Xmas present, the fancy leather chrome one back when I was young. Still have some yellow pictures from that.

2. 1981 bought first Serious camera Canan AE1 for a trip to Hollywood area, had original 50mm F1.4 kit lens. and a vivitar 100 tele lens which I left on roof of rental car and lost lol. Hey we were young.

3. 2015 first digital Nikon D70 6.1 megapixals

4. I do Photography for my pleasure and the art of it. Would hate it to be WORK. Like Street nature, wildlife, ocean-sides, landscapes. People. No video for me.

5. Have had FF, APS-C. Micro-third and 1inch sensor cameras, I sold all my Nikon Z system and kept Fuji T5 , getting used X-E3. May in future I see a deal for FF with kit lens and get, I rather spend more time on one system easier to master, FF much $$ too.

6. not since canon AE1 in the 80s..never again

7. Have in past, want to do some this year

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