So just interested to know what is your camera brand history if you did not start with sony

[spudhead]

Ok I often see new members state new to Sony so I was wondering what brands and gear you used before Sony and your reason for changing? I started about 35 years ago with Pentax me film camera then stopped for 30 plus years when my grown up kids where asking about cameras for holiday trips abroad so I looked at what was out there around 2014 and liked the Sony a77ii so that powered me back to photography. One of the other plus points for me was that I could buy the excellent vintage Minolta lenses. So what your story?
Just clarify pentax me first real camera, then a couple of fujis a long lay off and a77ii ,then a99ii then a7iii, and a9 best body so far, and I dont want to think about the thousands I have spent on prime lenses along the way

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Kodak 110, Pentax Zoom 70, Minolta 7000i, Minolta 700si, Minolta Dimage 7, Minolta Dynax 7D, Pentax K30, Pentax K3 and K3ii, Nikon D7500, Sony A7RIV

I only went to Pentax when the 7D died (wore the shutter out) because the Sony DSLR's at the time were pretty poor, cheaply made, horrible to hold, otherwise I'd have stayed with them when they took over Minolta, as the Minolta lenses obviously fitted. I swapped from Pentax to Nikon because no one other than Pentax had a 500/600 lens for the system and they were hellish expensive, even used. I had their 150 450, which was superb, and when I sold it I made £500, as prices had gone right up and I got it on a £350 off deal. I'd had it over18 months. I swapped from Nikon because a friend who works in in Park Cameras ruined me by showing me the 200 600 I was intending to go to Nikon Mirrorless, glad I didn't!

 

[NatureBoyOhio]

Minolta. Purchased my first Minolta at the PX at Ft. Richardson, Alaska. It was a Minolta 700. Carried it with me everywhere I went in the field. Survived -30 F temps in Nome, a dunking in the Manastee river in Michigan and finally bought the bullet when I dropped it 10 years later. Switched to Sony when Minolta ceased to exist.

 

[spudhead]

Kodak 110, Pentax Zoom 70, Minolta 7000i, Minolta 700si, Minolta Dimage 7, Minolta Dynax 7D, Pentax K30, Pentax K3 and K3ii, Nikon D7500, Sony A7RIV

I only went to Pentax when the 7D died (wore the shutter out) because the Sony DSLR's at the time were pretty poor, cheaply made, horrible to hold, otherwise I'd have stayed with them when they took over Minolta, as the Minolta lenses obviously fitted. I swapped from Pentax to Nikon because no one other than Pentax had a 500/600 lens for the system and they were hellish expensive, even used. I had their 150 450, which was superb, and when I sold it I made £500, as prices had gone right up and I got it on a £350 off deal. I'd had it over18 months. I swapped from Nikon because a friend who works in in Park Cameras ruined me by showing me the 200 600 I was intending to go to Nikon Mirrorless, glad I didn't!

They say Nikon mirrorless will only be as good as the sensors Sony will sell them, I do not understand the route that cannon have gone down decent bodies and some real cheap long reach lenses with f numbers that are useless in the Uk apart from that one perfect day. The 200-600 is way better than it should be at its price point, I bought on release day and can not believe how it come down in price even in the uk

 

[Jeff A]

My story is too few cameras spread over too long a time. I'll be brief:

1. SLR, probably a Canon. Set down and it was stolen. (Yes, I was stupid)
2. SLR, brand forgotten. Stolen from my Son's car.
3. Minolta 7000 xi. My Son Borrowed it for 20 years or so. I recently asked for it back.
4. Various Point and Shoot cameras, predominately Canon but other brands as well.
5. My niece's Husband got a Sony A7 II. It looked nice, but I decided to get a GOOD camera like a Canon or Nikon. I studied a lot and bought a Sony A7 III.
6. 14 months later, I bought an A7 IV. I now have more lenses than I ever dreamed of. I think they call it GAS!

 

[spudhead]

My story is too few cameras spread over too long a time. I'll be brief:

1. SLR, probably a Canon. Set down and it was stolen. (Yes, I was stupid)
2. SLR, brand forgotten. Stolen from my Son's car.
3. Minolta 7000 xi. My Son Borrowed it for 20 years or so. I recently asked for it back.
4. Various Point and Shoot cameras, predominately Canon but other brands as well.
5. My niece's Husband got a Sony A7 II. It looked nice, but I decided to get a GOOD camera like a Canon or Nikon. I studied a lot and bought a Sony A7 III.
6. 14 months later, I bought an A7 IV. I now have more lenses than I ever dreamed of. I think they call it GAS!

yes it becomes very expensive quickly, thanks for reply we need to keep peoples interest in the site because its so much nicer on here than other sites I have and do use Gary

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

They say Nikon mirrorless will only be as good as the sensors Sony will sell them, I do not understand the route that cannon have gone down decent bodies and some real cheap long reach lenses with f numbers that are useless in the Uk apart from that one perfect day. The 200-600 is way better than it should be at its price point, I bought on release day and can not believe how it come down in price even in the uk

Nikon have dragged their heels terribly, regardless, because they still don't have any long reach lenses for the mirrorless system, not dedicated ones, and the price of the upcoming 400 2.8 is frankly mental.
Canon, well, they are in a good position because the legacy lenses work perfectly with the adaptor, and they do have the 100 500 too, so they have good appeal for wildlife guys, even with the 2 pointless to the UK lenses, but Sony still rule the roost and probably will for some time to come.

 

[AlphaWorld]

Only counting interchangeable lens cameras: Canon for a long time (film, then digital), Leica briefly, then Nikon, then Canon, then Sony. Multiple models each time except for Leica.

 

[spudhead]

Only counting interchangeable lens cameras: Canon for a long time (film, then digital), Leica briefly, then Nikon, then Canon, then Sony. Multiple models each time except for Leica.

So what made you change to Sony , it sounds like you have used most brands at some point and are you happy with your Sony set up now

 

[yvonneb]

My first camera was a Pentax K1000. Then I moved to Nikon analog and digital DSLR's for 13 years (had several bodies). I switched to Canon due to the megapixels at that time. The Canon cameras I owned Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 5D Mark III (got stolen) and replaced it with the Canon 5D Mark IV. I bought in 2016 a Sony a7RII as a travel camera I liked it and replaced it for a Sony a7RIII and got a second body to start doing some video Sony a7III. I sold all my Canon gear as well as the 2 Sony cameras. My gear now is a Sony a7RIV and a Sony a7IV... I am very happy with Sony.

 

[AlphaWorld]

So what made you change to Sony , it sounds like you have used most brands at some point and are you happy with your Sony set up now

I went Nikon when Canon abandoned the 1Ds line, and enjoyed 36Mpixel. Then Canon appeared to resurrect the 1Ds as the 5Ds, but I wanted something smaller - went into the shop thinking I’d get something compact, and walked out with an A7RII

Then Canon abandoned the 5Ds, but Sony came out with the A7RIII and then the A7RIV (final nail in the coffin for my 5Ds).

And then Sony engineers got the chance to put EVERYTHING in one camera, and made me very happy

Just realised: ordered my A1 a year ago yesterday

 

[Clix Pix]

My very first camera was a Kodak Brownie......Some years later my next one was a Kodak Instamatic when they became popular. In the early 1970's I bought my first SLR, a Minolta something-or-other, which was followed by another Minolta something-or-other. Then I took the plunge and bought which to my mind was the "gold standard" of the time, a Nikon. Couldn't afford top of the line, so went with the N90, which was eventually followed by the N90s. When the Coolpix came along, I spent some years with those and as time went on found myself neglecting the SLR and lenses in favor of the smaller, lighter and intriguing digital Coolpix series.

One day I was out shooting with the Coolpix 8800 and became increasingly frustrated as the camera just wasn't doing what I needed it to do. It dawned on me that I was trying to use it like an SLR and it simply wasn't one, couldn't perform like one. The Nikon D70 came into the household and that started me on Nikon DSLRs. Went through a succession of those, adding and subtracting lenses along the way, too.

One day a friend came over and brought his new Sony NEX-7 with him, and that was my introduction to the new world of mirrorless cameras (and to Sony). I was instantly intrigued and soon had my very own NEX-7. It wasn't long until I realized that I was reaching for that camera far more frequently than my Nikon gear. I bought an RX100 M3 for a trip and loved that little camera, too.

Then there was a period during which I didn't do much shooting at all and the camera gear sat in the cabinet and in bags. Then I was getting ready to go on a trip which I realized was going to present certain challenges and after doing some research and looking at images online and reading reviews, I went to the store and bought the RX10 IV "bridge" camera. At the time I figured I'd use it mainly for the trip but didn't really anticipate doing a lot with it afterward...... However, once home from the trip, I found myself carrying that bridge camera with me on walks around the neighborhood and on excursions to local botanical gardens. I began shooting very frequently, sometimes daily.

That RX10 IV (which I still have and still love) is a terrific camera but there were limitations against which I bumped as time went on I wanted to do certain kinds of shooting, especially macros , closeups and tabletop shots. I started thinking about updating my camera gear, as by this time my Nikon DSLR s and lenses were getting pretty old and so was the NEX-7. It was a no-brainer to look at mirrorless for my future gear, as it was becoming abundantly clear that this was the direction in which the photography world was going. When I first started thinking about this, I had my eye on the A7 III, but then decided that the A7R III would probably work better for me. In the meantime, though, Nikon announced their mirrorless Z line and so I waited until the Z6 and Z7 and the first few lenses plus that FTZ adapter thingy were released and in users' and reviewers' hands. It didn't take long to realize that Nikon's mirrorless gear was not going to work for me, especially when their "roadmap" didn't even have a macro lens on it at all. The FTZ adapter, contrary to the enthusiastic promo, was NOT going to work with all of my older lenses and some of them, while they would work, actually would no longer function with AF. I found this unsatisfactory.

Having finally made up my mind that I would get the Sony A7R III, I was surprised to learn that Sony was about to release the A7R IV, so I waited some more for that to be in users' hands.... Sony already had lenses which would fit my needs and interests immediately, so that was not an issue. One day I packed up my Nikon bodies and lenses and took everything over to the local camera shop and traded in the lot for the Sony A7R IV and three lenses (two macros and the fast 135mm f/1.8). Over time I slowly, gradually added lenses as the need and desire arose. When the A1 was released, it joined the household in late August of 2021.

So in a way I've come full circle from those first Minolta SLRs years ago to my current Sony bodies and lenses now. I've been more than happy with my Sony gear and know that I made the right decisions and right choices for myself and the way I like to shoot.....

 

[Jeff A]

yes it becomes very expensive quickly, thanks for reply we need to keep peoples interest in the site because its so much nicer on here than other sites I have and do use Gary

That's sad to hear, but not surprising these days. Lots of crap going on in the US. I hope it's better in the UK.

 

[Doug Herr]

Nikon FTN in 1970 or so, Leica beginning with Leicaflex SL in 1979 and ending with R8+DMR, Sony beginning with a7II & adapted lenses in 2015, now a1.

 

[spudhead]

That's sad to hear, but not surprising these days. Lots of crap going on in the US. I hope it's better in the UK.

The uk is not in a great place either

 

[spudhead]

My very first camera was a Kodak Brownie......Some years later my next one was a Kodak Instamatic when they became popular. In the early 1970's I bought my first SLR, a Minolta something-or-other, which was followed by another Minolta something-or-other. Then I took the plunge and both which to my mind was the "gold standard" of the time, a Nikon. Couldn't afford top of the line, so went with the N90, which was eventually followed by the N90s. When the Coolpix came along, I spent some years with those and as time went on found myself neglecting the SLR and lenses in favor of the smaller, lighter and intriguing digital Coolpix series.

One day I was out shooting with the Coolpix 8800 and became increasingly frustrated as the camera just wasn't doing what I needed it to do. It dawned on me that I was trying to use it like an SLR and it simply wasn't one, couldn't perform like one. The Nikon D70 came into the household and that started me on Nikon DSLRs. Went through a succession of those, adding and subtracting lenses along the way, too.

One day a friend came over and brought his new Sony NEX-7 with him, and that was my introduction to the new world of mirrorless cameras (and to Sony). I was instantly intrigued and soon had my very own NEX-7. It wasn't long until I realized that I was reaching for that camera far more frequently than my Nikon gear. I bought an RX100 M3 for a trip and loved that little camera, too.

Then there was a period during which I didn't do much shooting at all and the camera gear sat in the cabinet and in bags. Then I was getting ready to go on a trip which I realized was going to present certain challenges and after doing some research and looking at images online and reading reviews, I went to the store and bought the RX10 IV "bridge" camera. At the time I figured I'd use it mainly for the trip but didn't really anticipate doing a lot with it afterward...... However, once home from the trip, I found myself carrying that bridge camera with me on walks around the neighborhood and on excursions to local botanical gardens. I began shooting very frequently, sometimes daily.

That RX10 IV (which I still have and still love) is a terrific camera but there were limitations against which I bumped as time went on I wanted to do certain kinds of shooting, especially macros , closeups and tabletop shots. I started thinking about updating my camera gear, as by this time my Nikon DSLR s and lenses were getting pretty old and so was the NEX-7. It was a no-brainer to look at mirrorless for my future gear, as it was becoming abundantly clear that this was the direction in which the photography world was going. When I first started thinking about this, I had my eye on the A7 III, but then decided that the A7R III would probably work better for me. In the meantime, though, Nikon announced their mirrorless Z line and so I waited until the Z6 and Z7 and the first few lenses plus that FTZ adapter thingy were released and in users' and reviewers' hands. It didn't take long to realize that Nikon's mirrorless gear was not going to work for me, especially when their "roadmap" didn't even have a macro lens on it at all. The FTZ adapter, contrary to the enthusiastic promo, was NOT going to work with all of my older lenses and some of them, while they would work, actually would no longer function with AF. I found this unsatisfactory.

Having finally made up my mind that I would get the Sony A7R III, I was surprised to learn that Sony was about to release the A7R IV, so I waited some more for that to be in users' hands.... Sony already had lenses which would fit my needs and interests immediately, so that was not an issue. One day I packed up my Nikon bodies and lenses and took everything over to the local camera shop and traded in the lot for the Sony A7R IV and three lenses (two macros and the fast 135mm f/1.8). Over time I slowly, gradually added lenses as the need and desire arose. When the A1 was released, it joined the household in late August of 2021.

So in a way I've come full circle from those first Minolta SLRs years ago to my current Sony bodies and lenses now. I've been more than happy with my Sony gear and know that I made the right decisions and right choices for myself and the way I like to shoot.....

Thanks for reply and you have just reminded me I have an rx 100 mk3 somewhere since travel has been off the cards I have not used it , and on the small foot print thought the best point and shoot I had was the rx1r stuning lens and images but plagued by dirt getting on sensor, terminal for that camera and a known problem to sony. Mine was good until my son took it to grand canyon on his west coast trip 2018 and the dust filled the sensor

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I'm younger than many on the forum, so I didn't really get into photography until digital cameras were on the rise. Technically though, my first camera was this Fisher-Price/Kodak 110 camera:

Throughout high-school, the digital camera megapixel race was on and the resolution would double every other year. My dad was an early adopter, but he stopped when he realized the specs race wasn't slowing down and his cameras were obsolete every 2-3 yrs.

A few years into college I got a Sony Cyber Shot DSC-something, and man did I think it was cool! even though it couldn't have had more than 6 megapixels at the time.

Years later I went in a different direction with every GoPro starting with the Hero3. The allure of these waterproof cameras also led me to collect a few Olympus waterproof point and shoot cameras for my kayaking/fishing adventures. These point and shoot cameras scratched my photography itch as the cell phone camera revolution ramped up.

It wasn't until 2019 that I was going on a "trip of a lifetime" and decided I needed a "real" camera, so I bought a Sony a6000 from a coworker. I quickly updated it as the a6400 became available and I was sold on the 4k video capabilities. I have made many mistakes along the way over the last 2.5 yrs, but I still love this APSC camera. With a baby on the way, I won't be spending full-frame money any time soon. So I really hope Sony doesn't abandon APSC E-mount. If they give us a new flagship model, a6700 maybe? I will be first in line.

 

[pointreyes]

First camera was a Brownie that used 127 roll film. First successful picture was of a leaf and to this day I still take pictures of leaves.
Next was the Hanimex 110 my parents got me - still have that camera
Olympus OM-1
Canon Elan II, Olympus Stylus pocket camera
For several years, a Canon PowerShot A530 (I think)
Canon 5D
In 2015, Fujifilm X-T1 - it reminded me of the OM-1 and I was getting frustrated with the high cost of Canon gear

Between 2015 and 2019, I purchased a lot of Fujifilm gear. During the year 2017, I got a used Nikkor 80-400 zoom for use on the Fuji system but then decided to get a cheap used Nikon D300s. Sadly, it was that camera that convinced me that I could not use Nikon cameras - more than once I tried. The problem was that after using the camera for up to an hour, my right hand would be in pain for several days - the ergonomics of the grip was not good for me.

I think it was in 2017 when I got the Sony RX10 iv for the family to use.

And then in late 2018, I got the Sony A7ii. I was into using focal reducers with old glass on the Fuji cameras but felt like it was just better to use a full frame camera and not deal with focal reducers.

It was January 2020 when I switched completely to Sony.

And it was this January 2022 when I decided to go back to Fujifilm for macro (fit my use case the best). So, I'm back to being a Fujifilm / Sony user.

 

[liggy]

Point and shoots until 2014. Picked up a Fuji X100S. Went deep into the rabbit hole and got almost everything they make from crop X cameras to the GFX100S and lenses.

Love using them but frustrated by the lack of tele options and af/tracking that lagged behind Sony.

Currently smitten with the A1.

 

[spudhead]

First camera was a Brownie that used 127 roll film. First successful picture was of a leaf and to this day I still take pictures of leaves.
Next was the Hanimex 110 my parents got me - still have that camera
Olympus OM-1
Canon Elan II, Olympus Stylus pocket camera
For several years, a Canon PowerShot A530 (I think)
Canon 5D
In 2015, Fujifilm X-T1 - it reminded me of the OM-1 and I was getting frustrated with the high cost of Canon gear

Between 2015 and 2019, I purchased a lot of Fujifilm gear. During the year 2017, I got a used Nikkor 80-400 zoom for use on the Fuji system but then decided to get a cheap used Nikon D300s. Sadly, it was that camera that convinced me that I could not use Nikon cameras - more than once I tried. The problem was that after using the camera for up to an hour, my right hand would be in pain for several days - the ergonomics of the grip was not good for me.

I think it was in 2017 when I got the Sony RX10 iv for the family to use.

And then in late 2018, I got the Sony A7ii. I was into using focal reducers with old glass on the Fuji cameras but felt like it was just better to use a full frame camera and not deal with focal reducers.

It was January 2020 when I switched completely to Sony.

And it was this January 2022 when I decided to go back to Fujifilm for macro (fit my use case the best). So, I'm back to being a Fujifilm / Sony user.

One of kids has the Olympus om1 mk2 and I have used it with her 40-150 2.8 and 1.4 teleconverter and its really good 2 x crop and small sensor but really impressive and under rated system

 

[Alan Clark]

Kodak Brownie
Practika LB
Olympus OM1
Olympus OM2
Canon 35mm SLR (can't remember which one)
Canon 400D (later converted to infrared)
Canon 7Dii
Sony A7R (infrared conversion), A7Riii, A7iii

 

[spudhead]

An awful lot of Brownies in here! Must be a bunch of old people.

Let's take it a step further. I have already said mine was a Brownie Junior Special. How about you? Six-Twenty? Hawkeye?

Here's shelf #3 in my display case:

Brownies and a few Kodaks by telecast, on Flickr

yep but you can not eat these

 

[Clix Pix]

Yeah, I'm one of the "old people." Got my Brownie Hawkeye camera for my eighth birthday lo these many, many moons ago.....

Got the Instamatic when I was in college. Oh, I loved that thing!

 

[pointreyes]

It was the Baby Brownie for me. I'm not as old as that camera though.

 

[Alan Clark]

Mine was the one in front of the Baby Brownie in the picture. Before I got that I had the use of a folding camera similar to the one in front of that.
And since you ask, I am 71.

 

[Scooter]

Point and shoot cameras. "Bridge" cameras I think they are now called. But I was still never happy with the photos. And I didn't know why. I knew absolutely nothing about taking the camera off of "Auto". Thank goodness we now live in an age of the internet, and life-long learning. I researched and researched because I wanted to go on safari in Africa, and I knew there would be a massive learning curve. All my research led me to believe Sony has the best autofocus......and the future market. I haven't second-guessed my decision. Lots and lots of practice before I went anywhere. And now.......2 safaris in........ I am still a Sony fan. I easily had the least expensive, lightest kit of anyone I met on my travels.

 

[Scooter]

Yes, lets call it a bridge camera then. I think I owned 2.....both Olympus. I was disappointed in both, but it really was user error, and lack of knowledge on my part. I'm sure the cameras were much better than I experienced, just due to my lack of skill. But now, with some knowledge, and opportunity, I am loving photography.

 

[rob]

Hi,
I started out with Canon and first camera I cannot remember model or lenses but I sold everything I had to get a Canon 70D with a Tamron 150-600mm. I also got a Sigma 18-35mm Art lens for Astro and landscapes.
Just over18 months ago a bumped into a Sony shooter and got a try with her Sony A7 iii and the 100-400 G master lens. Well it was like night and day, just loved it. So I traded everything in apart from the Sigma 18-35 Art and purchased Sony A7iii with a 100-400 G master lens.

I now have added a Sony X2 Teleconverter and an mc-11 adapter.

The next stage is to get the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM Lens, but will sell the X2 and the mc -11 with the Sigma Art lens to help pay for it.

that's it for now

​

 

[Tim Mayo]

Thanks for starting this thread Gary. It’s definitely interesting to hear everyone’s camera history. I wonder how much we have all spent so far?

If we don’t count disposable cameras then my first camera was the Sony DSC-P9 Cybershot which I purchased back in 2002. I wasn’t so into photography back then but wanted a little travel camera as at the time I was living in Germany and travelling around quite a bit. At some point I replaced this for the Canon Powershot G9 which was an awesome little shooter. I had a brief affair with a Canon EOS 10D but decided it was just far too big and heavy and it rarely left my bag, so I sold it and stuck with the G9 for a few more years.

In around 2013 I experimented with my first mirrorless camera, the Canon EOS M. But it turns out that I still wasn’t quite ready for swapping lenses so sold that and purchased a little Canon PowerShot SX700 HS.

In 2016 I returned to Sony when I picked up the RX100 IV and was blown away by the quality of this tiny little camera. I still own and use this camera occasionally today.

I purchased the Sony a6000 and my first Alpha camera in early 2017 around the same time that I started this site.

Since then I’ve owned the a6300, a6500 and a7R II all of which I no longer own. I currently own the a7R III which I would have sold if I hadn’t tripped over a rock and put a dent in it along with my head, so I figured I might as well keep it rather than take a low offer. I also own the a6400, a7R IV, a9, a7III and recently the a7 IV.

If it wasn’t for running this site there’s no way I would own or be allowed to own so many cameras! I’d probably just go with the a1 which is next on my list when we have finally sorted out our housing situation and the a6400 for travel.

I also own a Canon R5 which is a fantastic camera. I just wish my 200-600 would fit on it as this would be a great combination.

One way of knowing when you have far too much camera gear is when your insurance bill is around £800 a year!

 

[pointreyes]

One way of knowing when you have far too much camera gear is when your insurance bill is around £800 a year!

I'm at $600 a year and I don't have everything insured.