Most of us have cell phones with cameras that take exceptionally good photos and it's been said countless times that the best camera is the one with you, usually your phone. Certainly, that's true for myself too, but I still enjoy using and owning cameras, a lifelong addiction.
Some fellow bloggers seem to share a similar passion from images shared in their posts. In this and a few posts, I'll share details on cameras used or owned over the years. Originally, I was going to just list them, but then researched further, as usual. Perhaps some of these cameras, or similar ones, have been in your photo life too? This was a trip down memory lane for me.
Imperial Mark XII. This was my first camera at age 8 or 9, a simple box camera. it had a flash attachment and took 12 exposures (6x6) on a roll of 620 film. It was available in many colors; mine was a mint green with darker green accents and looked like the one below.
 |
| My first personal camera came with a flash |
This was a true point and shoot camera and fully automatic too. There were no worries about setting shutter speeds, aperture settings or focus control; no batteries were needed except for the flash unit. Photo taking was simple, just advance the film until the next number showed in the red window, then press the shutter release. Most of the photos I took were of outdoor family events using black & white film exclusively. Some of which still exist in a family album.
As to why this plastic box camera had such a fancy moniker, I have no idea as an online search didn't produce any information online. There were no previous Mark X models.
Perhaps, the company founders just liked the fancy name? Imperial was the main camera brand of Herbert George Co., a Chicago, ILL, company founded by Herbert Weil and George Israel in 1945. It was one of several Chicago-based companies making cheap, simple cameras. But, this one pioneered the introduction of the all-in-one camera with flash and view finder. Kodak didn't introduce its first camera with a built-in flash, the Brownie Starfish, until 1957. After a change of ownership in 1961 the Herbert George Co. was renamed to Imperial Camera Corp.
The Imperial Mark XII was one of about 40 small, simple cameras that the Herbert George Co. and later Imperial Camera Co. produced from 1945 to the mid-1960s. The cameras used various film sizes — 127, 126, 210 and 620.
 |
| Online image: Mike Eckman |
The Imperial Mark XII camera was advertised in retail stores for a cost of between $4 and $5. That's equivalent to $45.64 in 2024. It wasn't advertised in mainstream photographic magazines, such as Popular Photograhy or Modern Photography as the target customer wasn't an advanced photographer. This was strictly a snapshot camera for those who favored simple use.
 |
| Online image: Mike Eckman |
The Imperial name proved popular for the company according to information available online; however, there was no details available about the camera’s production, and sales.
Many of these plastic box cameras are still around. They can be bought online with prices ranging from $10 and up. Unfortunately, I have no idea what happened to mine, but it would have made a great shelf decoration today.
Kodak Tourist II Camera. This camera was owned by my late father and I remember being allowed to use it on special occasions to take photos in grade school. It made me feel grown up as it was very different from the Imperial Mark XII camera. For one thing it was much heavier and better made as well.
 |
| Kodak Tourist II, my late father's only film camera |
 |
| Advertisement announcing the original Kodak Tourist camera |
 |
| Another Kodak Tourist ad |
Many amateurs photographers, who wanted more from photography than using a box Kodak model, turned to medium-format folding cameras, like this one. It was available with a variety of lens and shutter combinations. The top of the line model had a 4-element Kodak Anastar lens and Synchro-Rapid 800 speed shutter, very fast for its time.
The Tourist II camera, introduced in May 1951, replaced the original Tourist. This newer model came with a new viewfinder that Kodak called, Scopesight. It had a projected frame line in the viewfinder to help with composition. Early versions of the Tourist II had the name plate on the top, like my father's. In later versions, it faced forward in red lettering. Other specifications of the two cameras were nearly identical.
 |
| Tourist camera back had multi openings |
Despite the popularity of the Kodak Tourist line, it was discontinued in July 1958, after 10 years and signaled the last in a 60-year span of American-made film bellows cameras from Eastman Kodak. Its demise marked the end of an era for Kodak's folding roll film cameras; 35mm photography was introduced in the 1950s and the company shifted gears.
Back in 1948, when the Tourist was first introduced, it was advertised at around $95. In 2024 dollars that's the equivalent of $1,223.28. No information was found online on how many were sold and while it was a popular camera, it doesn't hold value in the collector’s market. Most models, except the Tourist II with an upscale lens and faster shutter, sell online for as low as $20. There's no shortage as a recent eBay check showed over 200 listings. It's clear, I won't be making my fortune from this family treasure.
Yashica Electro 36. This was my first serious camera purchased in my late teen years. This 35mm was bought at a Two Guys from Harrison store in Watchung, NJ. (This popular store chain was founded in Harrison, NJ, in 1946 by two brothers and folded in the 1970s.)
 |
| Yashica Electro 35, my first 35mm camera |
 |
| Testimonial advertisement for the Yashica Electro 35 |
That's because, while it was geared toward amateur photographers, the Electro 35 had many advanced features for serious photographers and it was easy to use. Its retro look is still prized by photographers today. Film speeds ranged from 12 to 400 ASA with a Yashinon 45mm, f1.7 lens, faster than some modern lenses I've owned since. The lens stayed the same when the wording, Color-Yashinon, was added in 1968. This was a marketing move as color film was starting to be affordable for amateur photographers.
The Yashica Electro 35 is an aperture-priority camera. This means that the photographer sets the f-stop (aperture) and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed, from 1/500 up to 30 seconds or more. The metering system was the first of its kind. It was not TTL (through the lens) like 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) cameras, but controlled by cadmium sulphide (CdS) cells located above the lens. It used a 5.6V mercury battery, whose manufacturing was discontinued. There's an alkaline equivalent available; however, it's expensive and only available online.
This camera became one of the most popular consumer 35mm cameras of the 1960s to 1970s. in the U.S. The Electro 35 GSN and GTN models were produced until 1977 and estimates are that 8 million overall were sold. In October 1983, Yashica Company Ltd. was acquired by Kyocera, which in 2005, halted production on all Contax, Yashica, and other Kyocera branded film and digital cameras.
An Electro 35 camera wasn't very costly considering its features. It sold new for around $100, which is the equivalent to $957.80 in 2024. Just like the Imperial Mark XII and Kodak Tourist cameras, it can still be bought online. However, unlike those cameras, a vintage Yashica Electro 35 sells for upwards of a few hundred dollars.
However, I have my father's Kodak Tourist II seen here in its original leather case, even though I will never use it again. For one thing, film would be harder to obtain and process. But mostly, I have no interest in it now other than sentiment and memories. Over the years, I've used and owned many other cameras, which will also remain firmly in the past. To be continued . . .
Your turn — Do you remember names of your first cameras?
If so, do you know what happened to them (unlike myself)?
25 comments:
I remember the days when you needed a light meter and had to set F stops and depth of field and all that stuff, and now, gloriously, I just set my camera on automatic and fire away. Oh the joy of it all! And no film to buy and process either. The downside is that we take far too many pictures, so much so that we have often taken to deliberately leaving our cameras behind when we go for a walk, and we have never been in the habit of using our phone as a camera, so we are free as a bird - or is that with the bird?
...the Imperial Mark XII is a beauty. In my view, photography has change for the better.
I have never seen any of these cameras on your list, except in old movies.
My first camera was in 1967, the 9.99 one that spit out the photo and we watched it develop. most of those photos of my kids have faded really badly now. the next camera was in 1986 I bought a Minolta and could not take many photos because of the cost of film/developing. 2002 set me free with a 69 dollar digital.
Oh, I use a Canon pocket camera, and never my iPhone. Cameras are easier to use and require fewer buttons.
I wish I could remember what my Dad used. Since my Grandpa was a professional photographer, I would imagine that Daddy's camera was a pretty good one. He took mostly slides which we have inherited.
I think mine was a Brownie Starflash baby blue in color. They were black and white shots and I had to be choosy over what to take. The film was costly (to us) and only 12 shots per roll. They were great memory snapshots though.grapher
I have a Panasonic Lumix now and usually have it set on automatic. If I had really learned how to use it when younger and brain retained better...now would be a whole new story.
I do love using my mini i-phone camera. Its with me most of the time so I have been fortunate to take some shots that would have just gone by.
Most of our old cameras from Dads and Grandpas were given to our son who is a master photographer with his own website and workshops.
www.panopticchopsticks.com
Sue
I hope that that website has enough information to get into his business site.
Here is my son's professional photographer's site.
Steve@studio5300.com
He really does some awesome work.
Sue
I remember people taking pictures with those old black boxes. The flash was an extra part with those huge flash bulbs. Boy am I old!
Can't remember the name of my first one, but I took pictures when I was about ten on a trip to Yellowstone. I remember having a camera with a flash cube later on. The cost for developing photos made them not very practical for me. Dagan and Leah gave me an old camera of theirs that I could take photos and plug the camera into my laptop. That is how photos arrived on my blog--lol! When I got a cell phone that took photos that somehow Leah set up so they appeared on my laptop for me--well, that was the end of the camera for me. I wish I had a cell phone when Dagan was little! For videos, too!
My dad had a big video camera with blinding lights on top. I wonder where the movies and projector ended up? Probably with my brother. :)
How I wish I could remember what camera my parents had when I was young. I know it took B&W only. We have 2 or three old cameras from Dale's home though. Should display them again =)
What a very nice camera history post. My first was a brownie and as it was considered a special birthday, it was given to me on my 13th.
Yes, I had a Kodak 'Brownie" with a top viewer. Then we inherited a lovely SLR with several lenses from JG's cousin and I took courses to learn to use it. I also got and used a developer for black and white film. Moved on to the usual roster of Pentax bodies with extra lenses. I now have a fine new phone and am about to take a course to learn how to use it. The first time I was, maybe, 22. Now I am 82. Go figure.
Excellent post. Brings back so many memories.
My first camera was called an Argus and if memory serves, it used flashcubes. It was a birthday gift from my parents and I wish I had kept it.
The Imperial is a pretty camera, and one I have not heard of. The first cameras...maybe Kodak? But I am likely wrong.
Even thought the actual cameras were different, your early camera life parallels mine in many ways. I also received a camera when I was somewhere between 8-10 years old. It was a 3M camera that my uncle gave me. And in my late teens years I bought a Canon AE-1 camera, after borrowing some old type of Kodak camera my dad had. I can't remember the actual model, but it took 727 film. And somewhere in there, I had one of those Kodak pocket cameras that took 110 film. This was a fun post to read. I look forward to part 2. hugs-Erika
I have my father's old box brownie camera in a canvas holder but these days I use a small Sony camera when out-and-about taking photos. Sometimes I use the camera app on a mobile iPhone.
Your first camera with the flash is a hit :-)))
How time has changed, today I take all my photos with my cell phone and I always try to get a perfect photo without having to edit it.
In the old days, taking photos was hard work... when I was at school I was in a photography club and we developed our black and white pictures ourselves. I had a borrowed camera from the photography club.
Hug :-) wonderful post - thank you very much.
As a child, I remember my mom’s Kodak Brownie camera that she took our pictures with in the 60’s. She kept it in its yellow box. My first camera was the thin flat kind with the built in flash. I don’t remember what it was called, but I think I got it around 1979.
I think I had a Kodak Brownie camera, although I am not certain of it...I may have used my sister's, but then again, I am not sure of that either. I do have an album of black and white photos that I took on our vacations and other events during my youth. After that I had whatever inexpensive cameras I could afford, and did not get a digital camera until around 2012, when my brother gave me a refurbished Kodak Easyshare Z650. That was a real game changer for me...a digital camera so I could take pictures of everything and save it on the little memory card and then upload it to my computer. Problem is, I rarely developed pictures after that and now all of my pictures are on flash drives or little memory cards. I share them on my blog or on Facebook, but rarely do they get printed. That is a problem for the future descendants who will wonder why all the printed photos stopped in 2012. They will have to figure out how to get them off of the flash drives, if those are still functional in the future! It's sad to me, but it is what it is. People don't sit around looking at photo albums much anymore anyway... I enjoyed your history of your cameras. Good information and story!
The first camera I used was my mother's Brownie Target 620 (I think that was the name. Just checked Six-20). My personal first camera was a Kodak Starflash. It didn't do well for long as the shutter would stick open after I pressed it.
Hi Beatrice, All of our old cameras have been disposed of. We held on to some of my mother's cameras for years before giving them to a photo club. For the first few years of our marriage (45 years as of next week) we loved our Polaroid and it's 'instant' photos. Before digital cameras and the 'cloud', we printed thousands of photos via drug stores and on-line photo companies. I'm guessing that we have well over 10,000 hard copy photos in albums and drawers. Crazy...and no one will care about 95% of them. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
A brownie automatic camera was my first that looks like their Starflash. I was in high school then. Taking pictures, my mother didn't when she had kids. Cameras were not part of our lives.
My very first camera was a Brownie and I got it when I was eight. I don't think a camera has been out of my hands ever since. My parents were both photographers (I still have their kaloflex though I probably can't easily get film for it). What would I do without a camera?
I've never owned a camera (not even a smartphone camera as I don't have a smartphone), but Jenny has had quite a few, including the Kodak Brownie. I don't think my parents ever had cameras either.
My first camera was a Brownie Box Camera when I was fifteen. Then when I started earning I bought a Voigtlander and after that a Pentax followed by Canon 1200 and now Canon 7D. However, I mostly use my Apple iPhone 15. I've probably forgotten a few along the way.
A great post by the way.
that was quite informative post dear Dorothy .thanks for making us familiar with cameras you have been using throughout the years . i liked one belong to your father though you mentioned it was difficult to use.
i remember our first black and white camera that was brought by my elder brother when he came home from army for vacation . i tried hard to remember it's name but could not . my parents had no camera or may be they had when i wasn't born because they had plenty of photos but i could not ask if they owned camera once .
Yashica camera was really popular here as well ,hubby had bought once when we were newly married . we lost both of our cameras later in an unfortunate incident .
we have used kodak film for many years
best wishes and lots of love!
Post a Comment