First Camera Of The Blog
Okay, so I said I collect a lot of things. Some people say junk, but I call them antiques, treasures, pieces of history, mementos, anything other than junk! In addition to my music collection, one of my many other collections is cameras. I love photography! I have everything from true antiques, to 99 cent toy cameras. Cameras to me are a fun way to make almost anyone an artist. They are so simple to learn and use that a child can take basic point and shoot type photos, yet can be so complex that it takes many years to master the art of photography. Photographs are fun ways for people to remember their past, record history, decorate their walls, and just plain have fun with.
The camera I found came from the Goodwill Thrift Store in Johnstown, OH. It's a typical Goodwill Thrift Store, maybe a little smaller than the average Columbus Goodwill, but I'd say it's about on par for a small town type store. Anyway, they have some great things there. Something I bought but isn't really a treasure or an antique is a Lexmark X1150 all in one print/scan/fax/copy...for only $4.99, and IT WORKS! Anyway, I found this neat old Polaroid camera. It's a Polaroid Sun 660. Here are it's specs:
Polaroid Sun 660
-116mm 3 element plastic lens @ f/9
-Automatic Focus Lens with built in close up mode for objects as close as 3 feet away
-Polaroid AF Sonar Focus
-Electronic Shutter with a range of 1/4-1/200sec.
-Automatic, built in electronic flash
-Fold down flash design to protect lens and controls
-Built in carrying strap
Some people may think these cameras are junk, but I think they are fun pieces of history to play around with. First off, you instantly get the picture printed that you just took. Sure it's a poorer quality then most any 35mm film, but the fun factor that goes with it beats out the price difference. And, even though it's from 1981, you can still buy Polaroid 600 film at almost any store. Another great thing about these cameras is that the battery for the flash is built into the film tray. The film is slightly more expensive then 35mm film, but once you figure in developing fees, it's usually cheaper in the long run. I found out that these cameras originally sold for $95.00, and that a lot of people that build robots and such look for these because of the sonar focusing module in the cameras. They use the sonar pieces for the robots navigation.
So, I paid $2.99. The going "collectors" rate seems to be anywhere between $5.00-$15.00 for one of these. However, I have seen a few priced between $25.00-$70.00! Either way, I'm happy with it. It makes for a nice addition to my other cameras and Polaroids. Here are a few pics of it:
Well, that's all for now...until next time, HAPPY TREASURE HUNTING!
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