I’ve started a new hobby and I can’t per-se say that I’m a collector or that I’m a pure film photographer but at this stage I do do do want to learn and love film/toy photography.

I’m already an iphoneagraph-er (google it, hundreds of sites on it) which sprung from being into ketaigraphy (ketai – mobile device in Japanese) when I was in Japan. With ketaigraphy, I only worked with the phones, no apps at all. Something about working around and with the limitations of simple cameras that really turned me on. It only took a little nudge to get me into toy cameras from there.

When I moved to California, I stumbled upon a mom-and-pop local camera shop here in San Mateo when I needed to have my film developed. Lo, there were three boxes of junky cameras up front starting from 5 dollars. Rusty, clunky and clickety. The seemingly ugly yet classy cameras got me hooked. Line, sinker and all.

Now on weekends, I hunt for them on thrift shops (secondhand shops), ebay and garage sales. Yet so far, my best source is still that mom-and-pop shop in San Mateo since they are offering them dirt cheap or at least the same price or lower than those on ebay. 🙂

Click to enlarge
Starting from the top-left: Rollei A26, Lomo LC-A, Minolta Weathermatic A, Holga 135BC, Argus C3, Imperial 620, Balda Baldamatic I, Kodak Brownie Twin 20, Ansco Readyflash, Polaroid SX-70, and a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye.

Aren’t box cameras the cutest? Look at that Kodak Brownie Hawkeye so cuuuuuute.

I got the Imperial and the non-working Balda for free. That’s why the mom-and-pop shop is the greatest. 😀 The most expensive I have paid for in this collection would be the SX-70 for 70 bucks with the LC-A close to it for 61 bucks (without shipping) from ebay.

Of course, with several 620 cameras I better start learning to roll my own 620 rolls; and that means having my own dark room. Squeeee! But baby steps.

No, I don’t plan to collect all the vintage cameras in the world. And no, I don’t plan to stay purely with vintage cameras. But as long as I stumble upon $5 working cameras, I’ll let my collection grow and enjoy the character they bring with their pictures. I do believe that my photography skills will grow with them.

Yep, I think I’m liking this hobby.

Film is killing me though. But… how can you say no to that Brownie Hawkeye. Aaaaaaw.