Old Camera Evolution
My first camera was a Cosmic Symbol Lomo 35mm - all manual settings with a hot shoe for external flash. This was the late 70's when my peers were using 110 cartridge film - the difference was huge.
Here was a simple, basically good camera to learn the technical basics.
A little later came the Kiev 4B, a lot older than most available at the time but interchangeable lenses meant with this rangefinder I had made a huge change in quality and flexibility - higher quality could start. This is still partially in use by my oldest daughter who used it on a visit to Japan just a couple of years ago.
For reference, image quality is closely comparable to the Canons.
A few jobs as a teenager meant stretching all resources on my first real system camera. The Canon AE-1 Program meant I could borrow some of my dad's lenses, the quality limit was now 100% me for now.
I still look back at this time before electronics had taken over so completely as the golden age for amateur photography.
Real choices from Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, Contax, Yashica, Pentax, Konica, Chinon, Cosina, Ricoh, etc..... Today global marketing and mail order has dramatically reduced the real choice out there, it's big tech not the customer which drives the industry!
Next the new wizz-bang T90, 5fps, multi-metering modes, far more setting capability - now wildlife & sport photography can take off right? Actually not exactly, I was 19 and had chased the flashy camera, I couldn't afford film for 5fps, but the exposure modes were a real step forward.
It was the first of the new ergonomically designed heavyweights and the first with the input wheel.
For many this represented the pinacle for 35mm, I think for technology that is still true.
Now the leap forward to the much older Canon FTb. manual input dials and a return for me to being in control of & not controlled by the camera. The mirror lock for static macro shots kept pace where the frills were needed. For a several years I had the T90 & FTb together.
Limited spare time, playing a Trumpet a young family and no resources put everything on hold for a while, (film now too expensive).
Having a second body was justified by still using all the Canon FD lenses from before, 28, 50, 135, 28-55, 70-200
Whilst definately the odd one out here in many ways, at the time it's 1.3Mp sensor was not small. The image quality was remarkable as you'd expect from a top brand like Olympus.
I bought this secondhand from a colleague at work and was amazed at how well it performed, I've many cherished images taken with this. This goes to show the equipment you use really is only one component for producing images but fundamental quality is important - this had it.
During my gap years from photography, the digital world had well and truly arrived; the only way to go. So sadly the FTb was traded in for a HiFi! For photography, on a tight budget, I went to a cheap refurbished Bridge Camera - the Fuji S5000. In some ways limited but the ease, speed and flexibility of this camera was a remarkably good compromise for day to day general use, but not for higher performance photography. A massive 6MP - Wow. Image quality was surprisingly good - digital works!
In the right conditions this camera is still able to hold it's own with my current camera bodies. 18Mp is really enough for a great deal, all metering modes are there and the auto-focus mostly accurate.
My only reason for upgrading from this was the need for even better auto-focus capability when using the 400mm prime in less favourable light. For Bird and sport photography the extra few frames per second also make a difference. The newer sensors have better high iso performance, but it is very rarely I'll go high enough to notice.
But to make a valid point, this camera is still capable of delivering top class performance for general photography. It easily outpaces a smartphone and is still a starter's option.