Technically the first camera I used (I think) was my dad’s old Ansco Cadet (120 film), something like this:
That was probably the late '60s, early '70s. But that was the family camera (i.e., my dad’s) and I wasn’t really allowed to waste film nor potentially break anything.
Later I got a 127 Instamatic for Christmas, possibly something like this:
However, I find it difficult to imagine my parents would’ve sprung for the “expensive” name-brand Kodak version, or at least not this top of the line version. It was probably cheaper.
The first camera I used that was assigned to me (checked out from my university for the two B&W photo classes I took) was a Yaschica TLR, something like this:
That was the late '70s - 1980 or so.
The first camera I bought myself was a Pentax ME Super, about 1985 or so:
It came with an Asahi 50mm and I bought a … *ahem* … Focal 35-70 push-pull zoom a couple of years later. “Focal” was the house brand from the US KMart discount store chain. I was a poor college graduate and couldn’t afford a decent lens. As a side note, with “Focal” they had the brand name almost correct. Fecal would’ve been more appropriate given the optical “quality”.
Then in 2003 (?) I bought a Kodak EasyShare DX4530 digital P&S, my first digital camera, all 5 MP of it:
In 2007 I got a Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D) 8 MP DSLR, in silver no less:
I didn’t get the kit lens but opted for a Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro instead. I later added a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM.
Then in 2020, I got my current camera, the T8i / 850D (still using the same two lenses):
Not exactly a gear-head, am I? 