In 2006, esteemed camera company Nikon declared it would quit producing film cameras, as they had accounted for only three percent of the company's sales the year before. Clearly, we're living in a time when all things digital are dominating the market and film is on its way to extinction, to the dismay of many a photographer.
Photography was never a simple—or inexpensive—hobby, as the many accoutrements required to make an image look “just so," even before the film is developed, attest. These accessories include holders or backs, motorized film winders, flashes and flash guns, light meters, light filters, prism and view finders, lens hoods, and various lenses such as zoom, telephoto, and wide-angle. And what self-respecting photographer would be with the tripods, timers, and other devices used to get a camera positioned and clicking in exactly the right place at precisely the right time?
During the 20th century, popular camera-makers including Nikon, Leica, Hasselblad, Voightlander, and Pentax produced a wide variety of lenses, view finders, and film winders that could be used interchangeably with their different camera models. But accessories are not a modern invention. Even the earliest pre-film cameras—the 19th century ones that used calotype and cartes-de-visites (paper), collodion wet plate process and ambrotype (glass), photogravure, tintype and daguerreotype (metal)—all had specialized accessories, which today are coveted by collectors...
More recently, accessories for digital cameras, which have been on the consumer market for barely two decades and whose technology is changing at a break-neck pace, are becoming collectible. In particular, some contemporary photographers look for accessories such as lenses and flashes for their early digital cameras.
Interviews & Articles
Rob Niederman Focuses on Antique Wood Cameras

How did I start collecting cameras? Actually, I had an interest in photography as a kid and owned a darkroom by the age of 12 or 1… [more]
From Ambrotypes to Stereoviews, 150 Years of Photographs

We both come from families that had collections and we both had collections as children. Jack lost his when his grandmother threw … [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Collection D'Appareils Photo

While we couldn't read everthing - it's mostly in French - the images on this site speak for themselves. Its an ext… [read review or visit site]
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Jack and Beverly Wilgus have put together a great trove of information and images of camera obscura-related photos … [read review or visit site]
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An impressive collection of antique and vintage cameras, this site features high-resolution images of over 120 came… [read review or visit site]
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This showcase of vintage cameras and photography is plainly designed, but the camera collection and related referen… [read review or visit site]
Antique Cameras D. Tristram Ludwig

David Tristram Ludwig shares high resolution images of his in-depth personal collection of antique cameras, includi… [read review or visit site]
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