January 24--my old buddy

[zyzyly]

I bought this camera in 1976, when I was 19 years old and living in Germany.
The air force base I was stationed on had two things for us to spend money on--stereo equipment and cameras. I bought both.

It has a charmed life. I have dropped it off a (short) cliff, whacked it with a fnork stick, kicked it, and carried it all over the place.

It was sitting under the front seat of my car when the car was stolen--they missed it.

It was sitting on top of my bed when my house was broken into--they missed it.

I have pictures of one of my LJ friend from when he was 19 that I took with this camera.

When I got married, we bought a newer pentax--the PZ10--so Arlina could shoot with the auto settings. I still carried this one around for a while, but eventually it ended up in a drawer, and has sat there for close to 10 years.

When I was in photography class yesterday, the instructor waxed nostalgic about the old cameras--how they were the best.

So I pulled out my old buddy this morning and looked it over. It's pretty banged-up, but I'll bet it can still do the job. I loaded it up with tri-x and will shoot with it tomorrow.

I can't wait!

Comments

[iluvdaphne.livejournal.com]

"So I pulled out my old buddy this morning and looked it over. It's pretty banged-up, but I'll bet it can still do the job. I loaded it up with tri-x and will shoot with it tomorrow."

that will be amazing!

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

I shot two rolls with it today--can't wait to see how they turn out.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

i'll bet it can do the job, too. it looks like cameras my dad used to use. :)

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

it felt good to have it in my hands again today, but I kept looking at the back, expecting my picture to show up there!

[tinyprayers.livejournal.com]

Tri-X is the best film evar.

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

dat's what my teacher said.

[busychild424.livejournal.com]

When I first got interested in photography, a buddy sold me a nice camera kit with a lens, couple filters, and a camera bag. It happened to be a Pentax, an SFXn which is a pretty nice camera - you can do pretty much everything auto or everything manual, however you like.

I bought and collected lenses and gear for it, and when it came time to buy a DSLR, Pentax made the most sense because I already had a collection of gear for it.

So I've got DSLR, nice auto-options film SLR, but no old-style all-manual body, like a K1000. I've always wanted one, but never badly enough to spend the money on it.

That MX looks really cool. Is it substantially different from a K1000?

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it is too much different--i think it has a more compact body, but it is pretty basic.

[zeppo-marx.livejournal.com]

Every once in a while I get tempted to pull out the old Canon as well. It would doubtless seem very odd these days to be unable to preview the shot on the back of the camera. And to have to wait for the little envelope of pictures to pick up again. To have to yank the lever to forward the film.

All those things that used to feel so natural.

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

it is surprising how quickly it comes back--even adjusting the settings by feel. as I noted above, though, i kept looking at the back to see what my shot looked like.

[blues-dream.livejournal.com]

Hooray for old cameras!

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

oh ya.

[fulguritus.livejournal.com]

I have an old Nikon like that.
What is a fnork stick?

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

perhaps the fnork stick will appear in a later entry!

[brendamom.livejournal.com]

For me, it's an old Canon. Lots of old lenses too. Do I have the patience to slow down?
Bummed by my mediocrity, I went to the library and picked up,"The Tao of Photography" By Gross and Shapiro. There are really great quotes from photographers and also Chuang-tzu, like this one: "Great understanding is broad and unhurried; little understanding is crumpled and busy."
There are many thing in this book worthy of time and thought, plus great photos too.

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

Great understanding is broad and unhurried

take your time--you don't have to prove anything with your pictures--just do it for you.

[goofpumpkin.livejournal.com]

"It was sitting under the front seat of my car when the car was stolen--they missed it.

It was sitting on top of my bed when my house was broken into--they missed it."

perhaps it's just a sucky camera

[lowflyingsquab.livejournal.com]

hey--don't diss my camera!