[Stephen Brewer Participant Posts: 2]

Humour. Humor me here

on: June 28, 2019 at 11:16 pm

Now retired after a busy life tangential to photography, I have been thinking about the cameras I loved the most. Not gonna make me laugh out loud but warms my heart and makes me smile. Humor in the sense of being gratified.

Brownie Hawkeye: first camera I could use on my own, about 8 years old, can remember the sweet chemical smell of the roll film when opening its’ sealed pouch
Kodak Instamatic: my grade school years, produced nothing of note except awkward moments
Yashica Lynx 5000e: my first 35mm, age 17, got seriously hooked on sunsets using Kodachrome 25
Polaroid Land Model 150:borrowed and then appropriated from my Dad, learned about light metering and instant gratification, discovered Ansel Adams
Polaroid SX-70: you just look cool opening it up, the first commercial use of an aspherical lens gave me a segue to explain nerdy terms to girls, just in time for high school
Nikon FTN: felt like a pro, shot like a tourist, bought Kodachrome and Velvia in bricks, wish I had saved the film cans
Nikon FE: honeymoon in Paris 1981, experienced the hazards of being too caught up in the composition and not enough in the companion
Nikon Coolpix 775: wife bought it on a lark, my first digital, scoffed at the waste of money until I saw the images, all digital from that point on
Canon 5D: just wow, started focus stacking macro shots, sold first print, won first award, where oh where had Nikon gone?, converted to Canon
Nikon D800: just wow again, went back to my first sweetheart (besides I had all the lenses)
Nikon D850: loads of big glass, backup bodies, near 40 lb backpack, 60 year old back, something had to give, sold everything
Nikon Z7: OK so maybe a few compromises but my back likes it

Lots of less memorable gear along the way, too. Everybody has a few favorite cameras and maybe a funny story to tell. But maybe I owe everyone a real joke, too.

I received most of my early gear from my Dad. When I needed film or darkroom gear he would usually float me a loan (or grant). One day he gave me $5 for something I desired. I might have been 10 or so and in need of a life lesson so he couldn’t resist the chance to say “Remember, a fool and his money are soon parted”. I replied, “I know. That’s how I got the $5.” Says a lot about him–and me.

Steve Brewer

[Kevin Raber Silver Member Posts: 1212]

Re: They make me smile

Reply #1 on: June 29, 2019 at 6:34 am

Good thoughts. One of my most memorable was the Argus C3. Boxy and square but a legend.

[Mike Nelson Pedde Participant Posts: 641]

Re: They make me smile

Reply #2 on: December 5, 2019 at 9:24 pm

I started with my dad’s Argus A-Four after graduating from Instamatics. And an external lightmeter (of course). Half the time I couldn’t afford film, but I’d take it out and make compositions, set the dials, make the exposure… Then I made the big leap to the Pentax Spotmatic-F. Remember screw-mount lenses?

Mike.

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Mike Nelson Pedde
Victoria, BC
https://www.wolfnowl.com/

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