|
|
As much as I love taking pictures, I also love cameras themselves.
To me, cameras are amazing devices. They are simple, yet complex. They are often beautiful in and of themselves. I have assembled a bit of a collection of cameras now -- a bit too many, perhaps. I think you know when you have too many usable cameras when you stand in front of your collection thinking to yourself, "Now which one do I want to use today?" and not being able to come to an answer for a long time. For a camera nut, there is also that never-ending desire for yet another camera. Even if I don't even need it, a bargain on a beautiful camera is an almost irresistible song that calls my name and opens my wallet. I do not really consider myself to be a "true" camera collector since in my mind, a true collector of cameras is focused on some sort of goal -- whether it be collecting Leica, Contax, Nikon or whatever brand they may fancy... or it could be something other than brand, for example there are collectors of 35mm rangefinder cameras, half frame cameras, and cameras from the former Soviet Union. People can find and start to collect just about anything they want. But there is usually some central theme or idea that holds their collection together. On the other hand, I have an odd, eclectic collection of cameras that I love and love to use to take pictures. I am not loyal to a specific brand or format. Basically, I buy what I can afford at the time and whatever strikes my fancy. |
|
I've gone through my phase of wanting the latest and greatest, auto-everything, do-it-all-for-you, techno-marvel super cameras. There was a time when I would buy the latest model camera, only to sell it and buy the next top-of-the-line model with more bells and whistles a year or two later. Now, I'm not saying that advances in camera technology are a bad thing. It's just that, fortunately, I've realized that I personally don't need those features. I've gone back to the basics and these days I mainly use battery-less, fully mechanical, fully manual cameras without even built-in light metering... and I'm having more fun with my photography now than ever.
Some of the cameras in my strange collection include an old Kodak Brownie Starflash; a Kodak 110 Instamatic camera; a Kodak disc camera; a 3-lens 3D camera; a couple of instant cameras; a bunch of 35mm point-and-shoots from Canon, Pentax, and Olympus; a digital point-and-shoot; a Canon digital SLR; Canonet, Kiev, and Fed rangefinders; a whole series of Minolta manual and auto-focus SLRs; a Bronica S2-A; a Mamiya C3; a Mamiya M645 1000S; a Bronica SQ; a Hasselblad 500 Classic; a Kiev 60, 88, 688, and 88CM; and one big 'ol Pacemaker Speed Graphic; and way too many lenses and accessories to keep track of. Yes, I have too many cameras. But I love them all. |
|
|