[ratpack] Re: Am I nutz??

  • From: Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: ratpack@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:35:56 -0600

I got my old Pentax Spotmatic (circa 1968) out the other day and, yes, there was still film in it. That's only about 5 years old, but trying to use it to shoot up the remaining exposures was like dealing with a creature from another solar system. Can you imagine that I had to focus it myself? And I even had to set the exposure as well? The worst part was having to use my feet to zoom the lens! I couldn't just twist the barrel to bring stuff into the correct composition...I had to actually move! Oh...and the thing was (still is) as loud as a backhoe. Now I remember why I kept a rangefinder camera for shooting quietly.


Seriously, it makes me really respect guys who could take a single shot...or even a roll of shots and capture stuff perfectly composed and exposed...especially those who had their own "secret recipes" for developing the film. I keep threatening to get some monochrome stuff and shoot it with the Pentax, but I always seem to find other stuff to do. Maybe when I go out today I'll...yeahrightsure.

r

Sent from my Dreadnought using that barely tolerable Thunderbird email program


On 7/22/2010 8:01 AM, Larry Knight wrote:
I was organizing my photo stuff the other day and stumbled onto my old Pentax K1000 file camera, with telephoto lens. I don't miss it at all. It took me a second or two to figure out there is no LCD screen on the back. Just for fun, I pressed the shutter, oops, there is still film in it. I wonder whats on it?? Might be some racing pics from Laguna in 1993. Wish I could just fire it up and check the LCD screen!!! NO I am never going back to film!! I don't really think of myself as young and always needing instant gratification, but in the photography world, I need it!!!
Larr

On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 11:24 PM, <humminboid@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:humminboid@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:

    I keep thinking I should simplify my life, somehow, including
    photography.

    I keep looking at the ads for film cameras, like the little
    Canonet  or other  "pocket cameras", and I keep looking at all the
    film cameras that are looking for a good home, being sold because
    people have gone to digital, don't do film anymore, and never did
    know how to do it right, anyhow.  A lot still don't know how to do
    good digital, either, but now they can do it faster than ever and
    more of it.

    I used to be able to do photography and darkroom work pretty well,
    and the small 35mm cameras with f/1.8-2.8 lenses beat the digitals
    all hollow when you are trying to photograph small, active kids,
or anything else that moves. ALL the small digitals all have shutter lag. Some are better than others, but they all have it, no
    matter what you try! And all the darkroom stuff I have in my basement!

    I keep thinking of buying a Crown Graphic 4X5, or a Bushman Press
    Camera for the lens movement, or a Rolleiflex or Yashica MAT, and
    using it as a field camera, for large, tack-sharp enlargements. So
    far, I have taken a couple of aspirin, and laid down in a dark,
    quiet room, and the urge has gone away.

    That is not simplification!

    I keep thinking I ought to buy a film camera for old time's sake,
    but one that has the newer  technology, like autofocus, matrix
    metering and different modes, plus manual, because they brought
    photography out of the dark ages, as far as I am concerned.  I
    dearly love those upgrades, and the camera should be able to
    use my lenses,(probably will...it'll be a Nikon!) which will be a
    complete circle for the 70-210, "Iron Duke"...bought 20+  years
    ago for my 6006, which I dearly loved. It's still sharp and going
    strong!

    I say that, then I go and buy a new lens, the 70-300 VR, which I
    say will be my racing car-air show-animal-bird lens. So far, it's
    proving that at 450mm equivalent, hand held, the sharpness is
    there. And I am not a steady as I once was, darn it!

    Soooo... what's a guy to do?    Halp!


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