Meet my favorite camera, for years my constant companion. This is a Nikon F. The first Nikon SLR. A real tank, lots of brass, totally mechanical. Only electrical component on this baby is the motordrive. No lightmeter, no autofucus.
This camera was part of me, fit perfectly in my hand. It is a heavy camera, but perfectly balanced with short
glass or a long lens. Picking it up always seems to inspire my creative side. I can shoot 1/8th of a second handheld with a good wide angle. Many rolls of Tri-X went through this camera. A good photojournalist could read the light to expose Tri-X at 400 to 1600 ISO, used a hand meter for color, which was usually slide film.
When it came time to change to a fresh roll of film, the whole back(with motordrive) came off. You had to
be pretty coordinated to change film on the run.
The viewfinder shows 100% of the image, which is really rare, especially back in the old days.
It sits on the shelf in my office now, has earned the rest. When I shoot black and white film now days
I usually get out my F5. Autofocus and programed exposure have spoiled me, like most other folks.
But back in the day.......
Monday, July 23, 2007
My Old Friend
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2 comments:
Thanks for the glimpse into the past. Big difference, espcially to folks like me who have only used today's "fancy pants" cameras.
I agree. I shot my first real pictures with my mom's old Nikon, and though it had a dinky little light meter, forced me to learn to do everything else myself. I've been so spoiled now with digital and auto this and that. I'm still glad I learned to process my own b&w film. Everyone should know how to shoot a camera that DOESN'T have all the bells and whistles, just in case they need it.
There's such a presence to those pictures, and you can never replicate that in digital. Amazing shots, Danny. Thanks for showing them!
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