camera regained?

I've re-bought three cameras after letting them go. The LX5 and GXR-28 and the X10. The X10 is a little different though because the first one was with orbs and the second one was after the orbs had left the building. But in each case, I ended up using the second one a bit at first and then roughly never. All are gone now. The good news is I lost very very little money on any of them - I think I even made a couple of bucks on one, probably just enough to break even on shipping and paypal fees though.

Hopefully, this should be a lesson for me - they never live up to the nostalgia.

I always thought I missed my old '68 VW Beetle. Then I was on vacation in Mexico one year and drove one again. And then I didn't miss it anymore. Cars are soooo much better now - even cheap ones. And at the rate cameras are evolving, I think the same will be true for with them at least the next several years.

-Ray
 
With all due respect, Mark, if you are going to be shooting film you ABSOLUTELY NEED a medium format camera. Once you have used one, you will better understand what I mean. Fortunately, any old Rollei or Hasselblad will do...

Cheers,

Antonio

@Antonio: I clicked the only "Thanks" button we have available the SC site.
@Mods: This proves the value of installing a second "Yeah Thanks A Lot!" or "Sarcastic Thanks" button for your members use :laugh1:

But seriously I already get an inkling you are right. The richness of files I see on the web really strike a cord - this normally comes to the fore when I search differing emulsion and developer combinations, fall in love with an image and note it's in 120 (or god forbid 4x5) format. I'm on the look out for a neat little TLR - like a YashicaMat, Rolleicord, etc.

Anchoring my segue back to the theme of this thread, I fear this will also mean needing to buy a new scanner …mine only does 35mm :blush: Will this ever end!!!
Though I'm going to use a community space here in Canberra for wet-printing too.
 
I wouldn't bother with 4x5. Not big enough for a decent contact print, and a 4x5 enlarger is a gigantic and expensive beast.

Go straight to 8x10. Nice size for contacting. Just like Edward ...
 
I wouldn't bother with 4x5. Not big enough for a decent contact print, and a 4x5 enlarger is a gigantic and expensive beast.

Go straight to 8x10. Nice size for contacting. Just like Edward ...

Well this is Serious Compacts after all Paul. …sheesh! :laugh1:
Having said that I suppose 4"x5" can be likened to mu43 and 8"x10" is APS-C, so if you're serious about full-frame capabilities and contact printing I think we look no further than Chuck Close's 20"×24" and 40"x80" cameras. But if printing is your bugbear maybe a Polaroid 20"×24" camera for that instant gratification. For those who think this is all crazy talk I'd encourage you to check this out! Amazing images indeed :eek:

…but we digress :blush:
 
I usually don't sell much cameras, but have been trying to find my camera nirvana. I sold the Olympus E-3, 11-22, 12-60, 50-200, 25, 50, EX14 when I went into mirrorless only (and not once regretted that!). The only lens I regret selling a bit is the Panasonic Leica 14-150, because it was a very, very good lens. It was just too big for me, so I will not rebuy. I kept the E-1 with 14-54 and E-P1 with 17 for nostalgic reasons (and the price I'd get for them wasn't worth the trouble). I sold the E-P2 to get the E-P3, and never regretted that. I sold the 9-18 when I got the 12, and don't regret it. I sold the Olympus 14-150 when I got the GH2 with 14-140 and regret it a bit. That lens was very small for its purposes. But a travel zoom like that no longer fits my style of shooting. I kept the GH2 but never bonded with it. It now belongs to my son. I bought two EM5s so I could go to South Africa, and still shoot with primes. I bought a RX100 to have a pocket cam with sufficient IQ. Then I stopped buying. I haven't bought a lens or camera in half a year, and stopped caring for new offerings. Those EM5s remind me soooo much of my beloved Minolta X700, which I used for 15 years. One body with the 17, one with the 45 and I'm done. I keep a 12 for wide, and a 25 for single focal length purposes, a 12-50 for I don't know whatg exactly, and a 75-300 for reach. I've been trying to find a good discount on time and vision, but lately haven't had much luck in that department. The only lens I'm still drooling over is the 75, but it's a bit expensive for my limited use. I prefer wide over long.
 
I can't speak for this myself, but the only recent digital camera/successor combo which left any real doubt which was better was the X10/X20. The X20 was hardly a step backward, but I've frequently read that the jpegs from the X10 where better.
 
Marlof, thanks for your thoughts. I have only one M5 (I have an X100 as backup), but the combination 17+45 is my most used.

I tried the 12, but decided to keep my 9-18 instead, since I prefer wider and don't always want to do stitching. And the 9-18 is a very good lens.

I would encourage you to get the 75. I bought mine at a very good price, reasoning that if it didn't resonate, I could sell it at no loss.

I rarely use it, but I would never sell it, because the images are so good.
 
I can't speak for this myself, but the only recent digital camera/successor combo which left any real doubt which was better was the X10/X20. The X20 was hardly a step backward, but I've frequently read that the jpegs from the X10 where better.

I had both and thought the X20 had a slight edge in the raw files, not huge, but noticeable. I felt the x10 produced, no contest, much better jpegs, both full 12 MP and 6MP pixel binning (which I've never quite understood, but it seems to work) I liked both equally, and I tend to shoot raw when I can, but some functions, like pro-low-light, which I used quite a bit, are only available as jpeg, where the X10, in my humble opinion, enjoys an unquestionable advantage.
 
there were two times that i sold cameras i liked to buy what i 'knew' would be way better incarnations: ep2 for em5 and x10 for x20. suffice it to say i was wrong both times, sold each 'better' incarnation, and promised myself never to exchange something i liked for being an early adopter of another untested product. moreover, it has led me to a point where i feel i need to be more appreciative of the gear i do use and like, and spend more time learning to use them properly than being covetous.
 
there were two times that i sold cameras i liked to buy what i 'knew' would be way better incarnations: ep2 for em5 and x10 for x20. suffice it to say i was wrong both times, sold each 'better' incarnation, and promised myself never to exchange something i liked for being an early adopter of another untested product. moreover, it has led me to a point where i feel i need to be more appreciative of the gear i do use and like, and spend more time learning to use them properly than being covetous.
:clap2: well said Tony!
 
Oh, I *really* should not contribute to this thread...

Here goes, in no patricular order:

Three Olympus XAs
Two Contax RXs
Two Nikon F90xs
Two Olympus OM2SPs
Three Contax T2s
Two Minox Bs*
Two Leica M6s
Two Leica R7s
Two Nikon FAs
Two Nikon FM3as*
Three Leica M2s*

...and those are the ones I can remember! :rolleyes:

* The last iteration of those marked with an asterisk are in my possession now ;)



Sent from another Galaxy
 
Oh, I just regained my X10, and am quite pleased. At base iso it is magnificent, but I love the pro-low-light mode too. The shots below were shot that way and the camera set iso 3200. These are not straight out of camera: I don't use anything straight OOC, so it's not important to me. I did not however to any luminance NR, though I did take out any remaining chroma noise in Lightroom and adjust both contrast and white balance and color. Perfectly useable at smaller sizes.

My apologies for the pictues. I was sitting at my desk and shot things a couple of feet away, as a test, and with no concern for photographic interest. The framed picture is my mother about 10 years ago, at 87. She's aged considerably in the intervening 10 years, but is still with us, and still funny. So of course that shot has meaning to me.

i-t6MTCq7-X2.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)


i-BkMvDqS-X2.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

A Lao Buddha, next to the fan that keeps my stereo receiver cool. I shouldn't be, but I'm attached to the old, fan-inside-broken thing.)
 
Oh, I *really* should not contribute to this thread...

Here goes, in no patricular order:

Three Olympus XAs
Two Contax RXs
Two Nikon F90xs
Two Olympus OM2SPs
Three Contax T2s
Two Minox Bs*
Two Leica M6s
Two Leica R7s
Two Nikon FAs
Two Nikon FM3as*
Three Leica M2s*

...and those are the ones I can remember! :rolleyes:

* The last iteration of those marked with an asterisk are in my possession now ;)
Oh Bill you have it really bad! I feel for you…less pity and more jealousy :blush:
Some classy and classic cameras of which I'd love to have just one. T2, M6 are both must haves for me….and even the FM3a (loved my poorer cousin FM2n).

Thanks so much for contributing….makes me hopeful that I have a looooooong way yet to go on my photographic journey ;)
 
I've never 'regained' a camera as I've never sold one! Although, I sometimes put cameras away for a while, and come back to them with new appreciation.

The Sigma DP1 and DP2 are cases in point. I bought the DP1 with full knowledge of it horribly slow operation and quirky image issues, and loved it so much that I bought the DP2 on that basis alone. Since then, I've bought loads more cameras, but after some months I find myself coming back to the DP1 and DP2. The look they produce is unique, particularly in such small, light packages.
ditto on the never having sold a camera ;) I also go back to older cameras in my collection and re-discover their quirks/nice-ities.
 
Back
Top