A sign of hope

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I suspect the 17-year-old was a bit distressed becasue she didn't know much about that camera. Maybe somebody gave it to her without explaining everything. I don't think we can assume a person is a "film nut" like us just because they have a film camera in their hands. No more than assuming some snooty type knows how to use his overpriced Leica. (Not that I have anything against Leica shooters. I owned a 3F with several lenses and an M2R with two lenses.)

And some people just don't care. They just use what they have, and are not interested in their materials on a technical level. It's something I admire and wish I could do sometimes.

[fstop]

Is that a chuckle or a groan?

chuckle

But its very true. There is a whole generation maybe 2 that never used film.

[Ric Trexell]

The one thing you never see any more is a good old fashion photo album. I never even get pictures on a CD, but I give them to my family. They are really interested when I bring my photo album out and they have time to look at real pictures that are not on a computer screen. Some day I want to take the slide projector and show them what 3 by 4 pictures look like, not 3X4 inches, but feet.

[BradS]

And some people just don't care. They just use what they have, and are not interested in their materials on a technical level. It's something I admire and wish I could do sometimes.

me too.

[rich815]

I suspect the 17-year-old was a bit distressed becasue she didn't know much about that camera. Maybe somebody gave it to her without explaining everything. I don't think we can assume a person is a "film nut" like us just because they have a film camera in their hands. No more than assuming some snooty type knows how to use his overpriced Leica. (Not that I have anything against Leica shooters. I owned a 3F with several lenses and an M2R with two lenses.)

It was likely a camera given to her by a father or uncle or that she inherited and her comment on the battery and meter sort of showed she did not know too much about technical aspects. I did not begrudge her not wanting to chat about it for whatever reason. She was not particularly cold and we parted nicely. I was just thrilled to see an old manual focus SLR especially with a teenager!

[rolleiman]

I have a Nikkormat FT3, still performing faultlessly, they are built like tanks and will easily outlast the digital "plastic puddings" of today.

[rhmimac]

"not interested in their materials on a technical level. It's something I admire and wish I could do sometimes."

Oh yes... i wish a rewind in time.. and then : one camera/one lens and just push that button and no bloody GAS ;-)

[ntenny]

"not interested in their materials on a technical level. It's something I admire and wish I could do sometimes."

Oh yes... i wish a rewind in time.. and then : one camera/one lens and just push that button and no bloody GAS ;-)

But the gadgets are so much *fun*!

Actually, that simplicity is one of the things I find myself seeking through gear---not necessarily the "one-button" level of simplicity, which in my experience means either a really limited camera (old fixed-focus folders or Instamatics) or one that does too much thinking for you (recent auto-everything SLRs), but a device that gets the bells and whistles and complexity out of the way and concentrates on getting the light to the film. And the 17-year-old's Nikkormat is a great example of that style of camera design; that's the beauty of that era in SLR design, that she doesn't *have* to know much about it on a technical level to use it effectively, but it's a tool that can cover just about all of the technical knowledge she might ever need to apply.

-NT

[Chan Tran]

No more than assuming some snooty type knows how to use his overpriced Leica. (Not that I have anything against Leica shooters. I owned a 3F with several lenses and an M2R with two lenses.)

I have to disagree with you there! All of the Leica owners I know, although some are snooty, know how to use their cameras well. That is one thing about Leica shooters that they might not take good pictures but they know how to use their cameras well. It's the D users crowd that although might got some very good pictures don't know how their cameras work.

[Prof_Pixel]

It's the D users crowd that although might got some very good pictures don't know how their cameras work

... and isn't that the reason most consumers buy a camera - to get good pictures? They don't care about the 'how'. Why should they care?