And then...there were ten

As happens with many of us who dabble in analog photography, I accumulated many more cameras than I had time to shoot. So I have slowly and thoughtfully sold or gifted away much of my collection. I wanted to make sure that the gear went to good homes. To photographers that would use them and love them the way I have. Mechanical cameras are made to be used and not sit on a shelf.

I think I started with close to 40 cameras. Here is where I am now:

Nikon FE and FE2: I love these two compact Nikon F bodies. Both of mine have been serviced and they are small. lightweight and easy to carry around all day. I mostly shoot the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 Nikkors on these bodies.

Nikon F100: The most modern camera I own. I bought a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-S lens…the only lens I have ever purchased new…to mount on this marvelous camera. It’s the retro-styled lens that was released with the Nikon Df digital camera. It focuses fast and silently on the F100.

Nikon F3HP: It actually took me awhile to appreciate Nikon’s last manual focus professional film body. For me, the F3 was an acquired taste and the more I shoot it, the more I like it.

Nikon F4: I only take my F4 out for a walk a few times a year because it is big and heavy. When I do shoot with it, I always marvel how good this beast feels in my hand. The F4 is fun!

Pentax Spotmatic SP: It wasn’t until I sent my Spotmatic off to Eric Hendrickson for a CLA and mounted the legendary 50mm 8-element Super Takumar lens that I came to fully appreciate this simple mechanical SLR and amazing Pentax lenses. I have both chrome and black body versions.

Pentax MX: This little SLR is so small it almost disappears in your hand. My 50mm SMC Pentax f/1.2 lens is bigger than the camera.

Pentax LX: I have owned three LX bodies. Sent all of them to Eric for CLA and have sold two for a small profit. When the LX is working properly, it is a joy to shoot.

Leica R4S MOD-P: Just like the F3, it took me awhile to warm to Leica’s SLRs. After owning and shooting the M2, M3 and M6 rangefinders, the Leica R cameras are a totally different experience. In the end, I am an SLR guy and while the rangefinders were sold for a tidy profit, my R bodies remain.

Leica R7: The last R body before Leica totally redesigned their SLRs. The R7 has a multitude of shooting modes and a big and brilliant viewfinder.

This isn’t the final cut by any means. I’m learning what I like and what I don’t. Photography is an evolving experience.