Misinformation

Over coffee this morning, I clicked through the various photography Facebook groups that I belong to and came across a fellow, obviously brand new to analog photography, posting a picture of his recently acquired Nikon F3 with a pre-AI Nikkor lens attached. He wondered why the camera wasn’t metering correctly and why he couldn’t see the aperture readout in the little window of his viewfinder. A number of people responded. Some were helpful, some were condescending, some with absolute misinformation. I responded with a brief explanation of pre-AI and AI Nikkor lenses and a recommendation that he search online for the owner’s manual for his F3 and study it so he could fully enjoy his Nikon.

We have access to so much information these days from a wide variety of sources. Much of it is good, but some of it is just plain misinformation. With a few exceptions, those of us who enjoy analog photography are using equipment that is long out of production, decades old and no longer OEM supported. The only sources of information are the original owner’s manuals and the community of film photographers who write blogs, produce You Tube videos or contribute to social media forums. Most of the information out there is pretty good. Film photographers are thoughtful and helpful people. However, like all of the stuff we read online or see on You Tube or Instagram, due diligence is the order of the day. Misinformation, when it comes to old camera gear and lenses, can damage your equipment or even render it useless. At the very least, it can result in disappointing results in your photography.

This blog is a journal of my user experiences with old cameras, lenses and film. It’s full of my opinions. When I quote facts, I try my best to be accurate, checking as many trusted sources as I can before I publish. Social media forums can be lively and fun, but before you make any big decisions about your photography gear or anything else in life for that matter, check your sources. And check them again.