Preview Of Things To Come

I am currently shooting two new-to-me cameras. I have never owned or shot either of these in the past. Reviews coming. Stay tuned.

Nikon EL2. A camera that was only in production for one year: 1977

Nikon F Photomic FTN

A Sad State of Affairs

This is a blog about film photography and vintage gear, so I don’t talk much about myself or my political beliefs, but it’s hard not to feel sad and have some anxiety about the state of affairs in our country right now. I am 62 and I have never seen our country so polarized. There’s always been a right and a left, but I feel that, in the past, there were more people willing to walk towards the center and have a thoughtful dialogue. We would work together as Americans and get some positive things done. At least listen to the other side and think about it.

I’m from Upstate New York and the young man who went to Buffalo and killed innocent people comes from near where I grew up. I can’t imagine the anger and mental instability in someone that would cause them to do that. And I am horrified to hear that there are online groups that are given a platform to spread such hate. That the algorithms of these platforms even encourage this kind of content in order to sell advertising is utterly irresponsible. And honestly, do we really need to be manufacturing and selling these military style automatic weapons that can easily be modified to become mass killing machines by watching a how-to video on You Tube?

New Mexico is on fire. California is years into historic drought. The Colorado River is drying up along with big lakes that supply water to millions in the west. Huge chunks of glaciers are falling off into the ocean up at the top of the world. Historic heat waves are gripping many parts of the world. I’m watching all this while way too many people in our country, including those that can really make changes, continue to deny that anything is happening. They refuse to even listen to the science and consider that the science might just be right.

I grew up being taught that America is the greatest democracy in the world, but democracy is very fragile. It isn’t to be taken for granted. It only works if every American gets equal access to participate.

I began my career in broadcasting and over-the-air radio and television stations were held to a high set of standards with regards to delivered content. News was news and opinions were clearly identified as such. These days, mostly unregulated “news” channels are allowed to spew unchecked information and conspiracy theories as news. Many people belief this stuff, further dividing us. People I know who were, in the past, kind and reasonable, are now repeating and spreading hateful distortions.

I am sad and sometimes very angry. All this makes me anxious too and I don’t like feeling this way. I’ve decided to find my own ways to cope.

As much as I don’t like to disconnect, I am going to watch less news and consume more uplifting content.

I am going to see if there are things I can do in my own community to make a positive contribution in some very small but meaningful way.

I am going to spend more time getting out with my cameras and making photographs. The creative process energizes me and is good food for my soul. The exercise and fresh air doesn’t hurt either.

I am working on a photo book of black and white images I’ve made since living in California. Curating the content for that book has made me feel so fortunate to have spent the last decade living in such a beautiful place. I might try and sell the book. At the very least, I’ll put a copy on my coffee table.

I still have faith that we are going to turn this ship but it’s a big ship and big ships take a lot of time to turn. I don’t have tons of time left in my life so I am gong to do what I can to have an impact in a good way. And I am going to lean hard into my photography.

Score!

Seems every online seller I have tried recently is out of stock and backordered on my favorite color film—Kodak’s marvelous Portra 400. A lot of Kodak color print films are in short supply theses days. Today, I just happened to stop by my local mom & pop photo store and lucked out! They just received a fresh shipment of film! I bought some Portra, Gold 200 and Tri-X. Score!

Boomerang Cameras: The Canon A-1

I have bought and sold a lot of film cameras over the past 12 years and as I wrote a few blog posts ago, there are a few I have regretted selling. One is the Canon A-1. I bought my first A-1 from a photographer friend in Alameda. He was dumping his 35mm gear and taking a giant leap into large format 4x5 photography. I shot a few rolls in the A-1 and, deep into GAS, put it away and moved on to other cameras.

When I finally decided I had way too many film cameras and wanted to reduce my collection to just a few that I loved and shot regularly, the Canon A-1 didn’t make the keeper list. Thinking back, I am not sure why I decided to sell my A-1. It was a pleasing camera to use; small, lightweight and capable. And I got very good results from the camera and the FD lenses.

A few months ago while browsing eBay, a nice Canon A-1 popped up in my feed. I dove into the listing and saw a nice camera from a seller with good feedback. Prices on A-1s, on many film cameras for that matter, have jumped up considerably the last few years. This one was a bit more money than I wanted to spend, but it looked well cared for and the seller seemed honorable. So I bit.

Of course, having sold off all of my Canon FD gear, I needed a lens. While I waited for my camera to arrive, I went shopping for a 50mm f/1.4 Canon FD lens and found a nice late version for a decent price. The camera and lens arrived within a few days of each other.

I popped a battery into the Canon, fitted the lens and put the camera through its paces. Everything seemed to work just fine, but the camera had the Canon squeal, an annoying sound that A-1s,AE-1s and similar models make. Doesn’t seem to affect operation, but the wheezing of the shutter drives me crazy. So I packed up the camera and lens and sent both off to Jim Holman at ICT for a CLA.

My camera was back in a flash from Jim, relieved of its cough and fully serviced. I loaded up a roll of Kodak Color Plus and took the Canon for a test drive.

A Weekend With The A-1

While the A-1 has several shooting modes; shutter priority, aperture priority, manual and program, I love just setting this camera into the full program mode and using it like a point and shoot. On Saturday, I took the camera on a hike at Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, CA. The 1400 acre park, on the slope of Sonoma Mountain, features some wonderful trails, historic structures and the ruins of Wolf House, a 15,000 square feet home Jack was building for his beloved wife Charmian that burned just before they were set to move in. It was a delightful day with warm sun and a cool breeze.

The park has a variety of trails, from open meadows near vineyards to shaded strolls along stands of California Redwood.

I learned a lot about Jack London that day. He was an interesting man…a novelist, journalist, photographer, explorer, farmer…and he deeply loved his wife Charmian. In Charmian, he found his true love. His soulmate.

The next day, we packed up some snacks and loaded our dog up for some fun on the beach. Kimmie loves a good game of fetch.

There were gale force winds that day on the Sonoma Coast. Kimmie demonstrates.

I enjoyed my reunion with the Canon A-1. While I am more of a Nikon man, I really do like the Canon FD lenses and I think the A-1 is the best FD platform for me. You never want to say never, but I am pretty certain I won’t be selling this camera anytime soon. I like it and it’s nice to use a copy that is functioning as- new.

Some other observations from this weekend of photography:

• I enjoy shooting the dogs at play, but I think I need a telephoto lens. I am considering the Nikkor 80-200mm AF-D or AF-S zoom (not the latest versions for sure, but best for my budget) to use on my F4 and F100. It’s a big lens, but manageable. It has a built in tripod collar and has good reviews. I want an auto-focus lens to properly capture the pups at play. Let me know if you have any input for me.

• I’ve been ordering film from Amazon. They seem to have my favorite film stocks, especially Kodak. Prices are decent and I get my film the next day. I have had good results from the Tri-X I bought off of Amazon, but so-so results from color. As is the case with lots of Amazon stuff, you really don’t know where the products are sourced. In the case of film, storage is important and who knows how or where when it comes to Amazon. I am thinking I will go back to buying from B&H, Freestyle and the Shot On Film Store. I feel they take more care.

Rediscovering Kodak Tri-X

As a teenager in the 1970s, I shot a lot of Kodak Plus-X and Tri-X black and white film. Both were readily available at the corner drugstore, inexpensive and easy to home process. When I got back into film photography in 2010, I gravitated to the tabular grain emulsions of Kodak T-MAX 100 and 400 because I wanted finer grain in my photographs.

I guess I carried it around in my head that Tri-X was more suited to gritty street photography or documentary style shooting, so I’ve done most of my 400 speed black and white work these past 12 years on T-MAX.

With film getting more and more expensive these days, I keep looking for bargains and saw some Tri-X online for a decent price…three rolls for 24 bucks, which seemed pretty darn good. So I bought some.

I shot my first roll of Tri-X since forever in my Nikon F3HP with the 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens. Most of what was on this first roll were personal shots, but I finished the last few frames during a Sunday afternoon of wine tasting at Grigich Hills Estate Winery up the Napa Valley in Rutherford.

If you are into wine at all, you know that Mike Grigich gained international recognition when the Chardonnay he produced at Chateau Montelena blew the competition away at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, basically putting California on the map as a top wine-making region. Grigich later partnered with Austin Hills (of Hills Brothers Coffee fame) to establish Grigich Hills Estate.

I am not a big white wine person, but the Grigich Chards are pretty incredible and their Cabs are some of my favorite reds. While tasting, I clicked off a few shots with my Nikon. Yes, glasses are empty because Mike’s wines are delicious.

Stopped to walk around Oakville Grocery on the way home. I’ve shot this sign many times before.

The late afternoon sun was playing off of some pillows when I got home. The 55/2.8 lens is tack sharp I think.

There is some grain in these photographs, but not nearly what I had imagined there would be. And the tonal range is quite impressive. The results of this roll have changed my mind about Tri-X. I am going to shoot more of it. The price has gone up to $34 for three rolls. I bought more anyway.

Back to the beach with Ilford HP5+

For nine years, I lived on a little sliver of land in Northern California between the Pacific Coast Highway and the beach. I never took one second of that time for granted because I knew, deep down inside, it would not be my forever place. And I was right. A new job opportunity in 2019 took me just far enough inland to make daily commuting impossible...so I moved. And even though now, I live only an hour and twenty minutes from the coast, I find I can only get back to the beach a few times a year.

A few weeks ago, we grabbed our dog Jazz and took her to the beach to play in the surf and sand. I had a few rolls of Ilford HP5+ that I wanted to try. This was my first time shooting this film, so I was excited to give it a try. I fitted a Zuiko 100mm f/2.8 lens to my Olympus OM-1n.

Olympus OM-1n with Olympus Zuiko 100mm F/2.8 Auto-T

The light that day was hazy sun. I recently acquired this camera and I’ve run two rolls through it, one color and one black and white. Both rolls looked under exposed, so I am pretty sure the meter is off. I am going to send it back to the shop I bought it from and ask them to re-calibrate.

Spending some time at the beach was good for my soul. And Jazzy enjoyed herself immensely.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to eBay

I’ve been writing quite frequently here about my effort to reduce the number of film cameras in my arsenal down to just those that bring me the most joy. I have to say that I have done a pretty good job and the timing has been right as the price of film cameras is the highest I’ve seen in a decade.

An interesting thing has happened to me during this process…I have found myself really missing a few of the cameras I have parted ways with. So much so, that I’ve gone out and bought replacements for them. One of the cameras I’ve deeply regretted selling was the Olympus OM-1.

The OM-1 was the first in a line of compact and exceptionally well made 35mm single reflex cameras from Olympus. The OM-1 was introduced as the M-1 in 1972. There were several refinements over the next few years with the final version, the OM-1n, hitting the market in 1979. I reviewed this camera in depth here a few years ago, and there are many other reviews, most better than mine, online. Hardly anyone has a bad thing to say about the OM-1n other than it uses a battery that is no longer available. That problem is easily fixed during CLA with a conversion to adapt the camera to modern batteries.

I sold my original OM-1n on eBay and I’ve really missed it. So much so that I reached out to one of my trusted sellers, John Titterington of JT Cameras to get another. John is a fine camera tech and sells Olympus and other vintage cameras on eBay. All of the cameras John sells have been serviced and re-calibrated to accept modern batteries. I ended up buying two OM-1n bodies from John, one black and one chrome. I know…so much for thinning the herd!

Olympus OM-1n with early 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko Auto-S

I took my black OM-1n, 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko and some expired Kodak ColorPlus with me to Sedona, Arizona a few weeks ago. I had intended to do quite a bit of hiking and photography while I was there but unfortunately I turned my ankle and had to stay off of it for a few days. Once rested, I took a short and easy stroll into Boynton Canyon and clicked off a few snaps.

After finishing this roll, I remembered why I loved the little OM-1n so much. It’s a delight to use. Feels so good in the hand. Simple. Jewel-like build quality. A big, bright viewfinder with awesome split-image focus screen and a meter display that never gets in the way of the photographer. One other thing that some reviewers have complained about—the rough feel of the film advance lever—is easily remedied during a CLA. Mine is smooth as silk. I don’t think I will be parting with my OM cameras anytime soon.

There are two other cameras that I regret selling. I’m on the hunt for those now. Hey…what can I say? :-)

eBay No Pay

I have been buying and selling on eBay for nearly 18 years. My experiences, both as a buyer and a seller, have been very very good. I have only been disappointed in what I have purchased a handful of times and for most of those transactions, it was because I did not pay close enough attention to photos or the descriptions of what I was buying.

Only once was something misrepresented by the seller. It was my first Pentax Spotmatic and the seller did not disclose corrosion in the battery chamber that had found its way into the camera. I paid nearly nothing for that body though so I just chalked it up to experience.

Lately however, there is a new trend; Buyers place a bid, win and never pay.

This has happened four times to me during the last 8 months. It’s more a nuisance than anything because I eventually re-list the item and it sells. Once it was an international buyer and the other times, US buyers with positive feedback.

The buyers do not respond to communications and just simply ghost me. I don’t get it.

A New Camera Strap

I have not treated myself to any new gear in a long while, so when a photographer friend suggested I try the Sevilla leather camera strap from ONA, I figured I would indulge.

I have an ONA Bowery leather camera bag which is just magnificent. It’s well made and the leather just keeps looking better as I use it.

The Sevilla costs $65. ONA ships quickly. I had my strap two days after I ordered it. Opening up the package flooded my senses with the rich deep smell of leather. ONA’s leather just smells wonderful.

In the ONA tradition, the strap is very well made with robust rings and built-in strap protectors. It’s a 40” strap which is just perfect for me. ONA says the strap will hold ten pounds but I can’t imagine ever wanting to carry 10 pounds of camera on my shoulder.

I think I will try the Sevilla on my Nikon F3. The antique cognac color of the leather will look nice against the F3’s black body. More to come.

You can find ONA straps here.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you the best over the holidays. Health and happiness in 2022 too!

Cameras for sale

I am working on my goal of reducing the number of cameras in my collection. Cameras are meant to be used, not stored. So I am going through the difficult process of parting with those I do not shoot often enough. I’ve shed a few tears in the process.

I am including a link to the current items I have for sale below. Whenever I list cameras for sale on eBay, I will occasionally get messages from buyers complaining that my prices are too high. I am not sure why someone would take the time to tell a private seller that they are asking too much for anything they are selling online. Vintage cameras, like vintage automobiles, are worth whatever someone is willing to pay. And if the price seems too high, don’t buy it.

There is nothing wrong with the cameras I list for sale. No “as is” or “for parts.” These are all cameras that I spent considerable time searching for and often invested more money into service and/or upgrades. In most cases, I paid more than I should have because…well, because I really love nice old cameras.

You can see what I am selling here.

Regrets: The Leica M6 TTL

There are many photographers who blog about which film cameras to buy. I’ve decided to write about some of the cameras I truly regret selling. First up, the Leica M6TTL.

I bought my Leica M6 TTL rangefinder and 35mm Summicron lens at the Leica Store in San Francisco on a bright, crisp morning in early November 2014. I had been watching eBay for several months, drooling over M6 listings and just happened upon this nice one which was at Camera West in Walnut Creek. An email inquiry to Camera West was answered by the shop’s owner, Sean Cranor, who I discovered also owned the Leica Store in San Francisco. When I mentioned that I was gong to be in the City that weekend, Sean said he’d be happy to send the M6 over to their sister store for me to look at.

I had recently sold my Leica M3 and rigid 50mm Summicron, so I had cash when I arrived at the beautiful Leica camera shop just outside of Chinatown. The M6 was in mint condition and they had a spectacular 35mm Summicron in the used lens case. Leica film camera prices were still fairly reasonable seven years ago, so I bought the M6 and 35 ‘cron and still had some cash in my pocket for the weekend.

I picked up a few rolls of Fuji Acros and shot this pic of the front of the store. My first Leica M6 shot.

I had my Nikon F2AS with me that weekend with the intention of making some photographs at Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. With my new Leica in hand, plans changed and I finished off the roll chasing light at the historic structure.

On the walk back to my hotel, I shot this close-up of the controls on a fire engine.

The M6 and 35mm lens inspired me that day. And I appreciated the small package of body and lens. The Leica’s meter readout was minimalist—two arrows showing under or over exposure. When both arrows are lit, you have the correct exposure.

Top plate of the Leica M6TTL— simple and straightforward

I made some of my most satisfying images with the M6.

I was deep into gear acquisition syndrome at this time and traded the M6 kit for a Leica M8 digital camera. I didn't much get along with the digital M and sold it a short time later. I have always deeply regretted selling the M6 and that 35mm Summicron. For one, it was the Leica rangefinder that best fit my shooting style. Two, I bought it when M6 bodies were still somewhat affordable. They’ve really gone through the roof since.

If you are considering a Leica M film camera and are on the fence about which one to buy, consider the M6. It’s a fairly new camera compared to the M2, M3 and M4 and has a very competent built-in meter. And oh my…those lovely Summicrons!

Damn…I wish I still had mine.

F3 By The Sea

After 13 years of shooting lots of different film cameras, I am finding that my Nikon F3 is one of my favorites. Here a a few shots taken on some expired Kodak Portra 400 film using my 50mm f/1.4 Nikon Ais lens.

My Annual Blog Post About Servicing Old Cameras

I just got my Pentax LX back from service. Jim Holman at ICT Camera did a fine job. The mirror was sticking on some of the slower shutter speeds. It’s a common ailment with this camera. Pentax built a world class professional grade 35mm SLR, but used the worst mirror bumper foam material ever. Over time, the stuff turns into a gooey mess. Jim replaced that and did a full CLA (clean-lubricate-adjust). My LX came back good as new.

I follow a number of Facebook film camera pages and there’s a running debate about the merits of repairing old cameras versus just buying a replacement. A few years ago, I could see both sides of the argument. Film cameras were still relatively cheap and in some cases you could replace your ailing Pentax ME or Olympus OM-2 for about the same cost as the repair.

More people are shooting film these days and prices for good film equipment has gone up. If you have a camera that you love shooting, it makes more sense now to get it serviced. Even if it is working just fine, investing in preventative maintenance is a good investment.

Here are some repair shops I have used and can recommend. These are no particular order.

DAG CAMERA: Don Goldberg is the master of all things Leica. I have sent him Leica SLRs and rangefinders. His work is top notch and his prices are reasonable. He is easy to connect with. His turnaround times for me have been just a few weeks.

ICT CAMERA: Jim Holman works on most every brand of film camera. He is also an expert on lens CLAs. He quit his full time job a few years ago to devote his full attention to his repair business. He does fine work.

SHERRY KRAUTER: Sherry worked on my Leica R5, but she focuses mostly on Leica rangefinders. She also has a nice online store. She’s been in business since 1976 and is a legend in Leica circles. She is also fun to talk to.

BLUE MOON CAMERA: If you are ever in Portland, Oregon, make a point to visit Blue Moon Camera & Machine. What a wonderful store! And they do repair work too. I sent my Canon F-1 there and they brought it back to life. Reasonably priced and good turnaround.

SOVER WONG: Sover is the world’s expert on Nikon F2 repairs. The F2 is the only camera he works on. Send your F2 to Sover and it will come back just like new. He also does modifications to Nikon F2 metered finders and does Nikon F2 repair clinics. Up until a few years ago, my F2 was my favorite camera, then my eyesight changed. For some reason, no matter which Nikon diopter I tried, I could not see clearly enough through the viewfinder to focus. The F2 is the only old camera I have this trouble with and I have no idea why. Sadly, I have sold my F2s.

YOUXIN YE: Where do you send your Canon LTM rangefinder for CLA? Youxin Ye’s YYeCAMERA. Youxin also works on Leica M and screw mount bodies. Competent work and great communication.

ERIC HENDRICKSON: Eric is to Pentax what Sover is to the Nikon F2. Eric works on the Pentax Spotmatic series, K1000, LX, ME, ME Super and MX. He is not the most chatty fellow because he is so busy, but his work is exceptional, his prices are very fair and his turnaround time is exceptional.

MARK HAMA: Mark is the man to send your YashicaMAT or Electro 35 to. I thought my Yashica rangefinder was toast. Mark brought it back to life.

JOHN TITTERINGTON: I found John on eBay when I was looking for a nice Olympus OM-1n. John works on Olympus, Nikon, Minolta and more. He is a great source if you are looking to buy a camera because everything he sells has been fully serviced.

Those of us who love and use old film cameras are very fortunate that there are still highly skilled folks out there who can keep our equipment operating as designed. Many of these technicians have invested a lot of money buying up old parts and donor-body cameras, since replacement parts are mostly not available from the original manufacturers. They are a vital part of our film photography community and deserve our support.

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.

Snapshot

I rarely have my iPhone on my person. I know. I’m odd. It’s a great phone but I’ve never felt comfortable walking around with it in my pants or jacket pocket or carrying it in hand. In my pocket, the iPhone feels like a heavy hard piece of toast. And if I carry it around in my hand…well, that’s just damn inconvenient.

Because of my reluctance to carry a digital device, I’ve missed some great photo opportunities. This was not the case in mid-December of last year when I visited Upstate New York and stayed at The Lake Placid Lodge. After checking into my room, iPhone in hand, I stood shivering in the below zero air on the balcony. The sun was placing its last kisses on Whiteface Mountain and reflecting nicely on the lake. I got off a few shots before the light changed. This was the best of the bunch.

Rosie's First Swim

We took Rosie, our 9-month old Golden Retriever, for a swim lesson in Santa Rosa a few weeks ago. Everything in the world is new to Rosie and she had some hesitation venturing into the big swimming pool at the dog training center.

I took my Nikon F4 loaded with some Kodak Portra 400 film. This was the first time I had ever shot this film at the box speed. I normally rate Portra 400 at 200 ISO to get more saturated colors, but I think it performed pretty well here. I also wanted to make sure that the F4’s DX reader was still functioning as designed. I love this camera and hope its 33 year old electronics keep humming along.

The F4 was Nikon’s first professional body with matrix metering. I think that the bright sunny California afternoon, Rosie’s white fur and the water provided quite a workout for the F4’s meter.

I used my AF-D Nikkor 35-70 f/3.3 - 4.5 zoom lens. Making photographs of these dogs has me thinking that I need a more robust zoom…perhaps 80-200.

Boutique Photo Lab developed my film and did the scans. They scanned the entire negative up to but not including the sprocket holes. I think it gives these shots an interesting look.

The Nikon FE

If you enjoy shooting classic film cameras and have not tried one of Nikon’s advanced amateur SLRs from the 1970s and early 80s, you should. They are all well built, small, lightweight, dependable and easily and affordably serviced. The line-up includes the Nikon FM, FM2, FM2n and very expensive FM3a, the FA and the FE and FE2.

The FM, FM2 and FM2n are manual exposure cameras. The shutters are mechanical. The battery only powers the TTL meter. They are super dependable. Back in the day, many professional photographers carried one of these cameras as a back up to their pro bodies.

The FM3a was one of the last Nikon film cameras and an evolution of the FM2n. Improvements included an electro-mechanically controlled shutter and aperture-priority automation. Whenever I check the prices on these cameras, it takes my breath away.

The FA was Nikon’s techno marvel from 1983. It offers manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and program modes. It was the first Nikon with matrix metering, which is still used today.

The Nikon FE offers manual and aperture-priority shooting modes. Its successor, the FE2, increased the top shutter speed from 1/1000th of a second to a blistering 1/4000th.

I own the FM2n and really enjoy its simplicity. I also have the FE2 and shoot it more than any other camera I own. For no reason other than curiosity, I have always wanted to try the FE and when a nice serviced copy came up for sale on eBay, I jumped.

After spending so much time shooting my FE2, the FE felt like an old friend. Build quality was like the other Nikon F cameras, sure and confidence inspiring. I think that the meter display in the FE and FE2 are the best of any SLR…simple analog display on the left side of a big, beautiful viewfinder. In fact, if Nikon used the FE/FE2 display in the F3, it would be the perfect camera for me!

My first roll of film in the FE was Kodak’s Pro Image 100. I made some photographs around town and in my backyard. It was still Covid time. I used the camera’s automatic mode.

Back home, a shot in the kitchen of my pizza before popping it into the oven.

And a photograph of Kimmie, who agreed to pose for the FE.

I knew I would love this camera. It feels great in the hand and is light enough to carry around all day. Nikon’s classic center-weighted metering makes it pretty hard to screw up exposure. The 50mm f/1.8 AI-s lens I had mounted was Nikon’s kit lens at the time and you can buy an FE and this lens today for between $100 and $125 if you shop around. The FE2 is newer and more popular. That makes it more expensive. If you don’t need 1/4000th of a second, the FE will do you fine.

I have edited my collection of film cameras down to less than a dozen and the FE will stay. I like this camera and I didn’t pay that much for it. I’m comfortable carrying it along on a dusty hike. If it dies, repair is inexpensive. The Nikons from this era are marvelous cameras. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

Back to the beach

With my new job and then Covid, It had been a long, long while since I had visited my beloved Sonoma County beaches with a camera. I finally got to the coast this past weekend with my Nikon F100 and some TMAX 100. It was windy and chilly, but felt great to have the sand under my feet again. Now that California is opening up, I will make a plan to visit more often.

I am sending two rolls off to Boutique Film Lab for processing and scanning. While I wait, I thought I would share some snaps I’ve made over the year of the sand and the water. The beach is ever changing. No two days are ever the same.

Unfriendly Facebook

I’ve been noticing that Facebook is getting less friendly and more contentious. And I’m not talking about pages devoted to politics, the environment or the economy. I’m seeing it on, of all places, analog film photography and classic film cameras buy/swap/sell pages.

Recently, a newbie analog photographer posted a question on a film camera page. This person had just shot her first roll of film in a Nikon FE and couldn’t figure out how to release the film so she could wind it back into the cartridge. While many of the people commenting directed her to the little button on the bottom of the camera, several people went off on her about being too lazy to read the owners manual before using the camera. One person commented that perhaps people with limited technical skills shouldn’t be messing around with old film cameras.

I personally think it is wonderful that young people are discovering film photography. The more people shoot film, the longer companies like Ilford and Kodak will keep making it. We should be helpful and encourage people just getting into this hobby. Not shame them for asking a question. I’m sure we’ve all asked a dumb question or two in our lives. I know that I have.

Over on the buy/swap/sell pages, it is very common for people to make cruel comments about the prices that people ask for their gear. I have experienced this myself. A film camera is worth whatever price the buyer is willing to pay. If the price is too high for you, just move on. What purpose is served by making the seller defend his or her price? Over the years, I have found lots of great bargains when shopping for gear. And many times, I have paid way more than I should have just because I wanted a camera or it was in particularly good condition. And I never sell my cameras for cheap because I have spent time finding really good examples and in most cases, I’ve invested in having them properly cleaned and serviced. So far this year, I have had to delete two camera listings on Facebook just because the comments became so vitriolic.

It wasn’t always this way. At least on the photography pages. I’m not sure why either. Seems there is a lot of anger and frustration in this country right now and it’s spilling over into places that are supposed to be easy and fun.

I can’t change the world, but I am going to make a personal effort to be friendly, helpful and thoughtful whenever I comment on social media. Maybe it will rub off. Just a little.