Tag: DSLR

A few days ago on the Today show, they aired a story about Gen Z and “vintage” cameras. Turns out vintage cameras are all the rage with Gen Z. Both film and compact digital. Sometimes they cover the lens on their smartphone with plastic wrap and vaseline to make it look like vintage cameras! One store owner stated they take in about 100 cameras a week and they go right out the door.

An idea of a blog post about all the cameras I have owned had been whirling around in my head for some time. After watching that story, it was time to put pen to paper. When I first started this blog I wrote all my posts in a notebook with pen. This post was also written in the same notebook with pen.

As I gathered my cameras, so many memories came rolling back. Each camera has its own story. My first camera, I no longer have and don’t know what happened to it or the brand. It was a small camera that probably took 110 film. My grandma gave it to me after I begged several times for her to let me have it. It was hers and she kept it in the top drawer of a chest of drawers in her guest bedroom. I was about 10. The photos taken with that camera are tucked away.

Next up, my red Canon Snappy 20. The camera I had in college and my one and only Canon. It takes 100 or 400 35 mm film. It reminds me of all the fun times at Truman State University. Those photos are tucked away as well.

When my husband and I were first married, he had a Yashica 35 mm SLR. I was intimidated by his SLR, but wanted more than a point and shoot. My first Nikon was purchased. The Pronea S, an APS film camera. It has several features that mid-range SLR’s had at the time such as the N90. It was a fun camera and rolls and rolls of film were used with this camera. It still has a roll of film in it. Time to get some batteries to finish the roll and see what’s on it?

My first and only SLR, the Nikon N75 was my next camera. I learned so much about photography with this camera. My favorite landscape photo was made with this camera using what I call “over the counter” film that was 400 speed. The photo is of the barn where my grandpa farmed back in the 50’s and 60’s. I learned to shoot in manual mode with this camera using Fuji Velvia 100 slide film while attending a wildflower workshop through Arizona Highways Photo Workshops in 2005. It was a super bloom year and it had rained earlier in the day of our workshop and the photo opportunities were endless. I have a few photos from that day hanging in our home. One of them received the Arizona Award at the Arizona State Fair that year! The instructor, Chuck Lawsen, told me I was brave to learn manual mode with Velvia 100. Why? Because slide film is unforgiving. If your exposure is off, the image is ruined. It can’t be fixed. Every weekend I would go out shooting and drop my film off to be developed. How did I view the slides? I bought a light box and a loupe. To this day I have both and sometimes it’s fun to go back and view my slides, Have you ever seen photos of slides on a light box? Maybe some day I will get around to playing with my slides and light box and make some images. That’s another project that has been whirling around in my head for some time. Could I have them digitized? Yes, but doubtful I will ever invest the money to have it done.

A few years later after hundreds of dollars were spent on film and processing, it was time to go digital. It was like learning photography all over again. Not to mention learning how to process the images. The upside was seeing my images instantaneously. Was the exposure correct? What about depth of field? Was everything that was to be in focus sharp? And my first DSLR was a Nikon D80 that is DX format. I used it for several years before upgrading.

As much as I enjoyed my D80, I missed having a small camera to walk around with. The camera of choice? Another Nikon and this time the Coolpix P7000. Compact, yet many features of a DSLR. Lots of fun with this camera, and it has a macro function. One of my favorite genres of photography. I need to brush up on how to use it, although my walking around camera is my iPhone 13 Pro.

Obviously, I have been a Nikon girl for many years. I upgraded to a Nikon D7000 which I use to this day. I bought it in 2012 shortly before attending photography workshop in Acadia National Park. Thousands of images and memories have been made with this camera.

Technology has been changing in recent years. Away from DSLR’s to mirrorless cameras in both DX and FX (35 mm or full frame) format. Will I make the jump to a mirrorless camera with advanced features? Maybe. Will it be another Nikon? Mostly likely. The thought of learning the new technology and a different brand makes my head spin. I would have to learn a whole new menu system. Not something I want to do. Other camera brands have higher ratings, but I’m a Nikon girl. And I wouldn’t have to buy new lenses, only an adaptor .

Will I consider selling one or more of my “vintage” cameras? Supposedly film is coming back so Gen Z will have to look for another seller willing to part with their “vintage” cameras.