Re:

[Michael-Patrick <M-P@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brian Levy wrote:
> 
> I have two types of recommendations:
> 
> 1) If you want new, go as basic as possible. The K1000, Minolta X-700 are
> both good but I prefer the Yashica FX3 Super. Yashica still supports it as a
> full system which the other manufacturers are not doing. Yashica's
> commitment is due to the Contax relationship,I think. It is a system which
> you can go with with Yashica components and thereafter without loss of any
> component move up to Contax bodies/lenses for better quality or versatility.
> I've had students who bought an loved this body with the 45/2.8 pancake
> Contax lens. Price is only about $400 with the pancake or about 180 with the
> Yashica 50mm which is a very good lens optically. I am not sure but I am of
> the opinion that Yashica lenses reflect (no pun intended) a certain quality
> as a result of their relationship with Zeiss. The construction is not
> Zeiss's quality though. I don't like the students to use zooms during
> begingning courses, since it adds a variable which in itself should be
> taught as a separate course.
> 
> 2) If you can use other than 35mm in the class (I permit anything other than
> 110), then go find an old bakelite 120 box camera anywhere. Look for one
> with aperatures which are fairly common. With these I teach 1) it isn't the
> equip., but the person who makes successful photographs and 2) if you can do
> it with one of these than you can use anything. Many of these students have
> thereafter skipped 35mm and gone to MF equip after the class.
> 
> A 3rd (actually only a suggestion) go to local pawn shops, garage sales and
> pick up the camera. I canvassed the local pawn shops prior to each class and
> them supply me with a list of cameras and pricing for the students. For each
> to supply the list they had to offer a discount AND offer a 10 day absolute
> money back no questions asked warrantee. I would hand out the lists to any
> who wanted them and advise them as to any which should be avoided. This
> worked very well. One dealer noted that he actually had to go out and get
> some cameras to fill demand. He now has a fairly thriving little camera
> business.
> 
> The Pentax/Minolta/Canon/Nikon manual cameras are such a small segment of
> their market, that I am not sure except for Pentax that they will not be
> withdrawn. Pentax has withdrawn the LX limiting expansion of their system to
> the K1000. Minolta has 2 bodies which are well proven, but I am seeing only
> the x-700 being available and lens selection at dealers has dropped in
> recent times. Canon and Nikon both support the manual focus market with
> upscale camera bodies and this may not change in the medium run, but they do
> not offer a low end manual body.
> 
> Of course there are a large number of used cameras available at reasonable
> prices and with care a good body should last long after your students have
> delegated it to the collectors shelf.
> 
> At 09:06 PM 1/9/97 GMT, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >----------
> >> From: Liese Ricketts <lrickett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> To: ronk@xxxxxxxx
> >> Subject:
> >> Date: Wednesday, January 08, 1997 1:16 PM
> >>
> >>
> >> - Name:Liese A. Ricketts
> >>
> >> - Profession/Study:Photography teacher
> >
> >     As a Photography Teacher what type camera do you recommend your
> >studants use?  Some recommend using simple cameras such as the Pentax
> >K1000,  and others say get a modern camera you can grow around.  I'm not
> >saying which one I prefer, but I would like to start a discussion pro/con.
> >
> >Ron Walton
> >
> >
> >>
> >> - Country:USA
> >>
> >> - Personal history of photography: long and involved
> >>
> >> - preferred subjects:portraits
> >>
> >> - materials (film, filters, paper, chemistry):many
> >>
> >> - format (35mm/medium format/large format):medium format; 2 1/4"x 2 1/4"
> >> and 6x7 and pinhole are favorites
> >>
> >> - Other strange hobbies:Writing,fleamarketing and watching Seinfeld
> >> re-runs ( I love George and his parents )
> >>
> >> - How did you find out about this list:surfing the Internet
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> Brian Levy, J.D.
> Agincourt Ont.
> dlevy@xxxxxxxxxx
Brian Levy, J.D.


Reading this advise about cameras for beginning students I was thinking,
man, I bet this fellow is a crash hot teacher, really thinking of the
needs of his students and not teaching by rote.  Good on ya, mate. Keep
it up. --oops, no, instead tell them all to take up welding instead; too
many photographers already.
michael-patrick

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Topic No. 4