T3D Re: TECH-3D digest 509

[JNorman805@xxxxxxx]

John Toeppen writes

<< My experiences lead me to believe that there is a word that usually
 applies to used automatic cameras "broken". >>

Seems to me I've used the same word, on occasion, to described any of the 
many "manual" cameras I've owned.  It's usually followed by the the use of 
either the word "repaired" or the word "replaced."  So what?

Sure, automatic cameras can have a downside: the word "batteries" comes to 
mind.  But along with that, the words "convenience," "speed" and "accuracy" 
also occur to me.  

Anyone who's ever snapped a shutter more than twice knows that photography is 
an exercise in tradeoffs:  smaller aperture requires slower shutter speed, 
finer grain requires slower film requires larger aperture or slower shutter 
speed; slower shutter speed often requires the inconvenience of carrying a 
tripod, etc, etc.  Both automatic and manual cameras have their pros and 
cons; it's part of the tradeoff of photography. The twin SLR rig that I 
mostly use happens to consist of automatic cameras (which, by the way, have 
been extraordinarily reliable), but I often put them on the manual settings 
when conditions require.

I agree that the best (which is what I think you mean by "prime") photographs 
are more the product of the photographer's esthetic sense, or "eye," than 
they are the result of his or her choice of equipment, but I also know that 
certain photographs are utterly impossible (except by sheer luck) without 
choosing sophisticated equipment to meet the task.

And, while I agree that the old Pentax bodies and screw-mount lenses are 
perfectly fine, I also know that I can squeeze off multiple shots of a 
quickly developing event at different focal lengths while you're still 
fumbling with the mount of the one perfect lens and checking the meter, 
shutter speed and aperture.  By the way, I just gave away an old Pentax body 
that had served me well for many years.  It had a stuck shutter.  Does that 
qualify for use of the word "broken?" 

Jim   


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End of TECH-3D Digest 510
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