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Thread: The Path Not Taken

  1. #21
    Drew Bedo's Avatar
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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    All this deep sharing on using and collecting is great to read.

    Yes David, you remember it correctly.

    While I view myself as a user, my LF gear is vintage to antique. I have a Zone VI from the mid 1980s (the Wista made model) in 4x5 and a Kodak Eastman View No. 2D in 8x10. Both take great pictures when I do my part.

    I view my possession of these wooden cameras to be more of a stewardship rather than owenership. I am just holding them for some younger photographer, perhaps not even born yet.

    This is even more the case for the dedicated collector. Tjhose "Guns-Of-Navarone" ULF studio cameras will eventually (I hope!) go to someone else, having been stored on display in the center of their museum room.

    All those brass lenses in glass cases will still be there for someone else. Sadly, the next generation in our family does not share my passion for these old cameras.

    My hope is that my kids see that my gear all gets a good home if I have an unexpected health emergency. I have left instructions.
    Drew Bedo
    www.quietlightphoto.com
    http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo




    There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!

  2. #22

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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    I have drawers and closets full of this kind of old stuff, but I consider myself as an accumulator rather than as a collecter. Each and every piece was bought to fulfill some need I had/have in making photographs. I just never got around to selling the stuff one it was used (or turned out to be not used) -- Most of it was bought expensively, but at the time couldn't be sold for anything worth fooling with. That was before ebay.
    And just as the time was about to come when it might have been quite valuable, digital came along and most of the stuff is virtually worthless again.
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  3. #23
    Randy's Avatar
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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    I have about 60 (+-) cameras but have never thought of myself as a collector. I try to use (every now and then) all of them.

    I have friends who are collectors and seldom (if ever) used any of the hundreds or thousands of cameras in their collection. I view them as more sane than myself.

    They buy vintage cameras for the sole intention of adding to the variety already on their shelf - I buy vintage cameras with the sole intention of shooting some film through them, and hoping that the results are magical.

    They always succeed - I seldom do.

    Repeat.
    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52893762/bigger4b.jpg

  4. #24
    Drew Bedo's Avatar
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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    Either way; Shooting or just holding, the end result is a camera or two( or ten) kept from the dumpster and a step closer to the next generation . . . .or the one aqfter that.
    Drew Bedo
    www.quietlightphoto.com
    http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo




    There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!

  5. #25

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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    Unless someone is Looking for it now and can't find it.
    Which is why the wanted section here and other places is so important, but I dont know that those 'storing' gear check there often enough to know what and when to pass on.
    ~nicholas
    lifeofstawa
    stawastawa at gmail

  6. #26
    jp's Avatar
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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    Those people that collect cameras and never use them.. I'm not one of them but I am very grateful for them. How else would I get 60-90 year old cameras that function like new without it passing through the hands of a couple such stewards? Those speed graphics that sat in collections or hoarded in attics and sold for $150 new in the 1950's are still worth $150 today (minus the light sabre) My $225 craigslist rolleiflex probably cost that much new 65 years ago.
    Even with digital, my wife's DSLR broke after a long life and I bought a replacement for $50 on Ebay and it was good as new, barely used.

    I think WTBs are an excellent idea here. I don't think personally checking the for sale section too often is wise me for though.

  7. #27
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    As a side note, the vast majority of collectors concentrate on 35mm, or at most, medium format. Few collect large format because it's just too, well... large.

    I have a "collection" of eight 8x10 studio cameras, mostly acquired for their lenses. Now I have that collection because I don't know what to do with them...
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  8. #28

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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    I do. And as long as I don't have to liquidate some to pay medical bills I intend to continue to do so. I currently have three 8 x 10 cameras, 5 5 x 7 cameras, seven 4 x 5 cameras, 3 3 x 4 fours, and two 2 x 3 cameras. They do take up a lot of space, but they also get the most use. With 4 x 5, when I was still able to shoot, on some weekends I would use either a speed graphic or a crown graphic, on others I might use a busch pressman, but usually I use the horseman because it was my favorite. A couple of weeks ago I gritted my teeth and sold my Toyo.

    When I was still living in Vermont, my wife, who works at a high school, invited some of the students and teachers to join us on weekends. We would have theme weekends, where everybody would shoot the same format. I would loan them a camera, and a sheet film holder or two, and when we got back home from shooting, we process the negatives in my Jobo. I miss those weekends. We did the same thing with my collection of TLR cameras.
    Michael W. Graves
    Michael's Pub

    If it ain't broke....don't fix it!

  9. #29

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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    Lots of people collect cool stuff they never use---cameras, classic cars, tools, guns, fishing tackle,saddles, fossils, Roman coins, swords and knives, walking sticks, hats, fine leather bound books, you name it. Legit museums are full of this stuff. Some things are too fragile, of course, but using some antique thing as it was meant to be used is about as close as some of us will ever get to time travel.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  10. #30

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    Re: The Path Not Taken

    Quote Originally Posted by John Kasaian View Post
    Some things are too fragile, of course, but using some antique thing as it was meant to be used is about as close as some of us will ever get to time travel.
    Well said -- exactly how I feel.

    Robert

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