lolol
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"It cleans, lubricates, and adjusts the Leica, or else it gets the hose again..."
With LF even more than 35mm, it's common to find collectors that love the equipment, but don't use it. I talked to a guy the past few weeks that has several antique wooden cameras, complete. He's had them about 15 or 20 years as decorator items, never used them. But did serious photography back then, had a studio, published, etc. Just liked the history of the big ones. Nothing wrong with history.
I like to use what I collect of course. This weekend I used an early Lerebours et Secretan I hadn't touched in 4-5 years. But there it was, waiting patiently for it's next chance to make a photographer and subject happy. That's the difference, a collector makes one person happy. A user makes two.
Actually 3.
The current owner.
The person captured.
The next owner and there is always a next owner...
I would also hope for many happy viewers of the photos created through these collectors items.
Drew, didn't you once say that we are only caretakers of our cameras and lenses, for the next owner who has them? Or something like that.
I'd feel better if articles in a collection would have a chance to be used by their next owners/caretakers.
I wonder what our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be collecting.
Having just read "Revenge of Analog : Real Things and Why They Matter" by David Sax, it's clear that more and more people are recognizing the personal enjoyment analog provides and what digital doesn't.
It has to make you ask where we go from here though. The cameras made today are more akin to computers - constantly replaced with the latest and greatest upgrades (ever try to sell your 286 or Pentium II?). Lenses are built for the camera system they're being used on with focus-by- wire and in-camera software compensation for lens shortcomings - you can't even fully test the lens on the optical bench without the camera and software attached. Somebody once said you can focus a pop bottle if you know the math and I think more and more companies are going that route to cut costs and size.
I wonder what the collectible from this digital era will be? Maybe it will come down to what you can still get a battery for.