Aaaah, how I've missed this...

[OddE]

...I just realized yesterday that I hadn't been out shooting with a rangefinder for months (Not that I hadn't been shooting, mind - but I'd been using a DSLR exclusively since, say, Christmas or so.).

So, today I put a couple of rolls of Tri-X and some Provia in my coat pocket, went out with my trusty old M4 and exercised it a bit.

I haven't had as much fun in months; I really didn't remember how fun shooting with a compact, analog camera was until I shot the first few frames.

There's nothing on either roll to give HCB a run for his money, but I had a lot of fun - and this evening, after the kids are asleep, I'll process the Tri-X, too - for another bout of fun!

(The poor DSLR is looking quite sorry for itself where it sits on my shelf - it appears it expects to be sitting there for a while! No worries, though - I'll need it for a small project next weekend.)

 

[Paul Jenkin]

Spot on. Go for it. Ringing the changes once in a while keeps you fresh, I feel. I have a few cameras that haven't see daylight for a while. I must check them out.

 

[FrankS]

If you had paired down your camera gear to just what you were currently using, you wouldn't have had that pleasant experience. I use different cameras to match the task and my mood. 🙂

 

[segedi]

I agree with Frank, coming back and changing things up is always a boon.

BTW - the OP has the coolest name ever.

 

[David Hughes]

And there is much rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents. Welcome back.

Regards, David ;-)

 

[OddE]

BTW - the OP has the coolest name ever.

-True story: Most Americans (Well, those of the US variety, anyway) tend to pronounce my name so that it sounds frighteningly close to 'Oh darling' (Just try it a couple of times; it is bound to come out that way)

So, a few years ago I find myself offshore, enjoying a steaming mug of coffee in the galley after a long, hard day on deck, commissioning a new piece of kit.

After two sips, apperently my customer liaison wanted a few words with me - so the 1MC is booming "Odd Erling - my cabin, rightaway if you pleee-eease..."

Guess who became the laughing stock of the vessel for the rest of the cruise. Some prankster even put a huge can of K-Y jelly on my bunk. Thank you very much.

 

[segedi]

Ha! That's awesome. Would love to travel to the Scandanavian countries some day... Aalesund looks picturesque.

 

[rfaspen]

I really have to travel to Scandanavia. I have a deep ancestry among those lands -- Sweden and Denmark mostly, but a little Norway and Netherlands too (do Netherlands count?).

I also want to call attention to the lesson hidden in the original post and picked up by FrankS: Its possible to have too many cameras, but not too few. I have to concede I have too many cameras. But! what pleasure it is to dust off an old friend and spend a day together -- from among the ~300 friends I have tucked around the house. I have the choice to work with 4x5, digital, stereo, TLR, MF folder, pinhole, and so much more. Unfortunately, I find myself with a terrible backlog of film development and scanning.😱

There is a downside to owning and using too many cameras; I find I need to pare down, mostly to avoid becoming overwhelmed. It's harder than you think, but I've been moving more of my "friends" into the long-term closet storage, selling or giving away redundant or less-appreciated gear to others who will happily use them, and I'm starting to settle on a core group of gear that will see the majority of my attention. It will remain a diverse group. Probably a little 4x5, Rollei TLR, Nikon SLR (but only a couple), a micro4/3 digital, and Leica (both M and LTM). Seems diverse enough and will probably only be about 20 cameras (and some lenses of course).