Don't you just love the smell of musty cameras in the morning?

[Ronald_H]

Today started as an ordinairy day at work. Then the VP of engineering (=boss of my boss) came to me and said he had a little present. He is a bit of an authorative guy and we're not exactly on the same wavelength.

As it turned out, he had cleaned up the house and found an old camera set in the attic. It came in a musty brown case. Inside was a well used Pentax K-X with a 55 and 35, a fair number of filters and even an old flash. As said, all a bit musty, but the times check and the diaphragms of the lenses are not stuck.

I looovvve getting old cameras like this! I often was jealous of people who are given old stuff, but it is happening more and more to me too. But to get a nice present from a VP is something else. He almost seems human now 😉

 

[Mauro]

I lived a similar experience few years ago: my boss gave me an old Yashica 124, that was sleeping in a wooden box since the seventies. Unforgettable experiences, indeed.
Enjoy your new camera!

 

[Pickett Wilson]

How great. Give it a good airing and run some film through it! The Pentax is a good camera.

Folks have unloaded a lot of old cameras on me over the years, but generally they are old Argus C3's or fungus covered plastic Ricohs. You clearly hang with a better crowd. 😉

 

[user237428934]

What a clever manager. Cost him nothing and you are from now on a loyal employee 🙂
No, perhaps he is really a human being. Have fun with it.

 

[Mablo]

Nice gesture indeed. It would never happen here I'm afraid...

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

I just get people who watch TV - antiques shows, and think I ought to give them big bucks for their box brownie - "because it's very old, and rare" 😀
Dave.

 

[_mark__]

Buy him a drink!

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Does he know you watch RFF - in company time? 😉

 

[oftheherd]

I have a lot of older cameras, but unfortunately, I have to buy them. Nobody I know does that. Congrats.

Of course, a couple of purchases I have made were almost give-aways. $15 each for two Contax T* 50 f/1.4 lenses at a PX, and a Rolleiflex, Pentax SV, some crap 35mm, and a 400mm preset for $25 wasn't bad either. But I like your way of getting them better. 😀

Not to steal your thread, but does anyone else have/use any of the old presets? I have only had two, but I found them both to be quite sharp, and not that hard to use.

 

[Pompiere]

It has been a while, but I love getting a surprise gift like that. Once people find out about your hobby, they remember you when they are cleaning out closets. It does sometimes result in a box of Brownies or cheap plastic cameras. My neighbor once called me over to give me her mother's old cameras. Along with the Brownie Hawkeye Flash, there was a Petri V6 with two lenses and an Argus C3. There was also a little hot shoe flash that I use a lot.

 

[feenej]

My buddy gave me an old Minolta XG-1. I recovered it and had it cla'ed. I have taken a lot of photos with it. It is currently in use by a high-school photography class student.

 

[Muggins]

I've been given a few cameras - mostly Brownies and once a small collection of plastic promo cameras, which the Toy Camera group on Flickr were very grateful for. But the prize was definitely a Nikon F3 body and a Nikkormat ELW with 50mm f2. Mentioned them to a friend whi I knew liked Nikon and he said "Oh, I have a lens you can have." So I got an F3 and 55mm Micro-Nikkor for nothing!

Nothing that good since, but I live in hope...

Adrian

 

[mackigator]

It's amazing what comes out once people think you know something about a camera.

Two years ago while on the Christmas holiday I was given a Rolleicord from one family member (all but the slow speeds work fine) and this Christmas, while visiting a different side of the family, I ended up with a Canon AE-1 and three lenses (all working fine).

No Leica's yet, but I am reconsidering who I might visit next Christmas! 😉

 

[titrisol]

The KX is a great camera, I got mine in Marktplaats....
As per your boss if you do not think a print or a nice photo you made yourself is enough get him either a good bottle of wine or a boekenbon as thank you present.

 

[Ronald_H]

Does he know you watch RFF - in company time? 😉

Shhht, don't tell him that 😉

Thanks for the replies 🙂 We will never be the best of chums, my VP and me, but to me it is a great gesture. I'll definitely give him a nice print if I get some nice results.

As far as old 35mm gear goes, I have a lot of Nikon stuff (FM, FM2, FE, EM) + lenses, a Leica M2 + some lenses, a Canonet and even a high-end AF Minolta. I fear the Pentax is not going to see much use with so many nice cams to choose from, but a photography student would be very happy with it. But I'm going to shoot it first!

 

[titrisol]

Well if you plan to sell the stuff I'd be interested in the 35mm lens
I have a KX and a 55/1.8 already, brilliant combo

a.u.b stuur mij een email waneer jij de camera verkop

 

[parsec1]

I was given a MP2 battered and bruised from an ex employer because none of the other guys wanted it as they had all switched to shiny new Nikons.
When I moved from the 'Mirror' to 'Today' they let me have my old plain prism black battered F2 and the three lenses. They look good together and I use them now and again.

Sometimes you do fall into the smelly stuff and emerge covered in gold..but not that often !

 

[Chris101]

Today started as an ordinairy day at work. Then the VP of engineering (=boss of my boss) came to me and said he had a little present. He is a bit of an authorative guy and we're not exactly on the same wavelength.

As it turned out, he had cleaned up the house and found an old camera set in the attic. It came in a musty brown case. Inside was a well used Pentax K-X with a 55 and 35, a fair number of filters and even an old flash. As said, all a bit musty, but the times check and the diaphragms of the lenses are not stuck.

I looovvve getting old cameras like this! I often was jealous of people who are given old stuff, but it is happening more and more to me too. But to get a nice present from a VP is something else. He almost seems human now 😉

My co-worker Jim gave me his old EOS 630 with a 35-70 lens and a 430 flash a couple days ago. Now to me, Canon EOS cameras are evil, like the forum title says (I had Canon FD gear when they obsoleted it all out from under me!)

I too am thinking that a student needs this camera much more than I do, and yes, I want to shoot it first, but it takes an expensive battery (6v lithium pack 2CR5.)

 

[naturepix]

I manage a public radio station for a living. A few years ago, one of our listeners found out that I like photography and cameras, and proceeded to send me his 1954 Leica M3 with collapsible Summicron 50 and M meter. Not in perfect condition.... had to have it cleaned up, but wow, what a surprise.