Steve M.
Veteran
I have no cool digital photos to post, but just wanted to chime in on the bike conversation at the top of the page. Carbon bikes tend to run rigid while steel will give you some flex. I suppose not many people make steel bikes anymore, but they ride a lot better. One of my bikes is an E-bike w/ a hub motor, and even at a very low price point of $600 it still manages to weigh in at about 50 lbs w/ the battery. So the technology has REALLY helped people who like to bike and need the extra power to get up hills, ride into head winds, or go 30 miles on a ride.
I honestly can't say the same for camera technology. After shooting modern Nikon cameras the last 2 months, I couldn't stand it any longer and bought an old Retina IA w/ the 50 3.5 Xenar. It's built like an old watch, and is a joy to use. Sling it on your shoulder (it weighs something like 500 grams w/ the lens) and you forget it's even there. Sure, the Nikons are more versatile, have higher shutter speeds, and those big, bright viewfinders. When you first pick up a IA you initially think they forgot to give it a viewfinder because it's so small. And of course, you can get great build quality and precision if you go to a Nikkormat or an F, but who wants to carry one of those? Sometimes, better technology isn't the way to go.
I've never shot a digital rangefinder, but my ideal would be a camera that rivaled the M8 in B&W files w/o having to use work-around filters for colour, be small and light, and have a precision feel to it. No plastic, or very little, no screen on the back, and not much need to edit the files. THAT would be a fun camera to shoot. I love Vince's colour shots, they look like film, but the B&W pics still have that inherent digital look due to a lot of reasons. It's me of course, I'm so used to film, but grain and full tonal rendering are what I expect in B&W.
I honestly can't say the same for camera technology. After shooting modern Nikon cameras the last 2 months, I couldn't stand it any longer and bought an old Retina IA w/ the 50 3.5 Xenar. It's built like an old watch, and is a joy to use. Sling it on your shoulder (it weighs something like 500 grams w/ the lens) and you forget it's even there. Sure, the Nikons are more versatile, have higher shutter speeds, and those big, bright viewfinders. When you first pick up a IA you initially think they forgot to give it a viewfinder because it's so small. And of course, you can get great build quality and precision if you go to a Nikkormat or an F, but who wants to carry one of those? Sometimes, better technology isn't the way to go.
I've never shot a digital rangefinder, but my ideal would be a camera that rivaled the M8 in B&W files w/o having to use work-around filters for colour, be small and light, and have a precision feel to it. No plastic, or very little, no screen on the back, and not much need to edit the files. THAT would be a fun camera to shoot. I love Vince's colour shots, they look like film, but the B&W pics still have that inherent digital look due to a lot of reasons. It's me of course, I'm so used to film, but grain and full tonal rendering are what I expect in B&W.
