That ain't no camera!

[MartinP]

I was running in a ten-mile road race this afternoon in Tilburg and spotted a spectator using a Leica M* among all the digital p+s. I almost took a few moments to go and say hallo - but it was a race after all. Was that anyone here ??!!

 

[Trius]

You had camels!?

😀 😀

That would be luxury. We made do with geriatric oxen to power the mixer for our hand-made emulsions. Do you realize how hard it is to motivate oxen in complete darkness? One day Charlie (may he rest in peace), got beaten to death before we realized what we were doing.

 

[MartinP]

You had an emulsion mixer ??? Pffft, we had to trample the molten-gelatine, silver-nitrate etc. with our feet in an adapted bath-tub, in the dark, while avoiding accidentally turning the cold tap on.

What effect does ox-manure have on emulsion, by the way ? Could be a resurrected alternative process possibility there . . . .
😉

 

[Quinn Porter]

How dare he express contempt for your camera to your face. Everyone knows he should have run back to his computer and expressed his contempt to his buddies on a photography message board.

 

[oscroft]

I was shooting in an old ruined church in Liverpool (St Lukes) a couple of week ago, and was sat down changing film when a woman pointed at my M2 and said "Wow, a proper camera - brilliant", and we had a brief chat about proper cameras 😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

You had an emulsion mixer ??? Pffft, we had to trample the molten-gelatine, silver-nitrate etc. with our feet in an adapted bath-tub,

Dear Martin,

You had silver nitrate? We had to dissolve pre-devaluation Sterling coinage in nitric acid...

Cheers,

R.

 

[NickTrop]

My experience is mostly opposite of yours:

1. Shooting a folk singer, guitar guy in a trendy brick-a-brack store, the pseudo-artsy owner shouted, a Holga! I explained it was an Electro CC, 35mm f1.8 lens... His wife, co-owner, photography major back in the day, jotted down and said she intended to comb eBay...

2. Younger cousin from out of state, very interested in film photography. I gave him my GSN.

3. On the beach the WE before labor day, a guy sitting next to me collected old folders, was in love with my Iskra, amazed that I shoot with it, knew all about it, and was awestruck (seemingly) that he had one in his hand...

4. Lots of Russians come to work at a beach resort town I vaction at. That's when I shoot the Zorki 4K... They all know that one, and love taking picks with it. They're amazed somebody's walking around in the states shooting one...

5. Is that an "old school camera"? Hands curious person my Lynx 14. Cool...

My experiences have always been positive/appreciative...

 

[Thardy]

I've been snickered at by so many people carrying giant SLR's (usually Nikon people) since I switched to rangefinders last year.

I just think to myself how much more I like the images shooting with B&W again and how my back has been saved not carrying around all that gear on a daily basis.

Yeah, they say it's "ergonomic".

 

[radiocemetery]

We had to dissolve pre-devaluation Sterling coinage in nitric acid...

Dear Roger,

You had coinage? We had to swipe a plated spoon from mums kitchen and scrape off that thin layer of silver. 😉

Regards, Steve

 

[oscroft]

You had coinage? We had to swipe a plated spoon...

Right.

Silver? We spent centuries engaged in the alchemist's search for a way to turn base metals into silver. And before we managed it, there was a scientific revolution that swept Europe and proved it was impossible.

And you try... etc