The psychology of 'junk' cameras.

What is a junk camera? I just bought a Leica III and the shutter speeds are off. Is my camera junk? Will it take better picture if I dont fix it?
 
I guess I can only liken it to going on a date with the girl next door type ... you'd probably be pretty relaxed, compared to say dinner at the Hilton with Cindy Crawford!

Of course I'm only speaking for myself here ... some of you may make Cindy nervous! :D

Oh by the way Dr Joe ... thanks for the impromptu consultation and don't forget to pop your invoice in the mail! :p
 
I cannot agree. I remember you posting some shots taken with the M8 that were quite interesting. Nothing with the D700, however, sticks in mind, but then again, this being a site devoted to RFs, I have the impression you've been posting fewer photographs in general to share here since the D700 became your main squeeze. Are you sure the problem isn't with the D700, or, more specifically, with the way the D700 gets in the way of some of the relational aspects of photography that are most important to you? Isn't that what spontaneity really is?
What's normally called junk is just the return in a particularly unsavory form of things that are important yet go unrecognized due to all kinds of reasons such as vanity and compromised ideals.
 
Keith said:
I guess I can only liken it to going on a date with the girl next door type ... you'd probably be pretty relaxed, compared to say dinner at the Hilton with Cindy Crawford!
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I'll go along with the girl next door part of your analysis, but the D700 is definately the Dame Edna of photography. Too tarted up and oversized for what it does.. and that gets in the way of good pictures. ;)
 
The D700 doesn't really come into it so much because like the M8 when I had it it's mainly for shooting gallery openings for a creative arts college which I get paid bugger all for but it least it keeps me in the loop of actually doing some type of paid professional work ... as unimportant as it may be!

I like the D700 but I don't cherish it if you know what I mean.

I guess I find doing things the hard way rewarding and I definitely get more stimulus from doing things that are difficult than easy ... it makes the end result far more satisfying and it applies very much to physical stuff as well. My outdoor life is very important to me and I find the thought of aging to the point where I can't get out and swing an axe or slash a few acres of scrub quite depressing! If my eyesight got to the point where I couldn't use a manual focus camera I'd probably give up photography so to be able to use a mongrel of a camera like the Kiev is a yardstick for me I guess!
 
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Which do you prefer... a walk round the block with its nice flat paved walkways, neat little houses with trimmed lawns and 2.4 cars in each driveway or a strenuous hill walk out in the country on ill-defined or non existent paths, dodgy scrub that'll tear your skin/shirt if you get too close?

Both are exercise.
 
Probably it's "don't expect too much from cheap cameras and expect a lot from expensive ones" syndrome?

When I buy expensive lens or camera, shots are good or bad rather depending on how I mate with particular camera or lens, not how good they are in fact. It depends on ergonomics, habits and position of stars.

Probably you don't worry too much for cheaper cameras? I often see people carrying their expensive DSLRs in a bag and taking out right before shot, or constantly putting back lens cover after shot. I see, they have paid for it more than they can afford to loose. Chance of loosing my cheap cameras doesn't stop me from using it everywhere anytime, sometimes roll of fresh film is more expensive than camera. I'm not against expensive gear, though, but my results don't really depend on how expensive gear is. And I like high ROI :) when cheap cameras give as many keepers as expensive cameras.

I think if this is a sign of amateur or just plain thriftiness?
 
I think a junk camera challence my skills as a photographer. If I succeed what I tried to accomplish I'm happy.

This is a shot I took with an old box camera. It's so simple it only has one undefined shutter speed and two apertures. Basically you need to wait untill you think the light is suitable for the shot. I was pretty happy with the outcome.

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Dear Keith,

Exact opposite, as far as I'm concerned. Below what I call the 'quality threshold', where the camera makes more difference to the final result than the photographer, I'm not really interested: if I want to take pictures, I want to take pictures, not play Russian roulette with results.

The 'quality threshold' is not high. Most of my cameras surpass it easily, including things like my (free) Pentax SV, (inherited) Kowa/SIX and $20 Retina IIa. After that, therefore, it's down to what I feel like using. Well over half the time, for the last 40+ years, that's been one Leica or another.

Maybe it's down to this: I want to see how good I am, not how good the camera is. If I take bad pictures with good cameras, it's down to me. With a bad camera, I can blame the camera, tactfully avoiding the point that I'm not as good a photographer as I'd like to be.

Cheers,

R.
 
kinda can relate to the topic, when using iPhone Hipstamatic. some things or situations feel too irrelevant to pick up my M8 for, thats when Hipstamatic comes handy. older version in my ancient 3G was even better, it had to process the previous photo before allowing new one = loooooong wait = careful consideration before "tripping the shutter" :p

but burning expensive film with junk FSU's or Holgas ? - not me.
 
Surely if you have found a bit of junk, cleaned it and got it to work and scrabbled around trying to load the film, you will make an extra effort to prove the damn thing works.

The Bilora Radix is loaded and ready for the weekend. Karat cassettes and square format on 35mm. Yes, I will get satisfaction from actually recording images. Will they be better for all the effort? I may think so but a casual observer may not...

I'd like to think that odd or junk kit makes you try harder.

Michael
 
I think it's the challenge. When it gets too easy, we know anybody can do it. Both the photo and the means to get it come into play.
 
I have that feeling too, I discovered it after I dumped my D200 and all the special lenses for a humble Bessa R3M.
Just out of curiosity, tell me if you go through this too. The longer I own the thing, the more it tends to dissipate, it's like after you meet someone new for a while then you get to know him a bit better so you're attitude/approach is a bit more relaxed (that's me in real life)
Now that the fancy M7 has been here a year, has taken a few scratches and uses, expectations are changing and I'm liking just a few more of my pictures.
 
I guess you are just more relaxed with your junker. Try to apply the same attitude towards your nicer cameras. Basically go out with the attitude that anything is photographable. Also, it really does help to enjoy the camera that you are using. The D700 is the better camera technically then the M8, but I hated it so much. Sold my M8, bought the D700, sold the D700, went back to the M8. It just gave me more enjoyment.
 
You take risks with cheap cameras, you don't take anything seriously because you don't have a huge scary DSLR or M9, you snap away and that energy shows in the images.

I don't care what anyone says, images taken with old worthless cameras are always better. Technically better? No. Emotionally better, IMO, yes.
 
_larky said:
I don't care what anyone says, images taken with old worthless cameras are always better. Technically better? No. Emotionally better, IMO, yes.
Click to expand...

Always? Come on... that's nonsense. Most people who view photographs could care less what you are using.
 
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