What is your 'camera for life'?

[steveyork]

Is the effect of the airport scanners really that bad?

It's been a while since I've flown anywhere, but I used to fly semi-regularly for work. I often requested hand-checking of film. Sometimes, especially when busy this request was refused.
I also carried the cameras through though, I always figured their metal shell protects the film sufficiently.

In the end, neither the film in the cameras nor the carry-on film ever had any significant defects. At least defects that would be outside of my control (Bad pictures, sloppy loading, sloppy development, etc. etc. ;-)

It requires planning, and maybe just a safe backup, even if only your cell phone. Most of the time, they'll hand check, at least that's what it sounds like for user experiences, but definitely want to fly the most direct route, limiting scan opportunities, preference for slower ISO's and look into film availability at your destination spot. That type of planning.

 

[Archiver]

At one time I had a small company that specialized in selling memory cards for early digitals, such as the IBM/Hitachi 1GB Microdrive. This was an actual rotational hard drive in miniature, it fit into a Compact Flash form factor. It was compatible with the D1 (although not officially according to Nikon) and offered far more storage than solid state Compact Flash. They sold for about $400 or so, when 64mb cards were about $200. 16x the storage!

Gosh, I remember the microdrive! Back in the day, before today's solid state recorders, I wanted to get a hi-res audio recorder that used CF cards but could also take a microdrive. I held off and eventually bought an Olympus LS10 which records in WAV and mp3, which still gets use for work today.

I also used to buy Imation Super Discs, still have the drive and a bunch of discs somewhere.

 

[hendriphile]

That’s easy… my M3 is a one-family camera, having been purchased by my uncle during a trip to Germany in 1960. When age became a factor, he passed it along to me. Shortly thereafter I took it to Marty Forscher’s place in downtown NYC for it to get a look-see, and I recall him calling his apprentices over to see what an untampered Leica seal looked like. He applied an O-ring to the rim of the eyepiece frame and said, “There! Now you won’t be scratching your eyeglasses anymore.” That O-ring is still there. When I had it last serviced, Sherry Krauter said it was up to factory specs and it was good for another 20 years. Thankfully, my life partner is a photographer, so I know it will be in good hands after I check out 🙂

 

[Godfrey]

I don't really have one camera, either film or digital, that i consider a "forever for life" thing. I have a lot of cameras and use most of them frequently.

If considering what i pick up to use casually most of the time, i'd say that is between one of my Polaroid SX-70s, one of the Leicas (mostly M10-M/-R), and the Hasselblad SWC/M. Never mind the six or seven other film or digitals that are always ready to go...

G

 

[rfaspen]

In a way I had to consider what camera(s) I wanted to retain for life when I purged my collection a couple/few years ago. Some here may already know that it was a large collection. I was able to pare down dramatically, but the remaining 20-40 cameras (from hundreds) is still more than we're talking about here. I find it very difficult to part with nearly all of my Leica, my Rolleis, and my 2 remaining 4x5s. They all work perfectly and should do so for years to come. I also kept some of my Nikons and lenses. Still have my black FE2 that I got years before meeting my wife, and that's been 35 years. It still works perfectly too. It was my workhorse when I moonlighted for a music talent agency and shot the punk rock scene in southern California during the mid 80s. What a time that was! So....I can't decide! Please don't make me choose among my "children".

 

[boojum]

In a way I had to consider what camera(s) I wanted to retain for life when I purged my collection a couple/few years ago. Some here may already know that it was a large collection. I was able to pare down dramatically, but the remaining 20-40 cameras (from hundreds) is still more than we're talking about here. I find it very difficult to part with nearly all of my Leica, my Rolleis, and my 2 remaining 4x5s. They all work perfectly and should do so for years to come. I also kept some of my Nikons and lenses. Still have my black FE2 that I got years before meeting my wife, and that's been 35 years. It still works perfectly too. It was my workhorse when I moonlighted for a music talent agency and shot the punk rock scene in southern California during the mid 80s. What a time that was! So....I can't decide! Please don't make me choose among my "children".

Forget the angst at letting go of prized photo gear, surviving the punk rock scene of the 80's is a major triumph. ;o) I bet youo had some real fun.

 

[rfaspen]

It was.......... interesting 😎

 

[thawkins]

@Erik van Straten and his images got me rethinking what a 'camera for life' means. His images have been taken over decades using a mix of older and newer films camera including the Leica 1a, Leica 2, M2, M3, MP and the Nikkormat FTN. Probably more. That such cameras continue to work after decades is inspiring and surprising.

It makes me wonder, what is a camera for life, and can a digital camera be such a thing?

I like to think that my M9 is a camera for life, as long as batteries continue to be available and it doesn't crap out. But there may come a time when it is no longer reparable. Leica no longer replaces the sensor or LCD screens of the M8 or M9, I believe. My Canon 5D Mark II is over 17 years old and still going, but I don't like the image quality and experience enough for it to be a regular companion.

A film camera with little to no electronic components could conceivably outlast some of us. M3? M4-P? MP or MA? Documentary photographer Patrick Brown recently posted his own repairs of three of his Nikon FM2 bodies on his Instagram stories. These cameras seem to last and last. But film is subject to costs and availability, not to mention chemical waste and storage. Unless you're a dedicated film shooter buying bulk reels, loading your own rolls and buying bulk chems, not to mention enjoying the dev process, it doesn't seem economically viable as a daily/companion camera.

If you had a camera that you could conceivably use for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

Yes, the M3 is the one!

 

[alan davus]

Digital camera for life is easy..my Leica ME 220 (if it fails I have no intention of replacing it with the current version). Film camera for life is more difficult. Somewhere between my Leica M6 and Nikons, F3 and S3 the 2000 Millennium variant.

 

[chuckroast]

People like that can be so infuriating! Make sure your will specifies she is to get nothing because she is a vituperative harpy, just to be on the safe side.

Anyone that uses "vituperative harpy" properly in a sentence is my hero.

 

[Archiver]

Anyone that uses "vituperative harpy" properly in a sentence is my hero.

At your service. 😄

 

[chuckroast]

At your service. 😄

If you want to expand your imprecatory skills, may I recommend:

Elizabethan Curse Generator

... Thou warped bat-fowling lewdster!

 

[Archiver]

It was.......... interesting 😎

Wouldn't mind reading some stories about surviving the 80s punk rock era, especially so if illustrated by a photo or two.

 

[Archiver]

If you want to expand your imprecatory skills, may I recommend:

Elizabethan Curse Generator

... Thou warped bat-fowling lewdster!

When I'm feeling spicy, I refer to my partner's son's ex wife as 'that flatulent harridan' or 'that misbegotten washerwoman'.

*nothing against washerwomen per se, but she is the stereotypical unkempt, foul mouthed, screeching gossip that washerwoman suggests.

 

[Freakscene]

That's quite a slanted view Archiver, but of course we each have our own biases here. So it's more economical to buy a $9,000 digital Leica, than to buy rolls of film for the current price of a cappuccino?

It makes perfect sense, as long as you take enough photos.

I live in Australia.

Leica M10M - $15,000

Used film Leica - $3,000
Film: $20/roll
Development $15/roll, whether at a lab or in chemistry and time (I value my time - if I die at the same age as my PhD supervisor I, sadly, have 4 years left, roughly).

M10M catches the film Leica after about 3,100 frames. I generally shoot 10-12,000 frames a year, and that’s not doing much photography. I shot about 3,000 frames in Rajasthan in 3.5 days in 2023. When I worked as a photographer I shot like that all the time. I have 100,000 rolls of 135 archived here at home and 2-3 times as much with agencies.

Digital cameras are _cheap_.

Marty

 

[Ventura]

You cannot tell which camera is "for life". I will use my current cameras (D810, D3, F100, F3, FM, RX100, M2 etc.) as long as they will work. DSLR and other with batteries have limited lifespan since electronics (and plastics) deteriorate over time. Film cameras without electronics will survive long but few film brands exists nowadays and it is getting harder to find labs that will develop film. I guess my Leica M2 will survive me but I'm not sure there will be film or chemicals available forever.

 

[Leon C]

You cannot tell which camera is "for life". I will use my current cameras (D810, D3, F100, F3, FM, RX100, M2 etc.) as long as they will work. DSLR and other with batteries have limited lifespan since electronics (and plastics) deteriorate over time. Film cameras without electronics will survive long but few film brands exists nowadays and it is getting harder to find labs that will develop film. I guess my Leica M2 will survive me but I'm not sure there will be film or chemicals available forever.

I guess it all depends where you live in the world, our local 'Boots' [Chemist/Pharmacy Retail shops who have over 1,800 stores in the UK] still does film developing and even sells overpriced Ilford Film and my local independant lab [20 mins away] can do it in an hour if I need it and does thousands of rolls a month still.

 

[Perkeo Vaskar]

If you want to expand your imprecatory skills, may I recommend:

Elizabethan Curse Generator

... Thou warped bat-fowling lewdster!

Hey! I'm not warped!

 

[Dogman]

Camera for life. Hmm...lemme think. I can't answer that until I'm dead.


.........................................

 

[boojum]

Curses. If you are inclined there are three or four pages in the back end of Sot Weed Factor where the author has two scullery maids cursing each other out in Elizabethan English and the corresponding French. All variations on "slut" and "whore." John Barth was funny, and knew how to swear. It's a great read, BTW.

As for "forever camera" I have one. I have a few nice cameras gotten by savings held and luck. But of all of them the X2D II with the 35 - 100E zoom is the honey. It just does color and IQ so very well. 10 stop IBIS, 16 bit RAW color, just a nice package. JPG's are stunning SOOC. I have some other cameras I like a lot but a small voice is asking me, why not the HB? And the others can get close with a good lens, but that damned HB always brings it home.