I got my first one...
I had always an interest in photography, but I couldn't ever make it work. Back in the Navy days, I bought a Canon AE-1 camera (not the program!) and started to read about f-stops, shutter speed, and so forth. I had bought a zoom (low quality) and a 50mm f/1.4, to mirror what my mother had (who had won contests) but I couldn't ever take pictures that would even come close to what she, or others did. The "secrets" of photography eluded me, and on top of that, based in Cuba, my film took over two weeks to come back to me. I wasn't ever satisfied with the results, and though I did try, I lost all my slides of that era, and not sadly.
Flash forward to the year 2000, and a girlfriend I was dating had the interest. She had an eye for it, and managed to take nice looking pictures with basic equipment. I started to do some research on the Internet, and gladly found Robert Monaghan's site. The storm had begun, and I figured I should start with Medium Format, having never heard of it before, and reading constant testimonials about the vibrance of prints, glowing colors, interesting DoF effects, even with cameras costing $20. I had inherited my grandfather's Polaroid 430, and fixed the battery. I visited the local camera store...
They were selling CASES of Polaroid that was out of date from the Cleveland Police department. I ended up buying three(!) for about $150(!!)
I started taking pictures, but I wasn't satisfied with the results from the auto exposure Polaroid, and decided that something else would give me better results.
I walked out of another local camera store with a worn out Mamiya RB with a 127mm lens, Polaroid and 6x45 (light leaky) back. It had such potential, but because of the light leaks, the camera and I quickly became alienated- the Polaroid shots on it, of course, were masked on both sides, so they were really proofs, not the finished project, and the shots with the 6x45 back all had streaks, low contrast, and were out of focus on all too many frames. That softness was a hallmark too of my previous experience with photography, and I wasn't yet satisfied. After more research, I found others who couldn't focus on a small ground glass screen, "seeing too far into the areal image."
So I continued my research. I found Tony Sansone, and got a Mamiya Universal with a 127mm lens, two Polaroid backs (gotta have one for B&W, one for color!) and a 6x7 film back.
Suddenly, everything changed. Prints were sharp. I used the Polaroid at a rate of boxes per week, and I learned and learned. Film, I didn't do as much with, but after figuring out what I had been missing (the ability to focus on ground glass, in spite of focusing aids) I really went on a bender of sorts. Film was still expensive, though, and the camera hardly portable. I began to fill out my kit, and got lenses in trade for my RB. I wanted faster lenses, I wanted a smaller box.
The GF of the time had heard good things about "Contax" cameras (and was referring to the older II, IIa cameras) and the store that sold me the RB was offering a G2. After reading up on it, and enjoying the reputation of "as good as Leica for far less money," I took the plunge and bought the kit.
I enjoyed it. I still took plenty of dud shots, pictures of things that weren't really photo-worthy, and the lenses never let me down. Beautiful 135 photography was possible, and the look of the lenses on paper and slides was simply beautiful. But it wasn't enough. I still shot out-of-focus pictures. I wasn't practicing with the camera. I wasn't reading the owners manual and figuring out the auto-focus point. I wasn't paying attention to the detail important for that particular camera. I became slowly astranged to it, continuing to delve deeper into the Universal, then other MF cameras.
I traded my first G for a Mamiya 7, and regretted it almost immediately. The Mamiya 7 was certainly competent, took amazing pictures, had a nice, bright finder, was easy to use, but was plastic. Rangefinder went out of adjustment. Didn't have any feeling of permanence. It left me in trade for something else (I don't even remember, now!)
The folks at the local camera store and told me of a special deal on a Leica M6TTL with a 35mm ASPH Summicron. I bought it, extending credit to the limit. The camera was... Nice, but it just didn't have the look of the Contax G glass. The downsides to the camera added up until I simply decided to call Igor (a local camera reseller), and found that he had a Contax G2 kit in black, and traded away the Leica for it.
I'm not rational (logical) at all times when it comes to cameras. They pass through my life, the Universal being the only one that I've kept for any length of time. I realize I spent more in $ on the Leica than that particular kit was worth.
I had to send the G2 back to Kyocera for a CLA, but otherwise, I've been very happy with it again. I don't use it enough, I'm sure, but it is used, and when I have a professional gig, it's hanging from my shoulder and taking pictures. It's about the perfect 35mm camera for me. Experience has taught, and I finally learned. Keep what takes the nice pictures. I got an RB kit with several lenses and backs (and bodies!) for less than I paid for the original way back (from the local pro-shop, they went digital) and those cameras were maintained. I always did like the look of the pictures from them, and they are my studio cameras. The Universals? I could sing praises for days, such beautiful colors, such saturation, such good wide-angle shots...
And the G2 fits perfectly in there.
Or was this too much info?
