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Mine was an evolutionary journey.
I started with a Kodak Instamatic 126 camera and got frustrated that I couldn't focus close.
I got a Minolta 201 35mm for Christmas with a 50mm1.4 lens. While trying to get an A in my photo class, I became know for my portraits. I loved sharpness, but didn't have any money for better equipment. Took some really great and bad pictures with that Minolta. I still have it.
In College, I found more and more people wanting to buy images, so I realized the camera could buy itself so I went for medium format. I couldn't afford a Hasselblad which was 1000 back then. So I got a Mamiya C330 at the advice of a photographer who was mentoring me. I shot with a friends Hassy and my C330 side by side and the sharpness was there with the Mamiya, but the lens coating wasn't. So I realized as I continued to pursue professional photography, that I needed a system camera that I could rent what I didn't own, so I bought a used Hasselblad.
I still have the C330 and 4 Hasselblads.
The same thing happened with my 35 mm. While I liked Konica for their double exposure button and sync with flash, I liked the Pentex MX for it diode meter that was so tough. So I bought Nikons which gave me the both. I bought the Nikon F2 for the full frame viewfinder and the FM for the motor drive. I got an extra body and winder for the price of the F2 winder. Always got to have a back up. Also 3.5 fps was as fast as I could handle. I couldn't let go of a 5 fps trigger without getting multiple shots. Gotta squeeze those shots off, dontcha know. I still have all the Nikons.
I discovered that all real portrait studios used the RB67, so I got one of those. Decided I liked the Hasselblad better. Quicker more reactive, great glass wonderful enlargements, good snob appeal to certain clients. I still have the RB.
I got a Polaroid 110B Camera at a garage sale for a dollar. I shot some Type 55 negative film with it and them put the lens on a lens board and it was the second lens I shot 4x5 with. I had purchased an Omega View camera which was an entry level camera, and it came with a 210mm lens. The Polaroid had a 150 lens.
The Omega fell off my camera stand on day and I tried to dive through it to catch it, but failed. Since I had developed a good relationship with my Foba/Sinar Dealer, I got a Sinar P camera with all the goodies. A friend got a deal on a Horseman LX which has a lot of interchangeable parts with my Sinar, so I had to get that. I got an 8x10 back for the Sinar, I found a 5x7 wood camera in a garage, and I finally got a speed graphic so I can fulfill my dream of shooting a wedding in 4x5 black and white.
I looked at digital backs for the Hassy and the Sinar, but I just couldn't rationalize 20-40 grand for a planned obsolescence tool. So I waited. I took a hiatus while the industry went through some growing pains and we moved and 13 people died. My lab of over 20 years shut it doors.
Now because I had a sudden creative epiphony I am back studying to make the transition to digital. My wife purchased a Fuji S2, but I think I will be going for a Canon 5D. It seems to have the most sharpness and easiest to use buttons and best handling of JPEG and RAW files. I was hoping to be able to use my old Nikkor Glass, but it is not to be.
I will probably only own 2 lenses as I expect to try to get my monies worth out of these tools before the become outdated. One day I hope to find a reasonably priced medium format back for the Hassy or the Sinar as I really like the way those bodies work.
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