[Ratmagiclady]

I could pretty much live with a fast 85 and a 40 or 43mm in film.

[OregonJim]

the proposition of shooting during one year with one 35mm camera, one 50mm lens and one film. While this program might be a little bit drastic and create some form of withdrawal, there is some appeal to it as it is suppose to improve your understanding of key tones, composition,......

I do this quite often, for a few weeks at a time. One year seems a bit drastic.

I almost always do this with a medium speed B&W film. Color seems to distract me too much when I want to concentrate on tonal values (or even just composition). If you use a red or strong yellow/green filter, it helps to make you 'see' in monochrome.

For me, there is no withdrawl - quite the opposite. It's like a pressure release - very relaxing and conducive to creativity. Simplifying often does that.

[snkenai]

I'v been thinning and evaluating my choices. I once read "beware the man that only has one gun and knows how to use it well".
Steve N

[snkenai]

Hard choice. Had so many, looking for "the one". After many years I think the OM-1 wins, with OM-2 close second.

Jury is still out on these pentaxes. Still checking them out. M series (ME, ME Super, and MX) do not to me seem as robust as OM. Spotmatic is Strong, but does not seem to feel right in my hands. It is still new to me and just put my first roll of film in it and taken 3 or 4 shots, with the 70-210 on it. We will give them a fair trial, and reserve judgement for a while.

Sure looking with longing to try the K-7. My first DSLR is a used Olympus E-500. Nice, but viewfinder is too small.

I have sure enjoyed reading this thread.

Steve N

[ChrisPlatt]

M series (ME, ME Super, and MX) do not to me seem as robust as OM.

I worked for Olympus USA repairing OM cameras.
I have used Pentax cameras for about ten years.
My experience says your impression is incorrect.

Chris

[scimitar12]

Maybe -- though there's also nothing wrong with enjoying collecting. If you've got more than you need, but don't know what fits your style best, you might just want to pick a camera and use it exclusively for a while. Or two. Myself, I enjoy having a variety around just to play with now and then, or loan to friends, or keep on a display shelf for the heck of it. There are some I never use, but there's no obligation for that.

You got me sold. Now I have to convince my wife that collecting is good.

[jgredline]

Luc, I hear you and know where your coming from. I am with Oregon Jim in that a year is far too long.
As for me, I go in spurts but I go by the roll verses time. Since I have quite a few SLR's i find them a waste not to use them, so I switch between three at a time, but they are set up differently. Currently this is what I am shooting.

1) ME-F, Tokina 28 f/2.8, 200 speed 99 cents fuji film
2) ME Super with M40 F/2.8, 400 speed Fuji xtra
3) ME Super with Cosina 55F/1.2 800 Speed fuji pro something.

I find this to be very enjoyable because it takes me longer to go through the film and feel prepared for the task in hand. Of late I am going through the 200 speed film the fastest because I am loving that 28mm lens...Anyway I am almost done with this trio and getting my next trio together..

That will be...
1)Canon AE-1 with 28F/2.8 and 200 speed film
2)Spotmatic SP2 with SUPER TAK 35F/3.5 and Ilford XP-2..400
3)Spotmatic SP (1964MODEL) SUPER TAK 55F/1.4 800 Ultramax...

I have found that planning my gear also gives me something to look forward too and helps me to pick out what I want to shoot and where I want to go.

Anyway, this works for me.

[lbenac]

Well I have almost made up my mind:

1) 2 to 3 months length
2) LX#1 with Delta 100 for landscape
3) LX#2 with Delta 400 for everything else
4) Pentax Digital spot meter and Gossen Luna-Lux incident meter
5) Ansel Adam "the Negative" on my night table

I was really thinking of shooting slides but I decided that a few weeks of B&W should improve my skills as my exposure on B&W is still shaky...

Then go to slide frenzy

As for equipment I am putting up for sale my second scanner (Plustek 7500 Ai) and my black K2 to keep only my 2 LX, my two MX (one black, one normal) and a ME-Super (that is on its way from my step-father storage).

Cheers,

Luc

[k100d]

seems like you're over complicating things to be honest... the only shoot w/ one "thing" is very noble, but it doesn't work for everyone and even takes a lot of fun away.

having lots of tough decisions is not "Zen"

[ChrisPlatt]

I have so many cameras I'd like to try this with...

Chris

[Nesster]

For those of us who have more cameras than sense, keeping each in operational condition means having to use each at least once or twice a year. There's a regular rotation as a result, and the fixed lens, especially 120 film, cameras bring a different shooting experience.

I find the SLR, while it has excellent and unique abilities - to see what the lens sees, to measure what the lens passes, the ease of using wide and long focal lengths, just to start with - also puts my eye inside the process, in the tunnel so to speak.

Range finders, TLRs, and estimate-focus cameras put me in more of an external position, where I'm operating image making machinery - the camera is more of an object to be paid attention to, rather than an instrument to be looked through. I pay attention to other things more - the settings, the DOF scales, the overall environment and the relation of (the sometimes impercise) frame to its cotext. The less automation and aids the camera gives, the more of an operator I am. Things one takes for granted with an SLR now occupy brain-space: did I cock the shutter, do I peer in the red window for frame advance, what is the distance again? and so on.

Doing this on a regular basis has given me greater appreciation of all the aids and automations that have driven camera development along the way.

[lbenac]

seems like you're over complicating things to be honest... the only shoot w/ one "thing" is very noble, but it doesn't work for everyone and even takes a lot of fun away.

having lots of tough decisions is not "Zen"

Why is that overly complicated?
Shooting with LX is a no brainer - they are just so nice to handle
Shooting B&W for a while should be a good exercise for exposure and composition and I can use some improvement in that domain

We have a very similar setup otherwise: Limited and MZ-Ss for you, LXs for me

Cheers,

Luc

[Spongefingers]

This is probably the most contemplative setup that I use:



Pentax SL & Super-Takumar 55mm, Leningrad 4. (Currently loaded with Ilford Delta 100.)

It's a bit shabby, but it works. It also has a comforting factor in its use that I don't feel with newer, more complicated kit.
As well as shooting on film, I take more time metering and composing shots, and that definitely requires extra contemplation. One day I may leave out the meter completely, once I have attained a certain "expoure zen". I wonder how many rolls of film that will take...
There's also the developing of the film afterwards: A process in which I never feel that I have complete control over what happens, but I know that, barring catastrophic problems, the results will have their own pleasing charm - and lend satisfaction and insight every time.

I think that everyone should go back to basics occasionally, when they are able. It's not only informative, but good fun and presents a welcome break from today's incessant, ubiquitous, "fast food" digital photography.