Nostalgia Day at the studio. That's what I get for trying to clean up for a shoot tomorrow... Nothing ever gets done...

 

This (above) is my ancient Nikon F camera, with a non-metered prism. That's the original 50mm f1.4 Nikkor lens that came along with it. As well as the bottom half of the leather, "ever-ready" case that also was included in the purchase. The camera is something like 56 years old. It still works. It works as well as it did on day one. Its favorite film is Tri-X. It has gobbled up a prodigious amount of that black and white film over the years. The lens was so well done at the time the camera and lens were available that I still use it, with an adapter, on the front of various mirrorless cameras. If you didn't know it and just looked at big, black and white prints I doubt you could see a difference between this lens and my latest APO acquisition. I can't. Usually. 

I have no axe to grind today. I don't think we should roll back the calendars, toss out the current cameras and retrograde to the old film stuff. I'm just happy that this one came along for the ride with me. And it doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to leave the studio.

Whenever I promise to do a studio portrait of a friend, colleague or beautiful stranger I make sure the guest bathroom is clean and shiny, that there's ample coffee fixings in the house, and that the studio is tidied up and the floors are swept. But by the time I get to the part where I straighten up the studio I keep finding items like the old Nikon or the almost as old Canon QL17iii and the memories of my adventures with them flood back. And it's mostly fun to remember. 

Right now I should be changing out the background from the white seamless paper I was using to a warm, mid-gray for the portrait I have scheduled for right after swim practice tomorrow morning but instead, here we are. Writing about 50 year old cameras... Sigh. 

You never forget your first.  Now, where's that broom?  And why don't I have people for this?