Last week I discussed my Uncle Wes’ Canon FTb, a gift to me from his daughter, my Cousin Lori. In the same box she gave me was a much older, odder camera, the Canon II. This camera came out of the post-war period of the twentieth century when camera names were pretty straightforward, unlike today’s…
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I was attracted to photography since I was a young kid. The first camera that I owned myself (meaning not my family’s shared camera) was a Yashica GSN Electro 35. A lot of us had this camera in the 1970s because it was cheap, and made great images if you knew what you were doing….
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In my current class at Pontotoc Technology Center, my students all have new Canon mirrorless cameras. The mirrorless scene is an interesting and exciting evolution in photography, one made possible by the fusion of digital imaging sensors and the instant read-and-feed technology that lives in our smart phones. Because mirrorless cameras don’t have mirrors, the…
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I think cameras are better that smartphone cameras. I know, I know. Smartphone cameras are great, and I admit I use my smartphone for work almost every day. But here’s why I think cameras are better than smartphone: the experience. I’ve been using a smartphone for my news and sports work for as long as…
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In photography news this week was the announcement that Leica introduced their most recent camera, the Q3 “Monochrom,” a black-and-white only digital camera. Leica is the most prestigious camera brand in the world, and although I never used one, I know several people who have, including at least one photographer who had a Monochrom (Leica’s…
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Today’s featured camera is one that I had never seen in the field until someone actually gave me this one earlier this summer. Nikon’s Nikonos series of underwater cameras are marvels of over-engineering. It is heavy. The knobs, switches and doors are all built like bank vaults. The viewfinder is huge enough that you can…
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Another film camera that came across my desk recently is the Olympus OM-4 T. This camera came along at the peak of film photography, first being sold in 1983. I’ve always like the style of Olympus cameras, and their lineup of Zuiko lenses was pretty impressive in that period. Of course, camera makers’ lenses were…
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When I was a young teenager, I was influenced by a lot of magazines. I bought and eventually subscribed to Flying, Stereo Review, Popular Photography, Modern Photography, and Omni, and often picked up Scientific American and National Geographic from news stands. My parents knew that subscriptions to these magazines would make great birthday and Christmas gifts…
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Reading through the photography news of the month, I came across several reviews and recommendations for a new camera, the Sony RX1R III. As my readers know, I am all about cameras and lenses, so sure, I thought, I’d love to learn about this new Sony. The RX1 III is a fixed-lens, 60 megapixel, 36x24mm-sized…
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If you have been reading my pieces about photography and journalism for any amount of time, you know that I write a lot about how technology flourishes, then flounders, then, sometimes, disappears. It’s interesting to observe the organic, often non-linear, way technologies can evolve. A couple of examples of this are film photography, which looked…
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The Most Interesting Accessory You Will Never Use I recently had lunch with a fellow photographer, someone I have known since 1985. We talked about everything, but, as is true about most photographers, we mostly talked about photography. At the end of lunch, he handed me a box that look like it had just appeared…
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My readers know that I love a good used digital camera. Why? I love the idea of taking something that was once valuable, then discarded, and giving it new life. I love the idea of recycling. I also love the idea that I make better pictures (hopefully pictures that my readers enjoy) not because I…
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When I was 16 years old, my father and I watched Super Bowl XIII, January 21, 1979. My dad was a chronic TV watcher, so as soon as NBC’s coverage started, the TV was on, and, because my dad was hard of hearing, cranked up loud enough to rattle the windows. I believe that during…
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I recently learned of a fun hack photographers can perform on the Sony DCS-F828 digital camera of 2002 vintage. I happen to have a sort-of-working F828 in my photo closet, so I thought I’d try it out. The fact that I just learned about it doesn’t mean it’s new. It only means that I stumbled…
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The Ada Cougars’ recently enjoyed pep rallies in advance of their playoff football games. Both pep rallies were hosted by Doc’s Food Truck Park, which is fun and says that Doc’s is really engaging with the community. The stage and a sound system are lit by couple of street lights, various LED lights on food…
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