This is so painful for me! While cleaning out the darkroom, which had become a storage area, I came across some old cameras that have been sitting in there for years. What you are seeing is a Nikon FE and then a Pentax K1 and two other lenses for it, and a Nikon L35, which are all 35mm film cameras, and a 4x5 Polaroid film holder. It is so painful to just throw these cameras in the trash! They are well used and worth nothing on eBay. But they are cameras and I used them and took wonderful photographs with them and I could not bear to discard them. But it is time. I need to clean the darkroom out. I just don't have room for a camera museum. I had an interesting experience in an online forum a couple of years ago when a woman in California mentioned she wished she had a film camera because she wanted to learn how to shoot film. I jumped in and said I had a Pentax SE which I won in a photo contest, and if she wanted to trust me with her address, I said I would send the camera to her. She was really thrilled and when the camera arrived she was so thankful. And I felt so good because at least one of these old film cameras would go on living the life it was designed for.
Cameras have been your life and livelihood so I can imagine your pain. Plus you have the Clarke gene in you! Your story of sending a camera to a California woman just made my day. Happy for her and happy for you.
ReplyDeleteJoan
Getting rid of a well-used and loved camera is like ripping a limb off. So difficult, but like you said, it's probably time.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for being able to finally do the deed.
Thank you both for your understanding. It makes a painful thing easier to bear. I mean, these are all precision instruments which took wonderful photographs at one time. And now everything has changed.
ReplyDeleteThrowing out beloved items is very difficult for most of us. Very painful for you to get rid of old camera. I loved your “feel good” story about sending a camera to a woman that you didn’t know. Wonderful! Betsey
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