Quote:
Originally Posted by Tenchu
That's hard to believe... why would someone have so many cameras instead of buying a single or couple of decent cameras?
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Many of the cameras I don't need or use. I picked them up years ago when I did need them, but gradually moved on to newer and better things. And some cameras/lenses are better suited for different kinds of photography, so having a good selection offers flexibility.
I still shoot the old Canon because the lenses and accessories are cheap. The Canon camera with it's associated lenses in the picture cost me less than what a single, decent quality lens would cost for the Nikon D300. The Canon is completely mechanical, so if the battery fails it will still work, which is something not possible with newer film cameras or digital cameras.
My other main 35mm film camera is the Olympus OM4Ti. This camera was not cheap. I got it because of it's light weight (it's made from titanium), and small size. The OM4Ti is the best camera which Olympus has ever made, and has a metering system which is superior to that in my Nikon D300. I was going to buy a Leica, but found that the quality of the Olympus and it's collection of lenses to be the equal of, if not superior to those made by Leica.
The Wista 4x5 is my favorite camera. There is no digital camera made at any price which can match it. A 4x5 film image offers 5 times as much resolution as the $8000 digital Nikon D3X, and 4 times as much as a $30,000 digital Hasselblad. The standards on the camera can be moved in a variety of directions and angles, allowing perspectives to be corrected or exaggerated. The only problem with the Wista is that it is a PITA to carry around.
Another reason that I have so many cameras is that Japan is full of used camera shops, and there are bargains to be found everywhere. I got the Wista 4x5 and 2 Rodenstock lenses at a Japanese Goodwill type store for less than $40. The same Wista camera and identical lenses cost nearly $6000 at B&H Photo.
Anyway, I love photography and old cameras, and I'll probably add a couple items to my collection next month.