1970
Nikon F Status symbol of the 1970s
At the time, the Nikon F was a desired object, but the aper-
ture indexing mechanism was coupled to the lens as a se-
parate and rather bulky attachment. When changing len-
ses, the pin of the exposure metre attachment had to be
placed in the receptive slot of the lenses. This was often ob-
structive. I did not like the camera and sold it soon after ha-
ving purchased it.
1975
Contarex SE Top-quality lenses, intricate
camera and very expensive
It was the most expensive small-format camera in the
world, and the appropriate Zeiss lenses were the best to be
had at the time (Leica engineers may contradict). The pro-
blem was that the films had to be loaded into light-proof
film cassettes which always jammed. Torn films and many
missed snapshots were the result. Once I "shot" an entire
wedding with a torn film.
1976
Canon AE-1 Wonderful automatic SLR camera
This was the first camera controlled by a microprocessor,
featuring a lens with auto-exposure. It was also the first ca-
mera that I was completely satisfied with. I have worked
with it in many countries under stressful conditions wi-
thout one single breakdown. Ever since I have only used
Canon cameras when working with a small format.
1980
Asahi Pentax 6 x 7
Heavy but reliable
I used this camera both in the studio as well as on the road.
However, the gear is so heavy that I had a trolley built in or-
der to transport it. The lenses give a very neutral picture.
The noise produced by the mirrors during release will even
drive away predators.
1981
Canon T 90
Highly reliable workhorse
I have worked with the T90 often and enjoyed it. It is alrea-
dy highly automated, and I appreciate being able to con-
centrate on the artistic work while taking pictures, instead
of having to think too much about the adjustment of the
camera.
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