Photography and Cameras

Camera reminiscences

I've owned a camera for as long as I can remember.

My first was a 'Snappy'; an all plastic camera - body, lens, viewfinder - which suffered from light leaks, film misalignment, vignetting and a whole host of issues .... and yet went on to become an all time classic! Although effectively a 'toy' camera, the photography greats of the time used it's faults as positives and took some amazing shots with the 'Snappy', or 'Diana' which was the primary label.

My very earliest images seem to have been mislaid. I guess they may turn up one day, most probably when - or if - I move house!

The oldest ones that I can lay my hands on include the following. These were taken with a Kodak™ EK2; also known in some markets as 'The Handle'.

I couldn't afford a Polariod™ instant camera so bought the EK2. The handle was used to 'power' the image from the camera and to burst the pouches of chemical developer and fixer that were formed into the rear of the photograph. A lighten/darken control and flash attachment were also present. Of course; you wouldn't know whether lightening/darkening was needed unless you potentially wasted an image!

Finally, the Six-20 Kodak Junior.

It used a 620 film roll and manufactured between 1933 and 1940. The 'Kodon' shutter mechanism gave speeds of 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 sec. plus B and T modes. The lens is focussable to three distance ranges: 5-8 ft, 8-15ft, and beyond 15ft.

This camera was in fully working condition in the late 1980s as proven by the photograph of the Danfoss works at Stonehouse; one of a number that I took with it.

I kept the film box, see above, and you can see the expiry date of August 1988. I found the film in a camera shop somewhere in Wales and paid virtually nothing for it because it was several years out of date.

It clearly worked fine!

This photograph is of the old Danfoss manufacturing and calibration centre near Stonehouse in Gloucestershire.

Not bad for a 90 year old camera and some 'spent' film!

Coming up to the present; I've had the good fortune to own a number of excellent analogue and digital cameras.

The one which has given me the best results, and enabled a very mediocre photographer the opportunity of taking some memorable images, is my Sony RX10 MkIV.

It has some amazing features which, once configured the way that I require, enables me to - mainly - point and shoot; thereby avoiding having to consult my terrible memory trying to remember how to set parameters 'on the fly'.

Here are some of my favourites; these, and others, are posted to my Flickr site: Robin S | Flickr