The Everlasting Gift

Kintarō Hattori

When I started in my job 8 years ago one of the directors was big into photography. He retired before I got into it myself which was a shame. Anywhoo he pops into the office every now and again and we have a short chat about photography. He was aware I had a Fed 5 and the last time he popped in I was waffling about the ME Super.

Being of the older school his heart lies with film rather than digital and he seemed a little taken that I was interested in film cameras. He kept saying 'So you really enjoy film, that's what you're getting a kick from?'. I said yes and we talked a bit more. He finished the conversation by telling me that 'I might have something for you- just leave it with me'.

Yesterday I got a call from him to call into the shop and meet him and he greeted me with something. He said that many years ago he had been gifted a camera. It was given to him on the condition that he use it and enjoy it. When he wasn't doing that anymore he was to pass it onto someone who would get some benefit from it and that's what he was doing by giving it to me. I was to use it, enjoy it, not sell it (I wouldn't anyway) and if I found I wasn't using it I was to give it onto someone else. The camera is a Nikon EM with an E series F1.8 50mm lens, and he also gave me an old flash unit for it.

I really like the idea and the history behind this camera. I wonder how many hands it's been through and what sort of images it has taken. The original owner of the camera has their name and phone number etched into both the camera and flash. I popped a roll into it tonight and will most likely start taking photos with it tomorrow- it'll be interesting to see the results. My other film cameras are a Fed 5 and the Pentax ME Super so a Nikon is a first.


Anywhoo I thought I'd share that little story with you. I thought it was really generous of the guy and as said I love the idea behind it and the history. Does anyone else have any stories connected with any of your hardware?




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_EM

Slidinginfinity

I am so f'ing jealous!
I been drooling over those for awhile now.

Kintarō Hattori

Slidinginfinity wrote: »

I am so f'ing jealous!
I been drooling over those for awhile now.

Can it Leica Boy- we're ALL jealous of you!

IamBlip

Lucky you great story....enjoy it and cherish it

Fajitas!

I've a 4x5 camera that's been passed through at least 6 generations of photographers, still working solid too. I've a few more pieces with stories behind them, but only on the mobile.

xia

Great story. And I'd say, he was right, to give it into your hands.

I have only the story of the Voightlaender, my father bought in the 50's. But I always liked it - since christmas it's with me:-)
Just still have to learn how to use it - but there's maybe hope over this weekend - or I finally manage to find a manual on the net.

Kintarō Hattori

xia wrote: »

Great story. And I'd say, he was right, to give it into your hands.

I have only the story of the Voightlaender, my father bought in the 50's. But I always liked it - since christmas it's with me:-)
Just still have to learn how to use it - but there's maybe hope over this weekend - or I finally manage to find a manual on the net.

Have you tried looking through the site below:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/voigtlander.htm

elliot_t

Ahh! My first proper camera was an EM. Cracking little camera. Gave it to my neice who was using it up until a couple of years ago when she went digital.

xia

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Have you tried looking through the site below:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/voigtlander.htm

Thanks! Haven't found that before. Unfortunately it's a Vito BL and no manual there either. But I suppose, going through a few of them will help.
And had just another look. Could get it used for €7.00 on eBay (in german, how handy) with no postage if I order it to my parents place....might do that if your link doesn't help.

Promac

I'm horribly unromantic when it comes to this kind of thing.

Will you genuinely use the camera? Will you get genuinely nice images or images that you appreciate because they're from this camera.

I myself am undecided on the relative merits of those. Is it about the image or what you feel about the image... I just don't know...

Kintarō Hattori

Promac wrote: »

I'm horribly unromantic when it comes to this kind of thing.

Will you genuinely use the camera? Will you get genuinely nice images or images that you appreciate because they're from this camera.

I myself am undecided on the relative merits of those. Is it about the image or what you feel about the image... I just don't know...

Having been a part of this fine forum for the last 2-3 years I've gotten to know (to some degree) and understand some of the people on here. It's a place I come to, to read, learn and see what people are doing.

I've met many of the users on here in the flesh, SlidingInfinity, Humberklog, Xia, pullandbang, katiemaloe, Thonda and others. There are many other people I've never met but by coming here and seeing what they post and reading what they have to say I think I understand them a little and what photography means to them. Morissee loves his outdoor photography, simplicus is the guy for street photography, keps takes nature shots and so on.
My point that I'm getting to is that I'm not going to directly answer your question. As cheesy as it may sound this forum is a wonderful place to hang out. It can have a 'family' feel to it. Over the years people have been kind to me and I've appreciated it. By coming here, reading what people have to say I've gained an understanding.

Clearly you have never read anything I've posted on this forum, you don't know much about me and that's fine. I'm not bothered about that but.......had someone else started this thread I wouldn't have asked the question you asked.

That is all.

Effects

Two quotes I like:
I don’t think about what camera I should use that much. I just pick up the one that looks nicest on the day
-- William Eggleston



If you want to change your photographs, you need to change cameras. Changing cameras means that your photographs will change. A really good camera has something I suppose you might describe as its own distinctive aura.
-- Nobuyoshi Araki


I love having different cameras. Depending on my mood I'll take one camera or the other or sometimes two or three. I love that I get different shots from each camera and I'm glad I get to use a camera that's been passed on to me. Some just sit on the shelf and I only use them every now and then but it's good to know they are there. I have a really nice medium format camera that I've only put one roll through cause it's so expensive to develop and put on cd. September I'm getting a new film scanner so it the medium format camera will start getting a lot more use then.

Ricky91t

Promac wrote: »

I'm horribly unromantic when it comes to this kind of thing.

Will you genuinely use the camera? Will you get genuinely nice images or images that you appreciate because they're from this camera.

I myself am undecided on the relative merits of those. Is it about the image or what you feel about the image... I just don't know...

Jealousy get's you no where... :pac:

charybdis

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Having been a part of this fine forum for the last 2-3 years I've gotten to know (to some degree) and understand some of the people on here. It's a place I come to, to read, learn and see what people are doing.

I've met many of the users on here in the flesh, SlidingInfinity, Humberklog, Xia, pullandbang, katiemaloe, Thonda and others. There are many other people I've never met but by coming here and seeing what they post and reading what they have to say I think I understand them a little and what photography means to them. Morissee loves his outdoor photography, simplicus is the guy for street photography, keps takes nature shots and so on.
My point that I'm getting to is that I'm not going to directly answer your question. As cheesy as it may sound this forum is a wonderful place to hang out. It can have a 'family' feel to it. Over the years people have been kind to me and I've appreciated it. By coming here, reading what people have to say I've gained an understanding.

Clearly you have never read anything I've posted on this forum, you don't know much about me and that's fine. I'm not bothered about that but.......had someone else started this thread I wouldn't have asked the question you asked.

That is all.

I think he enjoys confrontation.

Effects wrote: »

Two quotes I like:
I don’t think about what camera I should use that much. I just pick up the one that looks nicest on the day
-- William Eggleston



If you want to change your photographs, you need to change cameras. Changing cameras means that your photographs will change. A really good camera has something I suppose you might describe as its own distinctive aura.
-- Nobuyoshi Araki


I love having different cameras. Depending on my mood I'll take one camera or the other or sometimes two or three. I love that I get different shots from each camera and I'm glad I get to use a camera that's been passed on to me. Some just sit on the shelf and I only use them every now and then but it's good to know they are there. I have a really nice medium format camera that I've only put one roll through cause it's so expensive to develop and put on cd. September I'm getting a new film scanner so it the medium format camera will start getting a lot more use then.

I see you also enjoy Tokyo Camera Style.

I do think that the camera you're using and how you use it can have a very significant effect on your photography. I think it's absurd to suggest the different methodology and technique demanded by different cameras wouldn't have an effect on your photography. Similarly, using a piece of equipment with imbued importance can demand a more reverend way of working, that will influence the images produced.

Slidinginfinity

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Can it Leica Boy- we're ALL jealous of you!

As the man said, I have a Leica.

It belonged to my grandfather, a man I never had the pleasure of meeting. He bought it new in Germany while running a textile plant as part of the the Marshall plan.

It was the camera my dad used to take pictures of my brother and me for the first 7 years of my life. It documented us as babies, just as it did my uncle before us.

It was pasted on to me just this past Christmas. I don't use it that often, it's awkward (compared to modern cameras) and has no light meter. On the few occasions that I have, I don't shoot or look at what I am shooting in the same way I would with either my Dads Minolta he bought to replace the Leica, my D90 or with any of my other film cameras.

I am irritatingly sentimental and every time I have used it I get a sense of history. I think that makes me more present in each and every shot.

Plus, with no meter and all fiddledy thing I have to do to get this old camera to fire just the way I want, it forces me to slow down and rethink what I am shooting and why.

My story and my 2 cents.

Thecageyone

Nice camera and nice story.

I've been taking pictures since I was a kid - and that's a LONG time ago now [or it seems to me, at 34]

Film cameras do have that little something about them, I know i probably enjoyed 'snapping' a lot more back when I was using an old Agfa film camera than i did when i first discovered digital [crappy p&s compacts]

But ... for me film is like VHS. It's done it's time. Film is great for anyone with the time and money to invest in doing it proper. Developing yourself etc ... otherwise I see no real mad connection to it only pure nostalgia. I love processing my own work, rather than having someone else have the pleasure of seeing it first. So until the day comes I can develop and process film rolls personally, i'm all digi.

But good for you if you have the time.

I think Promac has a point, a lot of film-heads seem to imagine that images off film cam's are 100 times more beautiful, just ... because ...

I don't go with that anymore. i don't care what camera was used when I see an end result. But, there's no harm in nostalgia at the same time, I suppose. Just an opinion

magicbastarder

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

My point that I'm getting to is that I'm not going to directly answer your question.

if you don't mind, i'll tackle it, albeit briefly.

regarding the point on whether he'll get better photos or just appreciate them more from this camera; speaking from a personal viewpoint, i *love* wasting hours wandering around aimlessly taking photos. i have favourite cameras; i enjoy using some more than others. the camera is part of the experience, because its strengths, weaknesses and mode of operation change how you take shots.
if KH simply enjoys using this camera more than others, partly due to the 'feel' of the camera, partly due to the story behind it, it's all good.

Promac

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Having been a part of this fine forum for the last 2-3 years I've gotten to know (to some degree) and understand some of the people on here. It's a place I come to, to read, learn and see what people are doing.

I've met many of the users on here in the flesh, SlidingInfinity, Humberklog, Xia, pullandbang, katiemaloe, Thonda and others. There are many other people I've never met but by coming here and seeing what they post and reading what they have to say I think I understand them a little and what photography means to them. Morissee loves his outdoor photography, simplicus is the guy for street photography, keps takes nature shots and so on.
My point that I'm getting to is that I'm not going to directly answer your question. As cheesy as it may sound this forum is a wonderful place to hang out. It can have a 'family' feel to it. Over the years people have been kind to me and I've appreciated it. By coming here, reading what people have to say I've gained an understanding.

Clearly you have never read anything I've posted on this forum, you don't know much about me and that's fine. I'm not bothered about that but.......had someone else started this thread I wouldn't have asked the question you asked.

That is all.

I'm really sorry mate - I honestly didn't mean to offend. I tend to speak my mind and it obviously doesn't come across the way I mean it to sometimes.

I have a lot of respect for you as a photographer and as a contributor to this forum (which I have similar feelings for). I love your comments on your photos as I've said before. I like the thought you put into them.

I wasn't trying to belittle your post or question your motives, I was honestly responding to what you said with what I was thinking at the time. Again, I'm sorry if I offended you.

magicbastarder

also..

Promac wrote: »

Is it about the image or what you feel about the image... I just don't know...

how do you separate these?

btw, i thought it was a perfectly valid question you posed, but the timing was a bit off.

DaireQuinlan

My aunt took care of a relative of ours, Evylyn for a few years after she stopped working in a print shop she ran in drury street, the camera above was in her stuff. Here's the blurb from flickr to avoid having to type it all out again ...

We think it used to belong to Evylyn, a relative of ours who died a few years ago and who lived with my Aunt for the last couple of years of her life. She owned a print shop in Dublin and worked there almost her entire life (literally into her 70's or 80's If I have my facts right). She left the country once sometime in the late 40's or early 50's to go on a holiday to italy. We think she bought the camera for the trip. When my aunt found it, it was still in its original carrying case, with instructions. The case also included two torn tram tickets from some Italian tram line, mementos of the trip ?

There are a couple of shots up there too.

I also have a folding Kodak Autographic that used to belong to my grandfather who was a keen amateur photographer.
I wouldn't go out and about with either of these cameras on a regular basis, but it's nice to be able to regard them still as fully functional cameras, as opposed to just dust gathering mementoes. There's a connection there to some extent.

Kintarō Hattori

Promac wrote: »

I'm really sorry mate - I honestly didn't mean to offend. I tend to speak my mind and it obviously doesn't come across the way I mean it to sometimes.

I have a lot of respect for you as a photographer and as a contributor to this forum (which I have similar feelings for). I love your comments on your photos as I've said before. I like the thought you put into them.

I wasn't trying to belittle your post or question your motives, I was honestly responding to what you said with what I was thinking at the time. Again, I'm sorry if I offended you.

No that's fine, I was a little euphoric having posted the thread and I felt my nose was put out of joint with your post. The cynicism didn't go down well with me but after a good nights sleep it's all better.

I'm not worried about taking better photos. I'm excited that I was thought of and given the camera, I'm thrilled to be a part of it's history. I have no idea what to expect from it and that's cool. I like the history behind things I own. For example the Fed 5 I bought used to belong to a Polish granny! Her grandson was selling it as she no longer used it. The exposure counter doesn't work, the rewind take up doesn't work but that doesn't mattter. It's fun, quirky, has an interesting history and I like it a lot.

I'm just looking forward to the EM and seeing what happens. When the time comes that I don't use it much it'll be given to someone else who I feel will use and enjoy it, thus continuing it's history.

Sorry if I came across a tad narky.

Effects

charybdis wrote: »

I see you also enjoy Tokyo Camera Style.

I love seeing the combinations and custom setups the japanese have. It's a pity quite a lot of people there just seem to be into it cause it's cool and fashionable.

Promac

magicbastarder wrote: »

also..

how do you separate these?

btw, i thought it was a perfectly valid question you posed, but the timing was a bit off.

Yeah, I'll need to work on that!

I don't know about separating them. I think it's the same sentiment people have when they have more respect for someone shooting film as if they're "doing it properly". It's nothing to do with the images themselves, it's just the fact that the photographer isn't taking the "easy" route. Or is it just some kind of romance? Maybe people are just sentimental about film cameras. I know that seeing one - the winder especially, don't know why - makes me all nostalgic for when I was first learning photography. Don't think I'd actually buy and use one though - I thought about it recently too, PixbyJohn is selling a canon eos (300 I think) on adverts for a very reasonable price and I was considering buying it just for old times sake but when I thought about it, I knew I'd never use it more than once or twice.

magicbastarder

part of the romance is wrapped up in the camera; for example, i believe you can buy film EOS cameras for a tenner now; a technically superior camera to a lot that people who work with film here use, but people don't go all gooey over them. ditto with digital cameras - people don't feel the same attachment to them because they're blander.

theboat

Lovely story, KH. I'm a sucker for histories of things!
I've been using my dad's Nikon FM2 since January, and I couldn't love it anymore. He used to do some professional photography, but all before digital (He has a Hasselblad which I don't yet trust myself to borrow!)
Only last week, though, I came across an FE which he had buried in a drawer. Even though it's very similar to the FM2, it feels different, and the metering looks and responds differently, so it definitely changed the photos I took. At least, it felt that way...I haven't gotten them dev'd yet...
My (not-very-historical-at-all) story

magicbastarder

theboat wrote: »

He has a Hasselblad which I don't yet trust myself to borrow!

one warning about using hasselblads; if you try it you may not want to hand it back.

punchdrunk

great story
id shoot a few rolls with it,find an image you love and get a nice big framed 20" x 16" print of it done up as a thank you

Kintarō Hattori

punchdrunk wrote: »

great story
id shoot a few rolls with it,find an image you love and get a nice big framed 20" x 16" print of it done up as a thank you

That's a very good idea- thanks!

Buckz

Is it heresy to suggest that it isn't all about the picture- that for amateurs, by definition we take pictures cos we like to- and sometimes its the taking is the key part. My dslr is souless and bland, my EOS 100 was possibly the Perfect camera, but a Praktica BMS with its quirks is enjoyable to use- I bring it with a 28mm and 50mm lenses, and just enjoy taking pictures- even though the results are unlikely to be as good as my dslr.Finally, the dinasaur in my kit is a Minolta TLR that is older than me. 12 square slides from a roll of film, quality is stunning, ease of use is appalling (no metering, shutter speeds not marked in one stop intervals etc). Slow, difficult, fragile and heavy. but using it is challenging and he wait for the results is good too. I just like using it- and as photography is a hobby, that is what matters. Gear nostalgia is really in the amateur domain. At the press awards this year I was entertained to discover that many pro's barely know what camera they use. Amateur's there were avidly asking gear questions and getting vague confused answers- one confusing early canon digitals (D10, D60 etc) for the current batch (10D -50D) For pros its about the picture- to amateurs its about enjoyment...

charybdis

Buckz wrote: »

Is it heresy to suggest that it isn't all about the picture- that for amateurs, by definition we take pictures cos we like to- and sometimes its the taking is the key part. My dslr is souless and bland, my EOS 100 was possibly the Perfect camera, but a Praktica BMS with its quirks is enjoyable to use- I bring it with a 28mm and 50mm lenses, and just enjoy taking pictures- even though the results are unlikely to be as good as my dslr.Finally, the dinasaur in my kit is a Minolta TLR that is older than me. 12 square slides from a roll of film, quality is stunning, ease of use is appalling (no metering, shutter speeds not marked in one stop intervals etc). Slow, difficult, fragile and heavy. but using it is challenging and he wait for the results is good too. I just like using it- and as photography is a hobby, that is what matters. Gear nostalgia is really in the amateur domain. At the press awards this year I was entertained to discover that many pro's barely know what camera they use. Amateur's there were avidly asking gear questions and getting vague confused answers- one confusing early canon digitals (D10, D60 etc) for the current batch (10D -50D) For pros its about the picture- to amateurs its about enjoyment...

I totally agree. For many amateur photographers, I think development of process and method can be as much a part of the enjoyment as the images derived. As such, it can be interesting to use unusual cameras both to better understand the photographs taken with similar cameras and to learn from the camera-as-a-teacher. Professional photographers, by definition, are geared towards delivering results, they aren't paid for having fun with interesting cameras.

magicbastarder

a friend of mine who's a pro photographer laments having had to go digital. he's a travel photographer, so the more relaxed deadlines he faced meant he was able to delay going digital longer than a lot of other photographers. he's got a great collection of cameras, from a minox to a 10x8 (currently out of action due probably to a broken spring, he thinks)

smelltheglove

I suppose I have a little story but nothing like yours. We call my d200 the honeymoon camera. On our honeymoon our passports and cash were stolen at the airport when we landed so for our first anniversary my hubbie booked a surprise second honeymoon. Anyway I got a pass to photograph Extreme, a band that I loved and was insistant that I needed to upgrade camera so hubbie told me about this surprise, this was a month before we were due to go and he had saved a few hundred for spending money so he gave me the choice, holiday or camera.

Hence the honeymoon camera!

AnimalRights

Only read 1st post by OP (and this is slightly OT)but it reminds me of about 10 years ago when I decided to get rid of my very substantial Punk Rock collection on vinyl as I preferred CDs, I sold my albums to a 2nd hand record shop and the price I got I was none too pleased with, so I decided to give away my 7" collection to a young Punk free......I'm nice like that you see.

jpb1974

Congrats on the new camera.

I love the idea of using old cameras to produce photographs. It's amazing taking a piece of equipment that maybe 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago (or possibly more) was considered state of the art technology.

I think the EM dates back to 1979, so 30 odd years old, possibly older than some of the forum members.

Should be fun! Enjoy

greeneyedspirit

Earlier this year, I was given my granddad's Porst CX 4 SLR, manufactured in 1974 in the GDR :pac:
He bought the camera sometime in the 70s, but hadn't used it in the past 15 years or so. It's in perfect condition, the light meter and everything is working perfectly.

... so he passed it on to me, saying that I would get much more use out of it - and I do, I love that camera. I send him pictures on a regular basis, and he loves that, seeing what I see, through his camera...

okmqaz42

Hi Kintarō Hattori, I stumbled across this thread searching for something else this evening and I love the story, I am curios how it has paned out for you, do you have any images that you would care to post (forgive me if you have posted them elsewhere)..