In the midst of these debates about Nikon versus Canon, AF versus MF, F4 versus F5 versus F100 versus ......, I thought I'd throw in a comment about criteria for camera selection that few, if any, have mentioned. Now you young whippersnappers won't know what I'm talking about, but print this out and keep it in your files for about thirty or forty years; someday you'll understand. I just sold my F4S. Well, actually I traded it in - on two very nice 8008S bodies. The reasons? Well, for one, age and having spent a good part of my life working with my hands, often in hostile climates, have taken their toll. I have osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis and have now developed the symptoms of RSI, i.e., repetitive strain injury (of which carpal tunnel syndrome is but one type). Simply put, I'm far less dexterous than I was a few years ago. More simply put, I'm turning into a clumsy oaf! I was having a hard time manipulating the controls on my F4S. So, I traded it for the 8008S'. I got two cameras (one with a data back) that will do everything I want them to do and are much easier to handle. My next purchase will be a 6006 because I would like to have a camera with a built-in flash. I still have the lenses I purchased for use with the F4S, plus all the gadgets (including all those wonderful Cokin filters). So much for my thirst for the ultimate technology - and so much for snob appeal. I guess I'm slowly regressing to the point where I started taking pictures forty plus years ago. Who knows - I might just end up with a Rollei TLR (I started with an Argoflex E). My point? Just that we each have our own reasons for buying what we buy - and my reasons are just as valid for me as your are for you. I will conclude with a plea that, if we must debate the relative merits of each other's cameras, we do so by stressing the strong points of our choices rather than engaging in destructive criticism. Bill Cassing
