After having worked for a half-dozen Texas newspapers as a reporter and photographer over a 20+ year period I found most newspaper photogs used an amalgamation of 35mm cameras, although it was predominately Nikon. The smaller the paper the more likely the photog owned all of his equipment. The largest paper I worked for in Fort Worth had a lens bank of the more exotic Nikon equipment, like the 6mm fisheye and the super teles from 400mm to 1200mm, that each photog checked out as needed. But we had a couple photographers who used Canons (even an old AE-1) for the routine everyday photos (usually they carried 3-4 lenses ranging from 20-300mm), a couple more who used Leica rangefinder and SLRs with 2-3 lenses (but they also had at least one Photomic F or F2a, or maybe an F3, body so they could use the exotic stuff the paper owned.) The other 10 or so photographers used nearly all Nikons, although one or two also had Hasselblads.. When I got out of the media business, the F3 was the newest Nikon SLR in production. The paper even wired the local sports arena with remote control strobes in the rafters to photograph minor league hockey and basketball. I'm surprised the paying customers didn't complain when all those strobes went off. It was interesting when a photog fired off a couple second burst trying for the best stop action shot. I did have one photographer friend who owned a small town weekly with his brother south of Dallas/Fort Worth. He only used a 6x6 Rolleiflex TLR and an Exacta 35mm with a couple lenses. He had been a photog for Stars and Stripes in WWII and wasn't about to change his style, habits, or equipment. I'm not sure how many list members are familiar with a branch of Nikon called NPS (Nikon Professional Services or at least that was the name I knew it until 1987 when I left the media business). At the final newspaper I worked for as a reporter more than photographer for 10 years, an NPS technician would visit the photo lab about every few months and spend a couple days cleaning, adjusting, and relubricating every Nikon in the place for free. Since I carried and FM and FE with MD-11 motors the photo staff let me in the lab and drop off my two cameras and get them readjusted, etc. ( besides I had more police radios at home and in my car that the whole photo staff did). I never saw a Canon technician come by the photo lab in the 10 years I worked at the Fort Worth newspaper. They may have come by, I just never saw them there. Also both NPS and Canon usually have technicians and reps at most major sporting and news events, such as the Super Bowl, Democratic and Republican conventions, Wimbledon tennis matches, in the media areas where they will work on the pros' cameras that need repairs, usually for free. They used to (and may still do it) would lend out camera bodies and lenses for free while the photogs equipment was being repaired. I even got a free Canon fanny pack (which my wife promptly confiscated for her use) at Canon's booth at the 1984 Republican Party Convention in Dallas, all the while I had an my FM and FE over my shoulder. Yes I do own a couple Canons, an AS-6 underwater and A-1 underwater point and shoots. I know they're not a Nikonos, but my wife bought them for me to take photos of our kids at the beach, rather than risking getting sand in my F3. NPS gave me some decals and Nikon calendars at the GOP convention. I'm sure both Nikon's and Canon's service departments are equally qualified in the work they do for the pros. Tom Anderson Bedford, Texas
