Below I've retyped, from the April 1999 issue of "Outdoor
Photographer," a letter to the editor and the editor's reply.
This is for the "MF faction." ;)
Chris
--
In the Steve McCurry article ("Uncovering Secrets Of A Location," February
1999), I noticed that many of his photographs were shot with a Nikon FM2.
I had never heard of this camera, so I checked a nearby camera store, where
the clerk informed me that it was a very old model that Nikon was about to
discontinue -- it didn't even have any automatic features. Why would a
world-reknowned National Geographic photographer use such outdated gear?
<editor's reply below>
The Nikon FM2 has been around for a long time, but it's far from
outdated. As far as we know, there are no plans to discontinue it. Nikon
continues to make the camera for a few reasons. It's popular with some
specialized photographers who need a fully manual camera that doesn't rely
on batteries to operate. For McCurry, the MF2 is also useful because it
can work under harsh conditions, such as the driving rains of India's
monsoon season. New cameras have made incredible technological strides,
and there's no question that many photographers have been able to improve
at their craft more rapidly than in years past. Sometimes, however, it's
nice to have a camera that just doesn't seem to be bothered by anything --
wind, rain, dust or mud.
--<end>
--
Once I lay without moving for days until, \ Christopher Somers
mistaking me for driftwood, birds landed nearby \ Rise Technology
and began speaking in murmurs of Pythagoras + www.rise.com
and winds that blew in the Himalayas. /----------------------------
-> Barry Lopez / Gallery: www.flash.net/~jboy
