Many years ago, when I earned my living as a magazine writer and
photographer, my 35mm arsenal consisted of a Fuji 801 screw mount body,
a Vivitar 200/3.5, a Vivitar 20/3.5, a Mamiya 135/2.8, and a Fuji
50/1.4. I supplemented that with a Mamiya TLR with the early uncoated
80/2.8, and a Speed Graphic with a Wollensak 127/4.5. (I purchased the
Speed Graphic for $100 from a guy who owned a junkyard). For lighting, I
had a couple of Honeywell potato masher strobes with those big 500 volt
batteries, and some reflectors. I shot numerous magazine covers, lots of
centerspreads and hundreds of feature articles. I would never have
bought any expensive equipment, because it would have tilted my whole
investment/income picture. Eventually, I went to work for Hearst
Magazines full time, and while they wouldn't buy me a lot of new
equipment, they did pay for CLAs on all my old junk. They also flipped
for a few extras, like a polaroid back for the Speed Graphic and a good
incident/flash meter. Some of my contemporaries had boxes full of Nikon
equipment, but they didn't have four kids to feed.
That's all way in the past, and these days I rarely do any
photography for pay, but I now own a couple of dozen very nice lenses
and several fairly expensive camera. (Since I no longer work as a
photographer, I can afford them. Incongruous? Yes. But true.) In other
words, you're right. The amateur mindset is different. It's not a
question of bad or good, just different.
Conrad Samuels wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Rittenhouse" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "Pentax Discussion Malling List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Cc: "Tanya & Russell Mayer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 1:03 AM
> Subject: Additional comments to Tanya.
>
> > Most real pros only replace their equipment when it wears out,
> > so are often using what most amateurs consider obsolete junk.
> > Amateurs think cameras make pictures, don't fall into that
> > trap. You make pictures, your camera is the tool you use
> > to do that.
> > --Tom
>
> Some while ago I sold an M42 lens to a chap who turned up here to see if it
> fitted and worked on his camera. I was rather surprised to see that he
> brought with him an old Zenit SLR, the type with a meter on top but no TLR
> metering. He bought the lens (a Vivitar zoom) with great joy and went on
> his way rejoicing.
>
> I suppose he saw a strange expression on my face so he said that he took
> wedding photos on a part-time basis to supplement his income. He was quite
> pleased with his results too and apparently in his community (which was
> financially challenged) his work was in some demand. From what I know he is
> by no means the only one of his kind.
>
> Whenever I read about all the equipment used by affluent society photogs I
> tend to remember this chap and the many one never hears about.
>
> Conrad F. Samuels
> Kirstenhof SA
>
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