summitar

<p>Gene, have I seen you on WWE?</p>

<p>Thanks for posting. The Nikon F is certainly a member of the Hall of Fame of great cameras that became ikons.</p>

<p>I have three T90s and I use lithium batteries in all of them with no apparent ill effects. In fact, I use lithiums for all photographic aspects where AA batteries are required. That includes all four of the Canon Powershots I have owned, my Nikon F4S, Nikon F100, and various flash devices. I enjoy the knowledge that on my trips abroad, the lithiums are good for literally months of service. Like you, I don't understand why any 1.5 volt AA battery would differ in performance other than lifetime.</p>

<p>I like Canon for P&S and Nikon for DSLRs. I can only recall dropping one camera, a Canon Powershot A95 as I was trying to get it out of a vest pocket. It fell from waist height (I am tall) onto a concrete sidewalk. The result? An almost imperceptible nick and continued flawless operation. I suspect that modern plastics can cushion a fall better than metal, and the best combination is a sturdy metal frame surrounded by a composite material as with the Nikon D200 and D300 and others.</p>

<p>Wow! Very impressive. The kind of results that make me feel I wish I had done that, or more realistically, I wish I could do that.<br>

A very nice testimony to both the FD system and your ability.</p>

<p>I retired from the air force in 1980. I was stationed in Vietnam 1966-67, and had never owned a 35 mm camera. Based on advice from the "old hands", the first camera I bought was a Konica auto S2 brand new for $35 in the PX. I still regard this camera as providing the biggest bang for the buck of all time. About two months before I due to come back to the land of the "big PX", I was passing through the PX in Saigon-Cholon and notice a large bunch of Canon FT-QLs with a 50mm f/1.8 lens going for $65. I asked why the low price and the manager said they were all defective. Turns out they had their mirrors locked up. I bought one and for years it was my top of the line camera. One day about 2000, I was in a local camera shop to purchase film, and I noticed in their used camera display, a mint F1 original with 50mm f/1.4 lens. I paid too much for it but it is a wonderful camera. It has been joined by several FTbs and an AE-1, and three T90s. I love the quality of the lenses. Shame on Canon for making the FD lenses into orphans.</p>

<p><em>Kerry, this isn't the forum for that question, you need to ask the digital guys. We don't deal with them here, since those bodys are not classic or manual.</em></p>

<p>True, but I reckoned that my classic M42 lenses would give me a temporary pass. Not trying to suck up, but over the years I have found this forum to be the best informed of all. I have well over a hundred classic cameras, including about two dozen of those that are rarely even mentioned here anymore, the classic Voigtlanders.</p>

<p>In another thread, I read the tantalizing post that some modern digital cameras accept the Pentax lenses. Please tell me which ones.</p>

<p>I love the fact that my Nikon D200 accepts my older AI Nikkor lenses.</p>

<p>Most valuable? <br>

Having been born color blind and now having lost effective vision in my right eye due to macular edema, now say the most valuable thing to a photographer is good eyesight.</p>

<p>Thank you all for your considerate replies. I was strongly tempted to purchase an Olympus Pen FT but after doing more research decided not to. It was a body only deal, and I would have the problem of learning about and finding suitable lenses.</p>

<p>I have about 150 classic cameras and decided to pass on this one. Your help is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>I don't develop my own film. My question is whether it is still possible and/or convenient to get half frame 35 mm film, processed at places like Costco or through local photo shops.</p>

<p>I am enamored of most classic and near classic cameras, and I am wondering why the Nikormats do not get more respect. They are heavy and solidly built, they have mirror lockup, which is not all that common, and they have a finish that really lasts. They have a convenient depth-of-field button, and a film counter that is easy to read. They have an exposure indicator not only visible through the viewfinder but also on the top of the body. Turning on the exposure meter is done by bringing the film wind lever slightly out from the body, and not by some forgettable switch as found on the Canon F1 and FTb, or the Minota SRTs and XEs.<br>

They are truly built like a brick outhouse, and the FT, FTn, and FT2 take all the non-AI lenses and the FT3 takes all the AI lenses. The FT2 and FT3 use the modern 1.5v silver batteries.<br>

Are the Nikormats the Rodney Dangerfields of classic cameras?</p>

<p><em>"Classic camera" is somewhat like porn (actually, maybe a lot like porn...) - hard to define, but you know it when you see it."</em></p>

<p>LOL! Good pornography and classic cameras in LN condition are both hard to come by.</p>

<p><em>"To keep it simple I suggest that the forum include any film camera for discussion. At this point in time film, itself, is "classic" and any camera capable of exposing film should be fair game."</em></p>

<p>I respectfully disagree. My Nikon F100 is NOT a classic camera. Maybe in 50 years.</p>

<p>I have several screwmount Leica's and the 50mm Elmar collapsible lens. I have a variety of Leica guidebooks and they describe the venerable Elmar as coming in chrome and nickel versions. In photos, they look the same to me, shiny and silver colored.</p>

<p>Can someone tell me how I can distinguish the nickel and chrome versions without doing a metallurgical test?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>"Kerry, I'm very sad that you found a way to disqualify the Minolta XD-11 (a.k.a. XD-7) which is one of my all time favourite cameras. Can you sneak it back in on the grounds that it still works when you take out the batteries (tho' only at one shutter speed)?"<br>

I love the Minotal XD11 and I have both chrome and black versions. About the only thing I would change on its design, would be to to have the exposure locked by half depression of the shutter release. I would also like to know why Minolta dropped the "CLC" system from the XD series, despite the fact that they were in the earlier XD series with their CdS sensors.<br>

I am comfortable with my criterion that a classic camera is fully functional without batteries, with the exception of powering the meter. Many cameras of the classic era did not have light meters, such as the Leica M2 and M3, the Kodak Retina's until the IIIc and IIIC.<br>

But that is just my quirk. I will never part with my Minolta XDs and XEs, nor my Nikon F3, or Canon T90s and AE-1. I especially treasure those products with a long production life, such as my Browning auto-5 shotgun, in production from 1903-1998. John Browning of Morgan Utah was a genius.</p>

<p>I have two Nikon Fs and two F2s. I have the non-metered viewfinder only for the F. All of them are chrome, but that black F2 shown is a thing of beauty.</p>

<p>My definition of a classic camera is one that is that is fully operational without batteries, and if it uses batteries, they only activate the light meter. So Nikon F2, classic, F3 no. Canon FTb, yes, AE-1, no. Minolta SRTs, yes, XDs and XEs, no.<br>

I own and treasure Nikon F3s, and beyond, Canon AE-1s and T90s, Minolta XD-11s and XE-7s, but they are not classics cameras.<br>

Good guides include the two wonderful books by Ivor Matanle.</p>

<p>"Hey, you obviously didn't grow up in the Great Plains. You takes yer hills where yer finds 'em."<br>

Napoleon saw us coming when he unloaded his wastelands on us. Unfit for human habitat.</p>

<p>We have quite a few wags here. My first thought was of Lincoln, Nebraska and after having lived in nearby Omaha for four air force years, my first suggestion would have been to shoot yourself if you have to spend a winter there.<br>

I have visited England but not Lincoln. My paternal grandfather spent a lot of years assigned to the 1st Lincolns as a rifleman and was part of Kitchener's expeditionary force that liberated Khartoum in 1898. There was another soldier that took part in the battle, a young subaltern assigned to the 1st Lancers, a cavalry unit. This particular person left the army to engage in politics and achieved some notoriety. I can't remember his full name, but his first name was something like Winston. Perhaps someone can help me out here.<br>

Even though the battle for Khartoum took place 111 years ago, I am still astounded that I actually interfaced with old boy, since he died when I was about 8 years old. I wonder what he would think if he knew that my son, his great grandson, served two US Army tours in Iraq as a young Army officer. What goes around comes around, I guess.<br>

If the question had been about York, I could have made some suggestions.</p>

<p>I am trying get definitive answers on battery requirements for all classics.<br>

Specifically, can I use a silver 1.5v battery, or does it need some mods, either a CRIS-like holder or mods to the camera.<br>

I have convinced myself that spotmatics have a bridge circuit that adjusts for voltage.<br>

How about the Minolta SRTs. I have a silver battery in my SRT 200, and it seems to give accurate readings.<br>

The Konica auto S2 requires a CRIS type battery holder.</p>

<p>Canon T90.</p>

<p>It's the tops.</p>

<p>Ernest, thank you for the links. I found them very infomative.</p>

<p>"Sorry no ideas on the W, but what does the f/1.2 say on it?"<br>

It is not in my possession yet, since my contact wanted to conplete the cleaning job, but I will let you know when I get it.</p>

<p>Absolutely wonderful photos!<br>

I am soon to be 73, and I grew up across the street from a New York Central steam locomotive maintenance facility. The sound and appearance of these marvelous machines is a joy. <br>

Thank you so much for posting.</p>