I'm 40.
My first camera was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I was maybe six or seven and it
belonged to one of my brothers who left it lying around unused. I bugged my
family silly. I wished I saved some of those photos. I still have the Brownie
except for the flash reflector. I used it a year or two then put it down.
It just stayed tucked away until being rediscovered when I moved out in July
1975. My graduation present was two suitcases and a "Zip" Polaroid Land camera.
About a month later I ran into a high school friend who had photographed for
the high school annual and paper. He loaned me a Mamiya C220 or and then a
Minolta 102. One day while at the mall I stop into a store to peruse its
offerings. The sales clerk pointed out some new cameras they just started
selling, "Olympus".
There it sat in the display case OM-1md chrome, small, clean and oh so shiny.
It fit neatly and comfortably into my hands. Not "boxy" and I didn't have to
look for the controls, everything was well laid out. I knew I was going to buy
it, so did the salesperson. I worked part-time and cut expenses to save the
money. In September the OM-1 with a 50mm 1.4 lens was mine. Over the next five
years a Zuiko 75-150, T32, Zuiko 28mm 3.5, winder2 and accessories ended up
in my bag. I mainly used it on the weekends. I would troll the college campus,
town and countryside looking for opportunities. When I resumed my college
education in 1980, I began as an art major. Sometime during my second year, I
read an article asserting that only a very small percentage of professional
artists/photographers made a full-time living at their craft. I switched to
computer science. The OM-1 wasn't used much for a time.
In April 1986, I worked for RUST engineering. A couple of friends decided to
get married and wanted me to shoot their wedding. I didn't think the 75-150 was
was up to the task so I bought a Vivitar S1 28-105 macro. So it and the Zuikos
went to the wedding. By the way, I didn't have to buy them a wedding gift, just
4 rolls of AGFA Reala 100. My friends were VERY impressed with the results.
Their wedding reintroduced me to photography. The experience also made me glad
that I don't shoot weddings for a living. Since then I've added an Olympus
Stylus, Yashica MAT, Ricoh RZ1000 (Not very good IMO) and my dad's Kodak
Retina IIa plus Voss flash to my other goodies.
In 1998 I learned I am a Zuiko-holic. I discovered eBay. I swear! When I first
searched for "Olympus", I thought I had found the Zuiko/Olympus graveyard.
Everything I ever dreamed of and more. [..drool..] Although lately I have been
thinking that owning multiple bodies and lenses is probably a bit much. I'm
considering putting up some items for trade or sale to fund future purchases
for faster glass and one day maybe a 5Ti ;-). When I do it will be to the list
members first.
Charles Packard, Birmingham Alabama USA.
P.S.
While munching on Nabisco Sociable crackers I kept catching a faint scent of
something familiar.
On the side panel I learned that 'acetic acid' is one of the ingredients.
They put stop bath in my crackers! Those B*st*rds! [South Park content]
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