Mark Phelan
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Was in 1972 and having worked all summer to save up enough money to buy a new camera, I purchased a gleaming, new, Nikkormat FTn. It was black and came with a 50mm f1.4 lens. It was the camera I learned on. Not a single automatic feature on it, unless you count the needle metering system weighted 60/40 center. It taught me how to pick my shots. With only one lens, I had to be creative, imaginative and thoughtful about where I was pointing the thing. Just like the first .22 rifle I owned. It too was a single shot and taught me to focus on my target.
Film was expensive for a kid in high school. So I had to be choosy about what I shot. Then I learned how to develop color reversal film in the bathroom, much to the consternation of my parents. That allowed me to shoot more since I didn't have the extra expense of prints.
When I went to the University of Georgia and took my first photography course, I used my Nikkormat. Later, I sold the camera body to KEH here in Atlanta in 1982. I'm not one to buy too many cameras, so my next model was the F3 behemoth. Still have that camera. Each of my kids used it when they took photography in high school. Still a manual focus camera, but many more automatic features than the Nikkormat. But the advent of digital cameras brought many cameras into our household. I still use my D1x even though there are several generations better.
When I sold my Nikkormat, I kept the lens, since it was still a good lens. I even use it on my R1, that same lens I learned with back in 1972. Waxing nostalgic, I looked up "Nikkormat" for sale at KEH and there is one for sale, a Nikomat version for a whopping total of $40.00. The lessons I learned from that first, simple camera remain with me today. I wish everyone would have the opportunity to learn to shoot with a basic camera that forces them to not rely on the bells and whistles. Nothing wrong with the extras, but one is at a great disadvantage when never having to learn to use what is between the ears, versus what is hanging around the neck.
Film was expensive for a kid in high school. So I had to be choosy about what I shot. Then I learned how to develop color reversal film in the bathroom, much to the consternation of my parents. That allowed me to shoot more since I didn't have the extra expense of prints.
When I went to the University of Georgia and took my first photography course, I used my Nikkormat. Later, I sold the camera body to KEH here in Atlanta in 1982. I'm not one to buy too many cameras, so my next model was the F3 behemoth. Still have that camera. Each of my kids used it when they took photography in high school. Still a manual focus camera, but many more automatic features than the Nikkormat. But the advent of digital cameras brought many cameras into our household. I still use my D1x even though there are several generations better.
When I sold my Nikkormat, I kept the lens, since it was still a good lens. I even use it on my R1, that same lens I learned with back in 1972. Waxing nostalgic, I looked up "Nikkormat" for sale at KEH and there is one for sale, a Nikomat version for a whopping total of $40.00. The lessons I learned from that first, simple camera remain with me today. I wish everyone would have the opportunity to learn to shoot with a basic camera that forces them to not rely on the bells and whistles. Nothing wrong with the extras, but one is at a great disadvantage when never having to learn to use what is between the ears, versus what is hanging around the neck.
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