I fondly remember a trip to Toronto with a then-recently-acquired Contaflex Super, my first classic SLR; a cruise along the Thousand Islands and exploring Boldt Castle with a Kodak Stereo camera; photographing candids at a friend's wedding with a Leica IIIf and 50mm f/2 Summitar; and taking photos soon after my first daughter was born with a Pentax H3v and the Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4.
I don't know why my memories include such a strong bond with the equipment itself, but there you have it.
Joe
Photography is my leisure time. I want to spend it working with equipment that pleases me. If I don't like the feel of the equipment, I won't want to use it. The best equipment in the world won't give good results if you hate it to the point of not using it. I have handled a lot of cameras that are technically superior to what I am using in most respects. Unfortunately, they have user interfaces that I dislike, or they feel like plastic fantastic crap. I tolerate the foibles of my 3 LX's because I enjoy using them more than any other 35mm camera I have tried out. I like cameras, not photography. Photography is a means to an end. The end is using equipment that pleases me, and gives me an excuse to travel to places I might not otherwise see. If I get a nice picture for the wall, or someone compliments one of my meager offerings to the PUG or Photosig, thats a bonus. However, I am probably in the minority.
William Robb
