Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 03:04 05/10/96 BST-1, you wrote: >In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.16.19961004211029.1a1f96ae@mailhost.primenet.com> >> My sincere condolences, Ben. It is like losing a family member. > >While I have every sympathy with the original poster's loss, this is >silly: you can replace cameras, even old cameras, I hardly need to say >that the same is not true of family members (I wish it was so). > Maybe you took this too literally. In today's society, I am not sure with all the divorces, its not easier to replace certain family members and maybe even cheaper. More seriously, if the theft were to happen to me with either my Leica or Bronica systems, I would feel as if I too had lost a member of the family. Each system has accompanied my family and recorded both our joys and sorrows throughout our lives. In many instances one has bridged the time or distance between us. The Leica was used to record the union between myself and my wonderful wife several years before I acquired it and more than once when I have taken it out my wife and I remember that event. While the Leica physically could be replaced, emotionally - never. The Bronica, while not tied to the family as closely as the Leica, is a reminder of all of the places we've been, friends I've made and photographed with and now separated by distance and time from. Recently I heard that one of these dear people and possibly the single individual most influential in getting me back into photography after a hiatus of nearly 10 years has passed away. When I heard this I thought of all the times we went together, he with his 35mm Pentax and me with the Bronica and we explored Six Mile Cypress, the Everglades or other wonderful sites. Yes, I have owned equipment which is just that, mechanical devices to be used as tools with no emotional involvement. Think back, though, about that certain camera which you had which just holding in your hands delivered an emotion, memories, remembrance of love and times past. It may have been your very first camera or the one you now own. Brian Levy, J.D. Toronto, Ont. dlevy@worldy.com