Re: Sugar Spills, Water spills, electronic and mechanical...

[Oddmund Garvik <garvik@i-t.fr>]

I try not to spill sugar any more, at least not at my cameras... I know of
course that careless use may damage any camera. My moustache is enormous
and still dripping... but with pocket cameras it doesn't matter.

I use both mechanical and electronic cameras for many reasons. Both systems
have advantages and drawbacks. I like the mju-2 (Stylus Epic) (weather- &
spillproof!), the T2 and the TVS, but I also like my "new" Leica M4, as I
liked all my previous Ms, Nikon FM, Rolleiflexes and Linhofs. My approach
to photography is the same with any of these cameras, even if I know I
don't make the images the same way. This has something to do with control,
of course, and time. 

I am a photographer in a very political way. I am interested in social
matters, people, what is going on. It might be a problem having everything
done automatically. I am aware of that, but it is a secondary problem in my
opinion.

I often found the M too big and heavy, and was happy when I discovered the
small and solid titan cameras with good lenses and basic functions. First
the T2 some years ago. I bought it as a backup camera, but it soon became
my main tool. The TVS is a bit more versatile, but less spontaneous, or
intuitive with the zoom lens. 

I think it is wise to use few cameras regularly. It is important to be
master of the camera to control the situation. For many years I was using
exclusively Leica Ms. The camera didn't exist, I had the 50mm frame in the
brain. But it could as well have been an electronic Leica, Contax, Nikon
etc... If you use one single lens for a while, you obtain this relationship
with any camera. 

Oddmund <garvik@i-t.fr>