Being at the vanguard of an important social and political movement has its reward. Now Popular Photography takes up the mantle! 

I haven’t picked up a copy of Pop Photo, or for that matter, any of the other photography magazines in years. This week I was handed a copy of the current issue. I began to leaf through the pages, not expecting to find very much of interest to me. And what do you know — an article about the value and enjoyment of purchasing and using classic vintage film cameras, including an interview with Bellamy Hunt who runs Japan Camera Hunter out of Tokyo. I have never met Bellamy, but had a very nice communication with him via email when I was considering purchasing a Konica Hexar RF for a back up. He steered me away from that one due to availability of electronic parts and viewfinder issues – very honest and ethical by today’s standards!

The title of the article is “Elegant Machines, An expert’s guide to shopping for vintage and collectable photo gear” – and there are descriptions and pictures of a number of the usual suspects – Leica M6, Nikon F3, Olympus OM-1, Mamiya 6 and 7, and Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic (my first new camera!!!) to name a few.

The article discusses collecting, but the main focus concerns the joy of using these mechanical wonders with film, the beauty of a slower more thoughtful pace and the value of being “unplugged”. I couldn’t agree more!

Bellamy states that he has noticed a resurgence of interest in using rangefinder and SLR cameras, fueled in part by the younger generation. It’s understandable for the same reasons that they are buying vinyl LPs. Both film and vinyl provide a much different, and to many, a more pleasurable experience vs. that of digital. It’s not about convenience but about the entire user experience and the end result.

So it was a pleasant surprise to stumble across this entertaining little piece. If you are thinking about giving film a try and are still on the fence, spend a few bucks and pick up one the low cost gems featured in this article. I think you will be glad you did!