I've been pretty darn lucky lately. I didn't get arrested Thursday---and I probably should of been. (Something for the future).
A week or so ago, a co-worker gave me a tub of "camera stuff" that belonged to his father inlaw. I offered to pay, even offering up a pro-flash for Canon, a system he shoots, but he said no. His wife suggested taking the tub to Goodwill, he decided to give it to someone who might get some use out of some old film cameras.
In car terms....generally speaking:
A Konica FT-1 Motor. Considered the best of the Konica electronic series. A couple of the batteries leaked into the battery compartment, but I can clean that. Probably a 280Z in car-spin.
A Canon EF 100-300mm L series from 1987....like a Corvette from the same year. It was the first L-series EF lens and set the standard for pro lenses that followed.
A pair of compact Jason binoculars. In binoculars to cars....an old CJ-7.
Three old hippie-style camera straps....I love those things. Been using them since the 70s. In car terms, think of those glass tubes of air freshener--the ones me, or your fathers (or grandfathers), used to attach to the car's dash vents via a clip like that used on a ink pen, and the damn thing smelled like cheap perfume--but it was better than the old vinyl and mildew of the car.
A leather camera bag from the early fifties. After doing the chores around the house, I cleaned it up and wow, nice little leather bag. It was missing the strap, so I attached one of the previously mentioned camera straps to it. Sweet. It's a VW Beetle....
A Kodak Retina IIa 35mm folder. The vintage Opel of the box.
Five Leica rangefinder cameras. Yep, you read that right. The guy gave me the equivalent of five vintage Mercedes, ranging in age from 1930 thru 1954.
There was also a Tower Type 3---a Leica copy from the late 40s to early 50s. Pretty much the Lexus of rangefinders.
Also: a 35mm, 90mm, and two 50mm Leitz lenses. Also two shoe mount view finders, a 28mm and a 50mm.
Inside two of the Leicas were metal Lietz film cassettes--about $100 each.
Several full and half field cases for Leica.
In other words, I'm now a Hipster camera snob and the mystique of the Leica is well earned. I was skeptical before, thinking it was just bragging rights among doctors, but I admit the Leica is a genuine classic ; and now that I've spent several days figuring them out, and realizing the engineering behind them...I admit....it is something else. I'm sold on Leica. The fuckers done won me over. These are amazing considering the period of design--- 1930s Germany.
