A couple of threads on digital cameras got me to thinking. (Yes, I do that occasionally.) I like cameras. I have a bunch of them. I’d really like a DSLR. The trouble is that the one I want is expensive, and it keeps being replaced by more advanced models. It’s like buying a computer. You buy one, and next week there’s one that’s better, faster, and cheaper.
That’s not a problem with film cameras. Is my Nikon FM3a a more capable camera than my Olympus OM1N or Pentax K1000? Certainly. But in the end it’s all about putting light on the film in the correct proportions. The K1000 does that every bit as well as the FM3a. I just don’t have the option of having the camera do some of the thinking for me. And that’s a good thing. It’s fun to do it yourself.
With a digital camera though, you have to consider sensor size, memory, video capability, pages-long menus… and when you decide on a camera, there’s a new one that’s better. So I still have a relatively ancient Nikon CoolPix pocket camera. I don’t need a DSLR. If I want to be creative, I can do it on 35mm. No instant gratification, and film stock is more limited now than it was a decade ago. With digital, I need two cameras: a pocket model for snapshots, and a DSLR for certain things that I’m never able to do with the pocket model. So I guess I’ll just pick up a CoolPix L810, and it will last me another few generations of technological advancements.