About a year after my indoctrination to photography with the venerable Argus C3, I saved the money from my paper route and bought my first SLR, a Mamiya 500DTL. It was a nice little camera; far more sophisticated than the Argus and it made me even more enthusiatic about my new hobby.
The Nikon Photomic Ftn with 55mm 1.2 lens
But I longed for more. A few years later when I got a ‘real job’ I was able to upgrade again, to what is regarded even today as the ultimate example of the 35 mm SLR: the Nikon F. It opened up whole new worlds to me and became an extension of my self. Wherever I went, my Nikon was with me…we made beautiful music together.
I foolishly sold the Nikon in 1978, when I started fooling around with younger, more endowed models. But my heart always belonged to the Nikon. I’m glad we’ve been reunited.
My new old Nikon has obviously been well used, but it still works as if it was new. Its exposed brass edges and worn focusing ring speak of thousands of photos taken over the years and make me want to know what wonders this lens has seen in its lifetime.
