So many of us photographers seem to have an insatiable appetite for camera gear. For some, it’s G.A.
S. (gear acquisition syndrome), while others are honing their photographic experiences into a seemingly futile and almost never-ending quest to trade up to the perfect camera. For a rare few, they have found their gear and are sticking to it.
Instead of spending time online reading gear reviews and news, they are outside using it. Those few satisfied photographers are not here wallowing in rumors, speculations, and gear announcements like we are. We’re here because we want to learn new techniques and get a jump on what may be coming down the pike.
2024 was huge for film photographers looking for an everyday carry film camera. Pentax surprised us by releasing the half frame Pentax 17, and then a few months later, Mint made good on their promise of breathing new life into the classic Rollei 35. All of a sudden, those of us who have spent years combing through eBay listings for unblemished and reliable compact film cameras turned our attention to the big-box camera stores selling new film cameras (complete with 2-year warranties!).
As a product photographer shackled to my computer by a tether cable and weighed down by hard drives and cloud storage, film cameras have injected new life into my photographic enthusiasm. The last thing I want to do after editing thousands of images in Capture One and Photoshop is spend any more time at a computer working on personal photos. So I li.
