presidential photography continued ...
In my August 15th blog, just shy of a month ago, I ended by saying
"After using the Pentax brand cameras for over 20 years, in 1988 I made a switch to Canon with the T-90 model, and never looked back. Now another 20 years later, should I switch to another and better brand of camera? Some folks swear by Nikon, some by Olympus, but I am not swearing, only staying with my Canon brand, EOS camera models, and "L Series" lenses. This is the best camera and lens system available on the planet today. No, I am not getting paid for any promo. It's just an undeniable fact."
Like the president that was my statement made last month, but today given the increase in knowledge, information and facts, it is necessary to re-adjust my position, and if necessary to retract even what was said, and replace it with another statement. I still think it is the height of idiocy, but if it works for the president it will work for me too. You see how the leaders are responsible for the difficulties and problems of the world today? They lead and we follow, whether right or wrong. And we are coming to the ultimate position where wrong is right, and chaos will be crowned king one day soon. But that talk is for another forum.
My photography may be running on a 20/21-year cycle, and the reality of this coincidence has only just now come home to me. I used Pentax brand SLR cameras from 1968 to 1988/89 for my general photography. In 1988/89 I opened up the One Hour Photo Studio with the EPS Background Projection System and expanded the in house film processing to include colour negative and colour slide film processing and colour enlargements with Unicolor and Jobo film processing equipment, Durst RCP table top paper processors, Phillips PCS 2000 tri-one colour system enlarger, and the Besler 45Mk2 colour enlarger with Schneider Componon S lens.
That is when I dropped the Pentax cameras for the Canon T-90 cameras to use on the EPS background projection system and in my general photography. Shortly afterwards the EOS-1 was launched. I love technology and top of the line photo gear, and the Canon EOS-1 series, did move my photography up a notch or two.
Along came the Millennium and it was the digital talk, but I was not moving from film and the darkroom, because whatever was needed we could do it in the dark. Of course when you needed top notch 'professional' quality it was shipped out to the USA. The Canon film cameras were great performers, and the repair and maintenance service from the Factory Service Center, 100 Jamesburg Road, was perfect in every way, including turnaround time. You sent the camera by FedEx but it came back by post in 3 to 5 days. EOS-1 cameras were never down at the same time, and the shutter failures were all repaired FREE. In one case I noticed that the returned camera serial number was later model, maybe I was just lucky.
Then a few years ago I am retired and got to seriously thinking about making the move to digital, because film is scarce and the local film processing labs are closing down. So I convince myself that I must go digital and procured a Canon EOS-10D and upgraded a few months later with the EOS-20D. But digital cameras work with image processing software, and after researching the available professional software packages I decided on a few programs which meet my specifications ... and I am happy with them for now. In 2010, a camera older than 4-years is more than obsolete. It is imperative that I update now, as 2010 seems to be the beginning of another imaging and photography cycle for me. 1968 -1989 - 2010. So the big question is, "to change or not to change camera brand", but I have not been giving it any serious though until yesterday.
I was browsing Facebook and came across a link where a supposedly 'knowledgeable' blogger was claiming that Canon is now second to Nikon in camera sales and even camera image quality. I am not one to go with a 'one man view', but it started me off researching Nikon cameras and I will check my established resource centers later. The real comparison will be in the lens optics, as we determine if the Nikon Nikkor lenses are better than the Canon L Series. I know Nikkor lenses have been around for some time, but I opted to buy the Schneider Componon for the Beseler 45Mk2 and other enlargers instead. Back then the Nikkor lenses were great but some Schneider Componon lenses had an edge.
So today I am like the president, "in light of recent unconfirmed reports reaching my desktop, I retract my last month statement and offer this one instead":
"After using the Pentax brand cameras for over 20 years, in 1988 I made a switch to Canon with the T-90 model, and never looked back. Now another 20 years later, should I switch to another, and maybe better brand of camera? Some folks swear by Nikon, some by Olympus, and I swore by Canon. I still believe that my Canon brand, EOS camera models, and "L Series" lenses are among the best in the world, but I am not 100% sure that Canon now makes the best camera and lens system available on the planet today. No, I am not getting paid for any promo. It's just an indisputable fact."
"After using the Pentax brand cameras for over 20 years, in 1988 I made a switch to Canon with the T-90 model, and never looked back. Now another 20 years later, should I switch to another and better brand of camera? Some folks swear by Nikon, some by Olympus, but I am not swearing, only staying with my Canon brand, EOS camera models, and "L Series" lenses. This is the best camera and lens system available on the planet today. No, I am not getting paid for any promo. It's just an undeniable fact."
Like the president that was my statement made last month, but today given the increase in knowledge, information and facts, it is necessary to re-adjust my position, and if necessary to retract even what was said, and replace it with another statement. I still think it is the height of idiocy, but if it works for the president it will work for me too. You see how the leaders are responsible for the difficulties and problems of the world today? They lead and we follow, whether right or wrong. And we are coming to the ultimate position where wrong is right, and chaos will be crowned king one day soon. But that talk is for another forum.
My photography may be running on a 20/21-year cycle, and the reality of this coincidence has only just now come home to me. I used Pentax brand SLR cameras from 1968 to 1988/89 for my general photography. In 1988/89 I opened up the One Hour Photo Studio with the EPS Background Projection System and expanded the in house film processing to include colour negative and colour slide film processing and colour enlargements with Unicolor and Jobo film processing equipment, Durst RCP table top paper processors, Phillips PCS 2000 tri-one colour system enlarger, and the Besler 45Mk2 colour enlarger with Schneider Componon S lens.
That is when I dropped the Pentax cameras for the Canon T-90 cameras to use on the EPS background projection system and in my general photography. Shortly afterwards the EOS-1 was launched. I love technology and top of the line photo gear, and the Canon EOS-1 series, did move my photography up a notch or two.
Along came the Millennium and it was the digital talk, but I was not moving from film and the darkroom, because whatever was needed we could do it in the dark. Of course when you needed top notch 'professional' quality it was shipped out to the USA. The Canon film cameras were great performers, and the repair and maintenance service from the Factory Service Center, 100 Jamesburg Road, was perfect in every way, including turnaround time. You sent the camera by FedEx but it came back by post in 3 to 5 days. EOS-1 cameras were never down at the same time, and the shutter failures were all repaired FREE. In one case I noticed that the returned camera serial number was later model, maybe I was just lucky.
Then a few years ago I am retired and got to seriously thinking about making the move to digital, because film is scarce and the local film processing labs are closing down. So I convince myself that I must go digital and procured a Canon EOS-10D and upgraded a few months later with the EOS-20D. But digital cameras work with image processing software, and after researching the available professional software packages I decided on a few programs which meet my specifications ... and I am happy with them for now. In 2010, a camera older than 4-years is more than obsolete. It is imperative that I update now, as 2010 seems to be the beginning of another imaging and photography cycle for me. 1968 -1989 - 2010. So the big question is, "to change or not to change camera brand", but I have not been giving it any serious though until yesterday.
I was browsing Facebook and came across a link where a supposedly 'knowledgeable' blogger was claiming that Canon is now second to Nikon in camera sales and even camera image quality. I am not one to go with a 'one man view', but it started me off researching Nikon cameras and I will check my established resource centers later. The real comparison will be in the lens optics, as we determine if the Nikon Nikkor lenses are better than the Canon L Series. I know Nikkor lenses have been around for some time, but I opted to buy the Schneider Componon for the Beseler 45Mk2 and other enlargers instead. Back then the Nikkor lenses were great but some Schneider Componon lenses had an edge.
So today I am like the president, "in light of recent unconfirmed reports reaching my desktop, I retract my last month statement and offer this one instead":
"After using the Pentax brand cameras for over 20 years, in 1988 I made a switch to Canon with the T-90 model, and never looked back. Now another 20 years later, should I switch to another, and maybe better brand of camera? Some folks swear by Nikon, some by Olympus, and I swore by Canon. I still believe that my Canon brand, EOS camera models, and "L Series" lenses are among the best in the world, but I am not 100% sure that Canon now makes the best camera and lens system available on the planet today. No, I am not getting paid for any promo. It's just an indisputable fact."
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