Just rescued this from my parents' attic

"BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion" (pbs)
09/23/2020 at 17:25 • Filed to: None

My old as fuck Nikon FM2 :p

Long story short, my dad bought this in 1984 or 86, and it was our family camera for a good two decades or so , but my old man put it in storage when digital cameras started getting popular. That was around 2002 , I believe, but he let me keep thi sone for myself. I used it until 35 mm film started disappearing from supermarkets and grocery stores, which was around 2006, or at least that’s what the Germany World Cup logos plastered on the box of my very last unopened roll of Fujifilm tell me.

Now, details are a bit elusive, 14 years is about half of my lifetime afte all , but if I remember correctly, I’d saved that last roll for a special occasion, which apparently never came around.

Fast forward to 2020, year of the Virus, and my wife finds 6 rolls of film, still undeveloped after 20+ years, in some boxes of stuff she brought over from her parents’ . A quick google search later, and I find a local store that not only still develops film in an actual lab , but also sells fresh rolls, gear and, most importantly, does maintenance and repairs of both old and new cameras, so I figure, why the hell not?

This camera was a big part of my childhood, and it always fascinated me how much machine-like it felt, as opposed to the automated digital cameras and smartphones we replaced it with. Back when I stopped using it, it worked perfectly, nothing was broken or in need of replacing, so I picked it up last night and took it in for cleaning and basic maintenance today. Also got two fresh rolls of film, to go with the germany world cup one, which I hope I’ll get to shoot soon.

DISCUSSION (12)

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/23/2020 at 18:06

Aren’t a couple of those things sex toys?

::confused::

The Compromiser > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/23/2020 at 18:14

If you only lived near me. My wife runs a camera store that does all that stuff!

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
09/23/2020 at 18:18

W ot, the colored thingies? Nope, those are a pair of broken nail clippers my wife asked me to get fixed, since I was going to the photo store. Next to those is my notepad, because I can’t be bothered to look up note in my phone :p

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > The Compromiser
09/23/2020 at 18:30

Dang, I wish... here in my town there’s only this one store, all the other camera stores either closed down or only work with DSLR models. I also have a mid 80's Polaroid 600 that I can’t find film any where near me at all, and it's not worth buying online because S&H fees are so expensive...

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/23/2020 at 20:41

I got the urge to get my Nikon F out a couple years ago. Shot a couple rolls on it. Which I haven’t developed yet. But man, a real split prism viewfinder is nice.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > MiniGTI - now with XJ6
09/23/2020 at 21:42

Ayup, I was thinking about it today, and I guess it’s kinda like a manual transmission car, except with a few more manual controls. You’re a lot more involved and has a lot more control in mak ing a photo than just pushing a button or screen.

I’ve liked photography for quite a while, just never got too deep into it. Now I'm thinking I should probably take a course, after Covid and all.

RooseveltDad > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/23/2020 at 21:47

I got my Pentax MX serviced a couple of years ago so my daughter could use it in a photography class in high school. Had that camera since I was in high school.

gmctavish needs more space > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/23/2020 at 21:51

Nikon FMs /FM2s are one of the best all-mechanical cameras every made, or so I’ve read. Apparently very common to be carried by pros as cheaper/lighter backup bodies for their F2s and F3s. When the modern (for the time) electronics fail, the FMs and FM2s will always keep working I guess. I’ve wanted one of those, but I have so many Minolta lenses now I don’t really want to get started on another type as well.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > gmctavish needs more space
09/23/2020 at 22:17

Yup, I’ve read something to that effect as well. All my life, this was just a “normal” camera to me, so I figured I’d do some research after I’d decided to bring it back from my parents’, and I guess it was a neat surprise that it was so well regarded all around. I mean, Br azil usually gets the junky and cheapo knock offs of everything, not the actual good stuff.

Now I’m dying to take some classes :p there’s a photography school jus t two blocks from my place

The Snowman > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/23/2020 at 22:21

Sweet! What are the lenses? Guessing a 50mm 1.8 and telephoto.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > The Snowman
09/23/2020 at 22:48

Right you are! The standard Nikon 50mm 1.8 and a Tokina 200 mm tele.

The Compromiser > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion
09/24/2020 at 20:16

Jjust move to Canada then. Problem solved!