It Begins

The Photojourney Begins





The summer of '76, I wondered into a local department store and asked the clerk to show me his best camera. The conversation went something like this, "Show me your best camera." I have since learned that the question is inbred in us. What's the best camera? What's the best lens? What's the best film, body, manufacturer, and car?

I just added the car.

Instead of laughing me to scorn and driving me into some other hobby, like heavy drinking, he cursed me to photo-damnation.

"Here." he said.

Then I was presented with Canon's AE-1.



A quick review: At this time photography was under going one of its many advancements. Most bodies were heavy metal, large, strongly built structures that manufactures thought us photogs wanted. Strong, reliable, and dependable these bodies are in 2000+, still going and going. However, the camera handed to me wasn't one of these, it was the new idea that smaller was better. Maybe new isn't the word. Canon wasn't the first to make a lighter and smaller body but they did have a superb marketing division and a really nice camera body to boot. The AE-1 marks one of those milestones that define the path of the photojourney of many people. It had several cutting edge features and blended them well. Right size, feel, reliabilty, etc.



No, I didn't buy it right then. It was $288 and of course I had scrape up that amount. Today I'd just put it on a card (a nearly maxed out one) but then, I was young and single and used that foreign stuff called cash.