![\"Nickajack\"](\"http:\/\/www.jpbuffington.org\/Family\/vintage-film\/i-vC3sb9C\/0\/L\/AA015-L.jpg\")
<\/p>\n…is the one you have with you.\u00a0 And no, I don’t mean your cell phone camera.\u00a0 Megapixels be damned, that itty bitty, teeny tiny sensor behind that little piece of plastic just doesn’t cut the mustard.\u00a0 Those ill fated apps to make your images interesting by turning your image into something from a light leaking camera with expired film, well, I can just do the real thing with one of my old light leaking cameras from 40 years ago and some expired film out of the drawer.\u00a0 Now to move on.<\/p>\n
The best (real) camera is the one you have with you.\u00a0 Now I don’t care if you shoot digital, film or both (I shoot both), but I make it a point to keep one handy.\u00a0 Practically speaking, it does no good to keep a big DSLR with me at all times.\u00a0 Too bulky.\u00a0 Not going to leave one in my car either, too expensive.\u00a0 That is why I troll the flea markets, thrift stores and goodwill stores for old film cameras.\u00a0 For example, in my glove box sits a Nikon L35AF.\u00a0 Back in 1983, this was THE camera to have as a (semi) compact, auto-focus point and shoot.\u00a0 It came with a real lens, a nice 35mm f2.8 aperture sonnar designed lens.\u00a0 It is reasonably fast, very sharp and takes filters (what compact P&S in the last 30 years has done that?).\u00a0 It has a nice, big and bright view finder, takes 35mm film (full frame goodness for you folks brought up in the digital relm) and runs on AA batteries that can be found ANYWHERE (no chargers needed here).\u00a0 Plus, it cost less than 5 dollars at the thrift store.\u00a0 Who cares if it gets stolen?\u00a0 Hence why it lives in my glove box.\u00a0 So to illustrate my point of the best camera is the one with you, I will relate the story of a recent roll of film.<\/p>\n
So, I just happened at some point to toss a roll of consumer Fuji 200 speed film into this camera, placed it in my glove box and do what I do, forget about it until it is needed.\u00a0 So one day I am driving home from work and at 75mph crossing Nickajack Lake, I notice the sun parting through the clouds illuminating the lake in a most beautiful manner.\u00a0 Quickly I reached in my glove box, grabbed the L35AF, flipped the on switch and pointed it out my window as I fly across the bridge.\u00a0 This is what I captured:<\/p>\n
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Sometime this winter, my wife and I decided to go for a hike at the local state park.\u00a0 As we go there, I grabbed this camera out of my glove box for the “just in case” I ran into something interesting.\u00a0 Well, that is what happened.\u00a0 Towards the end of the hike, I looked over my left shoulder and noticed something somewhat unnatural related to the landscape and went to investigate.\u00a0\u00a0 This is what I saw:<\/p>\n
![\"fisherman\"](\"http:\/\/www.jpbuffington.org\/Family\/vintage-film\/i-G6xMJTc\/0\/L\/AA008-L.jpg\")
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![\"fisherman](\"http:\/\/www.jpbuffington.org\/Family\/vintage-film\/i-ZV4bJCx\/0\/L\/AA005-L.jpg\")
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Last month I was driving home from work when, after talking with my father whom was out of town, asked me to check on his house (it is on the mountain) due to the recent ice storm.\u00a0 While there I drove out to the bluff quickly as I knew the light was fading.\u00a0 I captured this:<\/p>\n
![\"Warren's](\"http:\/\/www.jpbuffington.org\/Family\/vintage-film\/i-ckstn7w\/0\/L\/AA023-L.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
None of these images would have normally been captured.\u00a0 I had not planned these images.\u00a0 I just happened upon them and happened to have a easy to use, simple to operate, quick to grab camera with me in my car.\u00a0 Often, I have 2 or 3 in my car but I always have at least one camera with me.\u00a0 If I am going somewhere where lugging a camera around my shoulder\/neck is not convenient or appropriate, I will grab my Olympus stylus epic or Olympus XA and stick it in my pocket.\u00a0 Better to have something than nothing and both of these cameras are super compact and sport a great 35\/2.8 lens.\u00a0 Both Olympus cameras are getting a little pricey but the stylus epic can still be found for under $5 at Goodwill all the time (millions were made and sold).<\/p>\n
Point being, if you are passionate about capturing moments, be prepared or those moments will come and go, fading into memory to be gone forever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"