The Camera Notes

Keeping notes is essential to the orderly mind and to the orderly collection.

I have never had a great memory
and it is getting worse as I age.
I developed the habit years
ago of keeping notebooks. I
have one for house repairs, a couple
for travel planning, and several for 

subects of interest that I research. And so you can imagine that I have notebooks for my camera collecting. I page number them and at the end of each I create indicies for my camera notebooks to that point. That way I can go back to any subject I want to review.

When the spirit moves me to post in my blogs these books are the basis of those posts. I should post more often but that distracts me from my photography and collecting. There is just not time for everything. However I do hope you find these scratchings to be of interest.

The Camera Notes are strictly about the tecnichal aspects of cameras. If you are interested in my thoughts generally on art and photography then check out the Joy of Light on the top menu. Very little about cameras there: just photography.

Autofocus

Autofocus

Some Auto-Focus HistoryFlynn Marr                                                                                                                                   17 September 2024It was Minolta who came up with the first truly practical AE-AF motorized 35mm system...

Contrast Detection Autofocus

Contrast Detection Autofocus

Contrast Detection AutofocusFlynn Marr                                                                                                                                   3 August 2024The  AL-1 was Canon's first foray into a 35mm interchangeable single lens reflex...

A Mountain Morning

A Mountain Morning

A Mountain MorningFlynn Marr                                                                         19 April 2024Photography is like so many other activities thatyou ignore for a few weeks and you lose youredge. You have to work at it if you expect tokeep creating...

How do you start a Camera Collection?

How do you start a Camera Collection?

How do you Start a Camera Collection?The Canon AE-1 was the first of the Canon "A" Series and an amazing camera in its day.I had an e-mail this week from Chris in the Eastern US who was looking at my website and thinking about beginning a camera collection. He asked...

Using the Mirror Box 2

Using the Mirror Box 2

Shooting with the Mirror Box 2This is my Model 7 (Ser. No. 835801) witha Mirror Box 2  and M 135mm f/2.5 (Ser. No. 19686)telephoto lens. This is the gear I took for a walk last week.One of the great things about collecting old cameras is being able to take pictures...

A Book Report

A Book Report

And Now forA Book ReportI have not bought this book before now because of the language barrier. But now, with Google Translate, that is no longer a problem. And what I found in its pages is wonderful.This is different! I have never reviewed a book on this site, or...

Lens, Book and Camera

Lens, Book and Camera

Another day with the GuysLens, Book and CameraOctober 1st was the latest Camera Show here in Vancouver and as usual I had my table. Again I went to this show with very little in the way of cameras to sell. I did take lots of camera cases and other stuff that I have...

Filter Ring Dents

Filter Ring Dents

Fixing the Problem ofFilter Ring DentsI was on the FD Lenses Facebook page the other day and a question was posted about what to do with lens filter ring dents. The front edge of the lens into which you can screw a filter gets dented when the lens is dropped or the...

Interesting Show

Interesting Show

April 30th wasA Very Interesting Camera Showwherein I learned a bunch!Yesterday, the 30th of April, there was another camera show at the Croatian Cultural Center. This time I was not that enthused about going. There was a lot going on at homee and I had a lot of work...

Why Do We Collect

Why Do We Collect

The Big QuestionWhy do we Collect Cameras?then we'll discuss something simple like "What is Art?"Do you ever wonder why you collect something? When I look at the 400 plus cameras I have acquired I certainly question it. My wife does not however. She feels it is simply...