Why I Love My Cameras
by Amanda on February 6, 2010
Apart from the obvious which is allowing me to shoot some photographs and making them look pretty, I love my cameras for their funny little quirks. When you spend as much time with a camera like I do, you start to think of them as friends, confidantes, secret keepers and often times, like your own children.
My latest family member is my Polaroid SLR680 and it has got to be one of the funniest cameras I have ever owned. No, it doesn’t tell me jokes, but shooting with it often ends in giggles. Usually the photographer controls the camera but in this case, this camera controls me. I have absolutely no say in where the Polaroids will end up once I press the shutter button.
It has a mind of its own and for some reason when I press click, instead of slowly ejecting the Polaroid which is supposed to remain in the camera, the Polaroid shoots itself out of the camera like a cannon ball. I never know whether to try to grab it quickly, run after it or giggle. One must be very careful when shooting around snow, puddles and sand. I have already lost a few Polaroids to snow diving suicide missions. I may have been seen chasing a Polaroid across the sand on the beach in Hawaii. Thankfully a nice lady caught one for me.
Yes, this Polaroid shooting is a dangerous business. If you ever find yourself with a cannon ball shooting Polaroid, be mindful of these things:
- wind and water are your enemies.
- you may end up with wonky shots because you will attempt the “shoot and catch” move that I myself am becoming most skilled at.
Do your cameras have any funny, little quirks that you’ve come to love?
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15 Responses to “Why I Love My Cameras”
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This made me laugh – my SLR680 does the same thing! Silly little camera. I’m always in danger of my little puppy getting to the Polaroid before I do.
My diana mini is making a cute little shift to the right whenever I push the shutter handle. This makes my pictures a little out of focus and sometimes a little weird angled. I sometimes catch myself doing the same thing when I take a picture, just bend my right knee a little. ;)
Ps. I just bought an olympus PEN EP1! I’m waiting for it to be delivered tomorrow, and I can hardly wait to get out there with it! :)
hahaha
that really sounds like a fun experience.
Vanessa, I had no idea, maybe it’s a thing all SLR680s do! How weird! haha @ your puppy.
Mausumi! You lucky girl!! I can’t wait to see what you do with it. It’s funny the things we do to compensate for these quirks. :)
Sara, it’s funny but kind of annoying too lol
my camera behaves but i find that i have about a 5 degree head tilt to the right when i snap which causes me to have to compensate in lightroom
haha that is so funny!
it would make me giggle too :)
Pearl xo
I have a Diana+ in my collection and I never know what will be on the photo. I usually end up with approximately half of what I intended to shoot on film. I love it. It’s fun!!!
my cutest camera is a little Yashica ME that I adore, but you can only focus it by little pictures on the focus ring i.e. face, person, 2 people and a mountain, and no way of telling thru the viewfinder if it’s right. I’m ALWAYS forgetting to move the ring and have tons of blurred photos taken with it! Duh!
you are so cute – this is so well written! (‘snow diving suicide missions’ – HA!)
i’m always talking about holga as if she was my child…she’s so sensitive + finicky, i always watch what i say around her!
thanks for making me smile this morning :)
Suzie, it must be something about those Yashicas. I have a Yashica FX3 which is pretty hit and miss. The only lens I have on it is really wobbly and sometimes it focuses, sometimes it doesn’t.
hehe thanks Janis. I’m glad I amuse someone.
Thanks for commenting Jenny, Charlane and Pearl!
This was delightful to read! I like my Spectra with how it shakes and does the loud whoosh sound as if it were sticking it’s big tongue out with a Polaroid.
I just bought one, I’ll see how quickly it spits the film out :)
I took my SX-70 out hiking this weekend and upon opening it….that quirky Polaroid took two shots that I swear were of the camera’s doing. I think this because one of the frames of the sky and pine tree was actually quite interesting. I just found your blog and will return…
My 680 does the same thing. I’ve only lost one, on a windy day. It flew into the ocean!
My cameras have their quirks, but thankfully Polaroid long jump isn’t one of them. Though when I was shooting on the ferry this weekend I was scared that the wind might come and steal the Polaroid right out of the camera! Thankfully, it didn’t.
It’s funny how you get used to those little quirks and adapt to it.