Tweet
I am originally from South Africa, but have lived in Australia since 1994.
My interest in photography started when my grandmother gave me one of these as a sixth birthday present:
Kodak 127 'Brownie' by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
That camera was followed by a Kodak Instamatic 33, which served me through University (Civil Engineering) and National Service days. Then, while I was working in the then Rhodesia in 1980 and watching it turn into Zimbabwe, I realised that I was living through history and should really be documenting what I saw photographically. I scraped together enough money to buy myself my first SLR. - An Olympus OM2N. While working in Zimbabwe and even after my return to South Africa, I travelled all over Southern Africa extensively. - Always with my OM-2N in tow.
Victoria Falls by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
Troutbeck Inn by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
Initially, I used KodakColor 100 colour negative film, but I started using Kodachrome 64 and Kodachrome 25 slide film in the mid-1980s as, in my opinion, printed photographs are pictures, while viewing a slide is like looking through a window. This decision proved to be inspired as, in January 1985, our house was flooded and most of my photographs and negatives were destroyed...... Except for my slides, which were all in trays on top of a cupboard.
In 1994, while working in New Zealand, I traded in the old Olympus OM2N for a Nikon F50D. In hindsight, this was a mistake. - Not that there was anything wrong with the Nikon, it was just that I felt a bit of a traitor disposing of my old travelling companion. I have never sold any camera of mine since that date. Old ones are now retired to my Old Camera Museum in my lounge room.
I could see that the days of film photography were coming to an end and so I decided that, when a digital camera with at least 3 megapixel resolution became available for under AUD 1,000 I would get one.
In late 2005, I bought this:
P1070106 by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
Then followed an Olympus E-300 and an Olympus E-3. Then, when Olympus chose to discontinue their 4/3 DSLR cameras, thus rendering all of my great 4/3 lenses unusable (or so I thought), I "spat the dummy" and bought a Canon EOS 6D together with a fair variety of "Red Ring" lenses. Then, when Olympus released the OM-D E-M1, with phase detection autofocus, I bought one together with an Olympus MMF-3 adaptor so that I could use my old 4/3 lenses effectively on my new camera.
Here is what an Olympus OM-D E-M1 looks like when paired with a Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 APO DG (BIGMA) lens through an MMF-3 adaptor:
Olympus OM-D E-M1 with Sigma 50-500mm (BIGMA) lens by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
I kept the Canon for use when lighting conditions were "challenging", but started using the E-M1 more and more outdoors when the lighting conditions were good. The Olympus mirrorless cameras and their compact, light lenses were just so much easier to carry around.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 was replaced by an E-M1 Mk II, which was then replaced by an E-M1 Mk III, which was then replaced by an OM System (Olympus) OM-1 in March 2022.
I am now on the verge of retirement and will probably use the time I have left to travel all over Australia. I have already travelled extensively, but there is so much more to see. I am looking for suggestions on where to go next.
My interest in photography started when my grandmother gave me one of these as a sixth birthday present:
Kodak 127 'Brownie' by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
That camera was followed by a Kodak Instamatic 33, which served me through University (Civil Engineering) and National Service days. Then, while I was working in the then Rhodesia in 1980 and watching it turn into Zimbabwe, I realised that I was living through history and should really be documenting what I saw photographically. I scraped together enough money to buy myself my first SLR. - An Olympus OM2N. While working in Zimbabwe and even after my return to South Africa, I travelled all over Southern Africa extensively. - Always with my OM-2N in tow.
Victoria Falls by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
Troutbeck Inn by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
Initially, I used KodakColor 100 colour negative film, but I started using Kodachrome 64 and Kodachrome 25 slide film in the mid-1980s as, in my opinion, printed photographs are pictures, while viewing a slide is like looking through a window. This decision proved to be inspired as, in January 1985, our house was flooded and most of my photographs and negatives were destroyed...... Except for my slides, which were all in trays on top of a cupboard.
In 1994, while working in New Zealand, I traded in the old Olympus OM2N for a Nikon F50D. In hindsight, this was a mistake. - Not that there was anything wrong with the Nikon, it was just that I felt a bit of a traitor disposing of my old travelling companion. I have never sold any camera of mine since that date. Old ones are now retired to my Old Camera Museum in my lounge room.
I could see that the days of film photography were coming to an end and so I decided that, when a digital camera with at least 3 megapixel resolution became available for under AUD 1,000 I would get one.
In late 2005, I bought this:
P1070106 by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
Then followed an Olympus E-300 and an Olympus E-3. Then, when Olympus chose to discontinue their 4/3 DSLR cameras, thus rendering all of my great 4/3 lenses unusable (or so I thought), I "spat the dummy" and bought a Canon EOS 6D together with a fair variety of "Red Ring" lenses. Then, when Olympus released the OM-D E-M1, with phase detection autofocus, I bought one together with an Olympus MMF-3 adaptor so that I could use my old 4/3 lenses effectively on my new camera.
Here is what an Olympus OM-D E-M1 looks like when paired with a Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 APO DG (BIGMA) lens through an MMF-3 adaptor:
Olympus OM-D E-M1 with Sigma 50-500mm (BIGMA) lens by Laurence Griffiths, on Flickr
I kept the Canon for use when lighting conditions were "challenging", but started using the E-M1 more and more outdoors when the lighting conditions were good. The Olympus mirrorless cameras and their compact, light lenses were just so much easier to carry around.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 was replaced by an E-M1 Mk II, which was then replaced by an E-M1 Mk III, which was then replaced by an OM System (Olympus) OM-1 in March 2022.
I am now on the verge of retirement and will probably use the time I have left to travel all over Australia. I have already travelled extensively, but there is so much more to see. I am looking for suggestions on where to go next.
Comment