So I may have just spent more money than I should have but I got a honest to goodness good deal on this beast. This has been a dream camera of mine for many years and I always told myself that if I had the means and good deal came along I need to buy this camera. The camera I am speaking about if you don’t already know is a Pentax 6x7 MLU (mirror lock up) which was manufactured in 1976. The lens it came with is the second version of the legendary Super Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm F2.4 that I’ve probably been lusting over since I’ve been shooting film.
Now I haven’t gotten any film developed yet, but I just had to write something up about why I ended up pulling the trigger and spending a pretty penny on a film camera. This is hands down the most money I’ve spent on a film camera and I’m not going to lie I’m a little shook. That being said it was a sound purchase. First, I knew that if anything happened to the camera or if I end up hating it then I can sell it for more than I bought it for, which is always good. More importantly I know that if I was to ever make money on my film photography this would most likely be the way. It’s the aesthetic that I’m after and the quality that is unbeatable by digital (at least my stuff). For me these reasons are more than enough to take the risk and see what happens.
Like I said I haven’t actually got any film back from the camera, I’m actually currently shooting through the first roll but I just want to give my first impression of the camera. First this thing is really heavy and really big, mine weighs in at 5.5 pounds and is probably three times the size of my Nikon FM. It is really well built and feels rock solid, my copy has a partially cracked viewfinder which is a bummer but doesn’t cause any issues to the final image. The other thing that I need to worry about is that the shutter is triggered using a battery so if that dies so does the camera.
All I can say is that like all film cameras there are things to love and things to work around, but there is one reason that beats all others for purchasing this camera and that is It makes me what to shoot. I’m not sure exactly why but I’ve recently been having trouble getting myself outside and making images. With this camera I have been much more inspired to shoot. For me gear can be a catalyst for creativity and sometimes you just need to bite the bullet to help get over the lows that inevitably happen.
I will be sending film to be developed the second I get to St. Louis and I can’t wait to share the results with everyone!