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Simple pleasures: Cameras and other analog pursuits which do not require batteries.

dave.gt

Well-known member
Really? Absolutely!

It is amazing that we still have the option to enjoy our daily lives with many life pursuits and passions without the need to have batteries, or even electricity.šŸ™‚

So letā€™s begin sharing images of what we enjoy that complement our passion for photography.

I will start with the obvious:

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dave.gt

Well-known member
With photography, there is always a lot of writing, some of which is important for shooting a meterless camera. šŸ™‚ And then there are endless reasons I want to use my fountain pen.

I miss my M6 (big logo). But not because it had a meter, it was just a really nice camera. My fountain pen was a nice match as I kept daily notes and did a lot of journaling with it.
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dave.gt

Well-known member
Reading. Books are free to borrow. You just have a smaller selection in Florida libraries.
Speaking of books, I may finally start a small collection of Leica and Hasselblad books. I always wanted a nice bookcase filled with interesting books about the history of these great products and the people behind them.

Hmmmā€¦ Thrift stores and estate sales would be interesting places to shop but that takes too much time, which, sadly, I have none available.

I may stop by our local library for a look.

Maybe some local research will result in a few books that I can enjoy instead of looking at a computer/iPhone screen.šŸ˜‡

Yes, books ā€¦ few things can be more relaxing on a rainy day, or late at night. Simple pleasure, right?
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I was originally thinking of finding a photo of my bicycle for this, but I've posted all of them too many times.
But a nice mechanical camera will do...

Minox B and Minox Tripod, folded
... and maybe a photo made with it ...

Balloons - San Jose 2020

Hmm.. Thinking of which, I'm on my way to NY for a week. I think I'll load a Minox and take it along. :D

Enjoy! G
 

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Shashin

Well-known member
Oooh. That's the hard way. No trigger releases, giant stabilizers, cams, or telescopic sights. I'd be lucky to hit the paper.
Just like photography: no autofocus, autoexposure, auto ISO, face detection, in-body stabilization... :LOL:

Barebow recurve is not that difficult. You just need a bit of practice and bigger targets. šŸ¹ šŸŽÆ
 

MartinN

Well-known member
Just joking, but I am happy that there is some cult in battery-less photo equipment. I got my 500ELX for almost nothing, compared to mechanical, and it uses ubiquitous AA cells. And my RZ and lenses, were cheap, and there was something about the 4LR44 battery involved. I leave RB for those battery allergic. And another bargain is the Fuji GX680.
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
Itā€™s strange for me at times, I never think of the batteries in the FM2n, or the Nikkormat FTNsā€¦ I guess it is because the button batteries last so long! But this recharging requirement of digital everything these days drives me nuts.

Keeping up with everything like: phones; cameras; iPad; countless personal and domestic gadgets; car battery in the old sedan which serves as our back-up transportation; and much more is a hassle and a certain stress at times. These are the things that creep into our lives and constrict our freedom of mind and body to a degree.

I have successfully resisted letting the garage be filled up with electric lawn mowers, trimmers, edger, blower, drills, and various car maintenance tools. And hopefully, I will not have to resort to electric vehicles before my ā€œUse by ______ā€ expiry date.šŸ˜‡

Ah, the mythical magical EV. Soon to be in everyoneā€™s garage, right? Great! Butā€¦ Not so fast, the poor, the aging living on Social Security, and the lower working class getting started with family and home, among many others, cannot buy an expensive new car, let alone an EV. They have to rely on old tech transportation.

We are among them. And yet I applaud the current efforts to move forward with mitigating climate change, pollution, etc. even though some are apparently misguided, like chasing rainbows because they are so attractive and seemingly easy.

But enough of that. Time will tell how the current world will change, and I am betting that collateral, unintended consequences will always be the devils we must wrestle.

Who was it? Who said that life is simple, but humans insist on making living complicated? LOLšŸ˜‚

Battery allergicā€¦ cool descriptive term, and interesting thoughts ariseā€¦ however, in my home, we survive each minute because of medical devices operated by batteries and literally, we can not live without them. Life is better with many things but I prefer to keep things in balance partly because of finances and means. We need a battery for the car. Sure. Butā€¦ We donā€™t need an electric wheelchair because I am the power behind that deviceā€¦ I push it. šŸ™‚ I am somewhat healthier because of the exercise!

Cameras are amazing these days. But I use a lot of film and enjoy the craft of film photography. Itā€™s all about ā€œbalanceā€ to me. I am somewhat healthier because of that, too!

Stress-free walks in the morning/afternoon are rarely done without my camera bag but it is rare that I actually shoot even a single frame. I prefer to just enjoy the physical experience of the walk, even if it is only 20 minutes.

And if I were able to take the time necessary to go to our local lake to cast my fly rod, I would be in a better place. No camera or battery required.

That old FM2n in my green Ruggedwear Domke bag uses a battery but it is hardly a frequent replacement item. And yet it has a simplicity and a charm of its own, in design and in use. When we were first married and starting a family, it was the only camera we had or could afford. Life was good!šŸ˜‡

Life is still good. I canā€™t think of a better digital camera for me than the Leica S 006. The only thing is, how do I keep it somewhat simple? šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™‚ļøā€¦ well, I use it all the time for florals, in the garden, so travel complications are a thing of the past. At least I have that.

Good news is ahead for the digital side of my daily life. There is a grand future plan for the S now that I have finally bought a new battery! Letā€™s see where I go with that! (My favorite photograph is always the Next Image!) Or book.šŸ™‚

Stay tuned!!!

And please offer your own strategies to keep things simple, to at least some degree!šŸ˜‚
 
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algrove

Well-known member
Gosh Dave, such prose. Well done. I could not write like that, but I do think the same. Since we have accepted some batteries in our life, especially in photography, I try to remember charging all my devices at the beginning of each month and top off the ones needed just before departing on a road trip.

It is true that we have so many different devices requiring battery power, I sometimes forget a few here and there.

Now don't get me started on passwords.
 
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