It makes me sad....
When I realize that I was involved in much of the history of photography in the last 50 years or so. Makes me realize how hold I have become but, then again: getting old beats the heck out of the alternative. But I hate being remineded of my age...
Here's one type camera with which I actually shot pictures: 4x5" Graflex. This was a single lens reflex camera that was really a big fellow! Folks ask me why I don't mind carrying 3 DSLR's with three lenses when I am doing serious shooting. I tell them that the three DSLR camera/lens combinations are light compared with the equipment I once used. Beside the large size of the 4x5" cameras, the flash units were big and heavy and used flash bulbs. I would estimate that each 4x5" cut film holder weighed five or six ounces and each carried just two shots.
The still camera equipment was actually light-weight compared with motion picture equipment. When I entered the Navy's Combat Camera Group we had recently switched from 35mm motion picture equipment to 16mm. A roll of 100' 35mm motion picture film was a heavy load and ran through the camera really fast. The 400" loads were even bigger and heavier. I thought it was wonderful to shoot with a 16mm camera which probably weighed 35-40 pounds with tripod since it was much "lighter" than 35mm equipment used previously. We used to say "It takes a strong back and a weak mind to shoot motion pictures". Well, it took a strong back anyway.
By the way, that is a great link. I love it when "history" means "before my time"!
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