I started out in film photography in 2003 using a little Nikon F-601, and to many people (including me) the pinnacle of SLRs in the Nikon world is the F3HP.
Built like a tank, this thing will outlive me, I’m sure of it.
The mirror slap of an SLR feels a bit anachronistic at this point. I simply haven’t used a camera with a mirror in years.
With a good old tank camera and a good lens (I love the 28mm f2.8), it’s like being reacquainted with an old friend. Or riding a bike for the first time in a long while. There’s something in muscle memory, and all the pleasures of the thing you loved come back quite quickly.
I’ve not had such a nice film SLR, though. Even as dated as it is today, it is a joy to use. Everything about it feels right.
More on this after I get back my first roll from this baby.
