Looking through my old gear

[rpcrowe]

I have several older digital cameras (two Olympus and one Nikon) from the 1990's. The cameras like the Olympus 5050Z and a Nikon Coolpix) are not worth much money at all, yet they still take reasonably decent pictures.

I am going to set these cameras up with Vivitar 2500 Flash units ($10 to $20 on eBay) and equip them with a three dollar reflector/diffuser http://www.ebay.com/itm/111318455938...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.

The Vivitar 2500 can bounce and when using the reflector/diffuser will be able to produce quite reasonable photos of our rescue dogs. Especially if I set up the camera and flash into basically a point and shoot arrangement.

So, for about a total of sixty U.S. Dollars, I will have three reasonably decent bounce flash capable camera outfits to loan (or give) to our volunteers. This would be well worth it to me to upgrade the rescue dog images that I have been getting from our volunteers. I can make this into a kit and include fleece throw for background and a thin lead for controlling the dogs. And an instruction booklet on how to improve the dog images....

[tbob]

A good idea. I hope it gets you some decent images from the volunteers.

[rpcrowe]

I have purchased the first Vivitar 2500 (less than $20 USD) and will set it up with one of the older cameras...

[Shadowman]

Nice effort, I have a few older models that I let friends use when they get the desire to move up to move advanced digital cameras.

[IzzieK]

What a good idea, Richard! That will improve your volunteers' enthusiasm for photography too...you will have competition but your blog/web site will improve tremendously too with their submissions...

[shreds]

Old cameras....ahhh

I recently saw some Ilford FP4 for sale and for no particular reason (nostalgia maybe) I bought a roll. Whacked it in my old Nikon F801 (my last remaining Nikon film camera) and am using it in odd moments. Of course, I can't see the results yet, which is quite bizarre having become so used to using digital. Camera performing fine despite its lengthy retirement and makes all the right noises.

I do wonder what might happen if I did the same with the old Werramatic or even the Kodak 127 cameras?

As for flash, I killed my old Vivitar 285 through heavy overuse, fantastic for its day in the early 1980s, but I am quite content with the Nikon replacements in use now and the old flash might fry the electrics on a modern digital! Nostalgia indeed.

[shreds]

I have several older digital cameras (two Olympus and one Nikon) from the 1990's. The cameras like the Olympus 5050Z and a Nikon Coolpix) are not worth much money at all, yet they still take reasonably decent pictures.

I am going to set these cameras up with Vivitar 2500 Flash units ($10 to $20 on eBay) and equip them with a three dollar reflector/diffuser http://www.ebay.com/itm/111318455938...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.

The Vivitar 2500 can bounce and when using the reflector/diffuser will be able to produce quite reasonable photos of our rescue dogs. Especially if I set up the camera and flash into basically a point and shoot arrangement.

So, for about a total of sixty U.S. Dollars, I will have three reasonably decent bounce flash capable camera outfits to loan (or give) to our volunteers. This would be well worth it to me to upgrade the rescue dog images that I have been getting from our volunteers. I can make this into a kit and include fleece throw for background and a thin lead for controlling the dogs. And an instruction booklet on how to improve the dog images....

interesting.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusc5050z

[lukaswerth]

I somehow never sell stuff. I once, back around the turn of the millennium, gave my old, that is first 35mm equipment to an old friend as a present. I have some old lenses of Nikon and Sigma (from a time when my funds were short), recently dug them out: the lenses of one Sigma zoom, a 28-70 or something like that, from the 90ties, into which once an oil drop from a tuna sandwich had gone before I was able to wipe it away, had come apart. I am loosely planning to try using this as a frame for another lens I once cannibalized from an old Kodak 6x6 instant camera from the 50ties (about 60-65mm focal lenth), and I want to try this on my d800e. Should be fun.

Lukas

[JR1]

great idea best of luck

[rpcrowe]

I still have an old Vivitar 285 and a Vivitar 283 which in their day were quite decent flash units. I can't seem to bear selling them for the ten or fifteen dollars I would get. The old 285 units have an astronomically high sync voltage. However, I also have a couple of "peanut" slave adapters for the hotshoe which negates the need for a physical attachment between camera and flash.

The 283/285 series flashes also have a wonderful reflector accessory which uses a reflector about 8x10 inches or so and produces great light. I also like the way that the 285 (don't remember about the 283 - I'll have to look at it) has a battery tray that allows the quick change of the four AA batteries.

Additionally I have a SunPak 120J with battery pack. That is still a wonderful flash and capable of bare bulb work, Unfortunately, it doesn't have high speed sync capability. However, the 120J was one of my favorite flashes for wedding work. The bare bulb produces wonderfully soft lighting because it bounces off everything...

I sometimes think (I know darn well) that I am a hoarder of old photo gear. Well, at least I have gotten rid of all my old film gear...

[James G]

I don't usually keep 'old' gear. It always seemed to get passed to my brother, my nephew, or to other friends who are interested in photography. It also allows me a delusion of virtue when it come to acquiring more gear etc.

The exception though is my Zenit E, circa 1967, which was my first ever SLR (took me 6 months and slave labour to get the money together... I was still at school). I have never loaned it to anyone, and cannot see me ever giving it away.

I put a roll of HP5 in about 4 months ago, processed the roll myself and then scanned the negatives. Without a doubt, digital is entirely better.... I think..... but I did get one big buzz out of using the Zenit... heavy, loud, and it did frighten the ducks....

[royphot]

Do remember about the high sync voltages on many older flash units. I have 2 Vivitar 283s, and one, has a trigger voltage around 300 volts, which is more than enough to fry a modern digital camera.

[IzzieK]

Richard, how many volunteers do you have in your outfit that you think need or would like to try to use of some old DSLR. I still have my Olympus 510 which I have not touched for quite some time and would like to donate it to your cause if you will let me...It can also come with a sort of flash unit called Light Scoop if it will fit the camera, I will throw it in with 2 lenses (I think I have a minimum of 2 lenses that I used before, maybe three???). I think I saw Elmer and Elsie at Maltese Rescue California Facebook. Is that your outfit?

Oh btw, the camera comes with the manual.

[rpcrowe]

Yes, I have one volunteer in particular who could really benefit from a better camera than she is presently using (I believe that she is shooting with an old cell phone).

Yes, Maltese Rescue California is our organization.

Here is Eldad Hagar, of Hope for Paws, filming Elmer and Elsie on my patio...




Judy and I worked to get Elmer and Elsie adopted. The house and yard in the YouTube video is ours. Elmer and Elsie's furever parents flew from Minnesota to San Diego specifically to adopt the siblings.

Some background on us: we were originally part of the American Kennel Club, American Maltese Association Rescue. However, there were some major philosophical differences in opinion about whom we should and could rescue. The breed club wanted only pure bred Maltese rescued. We knew that there were many Maltese mix and other small dogs out there who needed their lives saved. So a number of our volunteers in Southern California, my wife and I included, split off from the breed rescue group and formed our own organization, naming it: Maltese Rescue California.

During our first year as an independent group, we rescued over 270 dogs. If we continue on the same pace, we will have rescued more than three hundred dogs during our second year.

We would gratefully accept your kind offer to donate the camera. Since our organization is a tax exempt 501(c)3 non profit agency, you could deduct the value of the outfit from your federal taxes (if you itemize your taxes). I will be happy to send you a receipt...

I will also be happy to reimburse you for the postage.

I am sending you a private message with the address to which you can send the outfit.

Thanks for your generosity...

[IzzieK]

I will prepare the items as soon as daylight to send as soon as I can while I can still use both eyes. Early next week will be a bummer for a week being a one-eye Jack...LOL