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We live in the golden age of film. Every time I try out a new film, I am amazed by the possibilities it offers. In addition to a wealth of new emulsions, we still have Plus-X, Tri-X, HP-5, and Kodachrome—the master films of the twentieth century. We can even get new film in old sizes such as 127 and 9x12cm. This variety of stock affords opportunities to combine old cameras with new film to produce qualities heretofore unseen. It is probably possible, through experimentation, to find modern film that brings out the best in a particular example of older optics. (As mentioned earlier, you might find that Fuji’s Velvia does wonderful things with a low-contrast lens such as the Tessar on a Contaflex.)
In recommending older optics, I am not slighting the new ones. I know what marvelous results can come from the latest lenses. However, I also think that contemporary lenses have the same design goals: high contrast and sharpness, with minimal aberration. Those are worthy goals, to put it mildly, but their current attainment may not be pleasing to everyone, nor do such goals allow for the individual tastes of a lens designer. Older lenses give you alternatives.
Another point to remember: As digital is pushing in, the prices for older equipment have dropped. This will not last, but for now you can—on a modest budget—own the very best cameras of past decades. When you have these cameras in hand, you see why they were so well regarded. The excellence is still there: the design ingenuity, the craftsmanship, the fine materials. You feel confident when you are using them, as you feel when using the best of any technology.
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The other benefit definitely grows from nostalgia—but not the photographer’s. You find, when you use vintage gear in public, that people will approach you with a smile to say hello and to admire your camera. Clearly, they are happy to see some almost-forgotten piece of equipment still kept carefully, still used seriously. Perhaps it relieves their sense that—as Tennessee Williams put it—time rushes past us as if screaming. Perhaps it reminds them of a relative who used the equipment, or of some occasion when they were young and saw that camera in action. For whatever reason, the sight of a vintage camera makes some people glad; and if you are open to it, their pleasure will gladden you.
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