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To her discomfort and undoubted dismay, my wife has witnessed my discovery of eBay. In the past two months I have won bids on three used lenses, all screw-mount Pentax Super-Takumars: a 50mm f1.4, 35mm f2, and 135mm f3.5. The total cost: less than $150 USD. The lenses all arrived safely, and all were in good condition, ready for use.
The reason for the purchases was that I had acquired (been given, actually) an "old beater" -- a working Honeywell Pentax H1a 35mm SLR that predates the Spotmatic, has no built in metering, and has shutter speeds only to 1/500. Old Beaters are cameras that are past their prime, in most eyes, and have been left behind in the wake of "progress". Castaways, if you will. And as the tidal wave of digital sweeps through every boulevard and alleyway of photography, more and more older film cameras are destined for the midden heaps of garage sales, pawn shops, uncles' closets, and auction sites. To younger photographers these items may look like the jetsam of the past, but to those of us who grew up with them, many of these cameras and lenses are old friends and acquaintances. Nothing to do with sentimentality (that's not entirely true but pretend it's so), there are treasures out there: early Nikons, Leicas, Canons, Hasselblads, Pentaxes galore, Contaxes, Minolta SRT's, Olympuses, Besselers, Fujicas, Ricohs, Rolleis, Yashicas, Voigtlanders, Kowas, Bronicas, Kodaks, Arguses, Zorkis, well ... you get the drift.
Why would anyone want to bother with these old beaters, assuming they're in working condition? The simplest answer is that many of these cameras and their lenses were, and still are, very, very good. The solid mechanical workmanship of the bodies and the respectable lens quality offer excellent value and good shooting. They're bargains, and they're fun to use.
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I personally think this visceral hit occurs more often with older cameras. There is something in the heft and feel of older, mechanical cameras that is missing from many of the newer polycarbonate models. Some of these new cameras are superb instruments, to be sure, and are just what the professional needs, but they don't bring the same aesthetic to the table. Call it "design as art form" or even "form follows function", many older cameras are beautiful machines you can enjoy and savor like a single-malt scotch or a fine red wine. Some are not so beautiful, but have a scruffy personality that makes them endearing. And they still take good pictures. And they're cheap (Leicas being a notable exception). So in addition to being a literal description, "Old Beater" is also a term of affection and endearment. If the term bothers you, you can use the more upscale term "Heritage Camera", but "Old Beater" suits me fine.
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