Nikon FG

I had been planning to buy a film camera for a while now and today I finally did it! I'm really excited about this one.

It's a Nikon FG and the guy I bought it from had kept really good care of it. In addition to the camera, I got three lenses for the camera (Nikon Series E 50mm, Nikon Series E 36-72mm and a Vivitar 75-205mm f/3.8), a MD-14 motor drive, all the original documentation (warranty papers, instruction manuals in english and finnish and a brochure) and a lovely leather case which can fit all the above equipment in it.

This is going to be my summer project - I'm planning to learn how to develop the films myself... :D

My dad asked me, why in the world did I decide I wanted to "downgrade" back to film photography, and that got me thinking: "Really, what is it that makes me so excited about taking on this project? Is it the authenticity of film photography, or is it the fact that by shooting on film and developing it myself, I will connect with my photos more intimately?"

I found this quote by McLuhan:

"The medium is the message"

I think the above quote really states what I believe I'm doing by taking on this project... I believe that the photographer who picks up a digital camera and blithely starts shooting is deluding himself when he thinks that he is doing essentially the same thing as he did with film, only more efficiently.

Nathan Jones states that:

"The essential nature of the digital image is that it is easy to make, ephemeral and disposable. Rational people generally regard things that have these qualities as having no value."

The medium is the message. And the message of the digital image is that it is not worth anything. This is not a good starting point for anyone venturing seriously into photography. And that is why I'm taking on this project.

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