1982

SELF | NOV 28, 2010 | swampsniper

[SWAMPSNIPER]

From the 1982 Sears catalog. A lot of this stuff is still around and still going strong, they really don't make them like they used to. I gave my 1983 Minolte XG-M a check last tonight, still in great shape, but I've worn out 3 digital cameras in the last 10 years. The XG-M was close to 300 bucks in 83 though, it would be expensive to make today

[humblegunner]

How do you plug them into your computer though?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Pinglist

[COBOL2Java]

Sears marketed some interesting private-label stuff. In 1977 they made a video game system, called the Tele-Games Pinball Breakaway:

[Fantasywriter]

Hi, Swampsniper. I thought of you yesterday. I was riding my bike under a railroad bridge and a humongous bird came blasting past me. It sailed on for a few hundred more yards and landed on the ground. When I got closer I saw that it was a huge red-tailed hawk, sitting there with its wings fully spread. It also had a live squirrel in its talons. I’m squeamish, so I averted my eyes. If it had been you, we would have had the most gorgeous pics by now. ;)

[Seven plus One]

Stop in and look at Sears

Shop from the book at Sears

Pick up the phone and talk to Sears

'Cause Sears has everything!

[Domandred]

I still have that Canon AE-1 and a bunch of lenses for it in a box somewhere

[meyer]

I have a Canon A-1, and an FT-QL, along with a few lenses in Canon’s old FD mount. Also have a film Elan II in the newer EOS mount system. Haven’t shot any of them in a few years. I might mess around with the A-1 some time. It is a very good camera.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Dig them out and use them.

[rdl6989]

I used to have a Pentax K100 which was one of the best cameras I ever owned. I use a Nikon N-80 now. One of these years I’m going to move up to a DSLR.

[bicyclerepair]

Minolta Maxxum AF, 1980, every option, works like new.

Canon A-1 w/extra lenses, works like new.

Recently used in Alaska (08). The film developer wrote on my envelopes that they were awesome pictures.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I love my DSLR but some variety is fun. My old Minolta is just a nice machine to use and pretty to look at. Many of the old lenses are works of art on their owm, beautiful machine work.
I just picked up an 80-200 f4 for the Minolta, 10 bucks, looks like new. It’s a nice cheap hobby if you know how to shop.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I have 3 Maxxum lenses I use on my Sony, a 35-70 f4, a 70-210 f4 and a 75-300 f4.5~5.6. Sharp, great colors and hard to wear out.

[Raven6]

I still have my Minolta XG-M as well. For anyone that still enjoys shootinting the old Minolta cameras, I suggest you get it cleaned and reworked with new gaskets, as the gasket kits are starting to disappear (at least in my area.)

For all of the technology found in the newer digital SLRs, I still enjoy my old XG-M. Sure, our Nikon D-5000, is a great camera... But shooting with an old manual versus a new digital SLR is (to me) comparable to painting with oils on canvas versus using Microsoft's "Paintbrush". Using either you have to have an eye for what is visually pleasing, but you have to have a real "artist's hand" to be creative with the former...

Regards,
Raven6

[JoeProBono]

[6SJ7]

Just googled and found people have uploaded images of various past Sears catalog "Wish Books". Here is the 1980 version. Cool.

[Red_Devil 232]

This is my old Camera. Bought it at the Base PX in Iwakuni, Japan around 1970-1971 time frame.

Nikkormat FTn

An all-metal, mechanically (springs, gears, levers) controlled, manual focus SLR with match-needle exposure control.

 

[SWAMPSNIPER]

You can get seal kits on Ebay. Mine are still in decent shape. High temperatures are hard on them, got to be careful about that.

[tubebender]

I still have my K2 Pentax and a few lenses and filters etc. I hope I took the battery out of it.

I got rid of all the older screw mount equipment to a collector...

[abb]

Here was the best thing of all in 1982.