Hello earthling photographers...

[phonehom]

My photography story:

Started photography in the early 1980s with Kodachrome 64 & 25, a Pentax MX (a fantastic manual SLR camera), and unfortunately a 35-70mm zoom (should have began with a fixed, fast lens). Those MX bodies eventually gave up the ghost. After zero photography for a couple years, began using one-time-use cameras (negative film) inorder to keep practicing the art. Surprisingly, those disposables allowed for some great images. Great images, but the image quality was lacking, so upgraded to the Olympus Stylis Epic compact film camera with fixed 35mm f/2.8 lens; and later occassional use of a used Pentax K1000 (that didn't appreciate 1/60th second *note#1*) allowing the use of my favorite lens: 100mm Macro. Believing I was the second last person to switch to digital, in August 2003 I acquired a Panasonic TZ3. It was only a few months before My 'style of photography' adapted to the abilities AND Limitations of this new/particular digital device (now has over 288,000 exposures on its 'odometer').

Dec 2010: I still await for a dSLR that can match the Usability and the Compact size of the old Pentax MX before I enter the digital-SLR life...

*note#1* - If the old K1000 used 1/60th sec, the mirror would lock in the Up position. This started what I call my "Blind Man Photography" exercise 8-) -- because the next exposure had to be done without use of the viewfinder (no aim, no composition) and no use of the light meter (thou from the years of Kodachrome I had developed an un-canny sense of light/exposure).