Compact

  Over the last year I've dwelled over the idea of only using small point and shoot cameras. This is nothing new, and since before the age of digital I preferred compact film cameras. There's a freedom to using such a camera. They're simple, non-threatening, and don't weigh you down. My recent back issues made me speed up this transition.

  When I moved out of center city I tried to reinvent myself as a photographer, and for a while it worked, but I never stopped thinking about my decades old method of taking photos. And I've reached an age that I only want to work they way I prefer. Unencumbered, simple, and quick. 

  I was moving in this direction in 2020, but when the Ricoh GRD died a couple months after I purchased it on eBay, I became discouraged to say the least. Ongoing, there is a massive problem trying to buy used compact cameras. First, during the pandemic Gen Z discovered there were cameras that were not built into a phone. Then they began buying every compact camera they could get their hands on, which drove the prices sky high. A lot of the time these used cameras now can cost as much as when they were new. Then people tried to profit on this trend by buying what they could in thrift stores, yard sales, etc, only to list them at ridiculous prices on eBay. Real photographers are screwed.

  Then there's the quality issue. Two of the last three cameras I purchased had operational problems, even though they were listed as perfect. It becomes maddening when you have to keep returning cameras. At this point I've basically ruled out eBay for buying cameras, which doesn't leave many options open.

  Two of the cameras I now use are 20 years or older, so it's best to have several back ups around. Digital anything doesn't last forever, or even for that long anymore.

  Another annoying factor is the celebrity effect. When a well known photographer uses a camera, the prices seem to hover at asinine prices for the old technology. Even for cameras seriously beat up, or altogether not working. There are not enough four letter words in the English language to describe how stupid this is !

  I'm excited to get back to where I was, and I have my recent return to the subway with the Ricoh GRD to thank for it.