I used to be a purist.

I loved my old Nikon FE.  It was a heavy, durable, almost-professional grade camera that I’d gotten as a going-away present when I left in college for Semester at Sea.  I was going to Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Egypt,  Greece, Spain, and other countries.  I enjoyed photography generally, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  

So I got a heavy duty, durable camera.  And I was loyal to that camera for decades. I shot everything Manual. Everything had to be painstakingly adjusted.  Film speed/ASA, F stop, aperture, shutter speed, all considering the lighting conditions and the desired mood.

It lasted from 1980 and thousands of photos until 1990 when my first son was born.

Kids move fast!

By the time I got the camera setting adjusted, he wasn’t being cute any more. Frankly, he wasn’t even in the same room.

In 1990, my wife got me a Canon Rebel for my birthday.  I initially resisted.  Digital? Digital was for amateurs.  Automatic settings?  For backyard beginners who bought their camera because Andre Agassi was advertising it on TV.

But I had to admit, the pictures came out great.  More importantly, you got the shot you wanted, because the camera did all the work.  And you can’t argue with results.

Hey, live and learn.