My Photographic Journey

February 8, 2021.

I am Will Pope of York, Pennsylvania. I started my photographic journey while serving in the US Navy, sea duty, in the Mediterranean. The Navy would allow sales agents from several camera companies to pedal their products on board for a day. A shipmate of mine encouraged me to purchase a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic camera with a Super-Takumar f/1.4 50mm lens. I later purchased a Takumar 200mm from another shipmate who had made an impulse buy and then needed the cash. A macro lens was soon to follow. I recorded my time in Italy and Malta on many slides and photos.

Near the end of my service, I purchased a small Petri 35mm camera, the Color 35. The built in Petri lens is a 40mm f/2.8. There is an internal exposure meter. It was fun to use and small enough to fit easily into a pocket. I still have this camera.

After I married, my wife bought me a Mamiya C330 twin-lens reflex camera with a Mamiya-Sekor DS 105mm f/3.5 lens. She asked her Marine cousin to purchase it while in Japan. The camera’s size and weight did not fit my preferred shooting style. The camera saw use, but I used the Spotmatic more. I still have this camera.

When we bought our first home, I set up a darkroom in the basement and used an inexpensive enlarger and the darkroom accessories needed to develop and print black and white prints. What a blast that was.

Unfortunately, emergencies pop-up and we needed money for repairs. I found someone at my new job that showed interest in photography. I sold him my darkroom equipment, with the Spotmatic camera and lenses. A very painful experience, indeed.

A few years later, at another job, a fellow employee had a 35mm camera that he wanted to sell. After getting it checked by a professional, I purchased the camera, a Pentax SF1 with a Pentax-F 50mm f/1.7 lens. I still have this camera.

With the increasing cost of film and developing, my interest in digital cameras increased. They captured little detail, just good enough for a web page. That led me to purchase a Minolta DiMAGE S404, which included a “whopping” 4-megapixel sensor. I used it in the southern Appalachians, where the camera performed well.

Tired of 4-megapixels, I purchased a small point and shoot camera with 5X optical zoom capabilities, an Olympus VG-160 with a 14-megapixel sensor. It is a compact camera that easily fits into my pants pocket. I still use this camera and can carry it just about everywhere.

A couple of years later, I needed to purchase a bullet-proof camera as a Christmas gift for my youngest daughter; I found another point and shoot camera that fit the bill. It is the Fujifilm FINEPIX XP120. The camera is waterproof down to 65ft (20m) and is shock proof up to a 5.8ft (1.75m) drop. I liked it so much that I purchased one for myself. The XP120 is handy in harsh weather.

Now retired, I wanted to get more serious about my photography. I searched for a decent camera in various reviews and ventured the Fujifilm path. The external controls on their cameras gave a feeling I was back using my Spotmatic. I love it. I decided on the less expensive X-T30 with the Fuji 18-55mm zoom lens. The next lens I bought was a Laowa (65mm) f/2.8 2X ultra macro lens to satisfy my need to get up close. I now have a Fuji wide-angle (14mm), a Fuji telephoto zoom (55-200mm), a Samyang fisheye (8mm), and a Bower (500mm) mirror lens.

Of course, the tripod, bag, and all the other items soon followed.