Oh, what a fun thread! I didn't rummage back into the far past to find photos of my Nikon D70, D200, D300 and D2x, D2XS and D3, but I know that there are images somewhere in my archives, just as there are of the Nikon SLRs which preceded them and the series of Coolpixes that I enjoyed and used, too, for a while. I loved those Nikon DSLRs, which brought me back into the world of using SLR and through-the-lens photography again with the new digital approach. While the shooting experience felt much the same, there now was no more darkroom, but instead, figuring out the challenges of working with images in the computer.
As it happened, about a year or so ago when cleaning out a closet I ran across my very first introduction to digital photography, the Coolpix 900, which I kept for sentimental reasons, and so before putting her away again snapped a photo:
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Moving forward into more current times, it's a bit easier to find images of my favorites, starting with the Sony RX10 IV, which really got me back into photography after having a bit of a hiatus. I had bought this camera for a specific trip and had the vague idea that maybe I'd use it once in a while around home.....and to my surprise found myself using it more and more and rediscovering the joy of photography as I did so. The MR POTD thread and the RX10 IV by re-igniting the flame within, gently brought me back "home" to something which I've always loved: taking photographs.
One day, fooling around, I did a sort of "glamor" shot of the RX10, but this doesn't really show her assets. I bought this camera in the summer of 2018 and still use her often as a grab-and-run-out-to-the-deck camera to capture some action going on in the lake. This camera will always be a favorite, even though she eventually made it clear to me that I needed to get back to more "serious" cameras, the kind with interchangeable lenses.....
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Much as I love the RX10 IV there definitely are limitations and there were certain kinds of shots I wasn't able to get. Macro in particular. I could get great closeups but that just isn't the same. I used my Nikon gear and my old Sony NEX-7 occasionally but was getting the itch for something new, current and up-to-date. I was already hooked on Mirrorless, and it was obviously the direction in which camera manufacturers were going, so I quickly dismissed the idea of buying a new Nikon DSLR. The problem was, though, that Nikon at that time didn't have any mirrorless offerings. There were plenty of rumors about something coming eventually. Ehhhh... To make a long story short more than a year had passed between the time I initially started thinking about new gear and the time I actually bought anything, because I wanted to wait to see what Nikon would be offering and also what others were offering, too. The RX10 IV and I spent a lot of time together while I explored where I wanted to go next and with what gear.
The upshot of this was that one day in late November of 2019 I made a trip to one of the local camera shops we have in this area, after having already sent an email with a listing of what I had and the staff there returning a preliminary estimate of trade-in value. I already knew that I needed to go full-tilt with this, rather than trying to run two systems. I'd already seen how much of my gear sat in the bags while I was out running around shooting with the mirrorless NEX-7 or the RX10 IV. I figured, best to just take the plunge all the way, go with ONE current mirrorless system. So, the Nikon gear and the old Sony NEX-7 left the house and didn't come back. Instead, when I walked in the front door a few hours later I had several boxes containing a Sony A7R IV and three lenses. Aieeee!!!!
The first day with the new A7R IV and her three lenses (shot with the RX10 IV, who was somewhat surprised at these new members of the family): camera body plus two macro lenses and a fast mid-tele prime. Today, that A7R IV and the 90mm f/2.8 macro are still a combination that I reach for frequently: they just seem made for each other.
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Time moved on and much as I love the A7R IV, there were times when shooting wildlife that I wished for something just a bit faster, capable of more fps and such in burst mode. I was vaguely beginning to consider adding an A9 or A9 II to the family when Sony announced the A1. Ahhhhh....as soon as I read the description of its functionality and features, I knew that one would be my next camera. Took a while before it came into the household, given its popularity and in the beginning slow availability, not to mention, ahem, the cost as well.
The day finally came when the A1 became a member of the household, and I love, love, love this camera so much! She heads the list when it comes to ranking the favorites, but in reality each camera is a favorite precisely because of its unique features and functions which suit the way that I like to shoot and the situations in which I see photographic possibilities.
The A1 happily posed for photos, including the ubiquitous camera-body-on-box image, shot by her older. sister, the A7R IV.
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The A7R IV happily stays home these days and mainly shoots macros with her beloved 90mm or maybe a Voigtlander macro lens mounted on her, while the A1 is delighted to be the one to go out-and-about for walks around the neighborhood, usually with her favorite lens, the 100-400mm, mounted. The A1 and the 100-400mm make a great team, especially when we spot Alfred somewhere along the way......
So, yes, through the years I have had a lot of special cameras (starting with the Brownie Hawkeye when I was about eight years old!) and each has earned its own unique place in my heart. What I have now are wonderful cameras but I still cherish the memories of their predecessors, too.
