I am a long time amateur photographer who was revived by the digital revolution. I did my own B&W processing a long time ago, in a place far away. I learned photography while on a guided tour of SE Asia with an Asahi Pentax SV and then Spotmatic, which seemed almost decadent with its internal meter. But life, the university, and a low paying job interrupted keeping a darkroom. So slides were what I did for a long time. At 70 years old now, I decided, about a decade or so ago, that it was then or never to make the move to digital. I would be too old to adapt if I waited any longer. Same for the expense. Sometimes the cost does not matter now, even though the cost does matter. It is still now or never. Digital has been a lot of fun, time, and study.
I was drawn to the original Nikongear site because I recognized intelligent reviews and conversations about lenses, and occasionally cameras -- both vintage and new. I was expanding from some inherited Nikkor AI'd manual lenses, some of which were more than 30 years old, and those lenses formed the rationale for my decision to go with a Nikon D70s. Now a recent D810 complicates my life in a wonderful way, and I have more gear than I can carry into the woods.
I am about to retire from a 40 year career as a "poverty law" attorney. That is, one who has represented indigent persons for my entire career. I belong to a wonderful camera club, in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, called the "Grand Canyon Photography Club." And, I have no clue what I shall be able to contribute to retain membership past the retention period.
