Press Photography Kits Through the Ages of My Career --

[pentaxpete]

I got a Braun Hobby Electronic Flash for the equivalent of £14 new when I was a Soldier in Germany in 1958 and over here with Taxes they were £39 quids -- then after the Army I started doing a bit of work for local newspapers - I used my CONTAX III at first then a IIIa   then in 1961 my First ASAHI PENTAX S3  but all the Press Snappers were using ROLLEIFLEXES  snapping The Beatles at the  Airport with their BraunHobby Flashes over their shoulders ! I  knew a local member of Rotary Club TONY who had a newsagents shop -  one day he said " I have got a ROLLEIFLEX off Chief Photographer of the Romford Recorder Peter White"  in a 'Gloating Tone' as he knew I could never afford a Rolleiflex . I offered to check it out free but he would never let me see it . Some  years later I got a Phone call "  Peter , do you know TONY DIED and I have somd Old Rubbish of his if you want it " -- so I RUSHED there and Widow brougt out a Dusty Old Box -- Oh D ear - if WIFE EDEN sees me with another lot of Old RUBBISH ! -- anyway -- opened it and on top was a MINT OLYMPUS OM-2n withe two Lenses, 2 OLYMPUS XA-2's MINT in Presentation  Boxes -- further down a filthy Old Brown case containing The ROLLEIFLEX 2.8 E2 Xenotar ! Tony had NEVER Put a FILM Through it !   Well I checked it out -- taking lens a bit Scratched, Base-Plate PIN broken off , Light Leaks on test film so I had it CLA'd by an Essex Former ROLLEI Technician and he even made a new pin !  
WoW ! The XENOTAR is BL-----dy SHARP ! 
1950's == 1960's PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER'S KIT 
1950's - 60's PRESS KIT by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
1970's -- 1980's PRESS PHOTOGRAPER'S KIT 

NIKON FM Press Kit by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

When I was out on Press Jobs with Wife she would say " The Gazette Photographer goes ZIP ZIP ZIP but YOU take only ONE Photo"   " Ah YES!" I  would reply " But they get their Film Provided and I have to BUY mine but I know my PENTAX photo will come out" --  Many Years Later I was GIFTED a load of NIKON gear so now I also can go ZIP ZIP ZIP ---- 

Year 2000's PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER'S KIT 

A Great Camera Club  / FLICKR Mate MICK bought new a NIKON F5 outfit for doing the Dreaded WEDDINGS with a Mate but it all fell through and he never USED the gear so I offered £400 for the lot ( Don't Tell THE WIFE! ) and got MINT F5 body with original Box + AF Nikkor 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 D + COSINA 19-35mm zoom + SB-27 + SB-800 speedlites + Polariser  + Sekonic Meter etc etc so now No Wires on the Flash no heavy Power pack with Acid Batteries to carry -- I c an go ZIP ZIP ZIP at 8 frames a second ! 

NIKON F5 PRESS KIT by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
Year 1960-1970 Sports Photographer's Kit 
When I used to get sent out to do Soccer  at Billericay Town  Football Club there were Two Old Tradition Snappers using ROLLEIFLEXES for Soccer and I was the Young Upstart with a 35mm ASAHI PENTAX !  I got a Takumar 105mm f2,8 in  London for £27 new - the ONLY TAKUMAR in the Window -- eventually I got a Super- Takumar 105mm f2.8 and a SMC Takumar 200mm  f4 which I thought was the Bees-Knees !  I left Lens hoods off photo
Asahi Pentax SPORTS KIT 1960's-1970's by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
 

[gray1720]

Pass a tissue, please, Pete, I think I have just drooled down my front!

[spinno]

Great stuff Pete. Like the back stories.

[zou]

Feb 6, 2024 9:29:17 GMT pentaxpete said:

I got a Braun Hobby Electronic Flash for the equivalent of £14 new when I was a Soldier in Germany in 1958 and over here with Taxes they were £39 quids -- then after the Army I started doing a bit of work for local newspapers - I used my CONTAX III at first then a IIIa   then in 1961 my First ASAHI PENTAX S3  but all the Press Snappers were using ROLLEIFLEXES  snapping The Beatles at the  Airport with their BraunHobby Flashes over their shoulders ! I  knew a local member of Rotary Club TONY who had a newsagents shop -  one day he said " I have got a ROLLEIFLEX off Chief Photographer of the Romford Recorder Peter White"  in a 'Gloating Tone' as he knew I could never afford a Rolleiflex . I offered to check it out free but he would never let me see it . Some  years later I got a Phone call "  Peter , do you know TONY DIED and I have somd Old Rubbish of his if you want it " -- so I RUSHED there and Widow brougt out a Dusty Old Box -- Oh D ear - if WIFE EDEN sees me with another lot of Old RUBBISH ! -- anyway -- opened it and on top was a MINT OLYMPUS OM-2n withe two Lenses, 2 OLYMPUS XA-2's MINT in Presentation  Boxes -- further down a filthy Old Brown case containing The ROLLEIFLEX 2.8 E2 Xenotar ! Tony had NEVER Put a FILM Through it !   Well I checked it out -- taking lens a bit Scratched, Base-Plate PIN broken off , Light Leaks on test film so I had it CLA'd by an Essex Former ROLLEI Technician and he even made a new pin !  
WoW ! The XENOTAR is BL-----dy SHARP ! 
1950's == 1960's PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER'S KIT 
1950's - 60's PRESS KIT by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
1970's -- 1980's PRESS PHOTOGRAPER'S KIT 

NIKON FM Press Kit by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

When I was out on Press Jobs with Wife she would say " The Gazette Photographer goes ZIP ZIP ZIP but YOU take only ONE Photo"   " Ah YES!" I  would reply " But they get their Film Provided and I have to BUY mine but I know my PENTAX photo will come out" --  Many Years Later I was GIFTED a load of NIKON gear so now I also can go ZIP ZIP ZIP ---- 

Year 2000's PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER'S KIT 

A Great Camera Club  / FLICKR Mate MICK bought new a NIKON F5 outfit for doing the Dreaded WEDDINGS with a Mate but it all fell through and he never USED the gear so I offered £400 for the lot ( Don't Tell THE WIFE! ) and got MINT F5 body with original Box + AF Nikkor 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 D + COSINA 19-35mm zoom + SB-27 + SB-800 speedlites + Polariser  + Sekonic Meter etc etc so now No Wires on the Flash no heavy Power pack with Acid Batteries to carry -- I c an go ZIP ZIP ZIP at 8 frames a second ! 

NIKON F5 PRESS KIT by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
Year 1960-1970 Sports Photographer's Kit 
When I used to get sent out to do Soccer  at Billericay Town  Football Club there were Two Old Tradition Snappers using ROLLEIFLEXES for Soccer and I was the Young Upstart with a 35mm ASAHI PENTAX !  I got a Takumar 105mm f2,8 in  London for £27 new - the ONLY TAKUMAR in the Window -- eventually I got a Super- Takumar 105mm f2.8 and a SMC Takumar 200mm  f4 which I thought was the Bees-Knees !  I left Lens hoods off photo
Asahi Pentax SPORTS KIT 1960's-1970's by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
 

If your wife is getting suspicious I can, ahem, help hide some of it for you!

[pentaxpete]

Today got email from Camera Club Web-Master -- a Lady contacted him saying she was 'Having a Clear Out' and have some Old Camera gear if any Club Member wants it ' so I am going after my Diabetes Eye Test in Brentwood Town Hall to collect free Olympus OM-10, OM - 20 Zuiko Lenses and what looks like a Sony Digital camera ! Pays to be a Camera Club Member !! ( DON't TELL THE WIFE !! )

[spinno]

Feb 7, 2024 10:08:52 GMT pentaxpete said:

Today got email from Camera Club Web-Master -- a Lady contacted him saying she was 'Having a Clear Out' and have some Old Camera gear if any Club Member wants it ' so I am going after my Diabetes Eye Test in Brentwood Town Hall to collect free Olympus OM-10, OM - 20 Zuiko Lenses and what looks like a Sony Digital camera ! Pays to be a Camera Club Member !! ( DON't TELL THE WIFE !! )

If she does notice tell her everyone needs a hobby, though if she gets angry she might need a new hubby

[donerundlecams]

pentaxpete ......  A fantastic history lesson and great stories  .     During my wanna be stint of a news fauxtographer  and wanna be fauxtojournalist, it started in December 1985 with my K1000 and 50/2.   Then in the spring/ early summer of 1986, I traded in the K1000 for a Pentax MX (w/winder) and added a 24/2.8, 85/1.8 and 200/2.5 and, eventually a ME Super w/ winder and a Vivitar 283 which led to a Vivitar 285 (which I still have )  .   Like you, I bought my own film, but, when I started freelancing (ish) with the local Winnipeg tabloid, I started receiving rolls of HP5 and Fujicolour 400.   When I moved to Vancouver in June 1992, I, eventually, picked up several PZ1's and my first AF lens, FA 35-135, and, eventually, a Tampon 28-200, along with a Pentax Takumar 135/2.5 and a Pentax 300/4 and a Takumar 2X and Pentax FTG 360 flash (woo hoo TTL  ).   Then, I decided to scale back for several years when I got a Konica Hexar AF -- an amazing piece of kit.  I went digital in Sept 2002 with a Canon G2 and November 2004, I picked up a Pentax IST*Ds >>> Pentax K200D x 2 with a DA 12-24 and DA 50-135/2.8 (2008) >> Pentax Kr (2011) >> K-50 (2013) and, my current, Pentax K3 and Tamron 70-200/2.8 for the tidy sum of $300 CDN  in 2016.  Of course, since 2009 to today (Feb 11th, 2024), I've only had one snap published and that was by a TV station   .   Twas interesting times and met lots of great, helpful and interesting photogs and, more often than not, I couldn't believe that I was getting paid to go out and take snaps  .


cheers,
Jack

[don]

Feb 6, 2024 9:29:17 GMT pentaxpete said:

I got a Braun Hobby Electronic Flash for the equivalent of £14 new when I was a Soldier in Germany in 1958 and over here with Taxes they were £39 quids -- then after the Army I started doing a bit of work for local newspapers - I used my CONTAX III at first then a IIIa   then in 1961 my First ASAHI PENTAX S3  but all the Press Snappers were using ROLLEIFLEXES  snapping The Beatles at the  Airport with their BraunHobby Flashes over their shoulders ! I  knew a local member of Rotary Club TONY who had a newsagents shop -  one day he said " I have got a ROLLEIFLEX off Chief Photographer of the Romford Recorder Peter White"  in a 'Gloating Tone' as he knew I could never afford a Rolleiflex . I offered to check it out free but he would never let me see it . Some  years later I got a Phone call "  Peter , do you know TONY DIED and I have somd Old Rubbish of his if you want it " -- so I RUSHED there and Widow brougt out a Dusty Old Box -- Oh D ear - if WIFE EDEN sees me with another lot of Old RUBBISH ! -- anyway -- opened it and on top was a MINT OLYMPUS OM-2n withe two Lenses, 2 OLYMPUS XA-2's MINT in Presentation  Boxes -- further down a filthy Old Brown case containing The ROLLEIFLEX 2.8 E2 Xenotar ! Tony had NEVER Put a FILM Through it !   Well I checked it out -- taking lens a bit Scratched, Base-Plate PIN broken off , Light Leaks on test film so I had it CLA'd by an Essex Former ROLLEI Technician and he even made a new pin !  
WoW ! The XENOTAR is BL-----dy SHARP ! 
1950's == 1960's PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER'S KIT 
1950's - 60's PRESS KIT by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
1970's -- 1980's PRESS PHOTOGRAPER'S KIT 

NIKON FM Press Kit by Peter Elgar, on Flickr

When I was out on Press Jobs with Wife she would say " The Gazette Photographer goes ZIP ZIP ZIP but YOU take only ONE Photo"   " Ah YES!" I  would reply " But they get their Film Provided and I have to BUY mine but I know my PENTAX photo will come out" --  Many Years Later I was GIFTED a load of NIKON gear so now I also can go ZIP ZIP ZIP ---- 

Year 2000's PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER'S KIT 

A Great Camera Club  / FLICKR Mate MICK bought new a NIKON F5 outfit for doing the Dreaded WEDDINGS with a Mate but it all fell through and he never USED the gear so I offered £400 for the lot ( Don't Tell THE WIFE! ) and got MINT F5 body with original Box + AF Nikkor 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 D + COSINA 19-35mm zoom + SB-27 + SB-800 speedlites + Polariser  + Sekonic Meter etc etc so now No Wires on the Flash no heavy Power pack with Acid Batteries to carry -- I c an go ZIP ZIP ZIP at 8 frames a second ! 

NIKON F5 PRESS KIT by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
Year 1960-1970 Sports Photographer's Kit 
When I used to get sent out to do Soccer  at Billericay Town  Football Club there were Two Old Tradition Snappers using ROLLEIFLEXES for Soccer and I was the Young Upstart with a 35mm ASAHI PENTAX !  I got a Takumar 105mm f2,8 in  London for £27 new - the ONLY TAKUMAR in the Window -- eventually I got a Super- Takumar 105mm f2.8 and a SMC Takumar 200mm  f4 which I thought was the Bees-Knees !  I left Lens hoods off photo
Asahi Pentax SPORTS KIT 1960's-1970's by Peter Elgar, on Flickr
 

Peter the The ROLLEIFLEX 2.8 E2 Xenotar kit was what sprang to mind when I read the title of this thread. I pictured it clearly in my mind and then there was the picture of my dreams 

[don]

I didn’t crop anything from the post because each of those cameras deserve being show to the world

[gray1720]

Feb 15, 2024 0:23:20 GMT don said:

I didn’t crop anything from the post because each of those cameras deserve being show to the world

I agree, Don, it's pure filthy camera porn, isn't it?

[don]

Feb 15, 2024 7:35:10 GMT gray1720 said:

Feb 15, 2024 0:23:20 GMT don said:

I didn’t crop anything from the post because each of those cameras deserve being show to the world

I agree, Don, it's pure filthy camera porn, isn't it?

Good description and one I’ve not heard in a few years 🤣

[don]

Feb 7, 2024 10:08:52 GMT pentaxpete said:

Today got email from Camera Club Web-Master -- a Lady contacted him saying she was 'Having a Clear Out' and have some Old Camera gear if any Club Member wants it ' so I am going after my Diabetes Eye Test in Brentwood Town Hall to collect free Olympus OM-10, OM - 20 Zuiko Lenses and what looks like a Sony Digital camera ! Pays to be a Camera Club Member !! ( DON't TELL THE WIFE !! )

Did you get the ‘old camera gear’ anything noteworthy? And what’s the Sony digital?

[pentaxpete]

Sorry but only just FOUND your Post - well there was a OM10 with 50mm f1.8 Zuiko and an Olympus Flash and the SONY is a weird DSC-f707 with weird Memory Sticks that do not fit my Card Reader -- I am going to give it away to some-one -- !

[gray1720]

Aug 7, 2024 16:52:37 GMT pentaxpete said:

Sorry but only just FOUND your Post - well there was a OM10 with 50mm f1.8 Zuiko and an Olympus Flash and the SONY is a weird DSC-f707 with weird Memory Sticks that do not fit my Card Reader -- I am going to give it away to some-one -- !

The joys of random camera gifts! I've been gifted a boxful recently, some utter junk (the piece of leatherette from a camera not actually in the box being the junkiest), but an interesting Canon(?) compact, and an unexpectedly nice 620 Kodak in there too. I've also been given my mother-out-law's cameras, some dodgy digitals in there, but also the Tamron 90mm I've coveted for 20+ years. It's a lottery, but a fun one.

[geoffr]

Aug 7, 2024 19:29:19 GMT gray1720 said:

Aug 7, 2024 16:52:37 GMT pentaxpete said:

Sorry but only just FOUND your Post - well there was a OM10 with 50mm f1.8 Zuiko and an Olympus Flash and the SONY is a weird DSC-f707 with weird Memory Sticks that do not fit my Card Reader -- I am going to give it away to some-one -- !

The joys of random camera gifts! I've been gifted a boxful recently, some utter junk (the piece of leatherette from a camera not actually in the box being the junkiest), but an interesting Canon(?) compact, and an unexpectedly nice 620 Kodak in there too. I've also been given my mother-out-law's cameras, some dodgy digitals in there, but also the Tamron 90mm I've coveted for 20+ years. It's a lottery, but a fun one.

May I be permitted to scream loudly please? Gifted is an abominable americanism, the word is “given”. Rant over. Enjoy your new acquisitions