Digital might be obliterating film in the hearts of enthusiasts (and consumers), but it seems to be lagging behind somewhat when it comes to visual representations of cameras in the popular mind. This is the current cover of GenLux, billed as "The only luxury fashion and beauty magazine created expressly for today's affluent Southern California woman."
Really? So affluent Southern California women these days are making cool snaps with Canonets?
Not that I disapprove.
Along the same lines, there's a PBS promo ad that shows a young girl ostensibly photographing with an old Rolleiflex, which you'd think would be about as familiar to her as corsets or hook-and-button shoes. I think that one might be a spot for "Antiques Roadshow," though, in which case it would make sense. But I'm sure I also saw a recent ad (for what, I don't recall) that featured a svelte young goddess wandering about in sun-drenched meadows snapping pictures with an old Hasselblad.
Of course it's possible she was from Southern California.
Anybody seen any other examples lately of old film cameras doing stand-in duty when "generic camera" needs to be signified in ads or elsewhere in pop culture?
Mike
(Thanks to Steve Rosenblum)
Featured Comment by Matthew Carter: "Rebecca Romijn with an Argus for Bebe."
Featured Comment by Julian Barkway: "After reading this article on how vintage film cameras are being used as props in glamour shoots I remembered a flyer I recently received from my bank. Here it is almost in its entirety (the page that's missing is the only one without pictures). Sadly it was on textured card so the scan is not the best....
"The cover grabs the attention straight away:
"But that's not all. You open it up to find a double gatefold:
"Check out the cameras and the books. Not only is she gorgeous but she has taste! Doesn't look like she's reviewing her finances, though—unless she's figuring out how she can get yet another Leica for the collection.
"But wait! There's yet more:
"Look how she is desporting herself alluringly amongst those cameras! And that sexy close-up, too. It's almost pornographic, I tell you! But it's that final shot of her caressing the Leica that clinches it for me...I think I might be in love... :-)
"Oh, and the flyer closes with a shot of all that lovely gear:
"I've no idea what they're selling or whether I need it, but I'll take six!"
"Still have my Canonet QL17. Don't you?"
QL19 GIII here. Nearly bought a dusty old QL17 recently, but couldn't really justify the expense (to my girlfriend)
"watch a show where someone is using a DSLR and with each snap there's this click then whir. film advance? really?"
I was watching some British crime show recently, set in a small town, etc. etc. Suspicion - of a murder - was centered around a camera club. One of the bit-parters was using an OM-1. When he took a shot, you'd hear the actual shutter, then the badly dubbed shutter/film advance, then he'd quite visibly - and audibly - wind the film on manually...
Posted by: jezheywood@gmail.com | Thursday, 07 May 2009 at 09:31 AM