It was a normal trip into Houston to the big camera store on a Saturday afternoon… The drive is long enough that you must pack a little something to snack on. I was on the prowl for a new lens and fairly certain I had narrowed the field down between two. After finally arriving at said store and wondering how I was going to get home (traffic was at a standstill heading south most of the way from my house), I cruised the canon desk at the far back finally deciding to try out a couple of lenses. After a bit of debate in my head, I finally decided on the lens. As the clerk was ringing up my purchase, I spotted a few old cameras in the cabinet. Most looked in pretty good condition. Then I saw her… She was small and compact and still holding her youth. The price was amazing and I could not believe it. I quickly asked the clerk about her. Was she really in good condition? The clerk went through the basics of her structure and components and I was hooked. She had once small piece of glass missing though… I was torn. I decided to go home and think about it – they could always ship her to me he said.
I walked out into the sunny afternoon and got in my car. I sat thinking about her. Do I dare take a chance? Could I find a replacement glass? I quickly scanned the internet for comparable cameras and possible glass. I decided to use a “lifeline” and called a friend. She knew how to focus me! She asked me one thing… Can you use the camera without the small piece of glass? Well gosh, I had not thought about that very simple option! I ran back into the store with determination now. I found my clerk and spit out the question and he replied, absolutely! He took us outside, so we could see better. I was done and knew she would be mine. I quickly paid and the clerk picked out film for me, then another clerk stopped by to look at her. He congratulated me and I explained about the glass piece in my excitement. He rushed off only to reappear with two different hoods. He told me to pick one and they would swap out my broken one with a new one. WOW now I was complete 😉
Meet Hasselblad 500c 😉 [a sidenote, it was the Hasselblad that was chosen by NASA to record space exploration]
