Post by PeterW on Apr 8, 2007 19:07:49 GMT -5
Walker, you wrote:
I agree with you that there's a need for someone to gather all the information together and publish it in a single book. Mind you, to do the job properly would take a lot of time and research. It would have to be quite a large book, and I imagine very expensive because of quite a small demand.
I doubt very much whether my friend Thomas would be able to undertake it. He had to give up his job some time ago to look after his wife, who is not too good, and is making a living (just) with various projects. After doing that, and being chairman of the Exakta Circle, he has very little free time. On top of all that his father, who was in his 90s, died last year which meant several trips to Germany to sort out family matters.
For quite a few years we used to go to boot fairs and camera fairs together, but not any more - he has neither the time nor the money. I sometimes feel guilty going round there and taking up his time with chit-chat about cameras, though he always makes me most welcome.
Another of my camera collector friends who lives in south London (in Streatham, where I was born) is also very knowledgeable on the subject and has made several trips to Dresden to dig out information. As well as camera collecting his hobbies are restoring cameras and restoring complicated antique clocks, and he has a most enviable workshop as well as an enviable collection of cameras. But he insists that he has trouble writing a letter, let alone a magazine feature. I think the thought of a book would bring him out in a cold sweat!
As for me, writing a book to a deadline can be quite tiring, and after 40 years of journalism (25 of them freelance) and nearly a dozen books I decided to retire from full-time writing and spend more time on my reprints business, and now only write for fun, like my website and my ramblings on this forum. .
So who would write the book on East German cameras (in English) I don't know, but like you I'd love to have it if someone does!
An excellent book in German is Richard Hummel's Spiegelreflexcameras aus Dresden (single lens reflex cameras from Dresden), written by the former chief engineer of Ihagee in Dresden. It goes into exhaustive detail about the cameras, but not very much about the companies, and I think it's now out of print.
PeterW
There's a real need for a serious study of post-war East German cameras and optics. Perhaps your friend would be interested in writing such a book? I'd be first on the list to buy a copy!
I agree with you that there's a need for someone to gather all the information together and publish it in a single book. Mind you, to do the job properly would take a lot of time and research. It would have to be quite a large book, and I imagine very expensive because of quite a small demand.
I doubt very much whether my friend Thomas would be able to undertake it. He had to give up his job some time ago to look after his wife, who is not too good, and is making a living (just) with various projects. After doing that, and being chairman of the Exakta Circle, he has very little free time. On top of all that his father, who was in his 90s, died last year which meant several trips to Germany to sort out family matters.
For quite a few years we used to go to boot fairs and camera fairs together, but not any more - he has neither the time nor the money. I sometimes feel guilty going round there and taking up his time with chit-chat about cameras, though he always makes me most welcome.
Another of my camera collector friends who lives in south London (in Streatham, where I was born) is also very knowledgeable on the subject and has made several trips to Dresden to dig out information. As well as camera collecting his hobbies are restoring cameras and restoring complicated antique clocks, and he has a most enviable workshop as well as an enviable collection of cameras. But he insists that he has trouble writing a letter, let alone a magazine feature. I think the thought of a book would bring him out in a cold sweat!
As for me, writing a book to a deadline can be quite tiring, and after 40 years of journalism (25 of them freelance) and nearly a dozen books I decided to retire from full-time writing and spend more time on my reprints business, and now only write for fun, like my website and my ramblings on this forum. .
So who would write the book on East German cameras (in English) I don't know, but like you I'd love to have it if someone does!
An excellent book in German is Richard Hummel's Spiegelreflexcameras aus Dresden (single lens reflex cameras from Dresden), written by the former chief engineer of Ihagee in Dresden. It goes into exhaustive detail about the cameras, but not very much about the companies, and I think it's now out of print.
PeterW