Well, lets see, I think I have been at this picture taking thing for about seven or eight years. I love my K1000. A good, basic camera that offers all the features one needs to start taking pictures. Although it does not have auto advance, auto focus, auto "take the best shot", etc., I like it that way. If I would not have began with a camera like this, my pictures would still be crappy, not that I take exceptional ones, but I do believe I am getting better, at least I hope.
I recommend to anyone new to rail photography to start with the K1000 or a similar style SLR. You cannot go wrong with it. Sure, you have to learn about shutter speed, aperture, depth-of-field, etc., but you will benefit from this knowledge. If you have any questions regarding my experience with my K1000, drop me a line at erben22@mentalfusion.com and I will try to answer them.
Well, as of December 1997, another camera has joined forces with the proud K1000 in my camera bag, the Pentax ZX-50. A step up from the K1000, the ZX-50 offers several features not found on the K1000 like auto advance, autofocus, and a host of other features. Most important on my agenda was the auto advance and autofocus features, the other features are just there for my amusement. If you are looking for a decent camera with a few frills, the ZX-50 is hard to beat.
The age old question...What film do you use, which is the best? Well, that question is hard to answer. Some people are die hard Kodachrome junkies, ready to live and die by Kodak. Well, reputation is hard to beat. In my opinion, Kodachrome 25 is one of the best films out there. Exceptional grain, wonderful color rendition, its hard to beat. But, there are a few drawbacks. First, its a very slow film. Second, as I have learned, it has a tendency to scratch easily if care is not taken loading and unloading. These drawbacks should not keep you from using it though, its still probably the best film for full light situations.
So why do I use Fuji films...well, its simple, I have had excellent luck with them. For awhile, I used Sensia 100 almost exclusively, occasionally using Velvia and Provia as money permitted. But, after some good success with Provia, I switched to it for several months. Then, Fuji came along with Astia 100. I have shot several rolls of Astia, and have nothing but good things to say about it. The grain is sharp, and colors are rendered the way I remember the scene. Since its a faster film, Astia allows the photographer to try a few more photo situations that K25 cannot do. As with all Fuji Films I use, they are E6, which means same day service versus up to a week or two for Kodachrome, and less of a chance your shots of semaphores will disappear, to never return again.
In the process of acquiring my Pentax ZX-50, I also snagged the Minolta QuickScan 35 slide scanner. This little puppy has been great for digitizing my images. It took a little work to figure it out exactly, and if you happen to notice some poor scans on some images, it is because I was just learning how to use it. Now, I think I have it figured out, so I hope to get the most out of it.
I do have some high quality images on the web located on Charles Biel's Burlington Northern Photo Archive. This is perhaps my favorite web site. Charles is compiling a collection of the BN locomotive roster on his website. He has photographs from GP-7's, SD40's, to SD70MAC's. If you have a collection of BN slides, drop him a message and get them on the web. He will take your slides and have them scanned into PhotoCD format for the highest quality. The above animated crossings are also his creation.