It seems like almost every day is a cowboy day in this town.
So I do not walk around with my camera as much as I used to do when living in
cosmopolitan cities in the US or overseas.
But a month ago I saw a 1969 Miranda Sensorex camera in an
antique store and decided to add it to my collection since I had never found
one that worked reliably in the past and stayed away from collecting cameras
that do not work.
This time I could not resist since the store owner said that
it was broken and was selling it as a display piece for very little money. I
looked inside the camera and it was pristine, so decided that maybe I can find
the problem as it was not used much.
While the rainy season was raging outside with heavy downpours,
winds and thunder, I spent a couple of weeks looking at the Miranda repair
diagrams online. Since I have repaired mechanical cameras for the past 35
years, I was able to trip the stuck shutter and lubricate the lens blades.
After some scraping and acetone rubbing, the terminals of the light meter came
back to life, and I was eager to try the massive f1.4 lens.
The photo above is a typical example of street photography.
This couple walked toward me but taking a photo of them face-on is intrusive.
So I waited till they passed, then turned and as I was depressing the shutter,
he put his hand on her shoulder. Just for a second and off again.
I was able to capture that tender moment, and was please
with the performance of the lens.
July 28, 2019
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2019
