When I was a kid, I borrowed my Dad's SLR. But shortly after I got my first good paying job, I bought a Nikon Fotomic FTN, the very best SLR available to the general public. Back in those days, Nikon was light years ahead of Canon.
It cost me significantly less than a weeks pay back then and although it was an important purchase, it didn't seem all that expensive. By the way, it came with a Nikkor-S 50mm F/1.4 lens, regarded as many as one of the best standard lenses ever produced. I wish I still had it.
This camera did things few if any other cameras could, such as wide open, match needle metering. Plus it was solidly built, had features like field interchangeable focusing screens (which I changed frequently), etc. I was an amateur back in those days, but I took advantages of the leading edge of technology, such as it was.
These days, now that my only income is from photography, I make do with second or third tier equipment because the really good stuff is too expensive for me to justify.
Of course for me, "back in the day" means way way back. And I'm not talking back before Elton John was gay. I'm talking back before Little Richard was gay.
:biggrin::tongue:
