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6 Images, The Battalion
Tuesday, March 2, 1982
Choose camera
for planned use
by Joe Sloan
Battalion Reporter
After six months of saving
John finally has enough money
to buy a 35mm camera. He goes
to a local store only to discover
that dozens of types of cameras
are available. He quickly becom
es frustrated and doesn’t know
what to do.
The first thing a beginning
photographer should do when
looking for a 35mm camera is to
determine his photography
goals, said Howard Filers, asso
ciate professor of communica
tions at Texas A&M.
Filers, who teaches photo
journalism, said different
cameras are made for different
needs, and potential photo
graphers will be overwhelmed
with the choices if he doesn’t
know what he intends to do with
his photography.
Rangefinders and single lens
reflexes are the two types of
35mm cameras.
The rangefinder type is easier
to carry and generally quicker to
use, but the SLR is more versa
tile, A1 LeNoir, president of
Focus Photo and Camera Inc.,
said.
SLRs have features such as in
terchangeable lenses, exposure
control, and accessories, while
the rangefinder usually has a
fixed lens and totally automatic
exposure, he said.
If the buyer wants a compact
camera to take snapshots with,
the rangefinder is his best
choice, LeNoir said, but many
buyers will want the more cap
able SLR camera,
There also are two types of
SLR cameras.
The first group includes auto
matic cameras which set the exp
osure controls for the user.
These cameras are generally
electronic and, while they are
simple to operate, are compli
cated internally.
The other includes manual
cameras. These cameras are
generally mechanical and more
sturdy, but do not control for
exposure.
Confused? Here are some
arguments for and against the
beginner buying either type of
camera:
Manual cameras help the be
ginner understand photogra
phy. Virtually all professional
photographers use manual
cameras, Filers said.
While automatic cameras do
some of the work for the photo
grapher, many of them are diffi
cult to use manually, and some
cannot be used manually at all.
If the user wants to manipulate
the exposure, it becomes diffi
cult or impossible, he said.
A beginner should talk to
someone who knows about
photography equipment, Filers
said. This will help the beginner
understand the differences be
tween automatic and manual
cameras, Filers said.
Where to buy the camera is
almost as important as the type
of camera bought, he said.
A beginning photographer
should go to a reputable camera
store where his questions will be
answered. Filers said.
Mail order houses can save
the buyer money, but many peo
ple complain about the way the
houses conduct business, both
Filers and LeNoir said.
LeNoir said many mail order
firms sell unwarranted equip
ment and will not take responsi
bility for broken products. The
buyer also should not expect to
receive batteries or carrying
straps sometimes included in
manufacturers’ boxes. Instead,
mail order firms sell these seper-
ately.
And, Filers said, it is not un
usual for an order to take several
months to be received.
Once the beginner photo
grapher has bought his camera,
he has many options on how to
learn to use it.
A good camera Store will help
the beginner learn how to use
his new camera, LeNoir said.
Filers said today’s cameras are
built to be easy to understand,
and the prooiems encountered
are likely to be composition and
approaches to photography.
A photo club is a good way for
a beginner to learn, since these
organizations are composed of
people with the same interestsS'i
the beginning photographer I
Filers said. And they were all be I
ginners once, and have learned I
to solve the problems beginner|
may experience, Filers said. I
Finish it yourself and save
Furnishings can be inexpensive
by Kathy O’Connell
Battalion Reporter
Renting an apartment for the first time
may be exciting, but there’s always one
big problem—how do you furnish it with
out putting yourself in debt for the next
ten years?
Student apartment-dwellers face sev
eral options — ranging from costing big
bucks to costing virtually nothing —
when they decide how to furnish their
apartment.
The first option is to rent an apart
ment that is already furnished. This is
usually the easiest solution, but it’s cer
tainly not the cheapest.
A furnished apartment usually costs
about $50 more than unfurnished, and
there’s no guarantee that the upholstery
will be pleasing to the eyes of the behol
der. Besides, furnished apartments are
usually the first ones leased, so they’re
harder to come by.
Another option is to rent furniture,
but this too can be expensive. Renting
just the basics, such as a bed, dresser,
kitchen table and chairs and sofa, can run
as high as $100 a month.
Probably the best option is to hunt flea
markets or rummage around in the attic
or garage for pieces of furniture that
need refinishing. All it takes to make an
old piece of furniture look new is time
and a little elbow grease.
It’s usually not too difficult to find an
iron bed in ajunk yard in need of a shiny
coat of paint or a desk that needs re
finishing.
There are several how-to booklets
available that give step-by-step instruc
tions on how to rejuvenate furniture.
Many helpful and inexpensive books on
furniture refinishing are usually avail
able at the local bookstore or grocery
store.
“Furniture Finishing and Re
finishing,” one of the Sunset Books,
identifies types of woods and types of
stains that are best for refinishing. It also
gives instructions on how to finish and
refinish all kinds of furniture.
If you can’t find an old piece of furni
ture in need of a new look, how about
investing in unfinished furniture?
Again, this can be expensive, but the
satisfaction of knowing that you did it by
yourself may be worth the cost.
Robbie Fletcher, co-owner of the Tin
Barn, which sells unfinished furniture,
said quite a few students want to buy raw
wood furniture and finish it themselves.
She said the more popular pieces are
desks, book shelves, stereo entertain
ment centers and rocking chairs.
Fletcher said they also scii the slaiitf I
for the furniture and will instruct tk I
buyer on how to apply the finish. “It's
really very easy to do,” she said.
“One thing that amazes me,” Fletchet
said, “is that young people are looking
for solid wood furniture instead of parti
cle board. Most other people don’t seem
to know the difference, but maybetk I
young people have had more experientt
with it falling apart or have learned tha!
if a screw comes out it can’t be tightened
“Even though it’s more expensive, in
the long run solid wood furniture is s
much better than particle board.”
Prices of desks at the Tin Barn range
from $69.95 for a basic desk to $4501 i
for an oak roll-top desk. However, she
said, most students prefer to sticktoa !
smaller desk, because there usually isni F
enough room in an apartment for some
thing as large as a roll-top desk.