Cross-posted from hp3000-L:

A couple of years ago, I volunteered to photograph my
youngest son's school dance.  I enjoyed using the
latest and greatest digital cameras and their complements
(i.e., Olympus E-1, Olympus flash, Quantum Qflash, several
lightboxes/reflectors/diffusers) as well as the latest
and greatest software to organize such digital delights
under Mac OS X.  Here is one photo, out of hundreds, scaled
down for the Web http://www.adager.com/jpeg/PC061029a.jpg

A few days ago, my son's class asked me to photograph the
school's prom this weekend.  This assignment, of course,
meant that I had to dig out my half-forgotten lighting
hardware.  In the process, I ran into a few unexpected
(and totally forgotten) photographic items that brought
me back to my technological roots (in terms of photography
and hp3000 computing) from the early 1970s.

Without any question, I have a soft spot in my heart for
a classic camera that I got in 1970 (Canon Canonet QL17),
which I had not held in my hands for decades.  Had I been
able to measure my heart's reaction, I believe that it
would have been similar to what I always feel when I work on
classy software (such as TurboIMAGE under Hewlett-Packard's
very own MPE/iX).  No amount of object-oriented graphics-rich
software compares, at least for me, to the deep-down-inside
bits-and-bytes system-level work that can't be seen but must
be imagined.  Perhaps I am more of an abstract algebraist
than a geometer ;-)

Be it as it may, when faced with the old and the new, the
standard operating procedure within the standard corporate
world is well known:  Out with the old!

Naturally, I decided to eschew this standard and I decided to
bring my Canon Canonet QL17 back to a productive life.  The
key issue, and the only reason why I quit using this loyal
friend, was the battery (PX-13 mercury), a dangerous item
that has been banned throughout the world.  After some
research, I ran into this home-grown site, which reminded
me of the many creative and hard-working individuals who
keep TurboIMAGE and MPE going strongly:
http://www.classic-cameras.com/MR-9.htm


Enjoying the new as well as the old,

  _______________
 |               |
 |               |
 |            r  |  Alfredo                  http://www.adager.com
 |          e    |
 |        g      |  F. Alfredo Rego
 |      a        |  Manager, R & D Labs
 |    d          |  Adager Corporation
 |  A            |  Sun Valley, Idaho 83353-3000            U.S.A.
 |               |
 |_______________|