Pentax Tom, Eighty-six years young, still an enthusiast Pentax shooter.

Hi Pentax friends,

Last week, I introduced Mr. Tom Canapp, an eighty-six years young Pentaxian . He's known as "Pentax Tom" in his circle of friends. I guess we will consider him as part of our circle of friends and refer to him as "Pentax Tom" as well. I finally got in contact with Pentax Tom and had a chance to know a little more about him. He is a remarkable example of what Pentaxian are or should be. I personally hope that I will be as active as he is at that age, that is if I even get to live that long. Here's the email received from Pentax Tom:

Mr. Bourque,

I bought my first camera an Argus AF in 1938. After World War II service, I bought a Solar enlarger and became more involved in photography. I used a Leica IIIf, with 50mm, 35mm, and 100mm lenses; until my son came home from Vietnam with a Pentax Spotmatic.

I started using the Pentax and put the Leica on the shelf, where it remains. I also used a Rolliecord, a miniature Speed Graphic and a Speed Graphic. I have a complete darkroom with a Leitz Valoy enlarger, a Bessler 23c enlarger and a Chromega D enlarger. I used to develop and print B&W and color prints. A while back, my fingers went numb from carpel tunnel problem. About that time, digital became available and I purchased an Olympus D-320L, then a Fuji S5000, then a Pentax *istDL, and finally the Pentax K10D. I use the *istDL with the screw mount lenses and the K10D with the K mount lenses, I have a dozen or more lenses. I use both cameras in the manual mode 95% of the time, with prime lenses. I don't care much for zooms lenses.

My current interest is in panoramas. My other hobby is my machine shop where I made a panorama camera mount that works well.

One bit of important information I wanted to relay to any of your elderly bloggers was how I coped with the severe hand tremor I had. Maybe someone has a similar problem. One photo showed the 'red wing nut' and 'threaded shaft' used instead of the usual camera mounting screw. When the shaft was screwed into the camera bottom, and then placed through the hole in the vertical plate of the mount, my hand and camera was steadied so I could engage the wing nut more easily. In addition, I read and followed the instructions contained in " The Better Brain Book" by David Perlmutter, M.D. Following the regimen of vitamins suggested in his book, my condition has improved about 75%.

Tom Canapp.

Hope you enjoy,

Yvon Bourque