Konica TC-X

Going back to basics in photography – using just a light-tight box, a single lens, and a mechanical shutter and winder – is often framed as a return to simplicity, even if it immensely complicates the actual process of taking a picture. I guess simplicity refers in this case not only to the equipment, but also to a sort of purity of experience. Seeking more engagement with the process than an autofocus SLR or compact can provide, and even perhaps aiming for something of a meditative state, a photographer might first choose a metered manual focus camera, perhaps setting exposure guided by a match needle in the viewfinder.