There are collectors of all kinds: stamps, coins, baseball cards and many more objects. Dilish Parekh of Mumbai, India is a collector of cameras. However, he is not just any collector, but rather he owns the World Record for the world’s largest collection of still photography cameras. The photojournalist has been collecting cameras since 1970 and his massive collection includes cameras from as early as 1860. How many cameras does he have? Nearly 4,500 of them.

What started as receiving old cameras as gifts from his grandfather has now become something of an obsession and hobby for Parekh. For a while, it wasn’t a particularly expensive hobby either, with Parekh and his grandfather never purchasing a camera for more than around US$15. His collection does include some valuable cameras though, including a Leica 250, which can sell for as much as six figures in the right condition, but often sells for between $12,000 and $16,000.

There are some quirky cameras as well, including a camera that looks like a lighter, a watch camera and a rope-triggered camera. Parekh says, “You name the camera and I have it.” As he continues to break his own record, he welcomes challengers, but he has no intentions of slowing down so any prospective collectors have a lot of catching up to do. Don’t bother trying to pry any of Parekh’s cameras from his collection, he’s not interested in selling. Be sure to watch the video below to see some of his collection.

It’s not mentioned what his collection is worth in terms of money, but it’s clear that whatever monetary value it might have, it’s worth far more sentimentally to Parekh. As he said, his cameras are his life.

(Seen via PDN Pulse)

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Auction site eBay is home to both the mundane and magnificent; we’d put this item closer to the latter, for photo history buffs with healthy pocketbooks.

The Nikon FM2 was a truly legendary camera, renowned for its ruggedness and appreciated for its battery-less operation. In its heyday (1982-2001), it was the go-to body for many press photographers and other pros and hobbyists attracted to its tough build and reasonable cost, and served as a second body for many pros shooting a Nikon F-series as their main camera.

Legendary and incredibly prolific photojournalist, documentary, portrait and advertising photographer Mary Ellen Mark was a devoted FM2 user, and one of her famous FM2s is now available for sale on eBay, with half of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

The bidding for her Nikon FM2 and 28mm f/2.8 lens is currently at $2,375 USD with the auction ending on Saturday, November 14th at 1:30 PM ET; jump on it if you’d like to own a historic camera previously used by a true giant of the photography world.

While there are numerous Nikon FM2 camera bodies for sale online, this one is particularly special because of who owned and used it. Her estate believes that this particular FM2 was used by Mary Ellen Mark for photo shoots for Day in the Life, People Magazine, and Life Magazine.

Mary Ellen Mark’s illustrious career spanned over fifty years, and her work has graced the covers of such magazines as Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair, among others. Among her many achievements were three Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and a 2014 Lifetime Achievement in Photography Award from the George Eastman House. Chances are you’ve seen her work at some point or other in your life.

Mary Ellen began taking photographs at the age of nine and continued to photograph right up until her death in May of this year. During her lifetime, she published a very impressive 18 photography books.

You can see photos from her final assignment, Picture This: New Orleans online, courtesy of CNN. It’s an intimate view of the residents of New Orleans, a decade after Hurricane Katrina. She completed the assignment only a month before her death.

For a touching remembrance of Mary Ellen Mark, see this American Photo article.

(Seen via Popular Photography)

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For Ian Ruhter, photography is a very hands-on activity. He captures photographs using a wet plate collodion process. Wet plate collodion photography began in the mid-19th century. The nature of the process requires that images must be exposed and developed in a matter of minutes, or else the collodion will dry. As he is a landscape photographer, this means that he must have a portable darkroom. In his case, his darkroom is a converted delivery truck.

Ruhter’s truck is not just a darkroom, however, it’s also his camera. While wet plate photography has often been done using small, hand-held plates of glass or aluminum, he builds his own plates up to 48 x 60″. Ruhter is the first photographer I’ve heard of that drives his camera around.

“The game-changing moment came when I realized I could be the camera. I could be the mechanics of it,” he says. He is in control of the shutter, the chemical process, and he makes the “film.” Rather than being external to the camera, he works from within the camera itself.

Impossible was a word used by many in the beginning . Offten we never try because of the fear of failure or the possablilty of success can hold us from turning our dreams into reality . We must remember that when we work from our heart and follow our dreams anything is possible. #mondayvibes #followyourdreams #silverandlight @ian_ruhter @lvance2010 @cs_k Post by Will

A photo posted by @silverandlight on

Sep 21, 2015 at 11:08am PDT

What some may view as an imperfect process, Ruhter views as a way to become truly involved in the creation of his art; he creates each photograph by hand. The chemicals capture more than just the scene, however, they also capture moisture in the air and dust. Temperature changes and wind affect the images as well. Ruhter captures a moment in time with more depth than is possible using modern camera equipment. His plates are truly unique and each imperfection is “…so beautiful that you wouldn’t change [it] if you could.”

“Eastern Sierras,” 2013

The Lake Tahoe-based photographer has driven his camera to Yosemite, Monument Valley, and other places throughout the American West. His work, along with the work of other artists who have travelled the West, is on exhibit at the Danziger Gallery in New York City. Running until December 19th, this is Ruhter’s first exhibit in New York City. The show includes original collodion plates and pigment print reproductions. For more information on the exhibit, see here.

“Valley View Yosemite,” 2012

To see more of Ian Ruhter’s work, see his website.

As an added bonus, check out the video below to see Ian Ruhter and Will Eichelberger work in Yosemite.

(Seen via the New York Times. All images shared with the permission of Ian Ruhter. Index image: “The Sisters”)

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