A big thanks to my Dad. He gave this to me, after several persuading. I told him how much I needed a camera for my Practical Arts subject when I was in 1st year high school (t'was 1986, but it's more of I really "wanted" one than I "needed" one). I will never forget that day when he brought home my "biggest dream", was pretty excited while opening the box.
Then, Lo and Behold, I'm actually holding and staring at a compact, black and sleek manual camera...It actually looks very cool. But then I noticed the brand. "A Cosina?", I asked, bewildered. Then my pops replied, informing me that it's the latest camera that time and besides I was still too young to be seen w/ the "more well-known, famous and expensive cameras". "It's too risky, and will only attract trouble", he continued w/ a ton of conviction...but at the back of my mind, I still could not fathom the real meaning of the brand. All I can think of, is that it sounds like a Filipino term for a "Kitchen", or "kusina" as they say in our local language. I had mixed emotions, I wanted to laugh out loud but I also got sad or really worried what will other people tell me once they read the brand. How will I explain this to my classmates?
It was only a few years ago when I researched about it. It has worn various disguises, used many aliases and had more facelifts than Phyllis Diller. It was more like a "generic" body of camera. Through the years it has worn the names Canon, Miranda, Nikon, Olympus, Ricoh, Vivitar, Voigtlander and Yashica, though it was manufactured by none of them. It's like this, it was manufactured I guess so that other "branded companies" can acquire a few units, have their names printed and have it sold.
But nah, my joy was simply overwhelming that time and it removed all my doubts that clouded my mind that was juglling from being childish, going through puberty and going to manhood. I was the "happiest kid" in the whole world that time. I could not describe the feeling when he finally taught me how to load the film, change lenses (he gave me a separate AUTO Makinon 1:45 f=70-200mm MC Zoom lens!!! and a Ricoh YR Rikonen Wide-angle lens), how to use the aperture and shutter speed according to my own calculations. Then, he urged me to go out and start taking pictures so that we can have the first roll developed and see the results...
A few years after that I bought a Cokin filter adapter, filter holder and several square filters carrying the same brand namely:
* Spot W.A. Incolor 1 A070
* COEF. + 3 Sepia A005
* Radial Zoom A 185
I also have couple of round, screw-in type ones like the Yellow Starblitz Y2 55mm, Orange Kenko YA3 S0-56 and a Polarizer (w/c I happend to misplace and eventually lost it for good).
Up to now, I can't describe how I felt that time, how much my friends envied me. They admired what I was carrying with me, young and old alike...
Our cameras may already be considered as old, antique in fact. But nothing can ever replace the joys we have "captured", and it has given me personally. My Cosina will still continue to do so, not that often anymore (due to financial reasons like buying of films and having them developed. unlike w/ digital cams wherein everything's stored on an MMC or a memory storage device).
Thanks again, DAD for this very wonderful gift.
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