Brink of Distinction

Just look at the lines, would ya? Sturdy of purpose and exquisitely lit, its unmistakable shape giving pause to creatures big and small...Hmmm? yes, the lake is pretty too, but I'm talking about the fancycam! Surely that's what Kyle Dubreil was focused on when he snapped this impressive vista the other day. Okay, so maybe I'm projecting a bit, but it's been many months since I've dragged glass of that stature around a still-beating news scene. Back last year El Ocho got all Hi-Def, a senseless act of upgrade that ripped full-sized rigs from the shoulders of rookies and lifers alike. It wasn't pretty, but six or seven months later I have to admit the smaller, lighter cameras are working out just fine. Yes, they have all the heft of an empty Big Gulp cup and what used to be an instinctive flip of a toggle switch now requires seventeen levels of menu exploration, but under great conditions, they take really good pictures. Still, I can't help but yearn for a bigger unit, ifyaknowwhatI'msayin'...

But it ain't happenin'. I'll probably never sling an axe that size again, not with lenses diminishing all across this fruited plain. That's progress I guess, but the classic lines and bold profile of a full sized fancycam will no doubt go down in history as one of those unmistakable shapes, the kind of thing you'll one day only see in woodcut relief. But as time goes by this silhouette will go from heroic to laughably large, much like 80's era jam-boxes must look to iPod disciples. What a shame. The modern day fancycam was the industry standard for longer than the green screen. Soon they'll be as irrelevant as countdown slate. That makes me sad, though I gotta say my spinal column won't miss a thing. Still, for men (and women) like me, that overly bulky box of wires and light possesses every bit of sexiness as a classic Corvette. And you don't even have to own a teensy winkie to appreciate it.

Helps, though.