I bought my first SLR, a brand-new Nikon FE, in 1982. I was an undergraduate at Stanford University. I purchased the camera from Keeble and Shuchat Photography, located in Palo Alto's California Avenue business district just off the Stanford campus.

After a couple of years' fling with digital, I decided to return to film. I researched the Nikon F4, F5 and F100.

I no longer live in Palo Alto, but I frequently have business there. On a recent trip, I stopped at Palo Alto Baking Company for pastry and coffee, and to read a few pages of Ron Paul's The Revolution: A Manifesto.

From Palo Alto Baking Company, a short walk across the street took me to Keeble and Shuchat's used equipment store. I was torn between the F4 and the F5 at the time and wanted to check them out in person.

Well, they had neither F4 nor F5, but they did have several F100 bodies. Handling it, I realized that it was pretty well the perfect size and weight for my type of photography.

Ken Rockwell, in his review, complained about dust entering the body. A quick question to the salesman dispelled this concern: "Not even when we used them as rental cameras." I walked out with a near-mint F100, with strap and body cap, for under $340, including 8.25% sales tax.

After mulling over lens selection and realizing I had no immediate budget for anything else, I returned a couple of days later and picked up a mint Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D for less than $90.