aircannonsinc Chapter 73 Chen Xiao
Chapter 73 Chen Xiao
Chen Xiao said, "This one is a 7000i. Why don't you just get the 7000? That'll be cheaper. This one's newer, so it's more expensive." She calculated as she spoke, saying, "If you get the 7000, with a 200mm lens, tripod, flash, and UV filter, it'll be 4200 yuan in total. Do you need filters? Forget it, you wouldn't understand. Let's not get those now. Come back to me later if you need them, and I'll give them to you at cost. I'll still give you the bag, and I'll also get you a shutter release cable, okay?"
Xiao Wei turned to Xia Maosheng and asked, "Is it okay?"
Xia Maosheng did the math in his head, nodded, and said, "I'll go for it. The girl wasn't lying; it's a pretty fair price. You want to buy this?"
Xiao Wei said, "Let's buy it, we'll have to buy it sooner or later, let's just take this 7000. And give me a few books."
Chen Xiao said, "Okay, look at these bags, which one do you want? This one has more features and is bigger."
Xiao Wei said, "Let's keep this one. It's better if it's bigger, so we won't have to change it if we need to buy something else later."
Chen Xiao took the bag down and placed it on the counter. Then he went to get the equipment: camera, 200mm lens, UV filter, shutter release cable, airbag, brush, and deerskin bag. He placed each item into the camera bag, saying, "Put the 200mm lens in the middle, it's the heaviest. Put the camera body here, and this is for the flash, batteries, and charger. You'll have to buy the batteries and charger separately. Put the other small items in this outer pocket. This back is a hidden pocket for changing film. I'll have them teach you when we get back. Don't get your hands on the lens. It has a protective coating, and if you get fingerprints on it, you can't wipe them off. The photos will all have fingerprints on them."
Don't use anything else to wipe the lens; this deerskin is specifically for cleaning lenses, so don't get it dirty. Store it carefully. Before changing the film, use this airbag to blow away any loose dust inside the chamber. I've already installed this UV filter for you; you don't need to remove it normally. This lens hood is here; just clip it on when you need it, and remove it before use so it doesn't get pressed down.
As Chen Xiao fiddled with the object, he kept explaining it to Xiao Wei. Chen Hui, on the other hand, was staring at him with shining eyes while leaning on the counter. Xia Maosheng nudged Xiao Wei and gave Chen Hui a meaningful look. Xiao Wei smiled too. It seemed that the kid was really smitten.
After carefully packing everything into his bag, Chen Xiao went to the counter and took out eight AA batteries and a cardboard box, saying, "These are the batteries and charger. You can use four at a time, and then recharge them. Eight batteries should be enough. I'll give you 160 yuan for the charger and batteries together."
Back then, cameras didn't come with batteries, and there were no lithium batteries. The rechargeable batteries were nickel-cadmium batteries, which cost over ten yuan a cell on the market. Chen Xiao didn't really make much money at that price.
There were quite a few odds and ends, so Chen Xiao helped Xiao Wei unpack and pack them into his bag, explaining each item to him one by one. Unfortunately, it was clearly like talking to a brick wall. Chef Zhang nodded repeatedly, looking completely bewildered, but he didn't understand anything. That's how things are; if you understand them, no matter how trivial they are, it's fine. You'll understand at a glance. If you don't understand them, no matter how simple they are, it's useless, and you won't remember them.
Being a photographer back then was truly tough. Unlike later generations, where a camera body, two lenses, and two memory cards are all you need, film cameras back then were really cumbersome, and people with poor memories couldn't operate them.
After packing everything, he took a small roll of tape and stuffed it into the darkroom bag. He then tied the tripod to the camera bag, and the whole setup was complete. He paid and got an invoice, and 4,860 yuan was gone. In total, Xiaowei had spent more than 8,000 yuan since arriving in Fengtian. No one would believe he wasn't heartbroken.
In 90, banks had not yet started accepting deposits and withdrawals across regions, and bank cards were considered high-end items that only powerful people could afford. Ordinary people had rarely even seen one. In Northeast China, major banks only began to widely issue ordinary bank cards after 1993, and it wasn't until 97 that inter-provincial deposit and withdrawal services were introduced.
After buying the camera, Xiao Wei was a little excited as he slung the camera bag over his shoulder, and the group headed out of the mall.
To be honest, this set of equipment is quite heavy right now, weighing several dozen kilograms. People who are small or weak will be out of breath after carrying it for just a few steps.
Chen Hui reluctantly talked to Chen Xiao about going to the party that night. He left the mall with Xia Maosheng pulling him along, looking back every few steps. Once outside, the guy lit a cigarette and said wistfully, "That's it, I'm going to have to find a girlfriend." This caused a stir among the crowd.
Fate is such a sudden and unexpected thing.
Even the most composed person would be excited after buying a camera. Xiao Wei, carrying his bag and books, went straight home with everyone. A few people from the school didn't go; I don't know what they were so excited about, but everyone was in high spirits.
Once inside, Xiao Wei put down his camera bag and immediately started reading. Xia Maosheng and Chen Hui took out their camera, put in the batteries, and started fiddling with it. Back then, rechargeable batteries had to be discharged completely before the first charge, and they had to be fully charged in one go, otherwise the batteries would be ruined.
Two second-generation entrepreneurs were the main speakers, while Xiao Wei and a bunch of country bumpkins listened. To be honest, operating a DSLR camera is quite complicated. Not only do you have to understand the functions of so many dials, buttons, and knobs, but you also have to be able to calculate exposure and depth of field. It's much more difficult to operate than a modern SLR camera.
Modern cameras offer WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) photography, and you can simply take more pictures and delete them later. Back then, we used film, and no one knew what the result would be until it was developed. Therefore, photographers were required to be able to calculate the result, meaning they had to clearly understand the effect of the photo in their minds.
In the middle of the process, Chen Hui ran upstairs again and brought down a Ricoh and a Seagull 120 from his home. He compared and explained the different models. He said that the Minolta had more powerful functions, which meant that it was more complicated to operate. It was easier to understand some things by comparing several models.
They talked until 4 p.m., then Xia Maosheng and the others went to cook dinner. Everyone ate a lively meal, but Xiao Hong wouldn't be coming back that night because she had a performance.
It was almost six o'clock, and it was already dark. Everyone came to the Northeast Institute of Technology and stood at the entrance to wait for Chen Xiao.
Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng said Chen Xiao definitely wouldn't come, but Chen Hui didn't believe them and insisted on waiting. As a result, at a little past six, Chen Xiao really did come. The girl had her hair in a high ponytail, her face held high, and her ponytail swayed rhythmically behind her head as she walked. She walked towards them from a distance under the streetlights. She wasn't alone; she was with another girl. But at this moment, Chen Hui couldn't see anyone else. The only thing in his world was Chen Xiao, who was getting closer and closer and smiling with a dimple.
Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng's group became mere background figures, their eyes practically forming hearts as they warmly (and lewdly) greeted Chen Hui: "Xiao Xiao, why are you dressed so lightly? It's windy and cold here at night. Have you eaten yet?"
Chen Xiao ignored Chen Hui, smiled and nodded at everyone, saying, "How long have you been here? Can we go in now?"