84 Photography for the Sportsman Naturalist 



legion as it is now. One is very apt in his per- 

 plexity to turn to the dealer for aid, and he, rarely 

 being a practical photographer and almost never 

 one who has any knowledge of the nature end 

 of it, will induce him to buy a number of abso- 

 lutely useless things and omit many that are 

 necessary. Moreover he will, naturally, try to sell 

 him those things upon which he makes the largest 

 profits, regardless of whether they are necessary 

 to the outfit or not, unless, as is infrequently the 

 case, that particular dealer happens to be a 

 thoroughly conscientious man. 



I find, with all clue regard to the dealers in 

 photographic goods and supplies, that most of 

 them are entirely without conscience and would 

 much rather sell a man who knows nothing about 

 it a camera of the vintage of '90 than one that is 

 up to date ; and cameras are not like wine, they do 

 not improve with age. 



A great difficulty in trying to give anything 

 like a complete list of the apparatus needed for 

 successful work is the fact of the constant change 

 and improvement in that apparatus. The thing 

 that may be the best for to-day's work may be 

 superseded by something infinitely better to- 

 morrow, and that may again be supplanted on the 

 following day ; for there is actually scarcely a clay 

 passes that does not find some new appliance 

 placed on the market, or, at least, some improve- 



