What have you just BOUGHT?

Tim,

I have quite a few cameras now that I could only lust after as a kid. There was about a ten year stretch where they were affordable at thrift shops and on craigslist. After COVID, those deals are much harder to find.

Scott
Harrisburg, OR
Dear Scott,

When I was a kid 50 years ago I was just getting started in photography. I bought a book, it was from Consumer Guide, or maybe Consumer Reports, but it was a book with detailed information about dozens of cameras. I pretty much memorized the book.

Since that day long ago I've managed to buy and use many of the cameras in the book. I'll agree that deals are getting harder to find, but that only make the ones we bought earlier even more valuable, right? ;)

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA :)
 
Godfrey, are you aware of any automated means of using Color Checker + scanned film to get more accurate results from color negatives?

Nothing comes to mind, sorry. Getting color negative mask elimination and then inversion both accurate and pleasing is a tricky bit of business; I imagine it would take a fair bit of software development time and effort to do a decent job.

My understanding is that Negative Lab Pro does a very good job of it, but I usually just do it by eye when I need to ... which is not particularly often since I only very rarely shoot color on film any more.

G
 
I really didn't BUY something BUT I did send a Retina IIa to Paul Barden for service. I knew the focus was off and the slower shutter speeds weren't quite right and I've been wanting to see what this little gem was capable of.
I received the Retina today and added a soft shutter release button, reattached the leather shoulder strap, added a Series VI filter then loaded it with some HP5+ (gonna shoot it at 200ASA)
Paul informed me that the rear group of glass was a Rodenstock and not the correct Schneider goup...so I wasn't crazy and it would not focus correctly.

36751931874_9171834256_c.jpg
 
I really didn't BUY something BUT I did send a Retina IIa to Paul Barden for service. I knew the focus was off and the slower shutter speeds weren't quite right and I've been wanting to see what this little gem was capable of.
I received the Retina today and added a soft shutter release button, reattached the leather shoulder strap, added a Series VI filter then loaded it with some HP5+ (gonna shoot it at 200ASA)
Paul informed me that the rear group of glass was a Rodenstock and not the correct Schneider goup...so I wasn't crazy and it would not focus correctly.

36751931874_9171834256_c.jpg

Dear nikon sam,

It's good to know you endorse Paul Barden. I plan on boxing up 3 Retina IIIc's to send to him to make one really good one next week. They all sort of work, but not perfectly.

When I get a good one back, he'll get a couple of IIa's to work with.

And then I will be done with collecting Retina's because I'm no kid and I'll be all set!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA :)
 
AE Viewfinder for my Mamiya 645 Pro TL. Got it from Japan because the Yen is low. Now looking for cheap 120 film because I am down to my last 10 rolls.
 
AE Viewfinder for my Mamiya 645 Pro TL. Got it from Japan because the Yen is low. Now looking for cheap 120 film because I am down to my last 10 rolls.
Glad you got a good deal on the prism! But boy, I haven't seen prices drop. I think the low Yen is more than offset by increasing demand for a decreasing amount of film equipment. And "cheap 120 film" is becoming an oxymoron.
 
The Summicron-M 28 ASPH arrived ... superb, looks perfect, images beautifully!

The M10-R body also arrived ... looks great, works well, but i found the rangefinder collimation and calibration is slightly off. So it's going back to the dealer for a service before I put it into use. Eh, it happens ... that's why I buy from a good dealer who takes care of me. :)

I'll ship it back on Monday morning (so it doesn't sit in a warehouse over the weekend...) but in the meanwhile, I'll pull out my Lomo Minitar-1 32/2.8 Art Lens and have a play with that setup today. :D

G
 
A Super Elmar-A 14/3.2 module with one inch sensor for my Insta 360 camera, and insta360 invisible selfie stick, (not for selfies but to attach to my bike for cool above rider images).
 
The Summicron-M 28 ASPH arrived ... superb, looks perfect, images beautifully!

The M10-R body also arrived ... looks great, works well, but i found the rangefinder collimation and calibration is slightly off. So it's going back to the dealer for a service before I put it into use. Eh, it happens ... that's why I buy from a good dealer who takes care of me. :)

I'll ship it back on Monday morning (so it doesn't sit in a warehouse over the weekend...) but in the meanwhile, I'll pull out my Lomo Minitar-1 32/2.8 Art Lens and have a play with that setup today. :D

G
what happened to the 24 Aporia?
 
I have been on a vintage Nikkor buying spree for the last several months. I love the look of the old Nikkor manual focus lenses. Since these were the lenses I used in my youth, maybe I'm trying to recapture that time...yeah, right. That's a fantasy that will not be fulfilled.

Today, I'm scheduled to receive a 50/1.8 AI Nikkor. I already have the AI-S version--long nose version--but it came with a defect. It works okay but the AI models are said to be better built. Also, later this week, I should be receiving a beat-up but workable 35-70/2.8 AF-D autofocus lens. I've read good things about this lens with the only nitpick being the focal length range. I'm okay with that.
 
what happened to the 24 Aporia?
Still have it and use it, but it's a more "specialty" lens for when I look to carry the most compact package. It works very well: Focusing is fine but setting aperture is a fussy business ... need to use a toothpick to do it. Also, it's difficult to use a filter on it for lack of the correct filter sizing.

The Summicron-M 28/2 ASPH has more even illumination across the FoV and its ergonomics are in line with the rest of my modern Leica lenses, same for filter mounting, etc.

G
 
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