New York February NYC Meet-Up/ Eighth Annual Camera Beauty Contest

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Calzone

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February marks the Eighth Annual Camera Beauty Contest.

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(UPDATE: Now called "THE CAMERA CIRCUS.")
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HISTORY LESSON: I was 9 years ago in November 2007 that Damaso Reyes started the NYC Meet-Up at Lorelies. After a few monthly Meet-Ups I kinda somehow got mugged and stuck with the responsibilities of keeping these Meet-Ups going. I was very reluctant at first, and a lazy slacker like me hates responsibility.

So anyways here is some backstory. In 2007 I was trading oil stocks against the hedge funds using lots of leverage in a margin account. On the day that oil hit $147.00 I sold all my oil stocks when oil first hit $135.00, I closed my margin account, and I took my profits.

I decided to buy "hard assets" so I bought gold, diamonds, and this is how I discovered Leicas. During the time of the credit crisis, I had unbelievable credit, and also I had cash at a time when people were selling their treasures for "no money."

I went to Adorama and bought a German 75 Lux in minty condition for $1800.00 and a German 35 Cron V.4 for $1100.00. I bought my Wetzlar M6 a while later to actually have a Leica camera. Previously I was just a Nikon SLR shooter, and I only had one camera.

So now in 2016 after a weird Presidential Election, I culled down to buy a Leica SL, there are less rangefinders in the "Camera Museum," and more and more I am getting back into SLR's. Also know that my new SL heavily favors SLR glass.

In the first Annual Camera Beauty Contest we limited the entries to Leica M-bodies, but then decided to open up the competition in later years. We also kinda made up several sub catagories, and for next year (2017) I would like to start off with "the King of the SLR catagory." I have some smut that someone we know has performed some crazy buying, so I will throw down the challenge. Anyways I hope to corner this small nitch market. LOL.

Know that I am also know to daytrade cameras like commodities, and I am feeling like a Chinese Bankster from Hong Kong. It seems that as I cull down it mirrors the complex spreads in options trading because the options of my camera ownership is based on complex variables.

Anyways expect a brace of interesting SLR's from me.

Cal
 
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Calzone said:
HISTORY LESSON: I was 9 years ago in November 2007 that Damaso Reyes started the NYC Meet-Up at Lorelies. After a few monthly Meet-Ups I kinda somehow got mugged and stuck with the responsibilities of keeping these Meet-Ups going. I was very reluctant at first, and a lazy slacker like me hates responsibility.

(...) I would like to start off with "the King of the SLR catagory." I have some smut that someone we know has performed some crazy buying, so I will throw down the challenge. Anyways I hope to corner this small nitch market. LOL.

Anyways expect a brace of interesting SLR's from me.

Cal
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Amusingly Damaso moved to Barcelona but didn't get ahold of him after his exhibition (2012? that long ago?). There was the global RFF meetup that I missed. Otherwise there was no movement on that aside of meeting Frank Jackson when he came into town, he had a nice custom dark green leatherette M6. I could start something up but am Slacking :D

SLR's I'd vote for a classic unmetered prism F or an Olympus OM-1. Maitani did a really nice approach of getting a "Like-a M" into SLR. And that VF is giantly wonderful. There was a nice one locally that I'm fighting not to get, but I could tune it with a white leatherette as someone did, naming it "OM-1 a la carte". The possibility of taking a flight to NYC is not that wide so I'm casting a remote vote.
 
jsrockit said:
How about February 5th? or was this thread not about the date? ;)
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John,

February 5th it is.

Also Lorelie's is kinda small and it is hard to circulate. It would be great to get a space that was more open and perhaps secure. This way we can make it really-really crazy with gear.

I would also like to reinstate the "cheap camera" as a catagory. Last year I lost out to Sam over a few pennies sales tax. Call me a speculator, but there is still time to get the new Black Instax Mini-70 (no Red Dot, LOL) I just bought my gal for Christmas. I already gave it to her and all she has done over the past week is load the camera. Not even a test shot and its been about a week. By February the camera might be mine. LOL.

I seem to have way too many filters so I say we start a filter exchange as part of the event. I'll make a list so in we can fight in February. I remember in Boy Scouts starting a riot by throwing some cookies off the lookout tower by our campsite. I through one cookie and someone went to pick it up out of the dirt, but then some guys boot stepped on his hand. Then I threw a handful and next the brawling pursued. LOL.

This was in the second week of camp, previously my foot locker somehow was missing for the first week, and by now everyone was kinda tired of the mess hall food. I had cornered the market as far as snacks, treats and cookies. Basically I almost had a Monopoly on food.

Way back then I was a lazy slacker. I was a Tenderfoot for over two years. I was a bad Boy Scout. LOL. Not really a role model. LOL. I called Troop 451, "F-Troop." Pretty much I was a big headache.

Funny thing is that later in life, as a man I ran into my Troop Master at work at Grumman. Mr McNalty was kinda shocked to see that I grew up. He reminded me of the time I grabbed an ax to teach Robert Zimmerman a lesson.

"We almost didn't catch you. You were mighty fast on your feet." Anyways perhaps not pleased to see me. LOL.

Cal
 
Prest_400 said:
Amusingly Damaso moved to Barcelona but didn't get ahold of him after his exhibition (2012? that long ago?). There was the global RFF meetup that I missed. Otherwise there was no movement on that aside of meeting Frank Jackson when he came into town, he had a nice custom dark green leatherette M6. I could start something up but am Slacking :D

SLR's I'd vote for a classic unmetered prism F or an Olympus OM-1. Maitani did a really nice approach of getting a "Like-a M" into SLR. And that VF is giantly wonderful. There was a nice one locally that I'm fighting not to get, but I could tune it with a white leatherette as someone did, naming it "OM-1 a la carte". The possibility of taking a flight to NYC is not that wide so I'm casting a remote vote.
Click to expand...

Jorde,

A big part of this annual event is the camera presentation. Basically it is being a good salesman and winning over the hearts and minds of "the mob." Basically he who controls the mob wins. The only rule that is enforced is, "No biting." LOL.

One of my competitors just bought a black eye level prism "F" for no money.

Usually I'm a good showman, but I never win. LOL.

Anyways I intend to create a SLR parade.

Cal
 
GEAR ALERT: I'm back to my bad old ways and day-trading gear. I will be getting a 35 Lux-R 3 cam later today. I was surprised that it actually is a bit bigger than my 50 Lux-R E60.

Know that I own two SL's: one is a black 1975 SL2-MOT (about 1000 made); and my second SL is the new Leica digital. The SL2-MOT is like a 1975 time capsule that was made of two parts cameras, assembled by Sherry.

The normal and wide last version "R" glass is mighty cool. Brutal I say.

Cal
 
Cal, looking forward to seeing your work with the 35 lux R 3 CAM.
I've lusted over that lens for a while, it will be in good hands with you.

If I make it up I'll bring my new M4 that I'm building as an entry to the beauty pageant.
 
benmacphoto said:
Cal, looking forward to seeing your work with the 35 lux R 3 CAM.
I've lusted over that lens for a while, it will be in good hands with you.

If I make it up I'll bring my new M4 that I'm building as an entry to the beauty pageant.
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Ben,

Don't know if you ever saw the M4 I owned. I picked it up at Adorama for no money because it needed work. Cosmetically it was no wear, and it had an intact "L" seal. I sent it to Sherry for an overhaul. It was a great camera, and now it is in the hands of Andre.

Anyways I rescued that M4. I loved the smoothness, the feel, and especially the framelines which I think are the best that Leica ever created. I had Sherry remove the 75mm frames from my cameras because of owning that M4. The 50 frames alone are just so elegant.

I had Sherry change the film advance lever to a M2-M3 style. remarkable camera.

Cal
 
jsrockit said:
Raj, sometimes the mob decides to back a shyer participant.
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John,

How true. Happens all the time. It tis a rowdy crowd. That is why we have the rule: "No biting."

Pretty much bare knuckle street fighting like NYC in the 70's. LOL.

How many times did John Chee take a beating like a man? It was so much fun though that he came back every year until he won.

Then there are Christian's constructions...

Every year there are surprises. Like the last Presidential Election the favorite seems to never win. LOL.

Cal
 
rajmohan-fotograf said:
There goes any slight chance I might have had! :D
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Raj,

Try to watch this special that Robert WHore-SHA-VAC from "Shark Tank" made about being a good salesman.

The greatest point is that being a great salesman is a skill that can help you in everything you do, and this is coming from a billion-air.

So these are the key elements that make a great salesman: personable, knowlegable, trustworthy, and a good communicator.

Of course being a good salesman can be used for good or evil. In my younger days I did something I was not proud of, but I learned I was a good salesman. In a way it was my job to take advantage of people and sell as much as I could.

Perhaps I was in my early 20's and took on a part-time job for extra money working at "Ed's Tropical Aquariums." It was not a pet store and only sold tropical fish. I was "trained" to push the 10 gallon starter kit which cost $9.99, and realize this was in the very early 1980's, but the sham was to convince customers that they needed extras, and this is basically where you bilk the customer.

I kinda learned that I was a good natural born salesman because I easily sold over $190.00 worth of extras with every $9.99 tank I sold. A big part of this was all the upgrades, and then you added in the extras, and it took a lot of skill to nurse people along a devious path by manipulating them. Surely this was just being dishonest. Understand that the basic starter kit was only the tank, a cheesey filter, and some gravel (your choice).

Anyways I will say I am not proud of what I did, and know that I am sorry, but I did learn very early in life that I was a good salesman. Today I actually make it a point to be generous, and if anything I give people good deals or even deals of a lifetime. Call it retrobution.

Also know as a kid I was very clever in manipulating adults into spoiling me, and generally as a kid I got away with a lot. Possibly part of it was good looks, but mostly because even as a kid I was a good salesman.

I have found what Robert Whore-SHA-Vac said to be true; "Being a good salesman can help you in everything you do," but for me it has moral consequences.

Cal
 
HYPE: So I was only minding my own business, trying to be good, and leaving my bad habits like day-trading gear like commodities behind me, LOL, when I got solicited to do a lens swap for a lens I wanted. I'll say it again: I was only minding my own business...

So I picked up my "New" 35 Lux-R 3-cam. This lens is big, and it is a "porker." LOL. In fact when mounted on my SL someone aleady asked me if it was a telephoto lens. No lie. E67 filter size like my medium format Pentax 67 II lenses, and it is at least as heavy as a Noctilux.

I cleaned up the lens and dusted the glass to discover basically a lens with the Lietz marking that seems unused. The good, the bad, and the ugly is that the lens seems unused, the only bad is that it's Bad-Assed, and the ugly is the focus is stiff.

I'll use it for a while and see if things loosen up, but with a CLA the lens is a time capsule.

So on the SL and SL2-MOT this lens is mucho evil. It looks like a bad boy from Brooklyn: totally bad-ass. Know that my 50 Lux-R "E60" only came in ROM which cannot be used on on my SL2-MOT because it would get damaged, so since I am a mucho clever guy I bought a Leica-R macro extention tube for parts, shaved the aperature cam, and retrofited my ROM lens into a 3-Cam so that it can be shared between my SL and SL2-MOT: double bad-assed. Anyways looks mighty-mighty evil.

So how can I convince the mob that my mirrorless camera, the SL, is really like a SLR? I think the SL was designed to substitute for one, and in use that's how I use it. It replaced a Nikon D3X I was using as my color digital. To me it is like a DSLR in many ways, but I am also known to be a delusional artist.

Anyways over twenty years ago Donald Trump said, "If I ran for President, I would win." Back then I thought that was rather funny, but today it is not," but I laugh anyway.

Cal
 
stompyq said:
You forgot "ability to lie while keeping a straight face".
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Pro-Mone,

Acting skills and being good looking certainly are assets, but perhaps they are not "key" elements.

You can look like Bozo the clown and sell hamburgers; you can lie outright, create and invent facts, and basically be crazy and narcy and get elected President.

Anyways President Elect Trump perhaps is a bad example. LOL. Somehow he defied every one of Robert Horse-sha-Vac's key elements.

Cal
 
GEAR REPORT: So I cleaned the 35 Lux-R 3-cam I got in unsolicited day trading. Basically in numerology the serial number adds up to three, and three is the creative number. So this is a very strong omen that this is a good lens for me. The lens dates was made in 1983 which in numerology creates another three which is a second good omen to add more mojo.

Basically this cleaned up to be like an unused lens. I used an alcohol prep to clean up some surplus filler for the distance scale that remaind from when installed in 1983. The good, the bad and the ugly is that because the lens was not used the focus is stiff.

I will likely get the lens clean and then it will be pristine. I learned it is not as sharp as my 50 Lux "E60" and that the rendering is very much like a 75 or 80 Lux, in that F1.4 and F2.0 are rather dreamy and glowy with a good amount of softness, but if you stop down it gets that blistery sharpness.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
GEAR REPORT: So I cleaned the 35 Lux-R 3-cam I got in unsolicited day trading. Basically in numerology the serial number adds up to three, and three is the creative number. So this is a very strong omen that this is a good lens for me. The lens dates was made in 1983 which in numerology creates another three which is a second good omen to add more mojo.


Cal
Click to expand...

Errr.. what?? You lost me somewhere. What is this nonsense??
 
stompyq said:
Errr.. what?? You lost me somewhere. What is this nonsense??
Click to expand...

Pro-Mone,

Numerology is kinda funny. Some girl taught it to me, and it involves adding numbers until you come up with a single digit. Let's take 1983: 1+9=10; 10+8=18; 18+3= 21; 2+1= 3

Anyways this girl kinda uses this Numerology to strike up a conversation, and then plays like a gypsy telling me about myself after asking me about my birthday. Likely she used my astrological sign to profile me.

Anyways it was used to pick me up, kinda like at a party when a girl asks you, "Have you ever heard that green M&M's make you horny?" Call it a plecebo effect but when a girl says that and starts culling out the green M&M's and feeding you them it kinda worked. Or at least I figured it out.

Anyways one thing that stuck that I remembered is that 3 is a creative number. Funny thing is that if you rearrange any string of numbers it always gets reduced down to the same prime number, and somehow the symbolism kinda made sense.

Anyways I included it for fun. Anyways I was just minding my own business... LOL.

Cal
 
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