jay_hector

<p>B&H: The first item I remember buying from 'em was an import Nikkor 300 2.8 AIS new for 1200 bucks in May 1983. I've been buying from 'em ever since. I feel like I know the owner personally after all these years and it's good feeling for me and for B&H. It's been amazing to watch B&H grow from those small ads in the photo mags to be king of the hill. </p> <p>However, the king has a pea under his mattress these days and seems to have taken a lesson from Amazon is stupid packing of expensive items for shipment by putting folded bubble-wrap on top of the item, and then leaving the bottom and sides totally unprotected against shock. B&H should change the B-W machine and have the item placed between the bubble-wrap at the minimum. They way it is now, you better pray the manufacturer does a good job in protecting the items with their packing. I get quite a few items with the box partially crushed even when the outside box is undamaged. How many G's does it take to crush the corner of a box inside an undamaged outer box?</p> <p>I still won't stray too far from B&H, but I will stray Adorama's way.</p> <p>Adorama: They always used to be second fiddle to B&H, but I agree that over the last several years they have really upped their game to a high level resulting in becoming a viable alternative to B&H. It's good for both Adorama and B&H to have strong competition between them. </p>

<p>Lil, nothing is safe in life, but crime is at it's lowest point in almost fifty years in California according to the Public Policy Institute of Calfornia:</p> <p>http://www.ppic.org/main/publication_show.asp?i=1036</p> <p>"California’s violent crime rate is at its lowest level since 1967. After increasing slightly in 2012, California’s violent crime rate dropped by 6.5% in 2013, to a 46-year low of 397 per 100,000 residents. From 1960 to 1980, the state’s violent crime rate increased from 239 to 894 violent crimes per 100,000 residents—a staggering 274% rise. After declining in the early 1980s, the rate rose to a peak of 1,120 in 1992. Since then, violent crime has declined substantially. Nonetheless, in the most recent national data (from 2012), California’s violent crime rate of 422 per 100,000 residents was higher than the national rate of 387 and ranked 16th among all states. In 2013, 59% of violent crimes in California were aggravated assaults, 35% were robberies, 5% were rapes, and 1% were homicides."</p> <p>You hire babysitters (maybe), so maybe you can find someone who is interested in learning nature photography to accompany you and be your bodyguard at the same time as they learn the tricks of your trade. You're much more likely to get assaulted at an ATM or injured driving to and from where you would like to shoot some pics. </p> <p>You might even start your own photo class and have your own group for safety.</p>

<div></div>

<p>Dan, publications will look at a photo credit from a magazine, contact the publication that originally published the photo to get the photographer contact info and then buy publication rights to the photo. I had this happen to me with a photo of mine that ran in Road & Track on their PS page. Ultimately about ten publications (including The National Enquirer) contacted R&T to get my info which resulted in sales to me. Some of the pubs gave me photo credit too, but not the Enquirer. I asked the Enquirer photo editor why, and he said that they never do, but they pay very well instead, which they certainly did. The photo I shot was just a quick snap out the car window as I drove by this particular vehicle. Now the NE did want details, so I had to look at one of my shots, call the guy who was selling the vehicle and he filled-me in on the details for the NE. It was our tax dollars at work that paid for this car. Here's the original shot in R&T and the NE version.</p> <p><img src="http://www.jaypix.com/pix/4carw1.jpg" alt="" /><img src="http://www.jaypix.com/pix/4carw2.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p> </p>

<p>Maybe it's like an F3 where it doesn't operate normally until the frame counter says 1. The first time I used an F3 when it came out, I had the habit of firing (with a fresh roll) before the frame counter said one, and the F3 was stuck at its one mechanical speed. I had to stop using the F3 I had borrowed from NPS only to later learn what caused it.</p>

<p>The Samyang/Rokinon/Bower/Vivitar and you name the brand, 85mm F1.4 manual focus lenses are excellent and dirt cheap. Under 300 bucks for the chipped version and name your mount.</p>

<p>The first photo in the series barely qualifies as the '50s and probably is a 1960 photo as you have two 1960 model cars in the shot, the Falcon and the Olds.</p>

<p>The Samyang/Bower/Rokinon etc. 85mm f1.4 MF lens for 250-300 bucks new (get a chipped version) is a viable option. There are plenty of reviews and comments about this lens (regarless of brand badge) on the net regarding the quality of this lens.</p>

Tearsheet from Road & Track magazine of an article I wrote and photographed from 1983. The shots were K64 the magazine converted to b&w and the smaller shot showing the artist's signature was also run backwards. You can read the story at this link: http://www.jaypix.com/pix/parking.jpg<div></div>

There's always the Samyang/Rokinon/Bower etc 14mm f2.8 for 300 bucks.

If you don't want distortion, the Nikkor 15mm F3.5 is your lens. Note that the link "Link" is for the Mir website on the Nikkor. The second link is for a prior PN thread on the 15mm.a http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/ultrawides/15mm.htm "Technical Highlights: * Panoramic 110° picture angle allows you to shoot in the confined space of cramped interiors; it also produces spectacular results in landscape, architectural or virtually any type of photography. * Straight-line rendition of subjects with virtually no distortion. * Immense depth of field practically eliminates the need to focus at smaller f/stops and moderate or greater distances." http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Km5u

I deliberately used a low shutter speed here to blur the advertising on the cars, as I found this location with no guardrails, advertising signs or fencing, just pure location and track. This tearsheet is from Road & Track where it was originally published in 1983. Both shots here are mine.<div></div>

<div></div>