Battery Gunnison and Fort Hancock, NJ.

[RCap]

<p>I finally got a chance to run some film through a Retina IIc, that I recently had CLA'd at Essex Camera. When I got the camera the film transport was not working, after the CLA it is a smooth as silk. The Schneider Xenon 50mm/f2.8 lens is spotless and I was very pleased with the photos it produces.<br>

I love these little rangefinders and pack one in the bag with my Rolleiflex, or in the case with this outing a Speed Graphic.</p>

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[RCap]

<p>Some of the photo all shot with inexpensive Kodak ProFoto 100XL.<br>

1.</p><div></div>

[RCap]

<p>The other 6 inch coastal artillery piece.<br>

2.</p><div></div>

[RCap]

<p>Below the guns.<br>

3.</p><div></div>

[RCap]

<p>Fort Hancock.<br>

4.</p>

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[RCap]

<p>Fort Hancock.<br>

5.</p>

<div></div>

[RCap]

<p>And lastly, an older big gun by Raritan Bay.<br />6.</p><div></div>

[matthew_rusbarsky]

<p>Good stuff from I great camera. I grew up not too far from there. I spent many nights surf fishing on the hook.</p>

[jim_momary]

<p>Lovely photos from that old boy.</p>

<p>Our grammar schools up here in Northern NJ send some of our classes to the Environmental Center on the Hook. It's been fun chaperoning many of them. Lot's of stuff to learn, great place to bike and oodles of history. The oldest lighthouse that is still standing in the United States was put into service on June 11, 1764 at Sandy Hook. Fort Hancock was begun in 1890 and expanded from merely a shore battery with cannons to also include a Nike Missle Base.</p>

<p>The lighthouse and surrounding Fort Hancock are part of Gateway National Recreation Area today. The lighthouse is still in active operation and is equipped with a 3rd order Fresnel lens lit by a 1000 watt bulb, @ 45,000 candle-power. It is visible 19 miles at sea.</p>

<p>To folks unaware of this location, it looks pretty rural/desolate/undeveloped. Hard to believe it is only 6 miles from Queens and Kings Counties and 7 miles from Staten Island (as the crow flies). Yep, it's that close to NYC!<br>

Uber-prime real estate that's been thankfully preserved for now.</p>

<p>Jim</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Great location and very nice crisp and clean images, <strong>Raymond</strong>. I like the slightly understated colour from that ProFoto 100XL, and the Xenon lens shows its quality. Thanks for an interesting post.</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Neat shots, Raymond. I've got a IIc that I need to get out with to give it some exercise. A very nice camera to shoot with. Beautifully made and so compact and easy to carry.</p>

[RCap]

<p>Duplicate post.</p>

[RCap]

<p>@Matthew, I haven't fished there but went to the beaches a couple of times over the years.<br>

@Jim, another interesting fact about the light house is that when it was built it was only 500 feet from the ocean. Over the years the ocean has deposited quite a bit of sand. It now stands about 1.5 miles from the ocean.<br>

@Rick, I've heard that the film is rebranded Kodak Gold. Whether that is correct who knows.<br>

@Louis, this IIc appears to be missing the frame lines in the rangefinder. I have another IIc that is in better shape cosmetically than this one that I just picked up, and it has the frame lines. Regardless, that is something I can live with. And now that I have put the camera through it's paces, I am very pleased with it.<br>

Below is a 4x5 shot from my Speed Graphic with 135mm f/4.7 Schneider Xenar of the Sandy Hook Light House. The film is Delta 100.</p>

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[chuck_foreman1]

<p>Very nice! Glad to see you using classics with classics like this caostal region. Very pleased that you also shared your Speed Graphic shot too! I've been considering using my 4x5 too..... Any pointers?? I'm at zero! </p>

[RCap]

I use my Speed on a Gitzo 2531 tripod. I focus using the

ground glass. I usually load up 8 sheets of film in Riteway

holders with darkslides silver/white side out, put the holders

in a shoulder bag with a light meter and a second lens on

lensboard. I carry the camera on the tripod over my

shoulder. Set it up when I find my subject. Focus, close

shutter, load a film holder, get the exposure, set the desired

shutter speed and aperture, cock the shutter and pull the

dark slide. Take my exposure and replace the darkslide

black side out. And start over again. When all the dark

sudes are black side out I am done. What I am looking for

now is a loupe to aid in focusing, my vision is changing and

I find it harder to focus without an aid.