jon_porter

I'm keeping my last one, the 60mm D. I prefer the focal length over a 50mm and like its solid build quality. Plus I can use it on any F mount camera; I still have an FM and friends occasionally give me old Nikon bodies. All my other mechanical AF lenses were sold off a few years ago.

The SB-30 is my all-time favorite flash. It's small and light, fairly powerful, and works in Auto or Manual on any camera. It will even work in TTL mode on late-model Nikon film cameras or early digitals. It has four Auto settings and three Manual power level settings. You didn't say what you plan to shoot with the flash, but I mainly use the SB-30 for fill flash. It adds very little weight to my camera, which is appreciated if, for example, I'm going to be walking around a car show for hours. And the SB-30's single battery provides a surprising number of full-power flashes. For indoor shooting, such as a party or wedding reception, I'm more inclined to use a TTL unit to better balance the flash with the ambient light.

So can DX be toggled off and on now as well?

Another review of the film: Film Review Blog No. 45 - CatLABS X Film 80

I shot three rolls of 120 CatLabs and was impressed with it. Good skin tones, shadow detail and fairly fine grain. I rated it at 64 and developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 12 minutes @ 68 degrees. I never developed any Panatomic in Rodinal so I can't comment on how similar CatLabs 80 is to that film, but it's worth a try. I'll probably shoot a few more rolls of it later this year to see how it looks developed in FX-39.

For as long as I can remember Nikon (and Canon) has issued a fancy fold-out brochure that was co-sponsored by local camera stores and included with newspapers around the beginning of December. This year I didn't see a brochure from either company in Silicon Valley's main paper. While that may be indicative of newspapers' declining circulation, or my local camera store feeling it wasn't worth the expense, I enjoyed collecting the brochures each Christmas as a way to document what Nikon model was hot or new each year. Here's the brochure from 2017.

I'm impressed with the Z6, but as a D500 owner with only one FX lens (that won't auto-focus on the FTZ), I view the Z6 as an expensive paper weight unless I spend about $1,000 more on the 24-70mm and a couple of XQD cards and reader. So I'll pass on considering a Z camera until there's a collection of native lenses for it.

Hey Shun, Were you able to get a reservation for the Z event at San Jose Camera? It was "sold out" by the time I opened my email about it this morning. Yeah, these cameras are going to sell!

I've bought almost all my used gear from eBay, KEH or Roberts. Over the years I've only had two issues, both quickly resolved. So many people churn digital gear nowadays that it's easy to buy almost unused gear for much less than new prices.

It's an excellent standard zoom. I used one on my D700 and F100 and loved it. They go for around $300 on eBay, so are also a good bargain.

Not sure why there's such a clamor for Nikon to make an F-mount mirrorless. What, exactly, would Nikon bring to the table that isn't already offered by Fuji, M43 and Sony? I use both EVIL and SLR cameras since both have advantages and I don't plan to give up either. But I'm outside Nikon's demographics, so maybe if photographers under 35 are mainly buying mirrorless cameras if makes sense for Nikon to enter the market. Hopefully a better effort than Canon's M series.

<p>Another use for film cans was to store the stock strap rings and plastic inserts when replacing them with an aftermarket shoulder strap. But like the original box, instructions, sales receipt and tripod pad, most owners lost them over the years before they sold the camera. But if that FM2 is otherwise in pristine shape, it's still a good buy for a very useable camera.</p>

<p>The only reason to get a G690 is if you need more than one lens. If I remember correctly, there was a 65mm, 100mm and 150mm lens. The camera was introduced in 1970, so most of them have had a long, hard life. I agree with Ellis, find a clean GW690III. It will have a much better viewfinder and rangefinder than a G690. They're a lot of fun to use and the huge negative yields wonderful scans.</p>

<p>I've had several of these early metal Mamiyas and they're wonderful cameras. But they are prone to erratic frame spacing and overlapping frames as they age, so ask the buyer about this and, as Russ suggested, put some film through the camera. In my experience, if there are overlapping frames or less than 15 shots on a roll of 120 film, changing film inserts won't make a difference; the problem is the camera.</p>

<p>I had the same experience with my SQ-AI as Kenneth. At times I had to press on the battery door for the shutter to fire. I put a small piece of card stock on top of the battery holder to create more pressure on the electrical contacts. That worked most of the time, but it also put pressure on the battery door, causing it to pop open occasionally, dumping the batteries on the ground. I finally got fed up and replaced the camera with an SQ-B.</p>

<p>Basketball is played in the UK? Really? I thought you chaps only cared about cricket and football (the kind played in shorts, not knickers).</p>

<p>Older Mamiya 645 bodies are notorious for developing erratic frame spacing. You can try another film insert to see if that corrects it, but I suspect the camera itself needs servicing. I've experienced this with several M645 and 1000S bodies.</p>

<p>I, too, was at the Keeble & Shuchat event. As Shun said, it was disappointing there were only two cameras for quite a large crowd to handle. Plus the D5 had the 14-24mm lens attached – not the best choice when demonstrating a new camera. But the D500 had the 16-80mm, a very impressive combination. My take-away from the evening was that Nikon is committed to XQD. Both reps commented several times that the performance of the cameras was designed around the new cards.</p>

<p>I've had two SQ-AIs, an SQ-B and a Hasselblad 501CM. I bought the 501 for the same reason you're considering and because this vaunted camera is now somewhat affordable. However, I've since sold it as well as my SQ-AIs. I preferred my SQ-B to both the other cameras. And since I only sporadically shoot film and have several other 120 cameras, I couldn't justify the cost of additional backs and lenses to round out my Hasselblad system. But battery life in the Bronicas was never an issue. However, I do not like the SQ-AI. It uses four button batteries that are loaded into a flimsy holder, which is then inserted into the battery compartment and secured with a spring-loaded door. On my first SQ-AI, when handling the camera the door would sometimes fly open, throwing the plastic battery holder and batteries on the ground. Other times the door wouldn't provide enough pressure on the battery holder to maintain an electrical connection with the camera and it wouldn't fire. When I bought my second SQ-AI I also bought a spare battery holder from KOH's Camera in case I had the same problem, but the second camera had no battery issues. My first SQ-AI was probably an anomaly, but it does indicate that you have to be careful when buying one as they are getting old and some have been well-used. I bought the SQ-B since it uses a standard 6-volt battery like my other cameras and the battery fits securely and reliably in the camera even without the battery compartment door in place.</p>

<p>If the preview button is making a raspy sound and feels rough when pushed in, that's an indication the camera is likely developing a sticking diaphragm. Mine did and it resulted in erratic exposures. I had the camera professionally repaired and when it came back the preview button was smooth and quiet when pushed in and exposures were consistent.</p>

<p>I have both cameras but seldom use the D700 nowadays. The D7100 has better AF and high ISO performance. It's also smaller and lighter. However, I would only buy a refurbished D7100 ($600+) now. The difference in cost between a new D7100 and a D7200 isn't enough to give up the improved buffer and other updates of the D7200.</p>

<p>The main concern with lenses getting hot is lubricant seeping onto internal elements. Been there, done that with an 80-200mm and it's not inexpensive to repair. Also, even if your gear is insured, how would the loss affect your vacation? Car break-ins and theft are at epidemic levels in California. Even if I'm just running an errand or stopping at a restaurant, I never leave camera gear in the car. </p>

<p>The 18-140mm and 10-24mm Nikon or Tamron is your best combination. You won't need a long tele for a Panama cruise. The highlight of your trip will be going through the locks. Tele for the approach, mostly wide-angle for the transit. </p>

<p>I bought a used 501CM from Adorama and it was acurately described and in good condition. I've had it over a year with no problems.</p>

<p>Sounds like an good travel kit. I'm a big fan of Nikon's tiny SLRs. They're light, well-built, give excellent results and if something happens to it you're not out a lot of money. I've had the D3000, D3200 and plan to get a refurbished D3300 later this year.</p>