jonathan_stark

Hey, Brian,

 

"Actually, I didn't consider that I was changing the Terms of Use, although we certainly can do that. I thought of it mainly as clarifying the existing TOU."

 

I find your attitude incredibly arrogant. I now severely regret having spent money to renew my membership for 2005-06. I'm generally one of the most mild reacting people, not a rabble rouser. I think you really need to do a self-check, buddy. I'm outta here.

 

Jonathan Stark

Lumberton, NJ

"......Javascripting, cookie-data-mining... whatever. I don't feel that any thing should be pushed onto my system other than the info I am requesting from the server(s), ie thread text and images embedded, and a cookie or some other identifier......"

 

Does this have something to do with the messages like "The following keywords and/or sponsored links have been extracted automatically from the posts in this thread: filters, film, photography, notebook" that have been popping up on PN threads recently?

Hey, I can swing $69.95!! Send me my brand new Weltini II, please!

Craig-

 

Good luck, hope it works out & doesn't turn into another "Underground Leica Forum" (you know the story of that one?) The user interface looks familiar - I think Lou Lohman used that for his New Exakta Enthusiasts List. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have it at an ISP with good servers, and the thing's been plagued with performance issues. I'll pop in soon -- can't resist another temptation to fritter away time on the Internet!

I have one of these, picked it up for cheap at a camera show. Shutter has obvious issues, probably only works it one speed. Maybe I should shoot it as is...... it was on my list of "cameras to fix someday when I get time..."

Oh, by the way, when people say the trail is steep in spots, they're not kidding. It's steep AND it's wet. Wear appropriate hiking boots with good ankle support and non-skid soles.

I was there for 2 days last October. The ravines are oriented roughly north-south. As a previous poster noted, expect light not to be reaching the bottom during early morning and late afternoon, especially in fall-winter-spring. If you're using transparency film early or late on a bright day, you would likely be having exposure latitude issues. The deep shade areas may also be rendered a little blue on films that have that issue. You might want to try a warming filter, or use something like E100GX.

I don't collect old cameras, they follow me home. No, really......!!!!!!

Another system for which cheap rear caps are always welcome would be Leica Thread Mount. Any suggestions?

"Throughout the history of FSU cameras and lenses, there seem to be many instances where a basic design was kept for years and years, with very little change."

 

You mean like the Argus C3?? (It wasn't just the FSU!) How about the Nikon F which stayed in production after introduction of the F2? Or the Exa 1 a/b/c series? (same camera, different mount, gradual replacment of metal parts with plastic..)

Bon,

 

Not to be difficult, but why the heck would you want to do this? There's literally about a bazillion lenses that were created in M42 mount. There's all the Pentax, Yashica, Mamiya/Sekor, Ricoh, Fuji, etc, etc, OEM lenses, there's all the various German lenses supplied for Pentacons, Prakticas, and Edixas. There are various Russian lenses for the Zenits. And then, there's all the independent interchangeable mount lens lines that include an M42 adapter (I can't think of a major interchangeable mount system that DIDN'T accommodate M42.)

 

Are you feeling a shortage of lens options for your M42 body? :-)

 

Jonathan

Craig- I think that Kowa is your "camera for life." You do nice work with other cameras too, but the Kowa seems to bring out something special for you. Keep shooting.

 

Jonathan

OK, Craig, I'll bite. I see it, but I don't understand it. What is "tornado in a bottle" ??

 

Jonathan

Juan,

 

On my VC meter I, changing the shutter speed dial by one click stop, or changing the aperature dial by 1/2 stop will cause the lights to change. From what you're saying, it sound like yours is not working right. Can you take it back to where you bought it?

Hmmmm. Looks like that F-86 has a bad case of chicken pox!

On the normal to wide side, if I carry only one lens, it's a 35mm. If I carry a 50mm, I take the 28mm also. I don't carry the 35mm with the 50mm - too close.

"I always found Exaktas incredibly ugly."

 

The ergonomics are certainly different from more modern SLR's. For me it works - I have big hands, the trapezoid shape fits well and the weight makes for steady shots. I wonder if you've seen the early ones? The 1930's through mid 50's bodies are all chrome, with nicely engraved nameplates. I admit that the later ones started to look cheap, more "industrial" and utilitarian. The 1960's VX1000 and VX500 are the worst. But my 1954 VX, made before the cost-cutting started, is a luxury object. Very intricate, very detailed, everything fits just so, like a contemporary Leica or Zeiss Ikon. They were very expensive in their day, and you can see why when you handle the older ones.

I agree with Mike Elek, I think we're going to lose Kodachrome soon. With that in mind, I started moving myself to E100G last year and am pretty happy with it. Am shooting a mix of E100G and Kodachrome 64 now; I'm probably done with Kodachrome 200. I've got a local small lab who's committed to staying in business, and committed to supporting digital and traditional processes (film processing, scanning, wet printing, digital printing, etc.) He turns E-6 around next day, I'm lucky to have him around. He gets my C-41 stuff too, I've given up on department store mini-labs except for snapshots I don't really care about.

Classic camera equipment is good. More is better. Too much is just enough!

Mark- can you show us some pictures taken WITH one of these? (I've a bit of a 35mm Exakta collection, but have never handled one of these. I'm curious how they do.)

Does RVP 100 want to be "overexposed" slightly as was often recommended for Velvia 50?

My IIIc was CLA'd with new curtains by John Maddox in 2003, and he also CLA'd a lens. Total for the whole job was around $250.

 

John is:

 

1) slow

2) on par with other folks' prices

3) absolutely worth every penny he charges and every day he takes.

4) an old school gentleman

 

I recommend him without reservation.

1937 Retina I / 126.

Camera shows, but the one I went to last Sunday in Philadelphia was a dud!

Any one of these TLR's will likely serve you well, if in good condition. Variations in condition in 40-50 year old cameras account for bottom-line performance much more than variations in design. From what I read, most people (me included) don't use cameras in the way that allows the theoretical maximum quality inherent in the design to be realized anyway. I.e. we hand-hold them, we don't stop the lens down to the sweet spot, etc. And even if the negative or transparency is high quality, the final image is only as good as the printing, scanning, projection, or whatever process is used for display.

 

My advice is to buy whatever model you can find in good condition that fits your budget. If possible, get it on approval of a test roll. I have a 1950's Rolleiflex Automat with a Tessar. On a tripod, stopped down to f8-f11, it's a better camera than I am a photographer!