louis_handwerker

Pre-9/11 I used a monopod to photograph the atrium at the World Financial Center at 6:AM in the winter. I did manage to get the shot, however, the police approached and expained that I couldn't use a tripod. I informed them, in a very polite manner, that I was using a monopod. They could care less about the semantics or definition, so I aked what the real reason was for their concern. The said it was for safety and besides, since it was on their property, they had the right to enforce their rules. At that point I placed the monopod on my shoe, declairing "OK, it's not on your property." Word of advice, it didn't work. I was very close to getting hauled away.

Today, I have rationalized that living in New York, or visiting, is an expensive proposition. So I went and bit the bullit and bought a Nikon f2.8 70-200 mm VR (vibration reduction)zoom lens. NO TRIPOD! In my mind, its a $ 1,500. NYC photo tax but the results are phenominal.

( make that $1,200 when you subtrack the cost of a good carbon-fiber tripod that you don't have to buy or lug around)

Lou<div></div>

I used to work for Berkey Technical, in Woodside New York. As an electrical engineer, my project was the development of the ASCOR AUTO 1600. Any yes, it was the best darn flash from a host of details. The lens dispersion, the recycle and duty cycle, the reflectors were tested over and over until it was right. The batteries, as I recall, were three half D cells. They were welded together and covered in white plastic. At the time, the Honeywell was the only other automatic flash. It had 7 cells welded together which often destroyed itself when on reversed. The older, original issue Auto 1600 had a slight defect. There are three small capacitors that fill up as you flash, based on which range your select. In the older unit, there was some leakage current which caused a slight build up of voltage on the capacitor, between shots. The longer you wait, the bigger the build up. This caused false auto readings to become darker than expected. (The capacitor already thought it had some light, head start.) The remedy was to pre-flash right before the money shot, or get your hands on a new unit.

Good Luck. I still have my prototype. It still works in AC mode but have no idea where to get batteries or spring cap with welded twisted braid to handle the current.

Lou