stephen t

<p>Try to sell it as a kit. Would save a bunch of time packing and shipping individual items and make it easier for a potential buyer who wanted a complete kit.</p>

<p>I've got one made by Nikon that can be used either manual or TTL with many Nikon bodies. It is not going to "light up the world," but used with 400 speed film and your 55 micro, it should do fine. I think the model # is SB-29, but they made a couple of models.</p>

<p>Quite common. I'm a couple of years older than you and had it happen in both eyes (a few months apart) about 5 years ago. There was no retinal damage and the doc said that I was sort of "protected" against a recurrence since the vitreous usually only shrinks once. The first time it happened was quite "interesting" (aka scary)! The floaters (blood particles) eventually dissolved away. </p> <p>Another wonderful adventure of maturity (aka old age). Fear not, you'll be fine.</p>

<p>Choosing a 19 year old for your wedding??</p> <p>No contract??</p> <p>$700 for an hour and a half??</p> <p>Low resolution JPEG??</p> <p>Chalk that one up to a learning experience. Nevertheless, sincere congratulations on your marriage and best wishes for your future. Don't let this one bad experience overwhelm you. Remember, good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.</p>

<p>Ken Rockwell's children? LOL, although I can understand the OP's point of view in that regard!</p>

<p>I would say take a good look at the 7200. I hear that "Refurb" 7100's are pretty good as well.</p>

<p>If the negatives are free from spots, then the spots have to be coming from the scanner. There are a LOT of opportunities for the glass surfaces on scanners to produce spots.</p> <p>I assume you examined the negatives carefully with a loupe and light table. I'd wet print one and see if the spots disappear.</p>

<p>White felt available from WalMart will work. About $5 a yard or so.</p>

<p>Beautiful. You are indeed fortunate. Enjoy.</p>

<p>Chuck, that's been my experience as well. Glad you are pleased with it.</p>

<p>Develop normally. All should be fine.</p>

<p>Agree with the Photoshop opinions.</p>

<p>If it were black and white film, I would wonder if it were bromide drag. To me it looks like a processing problem of some sort.</p> <p>I'll be interested in reading the responses you get from others. I'm sure someone here can help you.</p>

<p>Bob, I assume you are using a Linux version as am I. In any event, "mapivi" appears to be cross-platform. </p> <p>http://mapivi.sourceforge.net/mapivi.shtml</p> <p>You may want to take a look at the above. I've just now installed it and will experiment with it as time allows. I found it doing a search within Ubuntu's software manager.</p>

<p>"I think you can learn at least as much from failure as you can success." You will learn much, much more. Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment.<br> <br> Remember Teddy Roosevelt's "Far better it is to dream mighty dreams............................."<br> <br> My digital wedding packages started at $1600 for four hours and went to $3600 for the "Platinum Package." It was a reasonably profitable venture until everyone and their cousin became "professional photographers" with the availability of sub $2000 digital cameras. Digital changed the wedding business as well as the news business, as far as photography is concerned. I see ads now for wedding photography for $300 for unlimited time and unlimited images. Not to mention DJ's for $100 a night. I guess to make money in weddings nowadays it would be better to bake the $5000 cakes.<br> <br> Change is inevitable, so now I shoot film again for personal satisfaction, and have great fun. <br> <br> It's the very fortunate individual who is able to make a good living doing only what they love. Most have to do what they have to do to be successful and then use that success to be able to do what they love.<br> <br> Learning to live in and to enjoy the present moment, whatever it may entail, is the key to happiness, so some have said.<br> <br> To the OP: congratulations on having the courage to put your dream into action, regardless of its outcome, and best wishes for your next adventure in this wondrous life. </p>

<p>Shun and Sebastian, many thanks for your thoughts and for sharing your experiences. </p> <p> </p>

<p>Shun, would I be correct in assuming that in general, if I bought a refurb, body or lens, and thoroughly tested and used it for a month or so without problems, that it would be OK for the long term?</p> <p>I know things can "break" at any time, but in my experience, if something "new" is going to "break," it will do it soon after purchase, and thus, extended warranties are potentially unwarranted.</p> <p>I also have bought a lot of Nikon stuff over the years, but the last new purchase was several years ago. I'm not sure things are made quite like some "battleships" in the past.</p>

<p>Shun, I am considering one of the refurb Nikon 7100's as well as a couple of lenses. I am just wondering how it is possible that they could come in defective if they are in fact, as Nikon states, completely adjusted to factory specs??</p>

<p>Ditto the manual focus. That's what I have found best even with my auto focus macro Nikons. Save the autofocus for more distant subjects.</p>

<p>Easy mistake to make. Rest assured you aren't the only one, especially with a new camera!</p>

<p>I'm using some of their smaller plates on some "non-critical" bodies, and haven't had a problem. However, I use the RRS plates on my "critical" lenses and bodies. </p> <p>I thought they were CNC machined, not cast, though. They look nice, and so far have worked fine.</p> <p>I do pay top dollar for my caribiners, though!!</p>

<p>The shutter may be sticking. I have a Bronica ETRSi that did the same thing. Took a while to figure it out. Turns out that it only needed the tiniest bit of NYOIL on one of the moving parts inside the body (a lever and it's bearing surface accessible without having to demantle the thing). It wasn't moving quickly enough to completely engage the shutter release mechanism, and thus would hang up.</p> <p>Does it happen with just one lens?</p> <p>I haven't had the same issue with one of my RB's as yet. If you undertake an investigation, unless you have a needle oiler, use a toothpick to apply any oil. SPARINGLY would be an understatement.</p> <p>Considering the cost of a CLA vs. the relatively low cost of another body nowadays, some people like to troubleshoot their own equipment. </p> <p>DISCLAIMER: I'm NOT recommending you start taking things apart, or start oiling things, just hoping my experience with the Bronica will be of assistance.</p>

<p>oops, the frame counter trick only works with the 67 and 6x7, not the ii model.</p>

<p>1) Change the felt/foam light seals on the bottom of the prism finder. They get "squashed" down with time.</p> <p>2) All my 6x7's use the 4SR44 batteries, so I can't help you with the 123's. Did you check them with a meter? I only use Surefire CR123's, no other brand.<br> Here's a link with some good info on the 67's. You know the trick about the frame counter and getting the shutter to fire, right?</p> <p>http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/AsahiPentax67.html</p>

<p>My vote would be option 3. I have the 300f4 and 600f4 and find that the TC1.4 is used often if I don't carry the 600. Keep in mind your shutter speed requirements for sharp images once you start reaching out.</p>