davecaz

What do you mean, when you "move it side to side"? Do you mean panning (taking a shot while moving the camera to keep it pointed at a moving subject)? Could it be that you've never done this before with a slow enough shutter speed to make this streaking visible? If you pan with a subject, but use a shutter speed of 1/2000, for example, it will simply freeze the subject against the background as if neither you nor the subject moved. If you do the same thing with a speed of 1/30, the subject will (hopefully) be sharp, but the background will be streaked and blurred. If you post an example shot, it will help.

Ahhh! Now I get it. Thanks! That's what I was thinking, regarding film processing, but it's still a little daunting. And I can't scan anything but 35mm on my scanner. There is a pro shop in the next town over that does scanning, but only at 300 ppi. I'd really like a much higher resolution. Otherwise, what's the point? But, I can print up to 13x19 at home (and I really need to do more printing, to keep my printer working).

Sorry. I don't understand what you mean. Maybe if I'd used it more recently, it would make sense to me. Yes, I think I will. I've really enjoyed playing with it. If I can get the hang of it, I think it will really suit me. And, of course, I'll post my messterpieces here. :D I'd like to set up a darkroom, if only to make it more affordable, but it may be beyond me. I haven't even been in a darkroom since the early 70's and I've never worked in one. I wouldn't even know where to start.

That's certainly possible. Thanks for all the advice! I replaced the light seals before I even attempted to use it. They were in really bad shape, especially the mirror bumpers. And, yes, the interlocks drive me crazy! And even more so now that I've seen that they don't prevent me from doing stupid things. I actually have read the manual, more than once but, until I've used the camera enough, the details are going to keep slipping out of my memory. I need to practice more, as you said. And one of my To-Do List items is to learn how to use the dual cable release that came with it. That thing is really counter-intuitive, for me.

Very nice. Is it a pleasant camera to shoot with? Me, too.

Well, that's a heck of an endorsement! 23 years! And yet, you can buy one for $50 or less.

I'd like to read those. Which eBay are they on? The Australian one?

Thanks, Dave and Julio. I should have RTFM before posting, but I honestly thought this was some jerry-rigged modification, so I didn't expect the manual to have the answer. As it turns out, it IS jerry-rigged, but by design. This is the kind of "clever" engineering that drives companies out of business. After you pry the thing out of the camera and open it up, this is what it looks like. Top And from the bottom, when it's closed and full of batteries. I would hate to have to attempt changing batteries in this thing in the field. You'd be juggling the camera, the battery compartment cover, the "caddy", 4 dead batteries and 4 new batteries while keeping track of which is which and, oh yeah, the sharpened pencil or other pointy implement that is required to poke the batteries up out of the caddy from the bottom. It was a PITA while sitting at my desk. Apparently, it connects the batteries in parallel because, with 4 fresh 1.5v batteries installed, it outputs ~1.5 volts, rather than the 6v I was expecting. Which explains why they didn't stack them but, hello?!?, ever hear of AA, or even AAA, batteries? And, after all that, the camera still doesn't work. No LEDs in the finder, shutter won't fire, nuthin'. It's too bad, because I kind of liked the look and feel of the camera, and I've read that the Konica lenses are generally excellent.

Thanks! I expect to. I agree about the range being a tad short, but the macro abilities make that less painful. I may try using this as my walk-around lens on my 6D for awhile, instead of the 24-105, which is about twice its size.

Clearly, you underpriced it. :) Sadly, the chances of me getting to Tasmania are almost as remote as the island itself. :(

There are only two of us? That's not enough! I don't mind being sorted, just don't fold me.

Since I've just been reading about it in response to andrew_guttry_guttmeyer's post about using his Black Beauty, I'd be interested, if you can find a lens to mount on it. If not, I'll let someone else have it. I'm pretty sure I don't have any FD lenses.

I wasn't aware there was such a model. Pretty ironic that it can't use the lenses that share its name. It IS a pretty camera, though.

Agreed

Going through another box of eBay fodder, I came to a Konica FC-1. It's in really nice cosmetic condition, and the lens looks great, but it won't wind or fire. The mirror is in the return position, not stuck. It has a built-in meter and an AE position on the aperture ring, so I thought "dead batteries?" Opening up what I presume to be the battery compartment, I found this mystery object. Anyone have a clue? It seems determined to remain firmly in place.

Amazing. You must have impossibly high standards if you aren't happy with these. I'm not crazy about Bokeh, but the others are stunning.

Actually, mine IS a ProS. Just goes to show that nothing is foolproof if the fool is determined enough.

No one? Really? All this brain power and experience, and no one has a thought to share? Not even an "It's dead, Jim"?

I hear that! All these fun new/old toys have rekindled my interest. If only "golden hour" came at a more convenient time... like... noon. I can't drag my butt out of bed at 4:30am to be downtown when the sun rises at 5am, this time of year.

Okay. You have one you want to trade for my camera, I assume.

Do you need an assistant? Intern? Apprentice? ;)

Yeah, I used a tripod for all my shots. It's a pretty sturdy one, too, but they were long twilight exposures and it was windy. Not ideal circumstances, but I wanted to finish the roll up. I don't remember what the film was. It was literally a year ago, and I didn't keep notes, but it was probably a 100 speed. Thanks. This is Creek Street, Ketchikan, Alaska. It's one of the oldest streets in the city, and it's really a pedestrian-only boardwalk, but still officially a street. The second building used to be a bordello, and I imagine many of the other buildings were saloons at one time.

Thanks!

Maybe the judges saw your photos of Masterton. They certainly didn't award it that title based on the images I googled up. (The web really needs a garbage removal system!) I'm afraid to google Greytown. It might ruin my mental image of it. Out of curiosity, I checked the distance from Greytown to Masterton, to assess how lazy I'm being. According to google maps, it's 23km (14.6 miles), and it takes 23 minutes to travel from one to the other (I didn't specify where in each town). It takes me that long to get to the center of the next town over, and that's only 6.5 miles (~10km). Still, I am definitely being lazy, by comparison. I could just go downtown and do some shooting. That only takes 10-15 minutes, depending on traffic and how many red lights I hit. I guessing there are no stoplights between Greytown and Masterton. The joys of rural living. So, it's definitely partly laziness, but I think it's more that I don't feel inspired to shoot my local surroundings. I have done so, when it was with a group of other photographers, but the results haven't been terribly interesting to me. I think I need to try to see it through a different set of eyes, because I used to find it interesting. It's probably a case of being overly familiar with the are. But, you don't seem to suffer from that, Rick.

"Jurgen who?", said the newbie.