dennisbrown

The Minolta ER, ca. mid-60's had a leaf shutter. Brother-in-law had one, and he really liked it.

I, too, have GAS. And when my local used dealer had a nice OM-2n, I jumped on it. Of course, I had to add a couple of lenses to create a kit. It's a great camera, since I'm an aperture-priority fan. I've gotten some decent exposures with it, and it goes out with me from time to time, especially when I take my Nikon FE and FE2. One of the draws to the OM-2 over the OM-1, was the change in batteries. The OM-1 uses a 1.35v mercury battery, and the OM-2 changed to silver oxides. I know that I probably miss out on a lot of great oldies, but I won't buy anything that requires mercury batteries; I just don't like to fool with any of the replacements, even the Wein Cell. The only recent addition was a Yashica Electro 35 GSN, and I'd already acquired a designed-for replacement battery with a built-in diode module.

The phenomenon is called compression distortion, the opposite of expansion distortion for wide-angle lenses. Here's a link to Wikipedia which discusses in detail: Perspective distortion (photography) - Wikipedia

Great memories! I used mine in college classes, and I still have it. I still use it on occasion.

I've owned the F6, and now own an F100. I wouldn't compare the two. The F6 is a "natural" successor to the F5. I added the MB-40 grip because I like the heft of my F5. The F6, while a great successor, has no options for software upgrades for a camera sold in the 21st Century. While timing is a factor, the F6 won't handle the newer E/M apertures, but it does a lot. For me, the F100 is a successor to the F90X/N90s model. I just added one to the stable yesterday, and my first impressions dry firing it, setting exposure modes, etc., seems to be what I expected. I didn't expect an "F6 Light", but the F100 does have a lot going for it. The A/F is lightning fast. Time will tell. I'm probably biased because of the length of time I've owned my F5, I just never got to love the F6. I traded it in on a Hasselblad 500 C/M, and got cash back.

I just looked at the owner's manual on Butkus' web site, and there's no mention of a unique lens mount for the S2 camera. The lenses are referred to as "Nikkor Interchangeable Lenses" and "Helicoid Lens Mount". The mount is referred to as a "bayonet". No further nomenclature is mentioned. At the time the S2 was the only camera Bronica made in medium format, and they used Nikkor lenses; so there probably wasn't any need to specify between 6x4.5, 6x6, or 6x7 format cameras.

You may want to try this site. They have an extensive history. Graflex.Org: Speed Graphics, Large Format Photography, and More

Or, a Minion. :D:D

I have a couple of 055's (CF and aluminum), and the plate at the top of the column is a plastic, not sure of the type, though. I also own a 3021, it's predecessor, and the top plate is aluminum. A company sells Bogen/Manfrotto parts, and your head looks to be identical to the replacement parts sold with this part number. R055,380 Center Column Ass Disk| BogenTripodParts.com They have a boatload of parts, and I've purchased grub screws, bubble levels, etc., to repair a number of Bogen tripods.

My favorite is the old Tamrac N45. The padded suede neck strap is very comfortable, and the connecting hardware is the sturdiest I've found. I also have one that came with Hasselblad adapters, and it's really comfortable.

I took a very close look at the aperture blades, and they seem excellently done. There don't appear to be any gaps, and the pentagon looks very close to being completely symmetrical. Maybe I've gotten a very good copy, so I won't complain. We've still a bit of bad weather, so it'll be a few days before I can get out with it. I also need to wring out the 120mm Makro, and a 50mm f/4. Thanks again, for your help and information. I'll make a document for future reference from your posts. One can never have too much documentation.

Thanks very much for the quick turnaround. One of the reasons I traded for this lens, was to get away from the awkwardness of the older chrome 80. The EV lock isn't a priority, just the snap and sharpness of the lens.

My local dealer had an 80mm f/2.8 C T* lens which I just bought after trading in the older chrome 80mm f/2.8. The serial number on this one is 75xxxxx. According to the web site, the lens was produced in 1995. I've compared photos of mine to other "C" lenses, and there are some differences. This lens has a finer focusing ring than others, and the aperture ring doesn't have the lock switch for using EV numbers for setting exposure. The EV numbers are engraved in white (as opposed to orange), but apparently no means of locking the EV's in. It, of course, has the PC connector and DOF switches as other lenses.

The original Argus Camera Co. is long out of business. It looks like someone bought the name, and used it for import purposes. Here's a link for some info: James's Camera Collection: Argus 3D

Like Ed Ingold, I also have a Sekonic L-508, which is extremely accurate. That stated, I would consider either a Pentax Digital Spot, or perhaps a Soligor Digital Spot. I have both, and they're as accurate as I can find. Both have been converted to Zone VI meters, and they measure within a hair's breadth of each other. I can average EV's easily, or rely on a 1 degree spot. While the Pentaxes are going for $300 and up, you can get a Soligor Digital Spot for well under that. You can also find a good Minolta Spotmeter F for around $200. I also have one of them, and it's testing extremely close to the Pentax and Soligor models.

I previously owned the 200 f/4, but I've had a lust for the 180mm f/2.8 for years. About a year ago, I found a 180 AIs at a used show, and grabbed as fast as I could get out the cash. The focusing ring was a bit soft, but I love it. Both lenses are very sharp, but I like the extra stop. In the 70's, and until the advent of AF, the 180 was the go to lens for photogs after the 24mm f/2.8, and the 105mm f2.5.

Argus C3. Then "graduated" to a Petri FT.

I'm a bit of a contrarian, and I'm still building up my gear. A number of years ago, I sold all my film gear (35mm, medium and large format) in favor of shooting only digital. I had done portraits, weddings, and a bit of commercial work, earning quite good money. Fast forward, I was in a photo shop which specializes in used gear. They had a Cambo SC, a Caltar 210mm f/5.6 lens, and a dozen film holders. I'd held on to my changing bag and focusing hood, along with my Pentax Spot Meter. While my shooting speed slowed a huge amount, my pleasure in the process of creating an image increased hugely. Since buying the Cambo, I've picked up a number of lenses in Japan, and two more 4x5 cameras (Super Graphic and a Tower Press for field use). I have to send out my E6, but the C41 and B&W are still processed in a local lab. It's expensive, yes, but the results are very satisfying. After amassing thousands of negatives and transparencies, I opted to scan them myself. There's now a 3rd world of art, editing the scanned images that the printers could never achieve to my satisfaction. Is the large format going to end? Quite surely. However, as long as it does, I'm going to enjoy the art.

John, I'm not very familiar with the C35, never having owned one. I believe though, that the shutter will work on "B" manually. You can get a mercury replacement cell made by Wein, since mercury batteries are no longer available. They use zinc air cells, and are good for about a year. I used to own a Yashica Electro 35 that used mercury cells. The Wein was a perfect replacement.

You may want to go to Michael Butkus' ( www.butkus.org ) web site, and get a copy of the C35 owner's manual. They're in PDF format, and all he asks is a small donation for downloading the file(s). I would also check into the battery. C35 uses a PX625 mercury cell, and substituting a silver cell has the opportunity to vary the voltage to the meter; not stating that this is the cause, but it does happen.

I've read a number of articles which state that selenium cells don't really die. The wiring does tend to get brittle, solder connections weaken, etc., but those can be repaired without replacing the cell itself.

I own a couple of Soligor 1deg spot meters, one converted by Zone VI, and they're really accurate. I also own a Pentax 1deg digital spot, also converted by Zone VI, and it's my "go to" for my Hasselblad. BTW, all three meters read within 1/3 EV of each other. I also have a Gossen Luna Pro SBC which is superb, and a Sekonic L508. The batteries last forever, since they're either AA or 9V. I have metered finders on both my Hasselblad and Bronica SQ-A, but those are not nearly as accurate as the hand held meters. I also shoot 4x5, and wouldn't think of venturing out without one of the spot meters; even with C41 film.

A far less expensive alternative, is to continue to shoot film, buy a good scanner, and do it yourself. You can save around $5.5K. There's still a lot of 120 film out there, both transparency, color and B&W negative.

Manfrotto and Gitzo parts can be found at a couple of dedicated parts web sites. I found a Bogen 3035 with a dried level, and ordered a replacement from them. I had to dig out the old one, since they're friction-fitted. The new one fit perfectly, and self-levels when you tap it into the opening. The bubble level is common throughout several different models. The part number is "B4". Home of old stability | BogenTripodParts.com Gitzo Spares and Parts | Gitzo Spares

I have several thousand 120 images in 6x6, 6x4.5, and 6x7. I opted for an Epson V850. And I used different scan software depending on the film manufacturer. I'm not particularly crazy about the film holders for 120, so I purchased a Better Scan frame, and it makes the V850 superb. I also use the V850 for 35mm and 4x5, since I have a lot of each of those formats, both negative and transparency types. The V850 also works well for flat bed photos, and I've also scanned documents with it. I know there are probably better 100% dedicated scanners, but the V850 offers a lot of bang for the buck. PS - After going through the scanning software, I've come to the conclusion that no one program does it all. There are just too many algorithms from the code writers. Ektachrome may scan well with one, and not the other, etc.