jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on May 4, 2008 7:34:25 GMT -5
She's a beaut! The FD system is one of the great bargains at the moment - rock bottom prices on many of the lenses since the digital crowd aren't buying them all up (unlike, say, Nikon where the used prices on the more exotic MF glass seem to actually be going up especially after the new D3 came out). I have an A-1 myself, but have found the optics to be first-rate - I think the popularity of these cameras back in the day was fairly well-deserved. Have fun with it!
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Apr 23, 2008 18:32:12 GMT -5
Errr... yes, I have forgotten to turn mine off too - not used to these new fangled battery-powered thingies after having used the M3 exclusively for 5 months Does indeed "feel" great in the hand, and being able to take the prism off was pretty neat, I may well end up using that to reduce the amount of sprawling on the ground I seem to do... One other miscellaneous thing that's quite nice is the placement of the exposure lock button - a feature I tend to use a fair bit shooting slides - unlike say the Canon A-series where it's on the other side and somewhere no fingers are usually located when holding it. Thanks for all the great info folks!
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Apr 22, 2008 7:16:03 GMT -5
Just got me a nice "user" F3 plus 28/2 lens. I can see I'm going to enjoy this one! The reason for getting it was really that it doesn't have the wind lever based shutter lock that drove me nuts with the FM2 (clearly, my head is the wrong shape). One thing had bugged me for a couple of days since it arrived - the viewfinder view was not very clear or sharp, and I know from the FM2 that Nikon's finders are normally first-rate. Well, turns out the little round end thingy on the eyepiece was a screw-in diopter. Now it's out things are much better! So please go ahead and mock.... Just a cautionary tale really - it was the very timely post on Mike Johnston's blog by Ctein that even made me think of it! Thanks Ctein!
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Apr 21, 2008 7:16:55 GMT -5
Ah, I love these little guys, enjoy the XA! I notice the distance scale is in feet (unsurprising, I always assumed the US models did), that might be a bit tricky, thank goodness I got mine in europe Now back to hunting for that elusive XA4....
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Aug 19, 2006 12:56:21 GMT -5
Heavens above! You folks have a lot of Nikon kit! Just the one for me - an FM2n, 35/2, 50/1.8 and 85/2. Bit deficient in glass here Have my eye on a 20/3.5 AI but those things tend to be expensive... A question - a "feature" that really irritates me is the "shutter lock" on this particular camera, needing to have the wind lever pulled out to release the shutter means it interferes with my head when using it hand-held. Looking possibly to replace it - any suggestions for a good model? I like the size and weight so it'd be nice to keep them similar, thinking F3... assuming this doesn't have the same problem.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Mar 5, 2008 8:50:26 GMT -5
Absolutely - I too bailed out of OM recently because although the "basic" popular lenses are really cheap, the "rare" lenses are really expensive, and I'm developing a taste for some of the fast glass. Still not sure whether to build up the Nikon or the Canon FD kit though Those used F3 bodies at KEH really tempt... I find the 1/4000 shutter speed quite useful here too - I like to shoot wide open, and a 50/1.4 on even a cloudy day with 100 slide film loaded is likely to want 1/1000 a lot of the time. I found the 1/1000 top speed of my Canon A-1 a bit limiting for this sometimes, whereas the FM2 just keeps on going.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Feb 17, 2008 12:46:10 GMT -5
Hmm, interesting, although not exactly surprising...
I really don't like evil-bay one bit, but when I lived in the UK there was essentially no choice, because the prices of used gear at camera stores was, and probably still is, stratospheric, IMHO. After moving to the US I have been using KEH quite a lot. Although they are more expensive than the 'bay a lot of the time, the convenience and warranty are not without their uses, so I tend to just cough up for them.
That said there are things that are much better bought on the 'bay still. I suppose the compromise choice would be to use reasonably reputable sellers on the 'bay and put up with the inconvenience factor - working full-time and having other commitments makes ebaying difficult since essentially the only way to use it is to snipe, so you have to be online at auction end. This is the crux of the problem, sniping always makes me feel bad about doing it, but it's really the only way.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Mar 9, 2008 17:32:03 GMT -5
Heh, with the way the $ is going down the tubes a 14 quid Leica might be possible soon by flying over here... (I'm only bitter since I moved and am now paid in $) 14 pounds would have been a lot of money back in those days! Just goes to show they haven't got much cheaper...
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Oct 15, 2006 8:30:27 GMT -5
35 'lux, mmmmm The 21mm looks like a good bet, I'll just have to get used to the fov. I could do with something about that wide since I often travel to observatories and making decent pictures of huge telescopes is virtually impossible without an ultrawide.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Oct 15, 2006 5:54:46 GMT -5
Thanks Bob for the suggestions, I was thinking along those lines too. I hear the CV lenses are quite good, and I very much doubt I can afford a Leitz 21mm!
I'm actually more used to a 28, but these seem to be somewhat pricey even for the CV unless I could make do without having a finder.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Oct 14, 2006 10:41:46 GMT -5
Indeed, I never thought I'd have either of these famous brands, let alone both! The Hassy just chewed through nearly an entire roll of Astia on my afternoon walk... those 120 rolls don't last very long sometimes Having recently discovered 120 chromes (now why didn't I try that before?) I've been granted a slice of heaven... The sad thing is that the Leica cost more. OTOH the 50 'cron is simply stunning, makes me think my 35mm SLRs aren't going to be used much any more. It's my second RF, in fact my first ever "real" camera was a Yashica MG-1, sadly I don't have it any more. The Leica RF is much easier to use IMHO. I'm also thinking of adding some lenses, a 90mm and wide of some sort, maybe 21mm.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Oct 14, 2006 6:49:13 GMT -5
I've only had this thing for about a month, but I finally understand what all the fuss is about! This was actually a test shot, taken with my other favourite camera, the Hassy. Ilford FP4@125, dev'd in 1+40 R09 for 15 minutes @20c. Scanned it for scanning practice (which I really need), but figured I might show you folks If I was doing it for real I might have got the light a bit softer. Not doing too well on scanning the pictures I've taken with it (waiting for a rainy day), but this gallery was done entirely with what you see above: upload.pbase.com/jmi25/peak_district
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Jul 25, 2006 15:45:41 GMT -5
Lovely!
Never used one of these - always been interested though. If they weren't so expensive over here I might have one myself...
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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OM2n
Aug 6, 2006 11:55:05 GMT -5
Post by jmi on Aug 6, 2006 11:55:05 GMT -5
Welcome and I might say nice looking cam and a sharp photo. Hope you find a nice 100mm Zuiko to replace the stolen one Thanks! I will keep looking on the 'bay. I'd really like a 100/2 but the 100/2.8 is expensive enough on account of being fairly rare. Ultimately it'd be nice to take advantage of the fascinating OM macro system - anybody have any experience with that? I've been using my Nikkor 85/2 plus some extension tubes up to now.
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jmi
Senior Member
Posts: 60
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OM2n
Jul 24, 2006 13:19:02 GMT -5
Post by jmi on Jul 24, 2006 13:19:02 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome Bob! Hmm, yes, point taken about the condition I really must replace my 100mm Zuiko that got stolen. I only have the 50/1.4 and a 28/2.8 with slightly sticky aperture blades at present. One thing I really like about the OM2 is the auto exposure - very useful for night shots since it seems to meter well below the nominal level for the viewfinder readout, I've done 10 seconds and it was very accurate. Apparently it goes to two minutes! This is not a very good example but it's the only one I have online... With the 50mm at about f/8, few seconds exposure, HP5@400 in D-76 1+1, camera resting on an upturned ash tray on the window sill.
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