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Post by belgiumreporter on Apr 9, 2016 5:00:36 GMT -5
I like all kinds of cameras and i like to use them like i would use my clothes when i dress up for the occasion. With what is produced nowadays and the heritage of cameras of the years gone by in my opinion there's a camera for just about every occasion.This brings me to my modest collection to wich i refer as my toy cameras, although these are not toy cameras in the classical sence of the word. To some it is their only camera, to others a companion for their Dslr i like them to fool around with when i don't need "full pro" results. Allow me to explain what i like about the cameras in the pic, from left to right: The olympus four thirds: great focus peeking and image stabilisation with anything you put on it samsung NX 100: cheapest way to get into DX format mirrorless Fuji X10 : optical viewfinder and top quality images in a light package. Nikon AW100 : life saver in wet situations, nice GPS function, very pocketable. Nikon 1 J3 : Lightning fast, full range of shutter speeds from bulb to 1/16.000 sec. Nikon P600: Enormous focal range 24 to 1600mm if you want to travel light but still have every focal lenght at hand. Forgot to put it in the pic : the Fuji real 3D, obviously for when you want to shoot 3D pics All of these cameras have their limitations, but if you can work around them they can be a lot of fun and get you the image you would have missed because you didn't want to drag your dslr around. (or haven't got a 1600mm laying around )
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Post by belgiumreporter on Apr 8, 2016 16:13:49 GMT -5
Just bought another champagne color F3 Titan for my ever increasing F3 collection. Now it isn't my plan to buy every champagne colored F3 titan i might come across, but the idea behind this one would be maybe some day i could trade it with someone who has a spare F3 black titan or an F3P or maybe F3 AF or even an FM3 who knows???
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Post by belgiumreporter on Apr 8, 2016 14:22:44 GMT -5
Our camper van under the milky way at lake waikaremoana 30 seconds 2.8 asa200
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Post by belgiumreporter on Apr 8, 2016 3:52:15 GMT -5
Aren't jellyfish the most wonderfull cretures ?
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Post by belgiumreporter on Apr 3, 2016 17:12:20 GMT -5
Feedback not only on ebay but on any site is allways a problem, the few times i had to give a negative feedback because the seller really didn't deliver what was promised or described, resulted in me getting a negative feedback as well.
But sometimes even if you know you'll get your negative comment back in your face i think it is somewhat cowardish not to warn others for what is wrong with some sellers.
If you see a seller with 1000+ positive feedback and one or two negatives that's quite OK as obviously you can't please everyone and some buyers...really are difficult or are unable to read properly.
Whenever i deal with sellers with relatively high bad feedback i allways try to check what the complaint was about and how the seller reacted to the bad feedback, if he in return gives a negative feedback and a rude comment i won't buy from him.
A general rule in buisness (so i learned long ago) is to stay polight and whitin reason even if the customer is complaining ore even rude. Also some sellers state clearly " don't give negative feedback, contact us and we are sure we can solve any problem" i once had a problem with a Chinese seller, got immediate responce to my complaint and the matter was solved with just 3 mails to both our satisfaction, with no need for negative feedback, this policy showed in a 99,9% positive feedback from more than 3000 transactions for this seller.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Apr 2, 2016 16:16:52 GMT -5
In one of my former posts i complained there wasn't anything interesting in our lokal charity shops lately. Today however i got lucky, a good looking exa II. Sadly even if it looks good mechanically it's a disaster , transport blocked, lens overturned in its mount, mirror blocked halfway down the travel... still at 2 Euro's i can't complain as exa(kta) prices lately are only going up. An even better deal i've got on the as new nikon FG20 with everready case and a non original panagor 28mm 2.8 macro it was 2 euro's as well so i turned a blind eye to the panagor ;-).
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 31, 2016 13:49:31 GMT -5
I've got a few beauty's myselve, bought them while they were cheap, prices do seem to go up but i've learned my lesson with the yashica electro GSN's. I went with the hype that these were extraordinary cameras, next only to leica, paid way to much for them (black and chrome) only to find out they weren't all that great and did have some (electronic) issues. Now after the hipsters have had their fun with the yashica, prices dropped rapidly to yard sale level again, wich is a bit more realistic for these cameras. Will the same happen to the beauty's? who knows, but i surely won't get fooled again and keep the ones i've got but won't buy any more if prices get out of proportion, after all beauty's may be interesting but they are not THAT good.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 31, 2016 9:37:00 GMT -5
This pentax SFX N came with a package deal i bought, though i collect pentax, i am not interested in the "later" AF models. As far as i know not a lot of people are interested in these type of cameras from the early age of AF all electronic loaded with gizmos slr's.(exept maybe for the real top of the line types) I haven't got a crystal ball, but its my guess they never will be worth anything.My plan now is to keep the lenses just in case i would come across a cheap digital body( don't know if the flash would be compatible with later models) and scrap the sfx as i need the space for real classics. Anyway, what would you do ?
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 30, 2016 16:35:27 GMT -5
These pentax M series cameras are fun to collect, when going through some boxes i was surprised at how much of them i've gathered over the years. Somehow it started with the ME F wich i wanted in my collection as an example of an early AF SLR, the rest just followed along the way. The MX's still are great cameras to use, if yoy can find a good example at a fair price don't hesitate!
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 29, 2016 15:32:18 GMT -5
I love old trucks. My favorites are International KBs and Studebakers. This is one of the few Internationals that attended the truck meet just across the border in the Netherlands. I prefer the White next to it and the Mack. Sadly no Studebakers or KB's
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 29, 2016 15:11:23 GMT -5
I remember i once did a report on the African community in Antwerp, the theme wasabout African burial rituals the title : colourfull into darkness The nikon coffin isn't that strange, the deceased probably was a photographer or photo enthousiast. The mercedes coffin in the pics is for a former taxi driver. Coffins will be made to the deceased wishes, occupation or interest during their lives. A few "models" of what is posible, after chosing the "life" size version will be made. ( i wonder what the guinness guy died off)
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 25, 2016 6:16:02 GMT -5
It's a dark, cold and rainy day here in Belgium, then the doorbell rang and a UPS guy handed me over the package i was waiting for. The last three cameras i've bought in the Netherlands all where a bit of a disappointment as the sellers weren't quite honest in their description of the goods. Once bitten twice shy they say, but against better judgement i just couldn't resist a set of mirandas offered by this dutch seller.With some fear in my hart i opened up the (very well) packed parcel to find these beautifull mirandas. I was especially interested in the early S type as they are so hard to find.This S type is a first for me as i haven't got any pre- 60ties slr's in my collection.This S certainly is a beauty it has the original 50mm 2.8 with the miranda thread and waist level finder.It's amazing how quiet the shutter is just leica like!. My next surprice was the wide angle lens provided, it was wrongly described by the seller as an 28mm(wich i already had) instead it was the rare 25mm 2.8 with the original special sunshade, wow! then there where these very nice shiny metal extension rings and off course the Fv with two prisms a 50mm 1.9 and for some strange reason a pentacon 50mm 1.9 M42. All of this really made my day, i couldn't care less if it was pouring rain outside, i'll stay in for a while with my new toys :-)
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 22, 2016 18:23:05 GMT -5
While i had the smashed rear window of our camper van fixed i thought i spend the time waiting in a usefull manner. Just two streets away from the glass repair shop was the Bill Richardson transport world museum. I was lucky as it just opened for the public. outside a nice art- deco building, inside an incredible collection of more than 300 trucks of all ages in perfect condition and a complete collection of Ford cars ranging from early "T"s to late 50ties models. The standard of restauration of the cars and trucks is just incredible, i dare to say better than new! If your interest goes beyond classic cameras and includes classic trucks and cars, even if you don't need your rear window fixed, be sure to visit this unique museum. Just put in your GPS : 491 Tay St, Hawthorndale, Invercargill 9810, Nieuw-Zeeland and you'll get there :-) They even had this T-bird in my favourite colour !!!
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 22, 2016 16:21:08 GMT -5
Isn't Singapore very humid? I've only heard about books disintegrating while you look on. How about fungus? Did the basement stores look OK about their storage conditions, air conditioning etc? I think I would hesitate to buy anything there. Well basement stores maybe not the correct word for these sub street level floors of the malls, anyway the airco is quite OK and sometimes even a bit chilly.The classic cameras i saw there where all in good condition, don't know if they will stay that way over longer periods of time or if you take them out of their protected enviroment, maybe something to think about? As you can see it is indeed very wet in Singapore, with temperatures every day above 30° celsius it is also very HOT Everything is well airconditionned, you can spend whole days inside stores, restaurants,hotels, musea and such without even knowing what the actual wheather or temperture is outside. almost the complete center of the city is accesible via a true labyrinth of wide corridors, metro and sub street level malls.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Mar 21, 2016 5:12:05 GMT -5
While Evy was relaxing i went on a (classic) camera hunt... The "normal" camera stores in Singapore all are located in these giant malls all over the city, the "classic" and second hand ones you'll have to go searching in the basements of these malls. While in the new camera stores the mood was very relax and sales persons tried to sell you just about anything you layed your eyes upon. The mood in the basement shops was somewhat diffrent and i felt some hostility when i was photographing, i didn't want to push this to the edge so i took a few "discreet" pictures. There was an abundance of classic and second hand cameras and i felt like a kid in a candy store. The pricing is a bit weird as rare classics are priced more or less following the book, the lesser or more common ones are really expensive. To give an example a chrome nikkormat Ft2 with 50mm f2 (and i've seen several) is priced at 275 singapore $. Now as far as i know such a nikkormat just about anywhere else in the world would cost you anything between 35 and 100 €. I didn't see any mirandas and if there would be one i now knew it would be to expensive. What did tempt me where a nikon SP with 28mm and a canon 7 with the f 0.95 50mm i could have both for 3600 Sing $. The guy from the store asked if i wanted to buy them, when i replied i was thinking aabout it he just turned his back to me in a sort of "f*ck you" move and didn't gave me a second look. What prevented me from buying them was we where just two days in our singapore/NZ trip and i didn't want to spend that amount of money with still 2 months of holidays to go. Afterworth i was kinda glad i didn't as i've seen on Ebay japanese sellers are now offering SP's at around 1000€ and there's some 10 to choose from. So to awnser the question if it is worth buying classics in singapore? in my experience i would say no. Maybe if you wanted something leica-wise you'll be able to find it as there must be literally hundreds of M bodys and other leica gear (never seen so much in one place) in those basement stores.
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