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Post by pendennis on Jul 29, 2021 8:51:52 GMT -5
I've been a fan of the 4x5 press/field/technical cameras of late. I "fell" into a box of "Speed Graphic parts", which turned out to be an unassembled Tower (Busch) Press Camera, complete with a Schneider 150/265 convertible lens. I've also picked up a Linhof Technika III, a Meridian Technical II, and a Graflex Super Graphic. All are excellent cameras, and work well with 4x5 and even rollfilm adapters.
Earlier this week, my local dealer had this beauty. It's a Graflex Century Graphic, produced ca. 1953. It has a red bellows (light tight), and came with an Ektar 101mm f/4.5, and the cut film back. The Kalart rangefinder is spot on, and I ordered a Graflex rollfilm back off "The Bay". Yesterday, I happened to be in the shop, and the owner pulled out a Speed Graphic case which contained another Century Graphic. It also had a 127mm f/4.7 Ektar in a Supermatic shutter, and a like-new Graflex RH10 roll film holder. Got both of them for $100 OTD.
Here's a photo of the camera.
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Post by pendennis on Nov 13, 2020 9:37:57 GMT -5
I always wanted one of those, I used to shoot with Yashicas when I did weddings.I used Yashicas (D, 635, 124, 124G) for years before I settled on Mamiyas (C220, C330). They were really light weight, and easy to carry.
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Post by pendennis on Nov 5, 2020 15:43:11 GMT -5
...so I visited my local dealer's eBay site, and ran across this beauty. I believe, from the serial number, that it's a ca. 1978 model 124 G. With the exception of a slight scratch on the viewfinder cover, this one is in mint condition. The meter works, and reads close to my Gossen Luna Pro SBC; film advance is really smooth.
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Post by pendennis on Oct 28, 2020 15:41:06 GMT -5
I've been on the watch for a Yashica TLR to have as a "walk around" TLR, when I don't use my Mamiya C330s. I found this one after it was highlighted in a non-eBay search. The camera was on eBay, and looked to be too nice to let pass. It was recently CLA'd, and that was the primary factor in buying it. Seems to be very nice from the photos, and the seller is on my "favorite" list. He's always been 100% accurate in his sales.
I've owned several TLR's, Minolta Autocord, Yashica Model D, Yashica Model 635, and Yashica Mat 124G. All were used during my early wedding photography days, before going the Mamiya 645 and Hasselblad 6x6 routes. The prices for the 124G are approaching those of the various Rollei's, so I really wanted something priced closer to sanity.
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Post by pendennis on Oct 28, 2020 10:19:29 GMT -5
Nice grab! If you haven't seen this web site, it has a pretty detailed history on the Yashica TLR's. www.yashicatlr.com/
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Post by pendennis on Aug 4, 2020 7:52:57 GMT -5
Based on its build, the best is the C330f. The C330s was a later model, but the C330f is probably the most sturdy. I owned the C3 and C33, but my favorite is the C330f.
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Post by pendennis on Dec 24, 2019 9:50:36 GMT -5
A few weeks ago, I happened across this Nikon F on a local shop's eBay page. From the serial number, the camera dates to ca. May 1970; the 50mm H Nikkor f/2 similarly.
While it's in excellent condition, with a working meter, I did replace the back with one not having a dent.
I ran a roll of Ektar through it, and it's light-tight and the meter is accurate. I did replace the silver oxide cells with a couple of MR-9 mercury replacements.
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Post by pendennis on Nov 26, 2019 10:30:28 GMT -5
I've never owned the 300mm f/4.5 AI, but I currently own the 300mm ED AF-S f/4 IF, and it's a marvelous lens. I also own a 55-300mm f/4.5 AI-s. The zoom does give quality images at 300mm, but only when stopped down to around f/8-f/11. It's also a beast to carry. For "short" nature shots, the 300mm f/4 works great, and even with a 1.5x TC, gives great images, both on film and digitally.
I do have a 200-500 f/5.6 Nikkor, but it's only good with my D500 and D750. I've used it on a F-6, but it only operates @ f/5.6 because of the electromagnetic shutter.
Thanks for the comparative view.
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Post by pendennis on Aug 19, 2019 8:41:56 GMT -5
Overall, I doubt that digital cameras will be as collectible as their counterparts in film. The likely cause is the near instant obsolescence factor in digital equipment. Digital cameras are, after all, just small computers with a lot of sensor nodes. Digital cameras are the victims of the same Moore's Law that rules computer processors - Capacity doubles and costs halve every eighteen months. Except for museums and nostalgia, no one uses an IBM XT, or even a 2000 Mac, because they just don't work in today's computing environment.
While you can still get a decent image on a ca. 2000 Nikon, Canon, etc., the latest versions are quicker, better, cheaper; you get all three, when in 1990, you had to choose two.
An old Nikon D40 will hardly yield "chump change" for the seller. Part of the reason is the lack of "personality" of the modern DSLR. They're all black matte plastic, with the only difference appearing the area of the pentaprism. If you were a Nikon F user, your camera stood out from the Canon. No one mistook a Nikon F3HP for a Canon F1. The Leica M series would never be mistaken for a Yashica Electro 35. You can still get decent images with the D40, but if you need repairs, you're better off tossing it.
There's also a lot of inherent value built into older film cameras. Production costs were high, since parts had to be precisely made, then hand fitted. Modern manufacturing techniques and materials guarantee "first time fits", in the majority of instances. Old Leicas are valuable for that reason alone, aside that they're no longer made. The same can't be said for a Nikon Cool Pix, Model XXX.
A Nikon F5 still brings around $350-400 on the used market, because they were the last of the "real" Pro Nikon models; the F6 doesn't have the same cachet, although they sell for more because of their advanced technology. However, even pre-digital, film cameras suffered from the same fast obsolescence factors. You can't give away a Nikon N4004, etc., because their A/F technology is so ancient. Moore's law is at work again.
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Post by pendennis on Jul 7, 2019 10:35:42 GMT -5
Having owned both in the past, I finally got the yen to own them again. This two came from separate eBay auctions. While the mercury cells, as everyone knows, are no longer available, there's a gentleman who puts together a small package including the battery and diode which provides a steady 1.35v current. They're very handy and the aperture preferred design is my favorite. Both are in near-mint condition.
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Post by pendennis on May 22, 2019 9:27:16 GMT -5
For the most part, it makes no difference, whether tensioned or not. The real stress on springs is the flexing action.
Anecdotally, I found a Pentax ES-II that had been stored in the wound position for over 20 years, and I've run at least 1K actions since, with no harm.
I also shoot pistols, and recently found some magazines for my Colt 1911 which had been stored since WWII fully loaded. I've run hundreds of rounds through those magazines without a single jam.
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Post by pendennis on Dec 15, 2018 19:20:18 GMT -5
My local dealer puts all his 35mm gear on eBay, and this Nikon FM2n showed up yesterday AM. I already had a FM2, and I swore I wouldn't buy a "n", because there's not enough difference in the two models. This one though, is so minty, that the only thing missing was the box. Just couldn't help myself.
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Post by pendennis on Nov 17, 2018 10:59:35 GMT -5
Considering the purpose of the f1.2, I was never surprised that it lacked the sharpness of it's f/2, f/1.8, and even f/1.4 brethren. I got to try one out in the mid-70's, when I was shooting as a stringer. Our photos were mostly for newsprint, so when the images were converted to half-tones, it didn't make a whole lot of difference how sharp the lens was.
Similar to you, I find that I like the 50mm f/1.8 for a "carry around" lens on a FM2 or FE.
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Post by pendennis on Sept 4, 2018 10:55:00 GMT -5
My local dealer had this mint condition FG on his web site. It includes the body, instructions, box, and was only missing the registration card. I examined this one with a 10x loupe, and couldn't find a mark or scratch on it. It functions perfectly, and will get some use, along with the F2 in an earlier post.
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Post by pendennis on Aug 25, 2018 8:45:30 GMT -5
Not wanting to buy a Nikon F (just never acquired a love for it), but wanting to expand my F3-F5 stable, I found this F2 Photomic on a local dealer's eBay site. It was obviously kept in the eveready case, because the only mark is a handling mark on the base plate. The camera was built in 1973, as was the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 C.S. The meter readings match those of my Gossen Luna Pro SBC and an F3.
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