What have you just BOUGHT?

It would work better for me now if the title was “What have you just bought and RETURNED”.
It would be:

TT Artisan 24/1.4 manual focus (highly impractical, edges so-so)
Fujifilm 23/2
Fujifilm 23/1.4 (stellar lens, but slightly off on the left side)

The last one I’m getting, which I absolutely want to keep is the Fujifilm 27/2.8.
Fingers crossed.
 
p.giannakis said:
I wonder how the portra came out.
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I haven't sent the new roll to the lab, but here are some from last summer. One is with the macro lens, but hand held. The others are right after I got it, and one before I canceled the date imprint function, which has run out of years. The camera works well enough for my casual film needs.
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A little madness came over me. I ordered a Voigtländer Vito B (very cheap, supposed to be "mostly working") and a Carl Zeiss Werra I (similar ...). The Vito B arrived yesterday ... It's in decent shape but the shutter isn't firing, certainly needs a thorough CLA and maybe a shutter mainspring (very typical for that to be dead). The Werra should be here tomorrow, and who knows what's wrong with it.

I will likely send them in for evaluation and service if they're repairable, but honestly I just bought them because I like the designs and enjoy seeing them in the flesh. They were cheap enough that they are nice shelf decorations regardless. ;)

G
 
Werras tend to suffer from stretched springs in the shutters making them go slow - the weird double shutter is awkward, though not by any means impossible, to work on, think a Compur with twice as many springs and blades and you are about there.

If it doesn't work at all, and the wind-on is jammed, take the top off (you need to unscew the strap lugs), lift ot off, and there's - I think - a little cam on the shutter release pin that will have jammed under part of the mechanism (it's a long while since I've had one apart). You should just be able to move it out and it will pop up and work again. It's a gotcha from winding on with the shutter button pressed and is apparently quite common. I don't think the Werra need film in to trip the shutter, unlike a lot of German cameras of the time.
 
Vitomatic IIa from shopgoodwill. Looked to be cosmetically immaculate from the photos, but when it arrived, found the finder is totally blurred out. Arrggh! Well, it’s too nice to not get it fixed….meter seems to work.
 
I was in my local shopping centre and called in to JB HiFi to check out their 'Mad March Sale', I was looking at updating my PC. Whilst waiting around for a sales assistant I wandered past the camera section and spotted a Fuji X100VI in a display case. They are still hard to get here in Australia so when the sales assistant came over I said "I don't suppose you know when you are getting more stock?" He pulled out his scanner, scanned the label and said "It says there are 4 in the stock room".

There are now only 3.
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I don't know why? I guess it was something I've wanted for a long time but never found an affordable one. This example is super clean and completely operational. Look forward to trying the 24x24 format as I have shot half frame before in a couple of different cameras, but never this. It was interesting in a cost savings way of film, but back in the day it was hard finding labs that would print half frame format. Thank goodness, the photo lab I managed, afforded me that option, even though we had to rig our own mask to be able to do it in a Noritsu machine.

Great review by Mike Eckman of this camera as I'm sure there aren't that many around, even though Ebay has a range of nice to crazy $$.Mamiya Sketch-1.jpgMamiya Sketch.jpg
 
I really like the square 24x24 concept of the Mamiya sketch, but as you mention, they are rare and expensive. You are lucky to find a good one, and be sure to share your photos with us. I also like the unusual 35mm fixed lens on it, though the controls look quite a bit different. I think I read that they did not sell well in the US because of the labs not liking it.
I have been looking at Mamiya rangefinders for a few months and found some less rare cameras to try out. Earlier this year I purchased a Mamiya 35 III and a 35S-II, and have been happy with them as far as condition and handling. I am finishing up a first roll in the 35 III soon. I also purchased a relatively uncommon Mamiya 35 Wide, one of the other Mamiya 35mm f2.8 lens rangefinders. This one will be my next test roll. I also couldn’t resist the much commented on Pleasant Auto Up Super Nooky for the 35S-II. I don’t know how much I will use it, but will try it this spring. The cameras all arrived from Japan and the Auto Up from Finland. What a world for finding things, if we can keep it.

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oldhaven said:
I really like the square 24x24 concept of the Mamiya sketch, but as you mention, they are rare and expensive. You are lucky to find a good one, and be sure to share your photos with us. I also like the unusual 35mm fixed lens on it, though the controls look quite a bit different. I think I read that they did not sell well in the US because of the labs not liking it.
I have been looking at Mamiya rangefinders for a few months and found some less rare cameras to try out. Earlier this year I purchased a Mamiya 35 III and a 35S-II, and have been happy with them as far as condition and handling. I am finishing up a first roll in the 35 III soon. I also purchased a relatively uncommon Mamiya 35 Wide, one of the other Mamiya 35mm f2.8 lens rangefinders. This one will be my next test roll. I also couldn’t resist the much commented on Pleasant Auto Up Super Nooky for the 35S-II. I don’t know how much I will use it, but will try it this spring. The cameras all arrived from Japan and the Auto Up from Finland. What a world for finding things, if we can keep it.

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I also have a Mamiya Wide-E with the 35/2.8 Topcor and the Mamiya Magazine 35 which has a 50/2.8 and of course the interchangeable backs. I also did have at one time, the Mamiya Magazine 35 with the much rarer 5cm/F2 lens. I sold that to another RFF member who was very happy to find. I also have a Mamiya Auto Metra II and a couple 120 folders, the Automat-6 and last version of it, the Automat-6 II. Never had any intention of acquiring that many Mamiya's, but many of their cameras were just that "cool" and I have found their lenses to be quite good.
 
Hi again Gary, I also didn't have any intention of getting these Mamiya rangefinders, since I have a few of the later SLR’s I like, but they were so inexpensive and seem to be pretty well built with simple function, pleasing design, and good lenses. I didn’t mention that the 35 III has an F2 instead of the more common f2.8 lens, so that convinced me. I have one more on its way, a 35 Auto Deluxe with the 4.8cm f1.7 lens, which is well reviewed. It has a meter and a funky manual aperture priority ring. I hope the meter works. Now I am done, at least with Mamiya-Sekor.
Ron
 
Jeez I’ve sold a good many camera items over the last two months that it’s hard to think of something camera/photo related that I did buy recently.

Only thing I did buy was one of those beam splitter mirrors from nobbysparrow for my Leica IIIa Tiranty that I’ve decided to keep for now. My local camera repair fellow, Douglas Banks, is going to do the work as well as a CLA of the body.

Other than that I think that’s all I’ve purchased!
 
I have some glass plates for Ermanox for sale......
Just kidding 😬.

In truth, I do have some glass plates but don't remember the size and I think they go with one of my old voigtlanders.

I've bought nothing photo since .... December 2024?!?! Something's not right.
 
rfaspen said:
I have some glass plates for Ermanox for sale......
Just kidding 😬.

In truth, I do have some glass plates but don't remember the size and I think they go with one of my old voigtlanders.

I've bought nothing photo since .... December 2024?!?! Something's not right.
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Seek professional help immediately! It's available 'round-the-clock on ebay...
 
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