A kid with a camera (a long, rambling post)

[hoot]

Here's a third welcome to Shereen. Feel free to start a new thread to introduce yourself; you'll find that this is a very friendly e-hangout. Oh, and there's a "How many Mamiya 6/7 users" threat in the Mamiya forum, which you might want to add yourself to. I used to own a Mamiya 6, which probably handles very similarly to your camera. It now belongs to another RFF member.

As you may have guessed, Roman is definitely the more knowledgable of us two (and not just in the darkroom, either), so I suggest that after you meet both of us, you can decide who is more capable of showing you the ropes (or the take-up spools, if you will). Both of us have similarly-equipped darkrooms; his is in the kitchen and mine sprawls over the entire apartment in a great big mess, much to the chagrin of my significant other.

Oftheherd/RJBender/Brian Sweeney - does Spiratone make RF lenses, too, or just SLR ones?

 

[RJBender]

Here's a third welcome to Shereen. Feel free to start a new thread to introduce yourself; you'll find that this is a very friendly e-hangout. Oh, and there's a "How many Mamiya 6/7 users" threat in the Mamiya forum, which you might want to add yourself to. I used to own a Mamiya 6, which probably handles very similarly to your camera. It now belongs to another RFF member.

As you may have guessed, Roman is definitely the more knowledgable of us two (and not just in the darkroom, either), so I suggest that after you meet both of us, you can decide who is more capable of showing you the ropes (or the take-up spools, if you will). Both of us have similarly-equipped darkrooms; his is in the kitchen and mine sprawls over the entire apartment in a great big mess, much to the chagrin of my significant other.

Oftheherd/RJBender/Brian Sweeney - does Spiratone make RF lenses, too, or just SLR ones?

Ronnie,
Spiratone has been out of business for at least 10 years. The Mamiya 35mm SLR that Rover has uses M42 mount lenses. I've seen Spiratone lenses with M42 and T mounts. I doubt that they made a M39 T mount because the difference in lens registration is too great (M42 45.46mm; M39 28.8mm)

I don't know much about M39 mount lenses made for Leicas. I owned a IIIa for less than a year and sold it. I couldn't get used to a large air bubble in one of the lens' elements.

I checked my copy of McBroom's Bluebook which has a section on aftermarket M39 lenses. The list includes a 20mm Jupiter, 28mm SOM Berthiot, 25mm Nikkor, 28mm Soligor and 28mm Nikkor. Spiratone is not listed.

R.J.

 

[hoot]

Thanks, RJ.

I've never heard of a 20mm Jupiter; perhaps it's another name for the 20mm Russar, which comes from the same factory as the Jupiter lenses (KMZ). It goes for over $300 used. 🙁

 

[RJBender]

Thanks, RJ.

I've never heard of a 20mm Jupiter; perhaps it's another name for the 20mm Russar, which comes from the same factory as the Jupiter lenses (KMZ). It goes for over $300 used. 🙁

Ronnie,

It probably is a Russar. McBroom shows the lens as, "20mm f/5.6 Russian (Jupiter?) (w/finder) $425 EX $350 USER"

R.J.

 

[Alec]

Ronnie, this is a very nice story. Please update us on how it develops (reveals, stop, fix & wash, that is).

If only father-sons relations were so easy... <sigh>

For a start, my elder son refuses to learn English !

(Sorry these pictures through a Cassegrain-Maksutov lens are obviously off-topic unless a Minolta AF electronic rangemeter qualifies 😉 )

 

[hoot]

Ronnie, this is a very nice story. Please update us on how it develops (reveals, stop, fix & wash, that is).

Will do! At the moment, he comes by every week, unless he has to train for his BMX tournaments.

If only father-sons relations were so easy... <sigh>

For a start, my elder son refuses to learn English !

Parents teaching their own kids rarely works in our time and culture. Try to find a good private conversation teacher, preferably a native speaker, male (since it's a boy); someone who genuinely likes kids and is self-confident, athletic and artistically creative. In a few months, your son will speak perfect English. He is still at the age where new languages come naturally, and girls are not yet a distraction. Use it.

(Sorry these pictures through a Cassegrain-Maksutov lens are obviously off-topic unless a Minolta AF electronic rangemeter qualifies 😉 )

Nice pix. What I like about the better digital point-and-shoots is that they show you where you focused by means of that little green square. It's evident you made good use of this feature. Now, if only they took the picture *immediately* rather than half a second later...

 

[lubitel]

that shot from your student is great. A sense of composition is something that people either have or dont, i think.

 

[Pherdinand]

Now, if only they took the picture *immediately* rather than half a second later...

That's what bvugs me too in these cameras.
I have just explained today - ok, yesterday - to a friend of mine that to me the advantage of "immediacy" of the digital equipment is no advantage since i love the waiting time to get the results back and i always get nice surprises (and lots of bad ones). But i'm not sure he understood. He's quite good, has i think a good sense in shooting but he "grew up" on an olympus digital ps that he has since 2-3 years...and there's no chance of turning him back, lol

anyway
nice story, hoot, and i'm full of envy, but hey, one day i will hopefully have the chance to experience the same. Only teaching experience i have is in physics, and with groups of students; some of them were really amazingly fast in their learning.

welcome, shereen. where are you originally from?

 

[canonetc]

Wonderful story! Sounds like you got a model apprentice, cool.

Hi Hoot,

"That's good that you have an assistant and student who is learning very quickly.
I think kids are better at recognizing shapes, lines and other important elements of composition while we get bogged down with interpreting the meaning of objects. It may have something to do with the transition from concrete thinking to abstract thinking.

R.J."

RJ, definitely! and if there's anything our youth need much MORE of these days, it's abstract creative thinking!

I once had the chance to teach a seminar to some Youth Home foster kids, and it was pretty interesting. Some of the questions they asked dealt with anger; "How do you control your anger, Mr. Lee?" "Well, channeling your energy into something creative is a great way to bring your emotions under a more stable level of control. Through photography you can learn to see yourself and the world in new ways." It was rewarding and exciting to share what I'd learned so far with the young guys. They shot with Ilford BW disposables, and we did some color studio work at the youth home using a Mamiya C330 TLR (they did a fantastic 2-1/4 series using "Little Homies" figurines and cool classic-car models that two of the students had). We ended up having a public exhibit at a non-profit gallery, they were very proud of themselves, and they deserved to be.

Answering their "life" questions in the context of photgraphy was challenging and quite an experience. The saddest part was seeing the pain these young guys were in being orphaned or having to live in the youth home. Medication, fights, etc. Anyway, teaching youth, especially ones very interested or who just need a little coaxing to discover more of their creativity (which is there, buried sometimes) is valuable. I hope to be able to do it again soon. I hope your teaching experience continues to be rich. Would love to hear more as time progresses!

Cheers,

Chris
canonetc

 

[hoot]

That sounds like a wonderful project, Chris! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[RJBender]

Ronnie, did you teach Shereen how to develop film yet? How's Roman? Is he still boycotting RFF? 😕

R.J.

 

[Pherdinand]

boycotting rff???

 

[RJBender]

boycotting rff???

He's been quiet after this post:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=140955#post140955

R.J.

 

[varjag]

Hoot,

He might not be the next HCB, but ask him to sign you a few prints, just in case.

You never know 🙂

 

[Pherdinand]

pity, he's a good guy. I missed that post, i never follow useless discussions about politics, religion, and forum censorships 🙂

 

[hoot]

Ronnie, did you teach Shereen how to develop film yet?

No; she disappeared. 🙁

 

[RJBender]

No; she disappeared. 🙁

Too bad. Is Roman entering the ZI HCB contest?


R.J.