New York February NYC Meet-Up/ Tenth Annual Camera Beauty Contest

[Calzone]

My friend Lou from Cameta Camera in Amityville Long Island hyped his black paint Nikon F2AS as the world's "Sexiest Camera."

Lou took ownership that he would often fondle and polish his F2AS while watching TV, and his wife took notice as if he was cheating on her.

Let's also include a "Sexy Camera" catagory to honor Lou's fetish.

BTW I have to agree with Lou that the F2AS is a mighty sexy camera. Lou made a point about the proportions, the smooth edges, the curves and how the camera felt n his hands.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I think the F2AS is sexy for what it can do, not so much it's looks. An F2 with DE1 is far more aesthically pleasing in my opinion. As for it's capabilities, it has never been matched by any other mechanical camera. It makes a good hammer or a car jackstand as well. Easily weaponizable if the strap is of good quality.
I think the Pentax LX is prettier, heck, many cameras a prettier than the F2AS. The Pentax MX, most Leica M film bodies, the Nikon F4s. But one camera that I think is really gorgeous in looks and capabilities is the original black Konica Hexar. It is my biggest regret for selling.
Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

I think the F2AS is sexy for what it can do, not so much it's looks. An F2 with DE1 is far more aesthically pleasing in my opinion. As for it's capabilities, it has never been matched by any other mechanical camera. It makes a good hammer or a car jackstand as well. Easily weaponizable if the strap is of good quality.
I think the Pentax LX is prettier, heck, many cameras a prettier than the F2AS. The Pentax MX, most Leica M film bodies, the Nikon F4s. But one camera that I think is really gorgeous in looks and capabilities is the original black Konica Hexar. It is my biggest regret for selling.
Phil Forrest

Phil,

A Nikon AH-2 hand-strap weaponizes a camera.

My F3P was mistaken as a hand gun in Queens Plaza. This guy headed for cover and scrambled in fear.

Christian has this Olympus OM-4 with a 50. He paid "no-money" for the body and somehow found the lens for "no-money" because he is a "Clever Devil." I think that rig is rather sexy because it is kinda petite making it rather feminine. For me it generates, "You suck factor" big time. Also the focus snap and VF'er are mighty great.

Cal

 

[Particular]

Phil,

A Nikon AH-2 hand-strap weaponizes a camera.

My F3P was mistaken as a hand gun in Queens Plaza. This guy headed for cover and scrambled in fear.

Christian has this Olympus OM-4 with a 50. He paid "no-money" for the body and somehow found the lens for "no-money" because he is a "Clever Devil." I think that rig is rather sexy because it is kinda petite making it rather feminine. For me it generates, "You suck factor" big time. Also the focus snap and VF'er are mighty great.

Cal

Cal,
it is an OM3Ti, and yes, I only paid $15 (minus $35 that I sold the scratched 28mm/2 lens for). Yes, it is way more sexy than any nikon I can think of. The ergonomics are far superior; the focus turns the correct way, and the aperture is at the front of the lens where it belongs!

I think the consensus should be that prizes are only awarded to cameras that are present on location, not "cameras" floating around elsewhere. If you know what I mean...

 

[Calzone]

Cal,
it is an OM3Ti, and yes, I only paid $15 (minus $35 that I sold the scratched 28mm/2 lens for). Yes, it is way more sexy than any nikon I can think of. The ergonomics are far superior; the focus turns the correct way, and the aperture is at the front of the lens where it belongs!

I think the consensus should be that prizes are only awarded to cameras that are present on location, not "cameras" floating around elsewhere. If you know what I mean...

Christian,

Ha-ha. Do I detect rivalry? Still upset a year later? Oh the agony of defeat.

The back story here is the "mob" turned on Christian and Phil from Philly won a very cool spy camera that was a boxed kit with accessories. Phil claimed that he had the biggest rangefinder (Battleship New Jersey) and the mob went with that. The biggest insult was that Phil did not attend the meet-up, and I mailed Phil his prize (donated by our friend Chris).

I ended up getting an e-mail from Phil when he got delivery. First off he loved the camera, but he thought I was just fooling around. Basically he was surprised it was for real.

Now a year later... Let the drama begin. Remember the only rule strictly enforced: "No biting." LOL.

Anyways you are like me: a clever devil, but you also suck because of that OM3Ti that makes me green with envy. The icing on the cake is that it is the Ti version which only makes it worse.

You insulted my Nikons. You will pay for that. I'm so wounded. LOL.

Cal

 

[Nokton48]

Hi Cal,
Someday I will take my boys to Madhattan. I have been there twice before. Wonderful in small doses LOL

002 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've been thinking of recovering my two SRM's with some kind of exotic skin. Maybe more red ringneck lizard?
Speaking of lethal weapons that can also drive nails.

I once covered a Kiev 6c in B&W Cobra Skin............

 

[Particular]

Christian,

Anyways you are like me: a clever devil, but you also suck because of that OM3Ti that makes me green with envy. The icing on the cake is that it is the Ti version which only makes it worse.

You insulted my Nikons. You will pay for that. I'm so wounded. LOL.

Cal

One day perhaps I'll succeed in loading a roll of film in a Nikon, and I may become more sympathetic to them, but until then...
I'm mostly just an SLR hater. That OM3Ti is the only one I've ever had that I actually get excited about putting film through. I generally enjoy rangefinders more. Even big ones.

 

[fiddle]

So, I have somehow entered the world of 4x5.. No clue why.

 

[Calzone]

One day perhaps I'll succeed in loading a roll of film in a Nikon, and I may become more sympathetic to them, but until then...
I'm mostly just an SLR hater. That OM3Ti is the only one I've ever had that I actually get excited about putting film through. I generally enjoy rangefinders more. Even big ones.

Christian,

How annoying am I? At this point I think it is my trademark.

I still love SLR's. Perhaps because they are like me with their loud mirrors. LOL.

My SL is a camera that is well hated because of its size, but for me I like that it is sized like a SLR.

My Leica SL-2 MOT is a camera I favor, and let's not forget my annoying F3P.

John started calling my cameras "Monsters" because of all my added accessories. It turned his stomach when I took a Wetzlar M6 and added a TA Rapidgrip and TA Rapidwinder to make it more like my F3P.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

So, I have somehow entered the world of 4x5.. No clue why.

Fidel,

Next you'll buy a Linhof. The CDC has determined that Christian is the epicenter for "Linhof Disease."

If you need to blame someone, blame Christian.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Hi Cal,
Someday I will take my boys to Madhattan. I have been there twice before. Wonderful in small doses LOL

002 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've been thinking of recovering my two SRM's with some kind of exotic skin. Maybe more red ringneck lizard?
Speaking of lethal weapons that can also drive nails.

I once covered a Kiev 6c in B&W Cobra Skin............

Dan,

I had an extra F3HP that I recovered with some Italian goat leather that I bought as a remnant in the fashion district. Pretty much the quality was of Prada.

That F3HP I gifted to "Mike the Skinny Hipster" the fashion photographer who lives in the apartment right above mine.

A make-up artist also lives in my building, and an indie film maker. Ritesh wrote, directed and produced a film called "Lunchbox" that some claim should of won the best Foreign Film Emmy.

It was so random that we talked in our elevator, learned that he was a filmaker, and was invited to the premier of his new film "Photograph."

"The world is not so big," I say, and in NYC all kinds of odd and weird stuff happens. Like how did I get stuck with organizing the NYC Meet-Up for over ten years?

BTW my "ghetto-buster" building is only 8 stories high and has only 40 units. We have a "Cyberdoorman" where somewhere in Queens are electronic monitors and camera CRT's controlling access to our building.

Just a block away Bruce Davidson shot East 100th Street to document the extreme poverty of East Harlem in 1969. A black neighbor who is a long time resident told me at one time one side of East 101st Street was all black, right across the street was all Italian, and basically he could not cross the street. Then the Puerto Ricans moved in and things changed...

Somehow I would not mind stepping out for a while. Then again I'm bonded to "Maggie" who I claim I have been living "in sin" for over 20 years, but my friends suggest that we are married due to "common law."

So if you think NYC is a bit much, try being hooked up with a celeb fashion blogger. LOL.

Cal

 

[Particular]

So, I have somehow entered the world of 4x5.. No clue why.

You really need a 5x7!

 

[thambar]

OK, you're a big drama queen.

I was thinking more of prayer rugs outside of B&H, or wading in a tub of used 35mm cassettes, or creating a banner from 120 backing paper, or a group selfie with a Linhof.

Our friend Jim from Philly requested Sunday the 23rd of February at the "Rochard" on Lexington and 97th Street for the Tenth Annual Camera Beauty Contest.

Save the date. Hopefully this also works out for Phil and Bethany (also from Philly).

I have an idea. Because I'm sentimental (also a jerk) how about us collaborating and celebrating the decade of this event. Since I'm a lazy slacker how about us doing a 2021 calendar?

We only need say 12-13 images; we could do mucho camera porn in our NYC style; we could feature some of us as the camera nerds and oddities that we are; and we could most of all make fun of ourselves and our shared obsessions.

Call me a big Drama Queen, and think of this big event as a performance, but I don't think it would be too hard to pull off. Perhaps we could do it as an inexpensive blurb book, and then we could raise funds to perhaps upgrade our event into a dinner or donate the funds to a charity that we agree upon.

Let's do something a bit crazy. Remember, "Crazy is good."

BTW I have some shots from last years event that captures Snarky Joe's boxed 4x5 Linhof Tech V; Christian's homebrewed camera of Linhof quality; and of course "Crazy Sam's" cameras that one would never see in the wild.

Anyways let's amass a pile of gear that shows how crazy and obsessive we are. I only have 15 cameras... LOL.

Cal

 

[fiddle]

You really need a 5x7!

Ha! This thing is heavy enough. I'm good.. but if I were to go bigger why stop at 5x7........

 

[Particular]

Ha! This thing is heavy enough. I'm good.. but if I were to go bigger why stop at 5x7........

That's why I'm building an 8x10, like I really need it. In the mean time I couldn't help hitting buy on another Linhof. It's black, it is weird, and they only made 2200 of this model.

 

[fiddle]

Lol. I got a toyo 45a. Decent shape. Clad with new bellows a few months ago. Seemed like a deal so I said why not .. 8x10 and contact prints. If it weren't so bi, I'd be into that..

 

[Particular]

Lol. I got a toyo 45a. Decent shape. Clad with new bellows a few months ago. Seemed like a deal so I said why not .. 8x10 and contact prints. If it weren't so bi, I'd be into that..

You'll have fun with it. Any lenses?

 

[fiddle]

Not yet. Body. A bunch of backs. Just need to find a lens. I'm guessing start off with a standard 150,
see what happens. Won't go too crazy yet.

 

[Particular]

Lenses in the 135mm to 210mm range are easy to find and cheap. You can hardly go wrong.

 

[Particular]

Have we had a fixed lens rangefinder category before? I remember Phil once showing a very nice Retina 2a. There are some neat fixed lens gems out there. Let's see them!