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

"Maggie" thought she had 718K followers and was surprised that overnight somehow she has 723K followers. She says that is is more than when she did the "Today Show" when perhaps she gained about 3K more followers as a "bump." A big mystery is why the 5K jump?

Most of Maggie's shots that she posts are the square on Instagram. Over the weekend she art directed me into taking some tight shots, but when she tried to post them it was difficult.

Evidently she did not understand how cropping works.

So because I'm a lazy slacker I figured out a great workaround. My SL2 allows me to shoot the square. Realize that if I hit the reset button that I get a FF DNG file of 47.3 MP, but when shooting the square I effectively crop the sensor to 31.5 MP which is still a good amount of resolution.

With the 50 Lux-SL the FOV is of a short tele, but the APO 35 Cron is the right FOV to be the diagonal for a 24mmx24mm square to be a normal lens. Bonus is that this lens has a faster autofocus than the 50 Lux-SL.

So the SL2 with APO 35 Cron ends up being a camera that makes a great travel rig for me where I can shoot street and still have a normal FOV with the only limitation being the square which is not a bad thing. In a way I am using the SL2 like as if a Q2.

The big and heavy 50 Lux-SL gets some rest, and the SL2 with APO 35 Cron ends up being a clever versatile rig.

Cal
 
Some feature from England is responsible for yesterday's 5K "bump." Another 1K joined in for a new total of 724K followers.

It seems Sony, Nikon and Panasonic each create three different models of their mirrorless cameras to compete with the SL2: one is specialized for journalism/events/and reportage; another specialized for high resolution and landscape shooters; and lastly a version that specializes in video.

Tomorrow will mark my ownership of a SL2 for two full weeks, and I can say that Leica did not do a "Spackle-Job" in creating one camera that covers all three areas profoundly well. It even goes as far as also providing a CINE mode for those inclined. The Leica interface is really amazing because it remains simple, yet is so advanced. Someone coined the phrase "lateral thinking" in describing the simplicity and cleverness.

The VF'er and rear display made a huge jump in IQ over my old SL. Literally the rear screen is double the resolution, and the VF'er is faster and I would say is superior than an optical VF'er.

While the old SL remains a capable camera the SL2 is a pretty big leap forward. The price point on the body is pretty good, but what is a deterant is the costly Leica native L-glass. I'm glad I have my wide and normal covered at pre-Trump tariffs.

Off-Topic, last Saturday I went to my Public Storage to handle my business. Prices flux-U-ate mucho depending on availibilty, supply and demand, and every year there is a rent increase. I have been a tenant for a closet sized 4x7 unit for over a decade and back when it originally only cost $89.00, but over the more than a decade has increased to $270.00.

Ouch.

So last Saturday I explored moving up in size to unclutter our small one-bedroom apartment, and I was offered a 5x7 for $200.00 a month. Somehow I save $70.00 a month and get more space. How did that happen?

So instead of heading back home to work out in the gym, I empty and loaded storage units for fun. LOL. The extra foot in width is not a small increment, and know that my art school sculpture classes came in handy in pretty much exploiting cubic footage.

Ask Christian the "Clever Devil" how I kinda built a high rise in the bedroom of my one bedroom apartment. It kinda rivals any luxury development in Brooklyn or Madhattan.

I am pleased that I believe I now have enough space to fit my Juki commercial sewing machine. This Juki is one of the last models built in Japan, and newer models are manufactured in China (not the old Juki workhorses).

Because I'm a skinny bitch who is now a Welterweight (140-147 pounds and 5'9") with a muscular build of a boxer with a bubble bike butt, it kinda makes sense to make my own clothes in retirement. Pretty much will be going back in the day when I was in art school being an "Exhibitionist" (artists by definition are exhibitionists).

Some of our designer friends who got their degrees from Parsons and the School of the Visual Arts say the best way to learn is just by deconstructing clothing to learn the tailoring.

I learned in art school, also at my 17 year career at Grumman building mechanical, electronics, and electro-mechanical prototypes, and also by building out my Jeep Scrambler with a Corvette engine, 200 pound cast iron NV4500 tranny, and cut down Ford 9 inch rear with Lincoln Continental disc brakes that I have both the mind and the hands to create and build crazy things.

Devil Christian and I are a lot a like.

All part of my retirement plan. "Don't tell Maggie."

Cal
 
Cal, so if I understand it correctly, you now have a 'Digital Robot'. The trick I use with the iphone when I want to post to instagram is that I frame vertical subjects horizontally, and horizontal subjects vertically. That way I always know it will fit inside the square. My other trick is if I am taking the same subject with a 'real camera' with a 35mm lens, I will frame it vertically with the iphone, because the shorts side of the iphones' frame equivalent to the long side of the 35mm. The added advantage is that I can keep my verticals straight, and shift with my crop.
In the mean time I'm a variety of different t-slot aluminum profiles. I'm exploring the potential for a kind of camera erector set. It could open the flood gates for all kinds of weird cameras....
 
CNNY said:
Cal, so if I understand it correctly, you now have a 'Digital Robot'. The trick I use with the iphone when I want to post to instagram is that I frame vertical subjects horizontally, and horizontal subjects vertically. That way I always know it will fit inside the square. My other trick is if I am taking the same subject with a 'real camera' with a 35mm lens, I will frame it vertically with the iphone, because the shorts side of the iphones' frame equivalent to the long side of the 35mm. The added advantage is that I can keep my verticals straight, and shift with my crop.
In the mean time I'm a variety of different t-slot aluminum profiles. I'm exploring the potential for a kind of camera erector set. It could open the flood gates for all kinds of weird cameras....
Click to expand...

Christian,

"Weird is good," I say

I'm trying to cull down as part of my retirement. The idea is to eliminate clutter and somehow simplify life.

At work I'm hoarding books so I can read them and then recycle them. I have a bunch to go off to the "Strand" used bookstore.

I have this little pocket book that I'm reading that has 150 Universal Principles of Design. Kind of a good reminder.

The "20/80 Rule" seems well suited for me. They cite a Sony Walkman as a product that lacked features that many thought would never become popular and sell, but it kinda followed the 20/80 Rule and nailed a nitch.

My guess is that old film cameras and the new rise in popularity in analog film cameras is also a product of the 20/80 Rule.

I would also state that my old Leica Monochrom will likely be a cult camera of sorts due to the 20/80 Rule. I kinda rmember about 8 years ago here on RFF when the rumor was coming out about a Monochrom M and one poster said, "That's the dumbest thing that Leica could do." LOL.

Anyways a smart phone is not my style. My old flip phone and not texting annoys people. That's more my style. LOL.

If I need a camera, I got plenty.

BTW the SL2 is simple enough that a numb skull like me has figured out how easy it is to use. I only have a few questions for Karla. I can even use the SL2 to cut/edit which is really all I need if I want to do ENG news style. The SL2 has a free running Time-Code so pretty much it reverts me back to 1995 when I shot 1 inch tape on a SONY Numatic and did cut/edits.

Cal
 
pyeh said:
Cal and Christian, you do know that you can post to Insta in the original format. You don't have to crop to square.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know, but I'm happy to maximize the screen real estate and stick to the square.

I just received a package with coolscan 5000 listed in as is/untested condition. I plugged it in and did a few test scans, and the thing is perfect! It does seem like I'm hoarding scanners.
 
CNNY said:
Yes, I know, but I'm happy to maximize the screen real estate and stick to the square.

I just received a package with coolscan 5000 listed in as is/untested condition. I plugged it in and did a few test scans, and the thing is perfect! It does seem like I'm hoarding scanners.
Click to expand...

Christian,

Besides the endearing name: Devil Christian (a play on words) that pretty much is me condensing "Christian the Clever Devil" in my tough guy from Brooklyn ghetto manner; I have a new knick name "Scanner nerd."

So understand that "Maggie" went to Catholic schools. She even taught at Fordham which is a Jesuit school that projects all that rigid behavior that is not my style.

So Maggie corrects my butchering of the English language all the time. It really bothers her, LOL, but what bothers her the most is when I invent new meanings for words that is not described in a dictionary.

So you know how I annoy people. LOL. I argue that as a person of color that it is my right to create slang, butcher language, and create new meanings. I also say, "Don't oppress my free expression. We are now post colonial, and you no longer rule over me."

So why would a Catholic do gooder Social Worker be attracted to a feral bad boy like me? LOL.

Cal
 
pyeh said:
Cal and Christian, you do know that you can post to Insta in the original format. You don't have to crop to square.
Click to expand...

Peter,

I like shooting the square. On my SL2 effectively I get 31 MP.

The APO 35 Cron is mucho a lot smaller than the huge and porky 50 Lux-SL.

Just wait till I begin annoying people by using Instagram. LOL.

It does seem that love and hate are not so separate. It seems that parents end up favoring and loving the kid they worry about the most. I was a rather disturbed kid. Kinda evil...

"Maggie" pointed out and indicated to me that out of 5 kids that I was my dad's favorite, even though I never listened to him, and at one point when I was just an angry guy I took it out on him and even hated him.

Point is in the end it all kinda gets twisted, and the kid a parent should really hate ends up being the kid they love the most.

Sadly I only found this out after his death. Tears...

Cal
 
I also like squares, I didn't originally, but now I find myself seeing images that will fit nicely into a square even though I long ago stopped posting to instagram.
 
Nokton48 said:
Norma Handy Stuff 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

First test 4x5 Sinar Norma Handy 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hey Cal,
This is my new playtoy. Notice the 4x5" Graphmatic; I just bought two more over the holidays. Thanks for sending me the original literature.

So now I am renovating three Graphmatics, have you ever used the ten shot Kinematic? I'd like to have a few of those 🙂
Click to expand...

Dan,

I love it. You are a wack job like me, and you are also a wack job like Christian (Devil Christian).

So since you too are a "Clever Devil" I now will call you "Devil Dan" in the same tradition that I named Christian.

I have 10 working Graphmatics, and also extra holders, but mine are for Baby Linhofs and are not the 4x5 versions. Back when I procured them they were not so costly, so I loaded up the truck.

BTW 10 Graphmatics are kinda heavy, the sheet film is not inexpensive unless you restrict yourself to Foma, even 120 is cheaper per shot, and of course the CF in me is going to shoot mucho Rollie 400S in 70mm bulk and buy bulk 70mm films.

Your 70mm thread spilled over some inspiration. I still have some film stockpile to expend. Looking at my negatives to respond to Brett made me see how great my negatives look and refreshed me to look at the possibilities.

This old Navy SEAL coworker from back in the day when I worked at Grumman explained to me how he was trained with 7 deadly connected moves that were ingrained to be like a reflex as part of his hand-to-hand combat training. He tried to slow down these moves, warning me that he will try not to hurt me, but he also kinda knew in advance it might not be possible.

So the moral of the story here is you don't need a lot to be deadly. Jim Marshall used Tri-X at 800 and Acufine for 5 1/2 minutes for all his work. There is also this Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who only used Diafine and Tri-X.

So here it is: for small format I'll be only using Kodak 5222 with Diafine 4+4 two inversions per minute for 400 ISO as my compensating developer (unwind high contrast/high key light); or Ilford DDX 10 minutes, 3 inversions per minute, 500 ISO.

Pretty simple for 135: one film two developers.

Medium format is mostly 70mm Rollie 400S with either Diafine for high contrast lighting 125-100 ISO; and for diffused or overcast Rollie 400S at 50 ISO using Rodinal 1:50.

Perhaps a limited amount of Tri-X or FP4 utilizing either Diafine or DDX or with FP4 Rodinal.

Pretty much I'm cutting out all the noise and will be concentrating on mastering just the above.

I'm good with limiting 135 to only one film shot at either 400 or 500 ISO. I could do lots of shooting, and with 135 that's the point.

For medium format it is of course about expanded tonality and I.Q. so favoring slow speed film will be the rule.

Cal
 
Nokton48 said:
Norma Handy Stuff 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

First test 4x5 Sinar Norma Handy 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hey Cal,
This is my new playtoy. Notice the 4x5" Graphmatic; I just bought two more over the holidays. Thanks for sending me the original literature.

So now I am renovating three Graphmatics, have you ever used the ten shot Kinematic? I'd like to have a few of those 🙂
Click to expand...

Dan, I've owned 2 Kinematic's over the years-they are problem children. They are very bad to jam.
 
Calzone said:
Christian,



So Maggie corrects my butchering of the English language all the time. It really bothers her, LOL, but what bothers her the most is when I invent new meanings for words that is not described in a dictionary.

So you know how I annoy people. LOL. I argue that as a person of color that it is my right to create slang, butcher language, and create new meanings. I also say, "Don't oppress my free expression. We are now post colonial, and you no longer rule over me."

So why would a Catholic do gooder Social Worker be attracted to a feral bad boy like me? LOL.

Cal
Click to expand...

Cal, you'd best keep Maggie out of Alabama! The way the locals around me mangle the English language would send her postal. The use of "them" for "those" and the use of the word "tooken" for took drives me crazy.
 
I'm out folks.
I'm so sick with a very bad cold I am going to have to stay home this weekend. I'm sorry y'all. A Carl Sagan universe of billions and billions of viruses are trying to kill me.
Phil Forrest
 
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