From Now on it's "Evil Nick" - I've Gone Over to the Dark Side...

NickTrop

NickTrop

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I'm a dope. I hate the fact I'm a nice guy. I need to work on my "evil" skills. This guy yesterday says he stumbled on some camera stuff, estate stuff I think, don't know the back story... said he got a lens - didn't recognize the name, not Canon or Nikon. Knows I'm a photo dog, said I can have it. Said "bring it in, I'd take it off your hands (if I can even use it or it's worth it..). Thinkin' it's a Sigma or a Tamron, or Soligar. or a Vivitar or something... Thanked him, etc..."

Guy comes to my desk as I'm leaving for the day today and hands me a pristine Leica 19mm f2.8 ELMARIT-R. "Here ya go, Nick! Think you can use it? Like I said, seems to be an off-brand" - he sez...

I take one look at it... pause. I can just take this &#%#& thing and nobody'd be the wiser. Dude is completely clueless as to its value, and I really don't know him all that well... an acquaintance. Pause again. #*&#in' can't. Can't &*#&$# do it.

Tell him to gently put it back in his bag and not to get his greazy mitts in the precious glass. Tell him that it's worth into the thousands, possibly. That I'd point him to some places where he could get a fair value...

Gah!!!! I SUCK!!!! I need to go to evil school. I blame it on those &*^#% nuns... Damned morals. That's it... I'm done with morals. That's the last stupid "nice" thing I ever do, or ever walk away from that's laid down at my *#&^ feet.

And I was actually even looking, literally looking, off and on for a "regular" (non-Leica) 19mm prime (few and far between...) for my Nikon DSLR - 35mm with crop factor if I could get one cheap. A Vivitar or something... Leica? LOL... out of the question/price range.

That's it. I'm done. From now on it's "Evil Nick Trop". It's official... Eveel Nick Trop.

Has a nice ring to it, no?

Sorry, venting.

Gah!
 
I probably would have done the same thing Evil. I suck at Evil too. I have a bad habit of being nice. Let me know how the new life goes. I may be looking to cross over too.

-Keith
 
keithp said:
I probably would have done the same thing Evil. I suck at Evil too. I have a bad habit of being nice. Let me know how the new life goes. I may be looking to cross over too.

-Keith
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Doesn't it suck, Keith???? It sucks. SUCKS! I could have taken this thing, said, hmmm, never heard of it. I'll "see if I can use it." Thanks, sport! Walked away, nobody would have been the wiser. Gah! And I was thisclose to doing it. Thisclose. Friggin' couldn't.

Join me over on the dark side.
 
Thanks for the kinds words, all. Why do I feel like a dope about this? I feel stupid + a little angry instead of that "I done good" feeling? Curious internal reaction.
 
helenhill said:
Plain and Simple
Because the Devil in YOU wanted to have some FUN ...:angel:
and their are so Many Sh*ts who Get Away with doing IT
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Yeah, you're right. I'm starting to feel better. Simple answer is I WANTED that lens. Genuinely wanted it. Here, Nick, have a free Leica lens, worth a couple grand at least, you can easily use on your Nikon with an adapter, in a focal length you've been hunting... And totally could have just taken it.

But my brain just short-circuited like Robbie the Robot in that scene in Forbidden Planet... Gah.

Starting to settle down now.

This had to be some kind of karma test. Christ, it was a damned 19mm f2.8 Leica... Not just a "decent" lens. An old AIS, or a Pentax... or Sigma or something. Yeah, the Godz were messin' with me today.
 
The way karma is, you probably would have dropped it and be stuck with a big repair bill. Next time, though, consider some alternatives. You could have paid him something for it a bit later, saying something like "I tested it ok, here's XXX for it. I can use it. Or, perhaps you could have sold it, then split the money with him, since he doesn't know where to sell it or what it's worth. Your expertise in this area is certainly of value.

In any case, you can sleep easy. I have to agree I would have felt guilty and never enjoyed it.
 
I would have done the same thing. Good on you.

Look, you are either "that type of guy" or you aren't. By which I mean the type of guy who doesn't mind taking advantage of other people. We need more in the "not that type of guy" column so don't beat yourself up about it.

You absolutely did the right thing.
 
Nick, I knew not to take the subject line seriously.

You are a standup guy. The nuns did great work with you!

Randy
 
Nick, I admire your honesty. It reminds me of the scripture “All things, therefore, that YOU want men to do to YOU, YOU also must likewise do to them". Your reward is your good conscience.... Ted
 
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