I thought I had better say hi

[Kara]

Hehehe, I grew up 2 hours north of Auckland. Knowing NZ her dad probably still has the restaraunt! Ive discovered I had GAS before I got here, seems the more forums I join, the worse it gets.

Prognosis: Not good. For fiance's wallet.

 

[wlewisiii]

Prognosis: Not good. For fiance's wallet.

SNORT... But good for you and probably for us (ie, post those images!)

William

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Welcome Kara,

Nice camera, the GSN.

Now to help feed the forthcoming GAS attack. Let us start small. As the GSN has a long shutter release stroke a "Softie" soft release is an ideal addition to your equipment needs. Check this link:

http://www.rapidwinder.com/

look at the soft release, only $10 shipped. Choice of colors available also, better buy 2, each a different color so that you can tell which camera has B&W film and which has color film in it by the color of your softie.

Since you now have two softie releases and only one RF camera, better start shopping for another camera. A black Yashica GT will go nicely with the GSN.

After using an aperature priority camera for a while, the call of full manual operator control will slowly creep in. Hmmm, a nice Canon QL-17 G-III should just do the trick. Then there is the Olympus RC it is so cute, better add one of those.

Standard 40mm to 45mm fixed lens are nice, but a body that would allow wide angle and telephoto lens to be mounted would really be nice to try. Since you are close to Canada I would recommend a Canon P. That way our friendly moderator will have another allie on his team 🙂

You may want fiance to find a second job real soon, right after you handle a Leica M2 at the local camera shop.

That should be a nice blueprint to follow. Then there are the medium format folders, 1/2 frames, big honking 6x7 Koni-Omegas, even bigger still 4x5 Speed Graphics and Crown Graphics. You can keep him busy and broke for several years.

Wayne

 

[tedwhite]

Welcome also, Kara. Back in the sixties my girlfriend and I decided to "tune in, turn on, and drop out." So we booked out of California and bought a small ranch in Somers, at the north end of Flathead Lake. I fell in love with the Montana, and indeed, you do need an MF camera and a wideangle lens. But then we realized we were basically starving and sold the place, returned to California and pursued divergent academic careers.

Never been to NZ, but it must have vistas similar to Montana's.

Ted

 

[Kara]

ROFL Wayne, you sir, are hilarious. I see I am going to enjoy reading your posts 😛. Im trying to stay away from telephoto stuffs being as I dropped a bundle on a DSLR and some L glass a few months back (dont blame me, blame my generation), but a wide angle would be heavenly... what do you suggest 😉.

Ted, I live in the Flathead! In fact I just moved up to Kalispell from on the lake in Kalispell 🙁. I agree with you, it is beautiful here, but you can starve in more ways in one in this valley. Its nice to know some things dont change!

 

[cameramanic]

Shwmae Kara, and nau mai

A warm Welcome from Wales.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Im trying to stay away from telephoto stuffs being as I dropped a bundle on a DSLR and some L glass a few months back (dont blame me, blame my generation), but a wide angle would be heavenly... what do you suggest 😉.

Ah, what would I suggest for a wide angle? Hmm, depends on what you call wide angle. From my experience I only have 3 rangefinder lens that might be called wide angle. I have a 35mm VC f2.5 Skopar in 39mm LTM that I use on Canon P camera body, a 35mm Nikkor f2.5 that I use on Contax IIA body, and a Zeiss Biogon 21mm f4.5 that I also use on Contax IIIA body. Many people consider 35mm lens a "standard" or normal lens for ever day shooting. I might be one of those people. I would consider the 21mm as being wide angle, but not super wide.

Many people love Voightlander Cosina glass and use 35mm, 28mm, 25mm, 21mm, 15mm etc. Good quality at a reasonable price. Here is a link that should provide you with some reading and a shopping list:

http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm

But you need another camera. A 35mm lens with a Canon P, Leica M2, Bessa 2R or 3R, any of these would make a nice outfit.

Good Luck,

wayne

PS My avatar was shot with a 21mm Zeiss Biogon (for what that is worth).

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

A tad late, but hi and welcome! Yes, GAS is bad. I have succumbed and gone deeper into the dark(er) side: I have recently purchased a Yashica Electro from the G man (Greyh.) the same day I won another at the 'bay. One's black and the other silver. Interested in a silver Yashica Electro? 😉

 

[rover]

Oh, this one may be fun.

We normally offer suggestions of how other folks can spend their own money. Now we get to spend Kara's fiance's money. 😀

I think you may as well start by telling him how nice the Bessa R looks, and there is such a good deal with a very highly thought of 35mm lens, and well, all the CV lenses are very good, so why not throw in a 28 or 21 in the package right away....

Hi Kara's fiance.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Yashica made "auxiliary lenses" for the GSN. They can usually be bought inexpensively. They are a "pain" to use, you focus with the RF spot, look up the distance on the attached lens, and then set the distance scale of the main lens according to the "look-up table". It works, and for scenary is Okay. The same is true of my Retina IIIc. So, you focus, note (for example) the lens distance scale is 7', look at the lens, note 7' should be reset to 10', then set the main lens to 10'. It works, the lenses are cheap. It will give you something to play with until you are really hooked and get a Bessa R with 35mm F2.5 at cameraquest -or something like that-.

An Auction showing the Wide-angle and finder mounted on the camera.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Yashica-Electro...ryZ30028QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The aux lens for the GSN will be about $400 less than a new Bessa with Wide-Angle lens. Your Fiance can thank me later...

 

[JeffGreene]

Welcome Kara:

I'm a GSN owner as well, and love them. My major issue with the forum is the GAS infection I acquired since recently joining. I'm currently eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new Lynx 14e.

 

[tedwhite]

The auxiliary lenses, in my opinion, are not worth either the money or the effort of fooling with them. They are not sharp, and they degrade the quality of a superb lens.

Save your moneda.

Ted