New York March NYC Meet-Up

[MrBern]

Bernard,

Interesting to note that some photogs tried to step into Bill's shoes after he passed.

He was a very humble guy, and what is not to love about that?

Cal

I once read a description of Bill referring to him as the Mother Teresa of Fashion Photogs.
That made me laugh. He was indeed humble. To the point where he didnt even seem to be comfortable referring to himself as a photographer. It was all about reading the streets & absorbing the trends.
BTW, it seems like plenty of Photogs tried to step into BC's shoes long before he was gone. GQ had that column, the Sartorialist. He even put out some books on his curbside portraits. Cant say the taste or shooting is very impressive. But how much can you axpect from GQ, pure conservative conformity.

 

[Calzone]

Oops, didnt see this.
See U there.
Unless Im crying over my tax returns.

-B

Bernard,

In my case I did get a return from both my Fed and State. Sadly not big dollars and a bit of a "haircut."

Who ever first makes a date for a Meet-Up gets the pick is our policy.

Funny how undecisive we are even though we are photographers.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

On last night's episode of Empire Cookie Lyons is wearing a silk Gabriella Hurst cocktail dress, the same one with the newsprint and "Rosebuds" print that "Maggie" wore to Gabriella Hurst's birthday party.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

That's sound good cal, and the amp there's nothing like those old amps,
When I go to Guitar Center or Sam Ash I have to cover my ears because
the new amps sound so bright and tinny. :bang:

Bob,

Are you aware that Bernard is also a guitar player?

I love the older amps that have less gain. I find them to have a better more full clean sound and to be more "touch sensitive."

In my style of playing I don't add distortion to enrichen the sound, and any distortion only comes from the amp. Pretty much the sound comes from my hands, and I try to emulate a piano, but also try to play the guitar as a percussive instrument like a drum.

An amp like your 5B3 tweed Deluxe has the smooth breakup of 6V6 output tubes and highly interactive volume and tone control. The breakup is lower with a P12R than the P12Q you are using. Some say the P12R has a "farty" bass though.

Similarly I could add two P10Q's instead of the P10R's I'm currently using for more headroom and tighter bass. The smaller ten's over your single 12 though produces a wonderful bottom that is tight, but with a fast treble. The dispersion of 2 ten's also really fills a room, and creates a 3-D space.

The two Mark Sampson era (early to mid 90's) Matchless amps I own (a Lightning and a Spitfire) both have two-ten's instead of a single 12.

The Lightning is higher gain and the tone controls are very much like a "Blackface" Fender, but the Spitfire has a single tone control like your Tweed Deluxe that provides less scooping of the mids and provides a fatter midrange.

The Spitfire also is lower gain, making it my favorite out of the two. A lot like your tweed Deluxe in many ways. Both the Lightning and Spitfire both have the same "Voxy" 6BQ5 output section/tubes. Even cathode bias like your tweed running as a "Class A" amp and are claimed to be only 15 watt amps. The huge transformers that are overbuilt in a savage manner, the beefy power supply and the circuit denote a much more powerful amp.

The Celestian Greenbacks are aged and have had the "doping" removed by Matchless, so the sound is more open and looser.

I bought these Matchless amps as investments. Today I don't see any Mark Sampson era amps available, and when do they tend to be the bigger more powerful amps. Worth at least double what I paid for them, and perhaps if I found the right buyer maybe triple the price I bought them. The 2-10 configuration is not stock and is special order making them a rare version.

The Lightning also features an odd covering called "Black Shower Curtain" that adds an exclusive rarity.

I did a lot of "tube rolling" which is testing these amps and optimizing them with NOS vintage tubes.

Not unlike Leica but these German 12AX7's both "smooth" plates and "boxed" plates seem to be my favorite pre-amp tubes. Mullards are also interesting for the midrange, but the Telefunken's have the chimey top. Amperex "Bugle Boys" are kinda crunchy and thick.

I did this when I had a loft in the Southside of Williamsburg. This loft was terraced and had 14 foot ceilings that seemed to be tuned like a speaker enclosure. The acoustics were like in a mid-evil Church meaning perfect.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I once read a description of Bill referring to him as the Mother Teresa of Fashion Photogs.
That made me laugh. He was indeed humble. To the point where he didnt even seem to be comfortable referring to himself as a photographer. It was all about reading the streets & absorbing the trends.
BTW, it seems like plenty of Photogs tried to step into BC's shoes long before he was gone. GQ had that column, the Sartorialist. He even put out some books on his curbside portraits. Cant say the taste or shooting is very impressive. But how much can you axpect from GQ, pure conservative conformity.

Bernard,

I'll try to find this DVD that "Maggie" bought about Bill Cunningham.

It showed Bill as a cyclist also, his practical side, and exposed an inside view of having an "Artist Residency" living space at Radio City Music Hall. He also had an artist neighbor who kinda was his lifelong muse.

You get the feeling of how authentic Bill Cunningham was, and why he was so greatly loved. He is a man to admire.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

GEAR AWARENESS: My journalism skills are screaming that "Hard Assets" should be part of everyone's financial security. Whether it is gold, diamonds, guitars, amps, bass's, art or collectable or vintage cameras.

Seems like what is happening in some countries that have insolvent governments are printing money, diluting their currency, and causing hyperinflation.

In our case I don't think austerity will work because we have a bad government.

A history lesson by Canada in 1992: Canada lost their triple AAA bond rating; they went into austerity; and it took a decade to get their triple AAA bond rating back.

Canada at that time had a liberal government, but they cut through every line item. They even had to set up a VAT that still exists today.

Pretty much the other choice is print money, devalue a currency, and minimize the debt load by creating inflation.

So I'm not telling everyone to buy cameras as investments, nor am I suggesting that cameras are investments, but be aware that we have a serious long-term problem that likely will end badly.

Pretty hard to think of stuff that will have enduring value. Be thoughtful.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

Are you aware that Bernard is also a guitar player?

I love the older amps that have less gain. I find them to have a better more full clean sound and to be more "touch sensitive."

In my style of playing I don't add distortion to enrichen the sound, and any distortion only comes from the amp. Pretty much the sound comes from my hands, and I try to emulate a piano, but also try to play the guitar as a percussive instrument like a drum.

An amp like your 5B3 tweed Deluxe has the smooth breakup of 6V6 output tubes and highly interactive volume and tone control. The breakup is lower with a P12R than the P12Q you are using. Some say the P12R has a "farty" bass though.

Similarly I could add two P10Q's instead of the P10R's I'm currently using for more headroom and tighter bass. The smaller ten's over your single 12 though produces a wonderful bottom that is tight, but with a fast treble. The dispersion of 2 ten's also really fills a room, and creates a 3-D space.

The two Mark Sampson era (early to mid 90's) Matchless amps I own (a Lightning and a Spitfire) both have two-ten's instead of a single 12.

The Lightning is higher gain and the tone controls are very much like a "Blackface" Fender, but the Spitfire has a single tone control like your Tweed Deluxe that provides less scooping of the mids and provides a fatter midrange.

The Spitfire also is lower gain, making it my favorite out of the two. A lot like your tweed Deluxe in many ways. Both the Lightning and Spitfire both have the same "Voxy" 6BQ5 output section/tubes. Even cathode bias like your tweed running as a "Class A" amp and are claimed to be only 15 watt amps. The huge transformers that are overbuilt in a savage manner, the beefy power supply and the circuit denote a much more powerful amp.

The Celestian Greenbacks are aged and have had the "doping" removed by Matchless, so the sound is more open and looser.

I bought these Matchless amps as investments. Today I don't see any Mark Sampson era amps available, and when do they tend to be the bigger more powerful amps. Worth at least double what I paid for them, and perhaps if I found the right buyer maybe triple the price I bought them. The 2-10 configuration is not stock and is special order making them a rare version.

The Lightning also features an odd covering called "Black Shower Curtain" that adds an exclusive rarity.

I did a lot of "tube rolling" which is testing these amps and optimizing them with NOS vintage tubes.

Not unlike Leica but these German 12AX7's both "smooth" plates and "boxed" plates seem to be my favorite pre-amp tubes. Mullards are also interesting for the midrange, but the Telefunken's have the chimey top. Amperex "Bugle Boys" are kinda crunchy and thick.

I did this when I had a loft in the Southside of Williamsburg. This loft was terraced and had 14 foot ceilings that seemed to be tuned like a speaker enclosure. The acoustics were like in a mid-evil Church meaning perfect.

Cal

Wow that's really good all the stuff you have, if I played better I would like
to get a old Vox I love the sound of those. Talking about tubes there was a
Flea market on 25th street called the Garage and their was a guy in front
selling all types of stuff, one day he had a bucket of tubes so I found 4
Telefunken's diamond bottoms and all for $5.00 dollars each so I grabbed
them, and what great tubes they are.

 

[Calzone]

Wow that's really good all the stuff you have, if I played better I would like
to get a old Vox I love the sound of those. Talking about tubes there was a
Flea market on 25th street called the Garage and their was a guy in front
selling all types of stuff, one day he had a bucket of tubes so I found 4
Telefunken's diamond bottoms and all for $5.00 dollars each so I grabbed
them, and what great tubes they are.

Bob,

That use to be a great flea market, but not anymore.

You should know that those Telefunken's sell at about $100.00 each as used tubes. They are that good.

A tube seller taught me that Telefunken's also are rated for 100K hours sevice life or something crazy like that. Pretty much the example put forth was that if I turned on my amp and played for 40 hours a week that in a year that would only be 2080 hours. Pretty much with a brand new 12AX7 I could do 40 hours a week for about 48 years.

The point was made, enjoy the Telefunken's because they likely might outlive you. Also Telefunken's are highly regarded for mike pre-amps because they are "transparent" and very low noise. For recording with exotic and expensive ribbon mikes this is very important.

Certainly my favorite. The Mullards, the RCA's, GE, Amperex... all have their own coloring in the pre-amp.

Use for the first Pre-amp stage where they do the most good. Don't waste the Telefunkin's on drivers or second stage.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

That use to be a great flea market, but not anymore.

You should know that those Telefunken's sell at about $100.00 each as used tubes. They are that good.

A tube seller taught me that Telefunken's also are rated for 100K hours sevice life or something crazy like that. Pretty much the example put forth was that if I turned on my amp and played for 40 hours a week that in a year that would only be 2080 hours. Pretty much with a brand new 12AX7 I could do 40 hours a week for about 48 years.

The point was made, enjoy the Telefunken's because they likely might outlive you. Also Telefunken's are highly regarded for mike pre-amps because they are "transparent" and very low noise. For recording with exotic and expensive ribbon mikes this is very important.

Certainly my favorite. The Mullards, the RCA's, GE, Amperex... all have their own coloring in the pre-amp.

Use for the first Pre-amp stage where they do the most good. Don't waste the Telefunkin's on drivers or second stage.

Cal

I use them in my Fisher X202C amp.

 

[Calzone]

I use them in my Fisher X202C amp.

Bob,

You are a tube head like me. LOL.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

When it really matters, the only thing that has value is clean, fresh water.
Cal, when you want to do an Eastman 5222 order, let me know. I want to get another can or two and I have the student discount. If it's ordered in April, I could send the film along with your fork.
Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

When it really matters, the only thing that has value is clean, fresh water.
Cal, when you want to do an Eastman 5222 order, let me know. I want to get another can or two and I have the student discount. If it's ordered in April, I could send the film along with your fork.
Phil Forrest

Phil,

That is a kind offer. Let me know the cost for an 800 foot reel and I'll Paypal you the cash.

I figure film is always a good motivation for inspiration. BTW 5222 likes 400-500 ISO with Diafine. What is not to love? Great film, great price, and a reusable developer that gives great results.

Only two places in the U.S. with abundant water: the Northwest and the Northeast. Also know that water is imported from Canada that feeds into California by treaty.

In Seattle our designer friend took us to this coffee shop, and I recognized a reverse osmosis water purifier like from my research lab. Pretty much makes chemically pure water of high resistivity that is basically H2O. Too pure to drink, but when blended and brewed for coffee is safe. Really a great coffee, if not the best I ever had.

In my case I have to think perhaps 40-50 years out. My dad who was poor, illiterate, and had a brutal life lived to 94, even though he drank and was diabetic, was overweight, and had high blood pressure. He could of lived to 100 if he wanted to. A very determined and stubborn man. A pretty good bet is that I'll make it or surpass 100. He died of heart failure.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

Would it be a hassle or bother for three 400 foot rolls? I just checked the pricing.

A 1000 foot roll comes out to the same cost per 100 feet so no advantage.

In the past I bought loaded cassettes from PhotoWarehouse.com for about $5.00 a roll, but the raised the pricing.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Cal,
One 400ft roll or ten, is kind of all the same. Shipping is flat rate from Rochester up to four 400ft rolls. A single roll comes in the same box as four rolls. Shipping on 1000ft is way different since UPS is basically shipping a pizza box, both large, fragile, X-ray, light and heat sensitive, so the shipping is more than double. And as you saw, there is no bulk benefit to buying 1000ft over 400ft. The only benefit is to the AC's who are loading the cores into the cameras on-set. 1000ft has to be loaded less than half as much. That said, it is really easy to flash 1000ft of film on a core and essentially waste $400 and lose a job at the same time.
Anyway, let me know how much you want, I will make sure my account is still active this coming week after I finish my last final and I'll let you know the total. Three rolls with my discount will be about $550. Each 400ft core is good for ~66 rolls of film which equals $2.81 for a roll of 36exp.

If anyone else in the NYC group wants in, let me know and I will just add it to the total. PM me and I can start a tally. Please PM, don't air this laundry in the thread.

Cal, if this is the case, could I change my shipping address to your cyberdoorman at your building? I don't want $1000 in film sitting out in the heat/rain/sun if I'm not home to grab it off the stoop. I would have to ask you to hold my rolls until I make it to NYC sometime this spring.

Phil Forrest

Phil,

Would it be a hassle or bother for three 400 foot rolls? I just checked the pricing.

A 1000 foot roll comes out to the same cost per 100 feet so no advantage.

In the past I bought loaded cassettes from PhotoWarehouse.com for about $5.00 a roll, but the raised the pricing.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Cal,
One 400ft roll or ten, is kind of all the same. Shipping is flat rate from Rochester up to four 400ft rolls. A single roll comes in the same box as four rolls. Shipping on 1000ft is way different since UPS is basically shipping a pizza box, both large, fragile, X-ray, light and heat sensitive, so the shipping is more than double. And as you saw, there is no bulk benefit to buying 1000ft over 400ft. The only benefit is to the AC's who are loading the cores into the cameras on-set. 1000ft has to be loaded less than half as much. That said, it is really easy to flash 1000ft of film on a core and essentially waste $400 and lose a job at the same time.
Anyway, let me know how much you want, I will make sure my account is still active this coming week after I finish my last final and I'll let you know the total. Three rolls with my discount will be about $550. Each 400ft core is good for ~66 rolls of film which equals $2.81 for a roll of 36exp.

If anyone else in the NYC group wants in, let me know and I will just add it to the total. PM me and I can start a tally. Please PM, don't air this laundry in the thread.

Cal, if this is the case, could I change my shipping address to your cyberdoorman at your building? I don't want $1000 in film sitting out in the heat/rain/sun if I'm not home to grab it off the stoop. I would have to ask you to hold my rolls until I make it to NYC sometime this spring.

Phil Forrest

Phil,

You are the best. My Cyberdoorman is a smart idea. Thanks for sharing the wealth with us New Yorkers. Pretty sure there might be some interest.

I might have to fully develop this respooler. I have a Topcon bulk loader that is designed to load 250 exposure cassettes. If I reset the counter twice I get really close to a 100 feet. This would allow using a daylight loader.

I have a lot of dated film I need to consume. A lot of 120 Acros, FP4, and Tri-X in 120. I need to burn though all this film this season. Kodak 5222 will be my 135 film, and I intend to do Rollie 400S in 70mm in my Baby Linhofs because the pricing gets to be about $3.00 a roll 120 equiv.

Thanks again.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Bob,

You are a tube head like me. LOL.

Cal

I am, when I go to the New York HI-FI show. I alway's hit the rooms
with the tube amps.

 

[Calzone]

Bob,

Last night I plugged into the 1960 brown Super and had a great session. I tweaked my pickups on two Telecastors. The sound is evil. Pretty great tone with the Tele's strung with 12's and the volume on the Super set at 5. Twang big time on the bridge with a thick "smokey" neck pickup.

Kinda loud. When Maggie came home she said she heard me coming out of the elevator. LOL.

It does not get better than this. I was in heaven. Just a guitar and an amp, no effects. It does not get more pure than this. Burning in the amp more added further smoothness. I could hear things progress and evolve as the sound smoothed out. The speakers are definitely getting more musical. The big strings along with my hands makes for huge sound. Kinda has a vocal quality almost like playing a sax or horn. Very rich.

So my evil plan is to go on a film binge, unload and use up all my dated films (mucho) and dig in with Kodak 5222 for 135. 70mm seems the way to go with shooting Linhof's for about $3.00 a roll per 120 equiv. Pretty much will be able to shoot a Linhof like a Leica in 645 and 6x7.

In a way this is to distract me from the 35 Cron-SL that will be released shortly that I want and don't have the cash. Also more brutal is a SL2 to be released in June.

Best medicine is to dig in and appreciate fully what I already have. Pretty much enjoy my treasures.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Poor Maggie your blasting her out of the house! It takes awhile for those speakers
to break in put they will get there. I know how you feel about the Leica's new stuff,
now that I sold the Fuji and got into Sony I'm looking at lenses the Zeiss is so temping.
The Sony is such a step up.

 

[Calzone]

Poor Maggie your blasting her out of the house! It takes awhile for those speakers
to break in put they will get there. I know how you feel about the Leica's new stuff,
now that I sold the Fuji and got into Sony I'm looking at lenses the Zeiss is so temping.
The Sony is such a step up.

Bob,

"You can't always have what you want."

I'm pretty close though.

Cal

 

[jsrockit]

Sometimes I feel like I`m on 14 different types of forums when I read this thread... the fashion gossip forum, the guitar forum, the tube geek forum, the financial advice forum, the bicycle forum, the complain about NYC forum, etc. I miss hearing about Leica serial numbers and creamy bokeh. I also miss you guys too. 🙂