New York NYC CameraPlusExpo 2016/ AKA January Meet-Up/ Camera Olympics

[Calzone]

I'm pretty excited about now having the four lens/two body "Texas Leica" kit. Basically all the lenses and bodies have been serviced, although some not so recently they remain fresh through use. I expect delivery soon of my repaired lenses from Frank Marshman next week.

Add onto this my Plaubel 69W "Proshift" and I basically replicated my Leica M-body kit of three M-bodies with a spread of lenses. How cool is that?

Acros and Rodinal 50:1 is looking mighty good.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Bethanne and I may be able to make it to this one. I'm R E A L L Y hoping that it will work out...

Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

Bethanne and I may be able to make it to this one. I'm R E A L L Y hoping that it will work out...

Phil Forrest

Phil,

I'll be there early Saturday.

BTW do you use Shimano STI on your cyclocross bike? Also how many speeds?

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Phil,

I'll be there early Saturday.

BTW do you use Shimano STI on your cyclocross bike? Also how many speeds?

Cal

Cal,
Back when I was racing, I used STI shifters but never preferred them. I'm selling my most recent CX bike for the money in spite of the fact I loved it. It was a single-production custom built frame made by John Waite of Alpine, CA. It was super stiff and the frame itself was built to be shifted in the rear gears only. No provision for a front shifter or derailleur as the cable guides and bosses weren't there. I ran it as a 1x7 shifting with my favorite shifter, the XT topmount thumbshifter from a mountain bike. It was a fantastic ride at about 20.5lbs. White Industries hubs laced to Mavic Open SUP rims. Full XT component group with regard to canti brakes, crankset and rear derailleur.

I'm not riding much these days but I will soon. My helmet got crushed in our move and I just haven't been able to buy a new one. Anyway, my main bike now is a vintage 1980s Miyata 600 with a full Suntour Superbe kit, Cyclone GT rear derailleur, American Classic 2nd gen hubs laced to Alex touring rims. It's finished off with leather handlebar wrap and a Brooks Conquest saddle. Velo Orange hammered aluminum fenders cover the tires. This bike I built to be a replacement for a car and it has performed very nicely. It is one of the nicest frames I've ever ridden.

I also have a Koga-Miyata (I prefer the high end Japanese steel to the Italian stuff) racing bike with a full Shimano 600 group and rare 600 downtube shifters. It's ugly but fits exactly as the commuter Miyata does with the same geometry and same size everything, built by me, for me. It's in storage... grr. And there are a pair of matching Specialized Stumpjumpers from 1996 for Bethanne and I. One is a two-speed with a kickback hub, the other will be a full-blown 14 or 21 speed.

After a few decades of riding all the exotic stuff, I've come to the point where I only want to ride good steel. It's nicer to work on as well. Keep your fingers crossed for me in my pursuit of having the VA pay for frame-building school this winter. Then you could have a hand built Phil Forrest frame.

Phil Forrest

 

[B-9]

Ill have more time to plan/save this year, good to see you guys already have a date nailed down.

😀

 

[Calzone]

Cal,
Back when I was racing, I used STI shifters but never preferred them. I'm selling my most recent CX bike for the money in spite of the fact I loved it. It was a single-production custom built frame made by John Waite of Alpine, CA. It was super stiff and the frame itself was built to be shifted in the rear gears only. No provision for a front shifter or derailleur as the cable guides and bosses weren't there. I ran it as a 1x7 shifting with my favorite shifter, the XT topmount thumbshifter from a mountain bike. It was a fantastic ride at about 20.5lbs. White Industries hubs laced to Mavic Open SUP rims. Full XT component group with regard to canti brakes, crankset and rear derailleur.

I'm not riding much these days but I will soon. My helmet got crushed in our move and I just haven't been able to buy a new one. Anyway, my main bike now is a vintage 1980s Miyata 600 with a full Suntour Superbe kit, Cyclone GT rear derailleur, American Classic 2nd gen hubs laced to Alex touring rims. It's finished off with leather handlebar wrap and a Brooks Conquest saddle. Velo Orange hammered aluminum fenders cover the tires. This bike I built to be a replacement for a car and it has performed very nicely. It is one of the nicest frames I've ever ridden.

I also have a Koga-Miyata (I prefer the high end Japanese steel to the Italian stuff) racing bike with a full Shimano 600 group and rare 600 downtube shifters. It's ugly but fits exactly as the commuter Miyata does with the same geometry and same size everything, built by me, for me. It's in storage... grr. And there are a pair of matching Specialized Stumpjumpers from 1996 for Bethanne and I. One is a two-speed with a kickback hub, the other will be a full-blown 14 or 21 speed.

After a few decades of riding all the exotic stuff, I've come to the point where I only want to ride good steel. It's nicer to work on as well. Keep your fingers crossed for me in my pursuit of having the VA pay for frame-building school this winter. Then you could have a hand built Phil Forrest frame.

Phil Forrest

Phil,

I've got the racing bug again. This time it will be single speed mountain bike races. All my bikes are retro, and only one is steel. I now own three titanium bikes.

On my road bike (Ti Basso-rebranded Litespeed Classic) I have it set up with a mountain bike straight bar and XTR trigger shifters. Not a very stiff frame, but really great for getting on a bike and riding 5-6 or 7 hours trying to loose oneself. Did many a solo centuries just getting on the bike and just riding with no destination. This bike features a purple fade that is clear coated over bead blasted titanium that is an Immoron paint job from Rainbow Cycling in Colorado.

On one mountain bike I have it boutiqued out with all lite weight performance parts that are now 25 years old like Grafton Speed Controllers, Cook Brothers cranks; Sun Tour thumb shifters that date back to when purple anodize was in. I'll be getting rid of the Rock Shock Judy SL and will be setting this bike up as a full rigid.

My new bike is a Ti IBIS Mountain Trials. In 1989 I bought the steel version of this bike which I still own. This bike is kinda like the Porshe of mountain bikes with a 39 1/4 inch wheelbase, a 24 inch rear wheel, a 26 inch front wheel, and very steep frame angles/geometry. I always loved the steel IBIS, but always wished for a lighter version. This bike suits my style because I am known as a "hammer" with a very high strength to weight ratio. Also I am known to be a good climber because I don't weigh much.

Been doing strength training utilizing the short circuit of Harlem Hills in Central Park to build strength and vascular capacity via interval training. Currently the bike weighs in at 17 pounds even with slicks with 63 gear inches single speed. I ordered a custom fork from Steve Potts which will be coming soon. No bike accelerates or climbs like the Ti IBIS with 15 1/2 inch chainstays. The tubeset is even more oversized than my steel bike, yet the frame alone is under 3 pounds. No bike is more responsive.

Anyways at my age my strength and conditioning are my advantages over younger riders. BTW back when I was in my early 30's bicycling kinda saved my life. I had to learn how too relax, something I had never experienced before. Already I lost about 10 pounds, and today I'm at 147 pounds at 5' 10." I figure under 145 is race weight. I'm also thinking that at my age this will keep me young.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Ill have more time to plan/save this year, good to see you guys already have a date nailed down.

😀

Deven,

Might you be able to make this event?

Cal

 

[Calzone]

TEASE: It is still early yet, but for 2016 it looks like we might have corporate sponsorship for our 2016 event from a major vendor from PhotoPlusExpo.

I'm in communication via e-mail today, but last Saturday in person I got a verbal.

I'll present more as things evolve...

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I just got an e-mail from our possible corporate sponsor for our annual event who has been on a world wind of a schedule since PhotoPlusExpo.

I'm dealing with someone at the very top. I should have an answer possibly later today. Please be patient.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

haha, funny. The HK M6 is a fake unfortunately. A strap will have to do in lieu.

John,

I think I'm going to camp-pain a "Hello Kitty Leica IIIG." I was looking at the strap material I found on the street on Lexington Avenue when walking "Baby-Dog."

Overall the IIIG is a cute camera anyways, and now with the Hello Kitty spin perhaps the strap is not enough.

If someone is going to create a fake might as well make it crazy and over the top.

There is also a possibility to do a Paul Smith imitation. I love Paul Smith clothes because he has the tailoring for skinny bitches like me.

Cal

 

[B-9]

I think ill go for "worst looking" thats gotta draw some sympathy votes 😉

 

[Calzone]

I think ill go for "worst looking" thats gotta draw some sympathy votes 😉

Devon,

Ugly cameras is a definite category.

I declare a new special "Monster" cat-O-gory in honor of myself. The term "Monster" is John's expression that basically he used to describe any of my cameras because they have "Calzone Factor."

Last year's event that was a real sleeper was the cheap camera contest. I got beat by Sam by $0.06 which was basically sales tax, but then Bethany crushed both Sam's and my collectible antique camera with her Nikon by winning the hearts and minds of the mob with a camera she inherited. This was a huge upset. LOL.

Anyways the voice of the mob kinda rules. The only rule strictly enforced is: "No biting." LOL.

BTW the Italian goat leather for the most part will be divided between Bob, Sam and a small swatch for me so I can recover my IIIG if ever required. This is know as "Prada" leather. As to not waste this resource the material will be divided at the event. Any interested parties should have rough da-mentions to reserve a swatch for you late responders.

I have to dig through my stuff for prizes, but I think I can give away one of my prints, and also even offer printing service of a 13x19 print. Of course this is only B&W.

Cal

 

[B-9]

I can help with prizes, ill do some thinking and see what i can dig up.

Most likely a camera kit with film, maybe a few different "fun" options, we will see as Jan. approaches.

 

[dshfoto]

Against my better judgement I did go to Photo+Expo this year. In fact, I actually went back a second day. I agree with Cal there there seemed to be a an unnecessarily large amount of "Ice" at the Leica booth. I can only compare and contrast this with the experience over at the Ricoh booth where they were proudly demonstrating the Pentax 645Z. They had a couple of shooting studio booths set up and staffed by real photographers -- not sales guys. You could bring your own SD card and walk away with images you shot, to get a feeling for how images from this camera would look using your work flow and printer. I could also bring my Hasselblad lenses and try them on the Z camera. Thus getting an idea of how the result would look with my existing lens on the 645Z. Conversely, I could try out their new lenses on my 645D to check out what I might want to buy.

 

[Range-rover]

I did the same I brought my Leica to the Leica and Zeiss both to try a
few lenses and also my Pentax to the Pentax booth and so on and so on.

 

[dshfoto]

Yes, the Zeiss booth had a studio set up as well, for you to try their lenses and yours on your camera. They did not have one for my 645D, and no plans to make one. But when I showed them my Hasselblad 100mm 3.5 (made by Zeiss) on my 645D they smiled
🙂.

 

[Calzone]

Interesting to note that Digital Silver Imaging did the printing of the shots displayed at the Leica booth.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Yes, the Zeiss booth had a studio set up as well, for you to try their lenses and yours on your camera. They did not have one for my 645D, and no plans to make one. But when I showed them my Hasselblad 100mm 3.5 (made by Zeiss) on my 645D they smiled
🙂.

It was great I use their 85mm 1.4 with my Canon and bingo
what a lens.

 

[Calzone]

In next year's January event we will have Pete as a guest from Asia, and hopefully visits from Devon (Michigan) and Phil and Bethany (New Mexico).

Cal

 

[JMQ]

Cal, Pete is a guest from Australia. Thanks, Jean-Marc