New York NYC February Meet-Up

Puck Fair Bar, 298 Lafayette St, New York · (212) 431-1200, Noon onward Sunday, Feb. 23rd. People come and go during the meet. Bring a friend with interesting old (or new) gear. Conversation and camaraderie far outshine the eats and drinks, the latter two available by individual order.
 
Film Update:

Film Update:

Kodak cancelled the online US Education Discount program on October 22, 2012. Now the student has to go through a representative. That just goes to show both how much Kodak XX I purchased and how long it's been since I ordered from them. Last time I placed an order with Kodak was in New Mexico, about August, 2012 right after I went whole hog on the Nikon rangefinders and started collecting those perfect reloadable cans. I got two 400ft cans that order.

I had no idea and really never thought Kodak would do that but I guess that cookie crumbled that way after Ch. 11.

Looks like the cost of a 400ft can of 5222 is now $213.12.
That's about 70 rolls (just over a day's shooting for Cal! :D) at $3.04 a roll if you already own your reloadable cassettes. This is why I stocked up on Nikon cassettes because they pay for themselves eventually since they never wear out. Anyway, it's not that cheap anymore which is disappointing.

Phil Forrest
 
Thanks, Cal! Not sure I can make the 23rd but I'll try. A gorgeous singer asked me to photograph her that day in Brooklyn. I'm not often in the city on weekends and miss out on all the the fun.
 
gdmcclintock said:
Thanks, Cal! Not sure I can make the 23rd but I'll try. A gorgeous singer asked me to photograph her that day in Brooklyn. I'm not often in the city on weekends and miss out on all the the fun.
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George,

If you can't make the Camera Parade, have a great shoot. Hope to see you soon.

Cal
 
Phil_F_NM said:
Kodak cancelled the online US Education Discount program on October 22, 2012. Now the student has to go through a representative. That just goes to show both how much Kodak XX I purchased and how long it's been since I ordered from them. Last time I placed an order with Kodak was in New Mexico, about August, 2012 right after I went whole hog on the Nikon rangefinders and started collecting those perfect reloadable cans. I got two 400ft cans that order.

I had no idea and really never thought Kodak would do that but I guess that cookie crumbled that way after Ch. 11.

Looks like the cost of a 400ft can of 5222 is now $213.12.
That's about 70 rolls (just over a day's shooting for Cal! :D) at $3.04 a roll if you already own your reloadable cassettes. This is why I stocked up on Nikon cassettes because they pay for themselves eventually since they never wear out. Anyway, it's not that cheap anymore which is disappointing.

Phil Forrest
Click to expand...

Phil,

Perhaps 20 rolls a day and 40 on a weekend, but before I got the Monochrom I averaged 100 rolls a month over a summer.

It seems the days of $2.89 rolls of Arista Premium are now gone, but also know that I still have about 50 rolls still in my freezer. I still have about 50 rolls of rebranded Arcos also in the freezer, plus about another 50 rolls of Acros in 120.. I remember getting mucho Acros 120 at Adorama for about $3.00 a roll

At this point for me the days of inexpensive film is now gone so today its $5.00 a roll. My interest in Kodak 5222 is that I think it has qualities that I like, and I am sure I can make it work for me. It will be interesting to optimize, and the possibility of learning a new chemistry interests me.

BTW when I bulk loaded in the 70's I basically tore about 6 foot lengths and perhaps only got 16-17 rolls of film out of a 100 foot can, but I got sometimes 42 exposures on a "Calzone Roll."

All I know is that I took advantage of the rebranded Arcos and Tri-X when it cost "no-money." To me if you want to be good-shoot a lot and gain consistency. I'll be spending about $100.00 on metal re-usable cassettes.

BTW I keep on thinking of you because I think you will really-really like the MD-2/21 SEM rig I built. This shooting season is going to be mucho fun with a newly assembled reshuffled kit, new glass, new retro bag, new MP.

In a way I think the Plaubel is a better medium format ultra-wide rig than a SWC (bigger negative, ergonomics, and perspective control). Having a small format 21 FOV only makes it better. Not sure if I'll be carrying three Leicas though, but highly likely two at a time.

Cal
 
Cal,
I have largely divested myself of shooting 35mm until Robert posted his Retina IIa in the classifieds. I was toying with the notion of getting a Barnack again but that Retina popped up and I had to grab it. I had the same model camera maybe 11 years ago and it was great but it had lived on the California coast and the salt air didn't treat it well for half a century. Back then I didn't know as much as I do today about repair either. This Retina is going to get a shutter CLA and RF cleaning/calibration. It only has a 50mm f/2 Xenon which is a fantastic lens. I had the chance to use a 1946 uncoated version of that lens in an Adox Adrette II and the images were great. Anyway, the old Retina wound up in a parts bin because it cost so very little money and I had projects I wanted to do with it. The lens is still around here somewhere I think.

If I'm walking around with a Retina then I might want a wider lens like a 28 or 21mm so now I'm thinking of getting a wider lens for my Leica M4. Then I'm back into shooting with 35mm in spite of having the Mamiya 6. I suppose I could really do it right and just get another Mamiya 6 body so I could have one with the 75mm and one with the 50mm. Or one with Tri-X and one with Delta 3200. Either way, I hate changing lenses and really don't want to be limited by what is in the camera at the time. It's not cool having such a great system with amazing lenses and walking around with half a roll of 3200 ISO loaded during the daytime. I already use ND filters for Tri-X so the Delta is just insane and it makes me feel guilty shooting any of those lenses at f/16 or 22.

I really want a Super Angulon again but want to shoot it digitally. I actually posted a thread asking members which SLR lenses, if any, could give me that look of the non-retrofocal superwides.

If I had a bunch of money to drop on it, I'd get a full frame Nikon digital body, yank the mirror out and stick the 2.1cm f/4 Nikkor O in there. Just finding a full frame camera cheap enough to do this mod is the problem. Perhaps I'll find a Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n for that job. A D600/610 could do it too. This is the terrain for a mirrorless design but I want the full frame of the Biogon formulation. That's where it's special.

I always loved any of my Leicas with a 21mm SA and that Zeiss finder mounted on top. What a fantastic kit.

I digress. A lot.

Phil Forrest
 
Phil_F_NM said:
Cal,
I have largely divested myself of shooting 35mm until Robert posted his Retina IIa in the classifieds. I was toying with the notion of getting a Barnack again but that Retina popped up and I had to grab it. I had the same model camera maybe 11 years ago and it was great but it had lived on the California coast and the salt air didn't treat it well for half a century. Back then I didn't know as much as I do today about repair either. This Retina is going to get a shutter CLA and RF cleaning/calibration. It only has a 50mm f/2 Xenon which is a fantastic lens. I had the chance to use a 1946 uncoated version of that lens in an Adox Adrette II and the images were great. Anyway, the old Retina wound up in a parts bin because it cost so very little money and I had projects I wanted to do with it. The lens is still around here somewhere I think.

If I'm walking around with a Retina then I might want a wider lens like a 28 or 21mm so now I'm thinking of getting a wider lens for my Leica M4. Then I'm back into shooting with 35mm in spite of having the Mamiya 6. I suppose I could really do it right and just get another Mamiya 6 body so I could have one with the 75mm and one with the 50mm. Or one with Tri-X and one with Delta 3200. Either way, I hate changing lenses and really don't want to be limited by what is in the camera at the time. It's not cool having such a great system with amazing lenses and walking around with half a roll of 3200 ISO loaded during the daytime. I already use ND filters for Tri-X so the Delta is just insane and it makes me feel guilty shooting any of those lenses at f/16 or 22.

I really want a Super Angulon again but want to shoot it digitally. I actually posted a thread asking members which SLR lenses, if any, could give me that look of the non-retrofocal superwides.

If I had a bunch of money to drop on it, I'd get a full frame Nikon digital body, yank the mirror out and stick the 2.1cm f/4 Nikkor O in there. Just finding a full frame camera cheap enough to do this mod is the problem. Perhaps I'll find a Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n for that job. A D600/610 could do it too. This is the terrain for a mirrorless design but I want the full frame of the Biogon formulation. That's where it's special.

I always loved any of my Leicas with a 21mm SA and that Zeiss finder mounted on top. What a fantastic kit.

I digress. A lot.

Phil Forrest
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Phil,

An alternative is just buy a Nikon film body and mount that 28/2.8 AIS on it. This way you have a 28-50 spread.

Not sure if you are interested in a black paint F2 with De-1 prism at an insider price?

Cal
 
CNNY said:
Cal, I think you may have sold Andre the beauty contest winner...
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Christian,

That would be funny, especially because Andre won one year with a chrome M5 and that same 35/2.8 Summaron.

Anyways "Punky" is a very cool camera that cost "no-money" especially when you consider it all started out a a shelf queen that had slow shutter speeds and a misaligned RFer for $600.00, and even had a remarkable intact "L" seal.

The bill from Sherry for an overhaul remarks, "Intact "L" seal on the bill.

Anyways I can't own all the cool cameras out there. LOL. Oh well. Anyways that Summaron will always be Andre's lucky lens. BTW that lens is a real performer on the Monochrom. Basically as sharp as any modern lens except in the corners.

Cal
 
jsrockit said:
Cal, you are out of control... all that talk of why you don't need a MP?
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John,

I am a very vain guy and I fall victum to the mystic of owning a black paint Leica. I fought off the GAS since 2007, and I bought that Wetzlar M6 figuring I could build it into a MP equivilent by utilizing Sherry. It has a MP finder upgrade, custon framelines, new windows and an overhaul by a factory trained technician, but it still is no MP.

I still love that old M6, buy my MP is a better camera.

BTW to annoy you I am finding that that vintage brown leather Leitz bag allows me to easily carry two rigged Leicas. Like Phil I'm not a lens changer. Perhaps this summer I will at times carry three film Leicas. I have to downsize the cameras though (without Rapidwinders).

The black plaint MP fully riggeed with a TA Rapidgrip, TA Rapidwinder and an extra heavy chrome 50 Lux ASPH is the definition of a "Monster." LOL. Also this rig looks evil, I say.

Cal
 
jsrockit said:
Cal, to me the MP is the ultimate Leica. If I shot 35mm film seriously, I'd have to own one.
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John,

My 0.85 MP is an amazing camera and pretty remarkable. Originally I thought it had a 0.72 VF'er because it was advertised that way, and I said to myself, "Is this my dream come true?" when I suddenly found out it was the rare and hard to find version with a 0.85 finder.

Considering the serial number it might be of 2005-2006 production, and not 2003 when the introduction of the MP started. It doesn't have the early ISO dial on the back and it has the sealed VF'er.

There is just a hint of brassing, but the camera is so smooth, suggesting that it was well used. The black Griptac is not an option via Leica's a la carte menu. I suspect that the previous owner didn't like the standard "Sharkskin" covering and had the camera recovered. The MP is a very tactile camera: anyways this one seems so.

One mod that I will have performed in the future is have Sherry strip out the 75mm frames so that only the 50 is displayed alone. A cluttered 50mm frame really-really bothers me. I kinda got spoiled by the VF'ers on the M3 and M4. Also know at the same time the entire rangefinder will get recalibrated and cleaned so the camera will be good to go for a long time. The MP is an inspiration.

Cal

EDIT/CORRECTION: I discovered by serial number that it is a 2003, one manufactured in the first year when the MP was first released, but it is not a very early version which had features that evolved (ISO Dial-sealed VF'er).
 
John, you are the only person not be tempted by gear like the rest of us, or if you are, you have shown tremendous restraint.
 
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