Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Life has its ups and downs for everyone and I've seen a share of the downs this last year but the last month has been filled with ups.
Here is what started this chain of events on March 19th.
Here is the amazing response from this community.
The folks here at RFF and on the Leica Users Group stepped up in a huge way for me and I can't say thank you enough.
A couple weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to shoot a product promo for The Nation magazine, here in NYC. My editor friend, up in Maine was
going to send me a D2Hs but called out sick for a week and so I made a decision to buy a similarly priced one at Adorama (with warranty) that
the shoot for The Nation was going to pay for, in-full. I needed a camera immediately and that one was available. (side note: when I went to check on the D2Hs at Adorama, the serial number was so close to my stolen one, I was reaching for my phone as I was unwrapping it but it wasn't the stolen camera.)
I did the photo shoot, delivered the two images needed and the following day, then dropped by another, smaller camera shop in NYC that I'm
friendly with. One of the guys there mentioned that he was consigning a Nikon D3. The camera had a high count on the shutter but was otherwise
in near mint condition, being sold by the original owner who is a wedding photographer. And it was only $1200.
That night I met with a few friends here in Jersey City and one of them loaned me his no-longer-being-used M8 for an undisclosed amount of time. Once I had that camera, I had no doubts that I'd sell the D2Hs which I wanted because of its infrared sensitivity. The M8 provides even nicer files and I can focus before compensating for the IR wavelength.
So I went and returned the D2Hs, after only owning it for six days and "punted" (to use a football analogy) to grab the D3 before it sold at that amazing price. I picked it up last Friday and headed up to Harlem to meet Cal who had a 28mm lens waiting for me.
The Nation is paying me this week and they are trying to bring me on as their go-to contractor for visual services. I have yet another amazing
camera along with a few AIS Nikkors that RFF members have given me. The 28mm f/2.8 AIS from Cal is stunning! Thank you! Sanmich is sending a 50mm f/2 AIS which is enroute. I have a few other lenses in my bag, a 24mm f/2 AI, a rough 50mm and a 200mm f/4 AI. I'm still looking to get that 85mm f/1.4 but haven't heard back from my friend in Maine for a while.
So gear-wise, things are looking up. I have more than one source of income again and I'm not nearly as stressed. Money isn't as tight and I feel like
there are more opportunities on the horizon than just a month or two ago. Thanks to you folks!
Yes, I'm getting everything insured. I don't want to go through that ordeal again, unprotected. But I'm back to being a photographer in my
mind, even at my part time job. I carry my camera bag to work and lock it all up in my locker so I don't have the anxiety of wondering if
things are safe at the apartment.
I was going to link the tearsheet from the little product shoot I did for The Nation but it's not out yet and I can't release my photo until they publish.
Anyway, the generosity of this community pulled up my spirits and allowed me to get a tool which in turn, allowed me to step up to a full frame camera. This whole chain of events went from being crushed to feeling very confident about how things are going. John, you steered this ship for a few days and brought it all together. Thank you.
To the rest of the RFF community, you have my endless gratitude.
As I told John in a PM: "The world is filled with such a statistically large enough number of good people that the not so good people simply show up as outliers on a graph. Its really amazing."
Sincerest regards to all!
Phil Forrest
Here is what started this chain of events on March 19th.
Here is the amazing response from this community.
The folks here at RFF and on the Leica Users Group stepped up in a huge way for me and I can't say thank you enough.
A couple weeks ago, I was offered the opportunity to shoot a product promo for The Nation magazine, here in NYC. My editor friend, up in Maine was
going to send me a D2Hs but called out sick for a week and so I made a decision to buy a similarly priced one at Adorama (with warranty) that
the shoot for The Nation was going to pay for, in-full. I needed a camera immediately and that one was available. (side note: when I went to check on the D2Hs at Adorama, the serial number was so close to my stolen one, I was reaching for my phone as I was unwrapping it but it wasn't the stolen camera.)
I did the photo shoot, delivered the two images needed and the following day, then dropped by another, smaller camera shop in NYC that I'm
friendly with. One of the guys there mentioned that he was consigning a Nikon D3. The camera had a high count on the shutter but was otherwise
in near mint condition, being sold by the original owner who is a wedding photographer. And it was only $1200.
That night I met with a few friends here in Jersey City and one of them loaned me his no-longer-being-used M8 for an undisclosed amount of time. Once I had that camera, I had no doubts that I'd sell the D2Hs which I wanted because of its infrared sensitivity. The M8 provides even nicer files and I can focus before compensating for the IR wavelength.
So I went and returned the D2Hs, after only owning it for six days and "punted" (to use a football analogy) to grab the D3 before it sold at that amazing price. I picked it up last Friday and headed up to Harlem to meet Cal who had a 28mm lens waiting for me.
The Nation is paying me this week and they are trying to bring me on as their go-to contractor for visual services. I have yet another amazing
camera along with a few AIS Nikkors that RFF members have given me. The 28mm f/2.8 AIS from Cal is stunning! Thank you! Sanmich is sending a 50mm f/2 AIS which is enroute. I have a few other lenses in my bag, a 24mm f/2 AI, a rough 50mm and a 200mm f/4 AI. I'm still looking to get that 85mm f/1.4 but haven't heard back from my friend in Maine for a while.
So gear-wise, things are looking up. I have more than one source of income again and I'm not nearly as stressed. Money isn't as tight and I feel like
there are more opportunities on the horizon than just a month or two ago. Thanks to you folks!
Yes, I'm getting everything insured. I don't want to go through that ordeal again, unprotected. But I'm back to being a photographer in my
mind, even at my part time job. I carry my camera bag to work and lock it all up in my locker so I don't have the anxiety of wondering if
things are safe at the apartment.
I was going to link the tearsheet from the little product shoot I did for The Nation but it's not out yet and I can't release my photo until they publish.
Anyway, the generosity of this community pulled up my spirits and allowed me to get a tool which in turn, allowed me to step up to a full frame camera. This whole chain of events went from being crushed to feeling very confident about how things are going. John, you steered this ship for a few days and brought it all together. Thank you.
To the rest of the RFF community, you have my endless gratitude.
As I told John in a PM: "The world is filled with such a statistically large enough number of good people that the not so good people simply show up as outliers on a graph. Its really amazing."
Sincerest regards to all!
Phil Forrest
paulfish4570
Veteran
well done, all ...
Good Phil, I'm glad it is all working out. I think you ended up with nicer gear too. 
Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Yeah. I had become a bit attached to that 24mm AIS that I bought and completely CLAd the night before. It was near perfect, optically.
I had told a few of my friends that I'd rather have given them all my gear. If and when it shows up, someone is getting a sweet D2Hs and D2x.
It was a great thing you all did.
Phil Forrest
I had told a few of my friends that I'd rather have given them all my gear. If and when it shows up, someone is getting a sweet D2Hs and D2x.
It was a great thing you all did.
Phil Forrest
burancap
Veteran
I recall the theft, but I somehow missed the response thread! Sorry for not participating!
Glad to see it working out!
Glad to see it working out!
oftheherd
Veteran
Stories like this are always heart warming. Made the more so by you following up and keeping everyone informed. God willing, I hope things continue to go well for you and that you are able to accomplish those things in life that you wish.
sparrow6224
Well-known
Phil, This is great news. I used to write for The Nation once in a while back when I was doing book criticism -- even at this late date the magazine is widely read, I'm amazed to say. Best of luck with the whole shebang (and the D3 is a great camera, one of the greats of all time I think).
PS How would you feel about an Ai 80-200 f/4.5? -- it's the sharpest of the manual focus 80-200s, a beautiful lens, which I'm going to sell and won't get that much for. Let me know if you can use it in your arsenal.
PPS Wait til you use that 28/2.8 up really close. It'll knock your socks off.
PS How would you feel about an Ai 80-200 f/4.5? -- it's the sharpest of the manual focus 80-200s, a beautiful lens, which I'm going to sell and won't get that much for. Let me know if you can use it in your arsenal.
PPS Wait til you use that 28/2.8 up really close. It'll knock your socks off.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Phil,
I am glad that you are in a good place again. The 28/2.8 AIS is a pretty remarkable lens, perhaps Nikon's most corrected lens with great close focusing abilities. I'm hoping that good mojo prevails by all the good will of your friends here at the forum.
Cal
I am glad that you are in a good place again. The 28/2.8 AIS is a pretty remarkable lens, perhaps Nikon's most corrected lens with great close focusing abilities. I'm hoping that good mojo prevails by all the good will of your friends here at the forum.
Cal
Al Patterson
Ferroequinologist
They cut the donations off fairly quickly, as I went looking for it when I got home from work. This is a great forum in many ways...
We had a goal in mind and it was quickly surpassed... sorry.