What have you just BOUGHT?

Don't throw out that ageing Scan Elite II yet, if it is the Minolta 5400 Scan Elite II - you will be surprised of the quality of the old Minolta Scanner compared to the flatbed (it has better holders, better detail due to it's autofocus and can be run fully automated with VueScan, only having to change film holders unlike the flatbed).

The Epson is great for scanning formats the 5400 can't handle but the Minolta still kills it for 35mm.
 
I have been researching the small mirrorless offerings since they came out a couple years ago. I'd been eyeing the Nex5n for a few months and thanks to a comment on one of the threads by Jamie Pillers my attention changed to the Sony A7. I ordered it and got it last Friday 2.28. I am so pleased with it with my legacy lenses on the A7 from Olympus and Konica and am just getting to use some of my Leica, Zeiss stuff. I have to say focusing was a big concern for me but it turned out that with focus peaking is fabulous, focus is right on! The four adapters are reasonably priced FotoDiox and work flawlessly with each lens. As you can tell, I am so psyched with this camera and don't feel the need to get Sony lenses... yet.
 
I stopped by the local camera store this morning. While digging through their bins of random used items, I found two original TOPCON lens caps for my Topcor 5.8cm / 1.8 and an Exakta mount metal body cap for the camera.
Broke the bank at $3 for everything. :)

IMG_2517_opt_zps61669aee.jpg
 
You were lucky, lens caps, especially the right ones can cost more than the camera. Please don't tell us they did even in this case ;-)

Regards, David
 
You were lucky, lens caps, especially the right ones can cost more than the camera. Please don't tell us they did even in this case ;-)

Regards, David


Hi David
Imagine my surprise when I found two Topcon caps. That was very much unexpected. I hope to go back again at some point soon and do some more digging in the bins.
As far as the price, well, the caps cost nearly as much as the camera did. I have less than $10 into everything pictured. (I guess a little more than that if you include the battery I installed). :cool:
 
I've been buying mostly work-related gear. Nothing at all to do with film cameras:

-Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 ZF.2 (no more vertical panoramas or $&2@83) stitching in PS anymore!)

-128Gb OCZ Agility SSD + 16Gb RAM to add to my 2010 27" iMac - which now fliiiiees as a result with 20Gb RAM in total.

Next up: need a backup DSLR body and have my eye on the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 and sell my beautiful but heavy Sigma 35mm f/1.4.
 
While browsing a local store on their online catalogue one morning during breakfast, I pulled the credit card on yet another Nikon F. This time it is a black F with FTn finder and best of all, its a KE-48C in pretty good shape. There are some brassing around but overall good condition with no dents, etc. Received it a day later.
 
Don't throw out that ageing Scan Elite II yet, if it is the Minolta 5400 Scan Elite II - you will be surprised of the quality of the old Minolta Scanner compared to the flatbed (it has better holders, better detail due to it's autofocus and can be run fully automated with VueScan, only having to change film holders unlike the flatbed).

The Epson is great for scanning formats the 5400 can't handle but the Minolta still kills it for 35mm.

It's not the 5400, it's the 35mm only model (Dimage Scan Elite II). And I've been having lots of problems with it, even with Vuescan.

It's gotten to the point where in between the crashes and hangups, scanning a single roll will take me a day. Since for me the scans are mostly just high-def contacts before I go into the darkroom, that's kind of ridiculous.

I'll probably pay up for the BetterScanning holders in the future though (but first the creditcard needs to cool down a bit).
 
congratulations on the A7 Tony :)

Found a Petri 7s in excellent condition today at a thrift store. Couldn't resist. It's the f2.8 version. Everything works.
 
A Beseler 23cII with a Dichro head, 35mm negative carrier, and a 35mm Beseler lens, for $25. One of my students is building a home darkroom, so I just passed it along to her. She loves it... Now she needs a 4x5 enlarger and she will have a complete set!
 
After 7 years without Digital SLRs (35mm) I have decided to support Ricoh/Pentax and acquired a Pentax K3 with a pair of DA limited lenses. I have to admit that this camera is really fun to use and I am loving to put my legacy Pentax SMC M, A, K & M42 on it! :cool:
 
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