What have you just BOUGHT?

[richard_l]

I got a Zeiss Planar 50/2 ZM to use as a backup for my Summicron 50/2 v6, which I suspect has a virus. I need two good 50's anyhow, one for the M2 (for B&W) and another for the M6 (for color).

I'm still on the honeymoon with my Leica X2 camera, which seems able to produce IQ as good as any of my film cameras and lenses. However, there is still the digital ambiance (for want of a better word) which is as different from film as digital audio CD's are from analog LP's, but this seems impossible to specify or measure. It's not that one is superior to the other, but a matter of subjective impression.

 

[Ranchu]

You can measure it, it's midtone contrast and color reproduction. With digital audio it's probably pre ringing from the oversampling on the analog to digital and digital to analog conversions.

http://www.mother-of-tone.com/creation.htm

🙂

I bought a really nice 1976 Japanese K1000.

 

[chambrenoire]

Jupiter-8 50/2 for 8$ 😉 from 1962..

 

[cnphoto]

After 3 years away from Leica (and RFF) I'm back, more or less.

I have picked up a beater M8, my most favourite lens of all time - 35mm F1.4 preASPH & a new 75mm Summarit-M. Picking up an M4 from a friend of mine this coming week too 🙄

 

[jwicaksana]

Probably not a very interesting story to you guys in this forum, but despite having a D700 and some primes, I bought a Tamron 17-50 to pair with my entry level D5200 for a project. This is like going back to square one, gear wise.
Should've not sold my first copy a couple years ago. But then again I'd never meet you guys if I stayed there. 🙂

 

[marko.oja]

Made the decision to switch from a Leica M8.2 to a 9. Picking up the latter today.

 

[jbrianfoto]

Size matters - so they say....

Size matters - so they say....

> ...600/4

Now that's a great lump of a lens!

Yup - it's too heavy to hand hold, gonna save up my pennies to buy a Wimberley gimbal next.

 

[Godfrey]

After 3 years away from Leica (and RFF) I'm back, more or less.

I have picked up a beater M8, my most favourite lens of all time - 35mm F1.4 preASPH & a new 75mm Summarit-M. Picking up an M4 from a friend of mine this coming week too 🙄

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=48cac7a872564f66be2acc618201b056&oe=5626D76C

That's a very nice pair of lenses ... same as I've been shooting with the past couple of weeks. 🙂

G

 

[John E Earley]

Here's my new 600mm f/4 Nikkor.

I notice the trophy on the right of the camera.Was that by any chance for weight lifting???😛

Very nice lens. Wish it were mine.

 

[Frontman]

For a change I got something not camera-related. In fact, I bought two things, a pair of Gibson Les Paul guitars. The first is a black model made in 1987, and is a real relic. Much of the lacquer has been worn off, and the binding is a very brown-yellow color, it smells like decades of tobacco smoke. Despite it's looks and smell, it is a great player. The other guitar I found at a Gibson dealer, a "dead stock" (new, unsold) '89 Les Paul. I have had it for a week, and have played it quite a bit by now. GAS also stands for "Guitar Acquisition Syndrome"...

 

[Calzone]

Bought another $1.1K worth of paper and ink to feed my printer. This is after spending $2.7K for paper, ink and carts in January. Printing has become more expensive than I ever imagined. Also know that I decided I want a larger printer than my Epson 3880.

Bought a Nikon 28 F1.4D to use on my D3X. This is a crazy lens.

Cal

 

[jbrianfoto]

A coke whore it was.....

A coke whore it was.....

Bought another $1.1K worth of paper and ink to feed my printer. This is after spending $2.7K for paper, ink and carts in January. Printing has become more expensive than I ever imagined. Also know that I decided I want a larger printer than my Epson 3880.

Bought a Nikon 28 F1.4D to use on my D3X. This is a crazy lens.

Cal

I got rid of my 4800 because it snorted ink like a coke whore. After all was said and done the cost of ink (and the cleaning cycles) + the expensive German Etching paper I loved, made it impossible to keep running it. I was not making enough money (am a poor business man) to justify the printer. I am now back in a wet darkroom and the cost is a lot better. I feel your pain 😉

 

[jbrianfoto]

Old guitars

Old guitars

For a change I got something not camera-related. In fact, I bought two things, a pair of Gibson Les Paul guitars. The first is a black model made in 1987, and is a real relic. Much of the lacquer has been worn off, and the binding is a very brown-yellow color, it smells like decades of tobacco smoke. Despite it's looks and smell, it is a great player. The other guitar I found at a Gibson dealer, a "dead stock" (new, unsold) '89 Les Paul. I have had it for a week, and have played it quite a bit by now. GAS also stands for "Guitar Acquisition Syndrome"...

Makes me sick to think about all of the Les Pauls I bought and sold in high school (in the 1980's). Back then my Les Pauls were from the early 70's and late 60's. Even bought a 55 LP junior with a single P90 for $400 from an ad in the newspaper !

 

[raid]

I bought a Lexar card reader from B&H. The dropped the price from $34 to $15.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...W307URBNA_Professional_USB_3_0_Dual_Slot.html

 

[Calzone]

I am now back in a wet darkroom and the cost is a lot better. I feel your pain 😉

Brian,

Good to hear that wet printing is a more cost effective option. For the past 8 years I've been just making negatives without any reguard to printing. I live in NYC where it is difficult and expensive to have the space to wet print, especially if one wants to make exhibition sized prints.

Meanwhile I kinda created a disaster of a backlog, but the span of time is a really good editor. Perhaps in another three years I'll get to where I can wet print.

Cal

 

[cnphoto]

That's a very nice pair of lenses ... same as I've been shooting with the past couple of weeks. 🙂

G

yes! I got the 75 Summarit for an incredibly good price, i find it a little long in the M8 but it is an excellent portrait lens. 35 & 75 on film will be lovely.

 

[menos]

Bought another $1.1K worth of paper and ink to feed my printer. This is after spending $2.7K for paper, ink and carts in January. Printing has become more expensive than I ever imagined. Also know that I decided I want a larger printer than my Epson 3880.

Bought a Nikon 28 F1.4D to use on my D3X. This is a crazy lens.

Cal

Killer combination! That 28 is one of the absolute Nikon legends.
I always wanted one (unfortunately after they got really expensive), then slipped into the 24/1.4 instead and stuck with it. On several occasions I compared the 24/1.4 with the 28D and even got several offers to swap but in the end always decided to keep the 24/1.4 - the legendary 28 though is magic (and can be used on a F3 too).

 

[jbrianfoto]

Winogrand and aging film...

Winogrand and aging film...

Brian,

Good to hear that wet printing is a more cost effective option. For the past 8 years I've been just making negatives without any reguard to printing. I live in NYC where it is difficult and expensive to have the space to wet print, especially if one wants to make exhibition sized prints.

Meanwhile I kinda created a disaster of a backlog, but the span of time is a really good editor. Perhaps in another three years I'll get to where I can wet print.

Cal

Winogrand felt that aging his film before he looked it over helped with the editing. I feel that way too - the passage of time removes me from the reasons I took certain images - makes some shots stand out.

Don't worry too much about the backlog. The film will always be there 😉

 

[Calzone]

Winogrand felt that aging his film before he looked it over helped with the editing. I feel that way too - the passage of time removes me from the reasons I took certain images - makes some shots stand out.

Don't worry too much about the backlog. The film will always be there 😉

Brian,

Thanks for the support. Some of my friends have compared me to Winogrand because I shoot a lot of images and put off editing and printing. My logic is shoot as much film as I can while it is affordable. Meanwhile it seems that I annoyed a lot of people who don't get inspired by beautiful negatives that more or less can be straight printed.

One summer before I got my Monochrom I was averaging about 150 rolls a month (B&W). That's shooting and developing.

During the Great Recession I shot a lot of medium format of industial areas of NYC that depicted a vacant moody lonelyness of urban decay. I'm glad I did because NYC is becoming suburbanized and being made into a city for the rich. Meanwhile it seems my days where NYC is my home are numbered as I will get eventually squeezed out. Funny thing is that I made real estate developers and bankers lots of money as I helped gentrify Greenpont Brooklyn, Williamburg, Long Island City, and currently Spanish Harlem.

Oh-Well.

It seems not many people understand the life of an artist. Thanks for your understanding and for being a kind friend.

Cal

 

[Mudman]

Just bought a 3.5cm f2.5 Nikkor for my Contax iia. Hoping it is as described when it shows up. Photos of the lens looked like it was in great shape, but I'll believe it when I see it.