What have you just BOUGHT?

A Yashica 35 with lens hood. It's from the last production year (1960) with the 4.5cm f2.8 Yashinon lens. Similar heft and quality to the Ricoh 519 I acquired recently. I finished a film in the Ricoh recently with good results, will be interesting to compare how the Yashica performs.

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Dear Board,

I had a desire for a medium format ILC. I didn't want to spend a ton of money but I knew I wasn't about to get anything for free either. When two different Japanese eBay sellers advertised both a Pentax 645 as well as a Pentax SMC A 45mm f2.8 and SMC A 80-160 zoom f4.5 and offered discounts I decided I'd take the plunge. I had never dealt with the seller of the camera, but I have purchased several items from the seller who had the lenses. Based on what I received vs. the eBay descriptions I am pleased with both sellers and will consider them again in the future.

Everything arrived this week, though the camera was inexplicably lost for a day by the delivery service. The condition of the camera and lenses are excellent and everything with the camera seems to operate as advertised according to the manual I downloaded. The camera is now loaded with film, and I will soon see if I did the right thing!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂

IMG_20240425_181919 by Tim Murphy, on Flickr
 
Tim Murphy said:
Dear Board,

I had a desire for a medium format ILC. I didn't want to spend a ton of money but I knew I wasn't about to get anything for free either. When two different Japanese eBay sellers advertised both a Pentax 645 as well as a Pentax SMC A 45mm f2.8 and SMC A 80-160 zoom f4.5 and offered discounts I decided I'd take the plunge. I had never dealt with the seller of the camera, but I have purchased several items from the seller who had the lenses. Based on what I received vs. the eBay descriptions I am pleased with both sellers and will consider them again in the future.

Everything arrived this week, though the camera was inexplicably lost for a day by the delivery service. The condition of the camera and lenses are excellent and everything with the camera seems to operate as advertised according to the manual I downloaded. The camera is now loaded with film, and I will soon see if I did the right thing!

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂

IMG_20240425_181919 by Tim Murphy, on Flickr
Click to expand...
You did do the right thing! The Pentax 645 is a real sleeper, still undiscovered by the YouTube pundits. Tough as nails, simple and intuitive. And the 75mm lens is astonishing; get one!
 
^^I agree. I used a pair of P645s for several years. The lenses were superb and the cameras were reliable. You did good. Very good.
 
Thanks Retro-Grouch and Dogman for the encouragement and confirmation!

My only complaint so far is that I think I need to find a split-image focusing screen. This body has the matte with grid lines and it's a little tough to see but zone focusing works at f8 for testing purposes.

I also will probably have to give up my side job as a spy. Good God, this baby is loud! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂
 
Tim Murphy said:
Thanks Retro-Grouch and Dogman for the encouragement and confirmation!

My only complaint so far is that I think I need to find a split-image focusing screen. This body has the matte with grid lines and it's a little tough to see but zone focusing works at f8 for testing purposes.

I also will probably have to give up my side job as a spy. Good God, this baby is loud! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂
Click to expand...
Check out Rick Oleson's Brightscreens. You can get them in any configuration you'd like, and, best of all, you're not playing Russian Roulette with supposedly "mint" eBay items. Price is reasonable, $100 postpaid, and shipping is very fast. Highly recommended!
Replacement Focusing Screen
 
I have several nice mechanical watches but when I travel I always wear a Casio; the accuracy is amazing! And, they look good too!

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All the best,
Mike
 
This week I bought 10x 126 format 24-shot Kodacolor gold 200/kodak gold 200 cartridges. One expired in 1996, one in 1993, three in 1991 and five in 1990. All still sealed and the boxes look undamaged in any way, so maybe I struck lucky and they'd been stored in the original shops film fridge?

I ordered them from the USA on 12/4/24 and received them today.

I ordered a B&W 32mm push-on 3x Green filter on 13/4/24 from Poland, it's not arrived yet. Lol.
 
Tim Murphy said:
Thanks Retro-Grouch and Dogman for the encouragement and confirmation!

My only complaint so far is that I think I need to find a split-image focusing screen. This body has the matte with grid lines and it's a little tough to see but zone focusing works at f8 for testing purposes.

I also will probably have to give up my side job as a spy. Good God, this baby is loud! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg PA 🙂
Click to expand...
KEH has what you need for $24.

The Pentax 645 series are very nice cameras. I had a 645 and the 645D and have the 645N right now. Most of the lens are available for low cost and with an adapter you can us Pentax 6x7 lenses too. 6x7 lenses shoot like native lenses. If you decide you want another film cartridge buy the 220 models and adapt it to 120. Much cheaper that way.
 
shawn said:
KEH has what you need for $24.

The Pentax 645 series are very nice cameras. I had a 645 and the 645D and have the 645N right now. Most of the lens are available for low cost and with an adapter you can us Pentax 6x7 lenses too. 6x7 lenses shoot like native lenses. If you decide you want another film cartridge buy the 220 models and adapt it to 120. Much cheaper that way.
Click to expand...
Dear Shawn,

Thanks for the heads up, I bought the split image screen at KEH.

I may eventually get one of the Oleson screens Retro-Grouch suggested because I can get a split-image combined with a rule of 3rd's grid in one screen. I kind of like the matte grid screen I have now if only to keep the horizon level. Getting two in one would be ideal.

Regards,

Tim Murphy
 
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