[Ron Boggs]

Funny you would mention how they look in the bag Monochrome...When my Limiteds were new, I had a large Pelican case with all my black slip-cover A* and FA* lenses...but the three amigos had their own little line of color that smiled out at me whenever I opened the case.

I've since put the colored pouches in hermetically sealed archival storage bins to hold on to them for a couple more decades until the value of the colored pouches--empty--exceeds the value of the lenses. That's how the market for collectibles works, right?

[monochrome]

Funny you would mention how they look in the bag Monochrome...When my Limiteds were new, I had a large Pelican case with all my black slip-cover A* and FA* lenses...but the three amigos had their own little line of color that smiled out at me whenever I opened the case.

I've since put the colored pouches in hermetically sealed archival storage bins to hold on to them for a couple more decades until the value of the colored pouches--empty--exceeds the value of the lenses. That's how the market for collectibles works, right?

The half-life of a collectible is 7 years, i.e half the installed base of an item disappears from the market in seven years through loss, degradation, error and lack of interest, then half of the half in seven more, etc. Keep those bags in a safe place and don’t take them out and lovingly handle them too often, lest your finger oil should stain them.

[clickclick]

I feel incomplete now. Mine is a silver sub 5000 serial number, but I don't have the original pouch...

[Ron Boggs]

Maybe we should start a sweat shop in a third world nation just to make counterfeit colored pouches? And while we're at it we could make some knock-off replacement metal lens caps for the entire Limited line-up. Even if we sold 'em for half the current retail price from Ricoh, those lens caps could generate a several thousand percent profit margin! If we use cheap "fake" felt and low quality paint, well, we could do even better...

[ChatMechant]

I have sub-1000 serial numbers of the 43 and 77. Man are they beautiful. The 43 wasn't as hard to find as the 77. I don't have the pouches yet, but will probably end up paying way too much for them eventually. The only difference i can see from the newer black versions I used to have is that I'm now more paranoid about taking them out and using them.

[monochrome]

I have sub-1000 serial numbers of the 43 and 77. Man are they beautiful. The 43 wasn't as hard to find as the 77. I don't have the pouches yet, but will probably end up paying way too much for them eventually. The only difference i can see from the newer black versions I used to have is that I'm now more paranoid about taking them out and using them.

. Just use them.
I dropped my 0000831 FA43 (fell out of my pocket). I was horrified. Eric emailed (in his usual economical way), "Easy fix. $40."

[ChatMechant]

. Just use them.
I dropped my 0000831 FA43 (fell out of my pocket). I was horrified. Eric emailed (in his usual economical way), "Easy fix. $40."

I dropped my 43 once. It was fine except that it started rolling toward the edge of the pier I happened to be standing on. I would have hired a scuba diver to retrieve it.

[clickclick]

I had a drop too - about died as my heart flip-flopped - some quick test shots of an ISO 12233 chart I leave hanging behind a large painting for just such emergencies revealed it was fine.

[leekil]

I dropped my FA43 while standing on the level where the lions are; it then rolled toward the edge and down to the ground! It was fixed, but for more than $40.



(Photo of Trafalgar Square courtesy of TripAdvisor) -- their required credit

[Eyewanders]

In my OPINION as owner of silver FA43’s 0000831 and 0011208 there is no distinguishable variance in their image quality. #831 sems to have a different, bluer coating cast, but is that attributable to glass tweaks, coating tweaks or imagination?

My thoughts exactly. I had an early one as well quite a while back, a silver.... but I picked up a black one because I just don't like silver on the newer pieces of glass for the stand-out factor. After having both for quite a while I sold the older one. There is no possible way I could ever tell the difference between two shots taken with either. Not a chance.

---------- Post added 04-23-18 at 11:44 PM ----------

The only difference i can see from the newer black versions I used to have is that I'm now more paranoid about taking them out and using them.

This is exactly why I received way too much money for my early copy 4 years ago. I don't personally understand it, but I pocketed the difference nonetheless.
I have a MIJ FA31 which I sought out to replace my previous AIV copy but that was only because it was de-centered (though that was remedied by C.R.I.S. before sale) and once I had the older one it was in rougher shape so I chose to keep it BECAUSE I wasn't as precious about it.

Since then I dropped it whilst attached to one of my MXs about 2 years ago, front element first with the cap on, with a thud onto pavement. The top of section of the hood broke loose and now it wobbles at the end of the barrel. I don't really care. The glass, focus, everything, it was all fine except the shade..... proof they really do protect. I've never bothered to send it to Eric - with it even more abused, I take it out all the more.

[noelpolar]

I feel incomplete now. Mine is a silver sub 5000 serial number, but I don't have the original pouch...

I was considering getting a pouch for my 43 for it's last birthday, however it asked for the money instead (and then went out and bought some new clothes to wear out....).

This is it's favourite outfit:


(taken by it's older brother, a Silver SMC K50/1.2)

I guess some of our 43's aren't happy to just be at home lenses.

[Eyewanders]

I was considering getting a pouch for my 43 for it's last birthday, however it asked for the money instead (and then went out and bought some new clothes to wear out....).

This is it's favourite outfit:


(taken by it's older brother, a Silver SMC K50/1.2)

I guess some of our 43's aren't happy to just be at home lenses.

I know well that it's likely a fantastic combination, but lenses as small as the 43 look so funny to me on the hulky K-1.

[noelpolar]

I know well that it's likely a fantastic combination, but lenses as small as the 43 look so funny to me on the hulky K-1.

My girl friends use to say the same about me..... they got over it once they understood I'm good with small things.

[Eyewanders]

My girl friends use to say the same about me..... they got over it once they understood I'm good with small things.

And, as they say, "it's not weird unless you make it weird"....

[jtkratzer]

My girl friends use to say the same about me..... they got over it once they understood I'm good with small things.

And, as they say, "it's not weird unless you make it weird"....

Since it took this turn, one of the best expressions I’ve heard on this subject was a rather short statured fellow Marine who’d say, “I may not hit bottom, but I’ll mess up the sides.” I’m standing as a groomsman in his wedding on Saturday, so something’s working.

This thread isn’t good for me either, but I do have a gap in my lens lineup between 35 and 50 and I only have two of the three amigos.