[MXLX]

Well, thanks for the advice. I have a nice 105/2.8 on the way. Now I need to get an M42 adapter...

[wkraus]

Pentax K-1 in Pixelshift mode with Super-Takumar 1:1.4/50 (8 element version) at f/2

[Andrew_Oid]

I just got back from a two week trip to Bangkok where I collected my things left in storage, including my computer and about thirty manual focus lenses, mostly Takumars. It was quite a trip, almost an ordeal, between the brutal heat (about 95 degrees F) and perhaps 80-90% humidity every day, the mistreatment in Atlanta immigration (though I was in transit), and trying to manage two large suitcases weighing about a hundred pounds, an oversized carry-on weighing close to twenty more, and a 27" computer monitor on the return trip. In Atlanta, I had to remove my belt as did everyone else, but my pants being too large I had to hold them up with one hand while being wanded. The TSA jerks didn't like that. They insisted I spread my arms. I refused. That didn't go well. They (it had escalated to two or three agents and a supervisor) told me that if my pants fell down it was on me, but I had to spread my arms. I pointed a finger at one of the goons and told him he was harassing me. He threatened to get the police involved if I didn't lower my finger. I rolled my pants waist down to make it tighter and was able to raise my arms. Then they decided they wanted to grope me. I mean who likes to grope men? Then they tested my hands for bomb-making residue and the test came back positive (or so he said). That meant another search in a small room with more of the groping. Finally, they let me go. Yesterday, I found out about a former member of the church I attend, a pastor and a lawyer, who was recently sentenced to eight years for an altercation with the TSA. What saved me I think is the fact that I was in transit. People in the US only think they're free. I pray to God I never have to even transit through the country again. Sorry for the rant.
Another thing I had to do was get a background check done for my application for permanent residency in Ecuador since I had lived four of the past five years in Thailand. Another exasperating experience. I don't seem to do well with bureaucracy. The police colonel insisted I had to have proof that I was applying for the residency visa in Ecuador before they could release the information and me trying to communicate the fact that I couldn't even apply until I had the background check information. I mean, is everyone employed in a bureaucratic position brain-dead? What purpose would it serve for me to lie about my intentions? Anyway, enough venting. Bangkok is still my favorite city, and I ate as much Thai food as I could manage. I don't expect to be going back or anywhere out of South America at this point.
I posted a photo on Flickr taken with the 20mm: A Flower in a Quito Garden | Sony a7 with SMC Takumar 20mm f? | Flickr

[tim60]

I just got back from a two week trip to Bangkok where I collected my things left in storage, including my computer and about thirty manual focus lenses, mostly Takumars. It was quite a trip, almost an ordeal, between the brutal heat (about 95 degrees F) and perhaps 80-90% humidity every day, the mistreatment in Atlanta immigration (though I was in transit), and trying to manage two large suitcases weighing about a hundred pounds, an oversized carry-on weighing close to twenty more, and a 27" computer monitor on the return trip. In Atlanta, I had to remove my belt as did everyone else, but my pants being too large I had to hold them up with one hand while being wanded. The TSA jerks didn't like that. They insisted I spread my arms. I refused. That didn't go well. They (it had escalated to two or three agents and a supervisor) told me that if my pants fell down it was on me, but I had to spread my arms. I pointed a finger at one of the goons and told him he was harassing me. He threatened to get the police involved if I didn't lower my finger. I rolled my pants waist down to make it tighter and was able to raise my arms. Then they decided they wanted to grope me. I mean who likes to grope men? Then they tested my hands for bomb-making residue and the test came back positive (or so he said). That meant another search in a small room with more of the groping. Finally, they let me go. Yesterday, I found out about a former member of the church I attend, a pastor and a lawyer, who was recently sentenced to eight years for an altercation with the TSA. What saved me I think is the fact that I was in transit. People in the US only think they're free. I pray to God I never have to even transit through the country again. Sorry for the rant.
Another thing I had to do was get a background check done for my application for permanent residency in Ecuador since I had lived four of the past five years in Thailand. Another exasperating experience. I don't seem to do well with bureaucracy. The police colonel insisted I had to have proof that I was applying for the residency visa in Ecuador before they could release the information and me trying to communicate the fact that I couldn't even apply until I had the background check information. I mean, is everyone employed in a bureaucratic position brain-dead? What purpose would it serve for me to lie about my intentions? Anyway, enough venting. Bangkok is still my favorite city, and I ate as much Thai food as I could manage. I don't expect to be going back or anywhere out of South America at this point.
I posted a photo on Flickr taken with the 20mm: A Flower in a Quito Garden | Sony a7 with SMC Takumar 20mm f? | Flickr

Sorry to hear about your exasperating journey. Your statements about officials sound like my, and my colleagues, feelings about clerks in a university.


The flower picture seemed to be under very high contrast lighting, mix of shade and direct sun, which I found challenging to view. I guess you were quite close to the subject.

[ivanvernon]

I just got back from a two week trip to Bangkok where I collected my things left in storage, including my computer and about thirty manual focus lenses, mostly Takumars. It was quite a trip, almost an ordeal, between the brutal heat (about 95 degrees F) and perhaps 80-90% humidity every day, the mistreatment in Atlanta immigration (though I was in transit), and trying to manage two large suitcases weighing about a hundred pounds, an oversized carry-on weighing close to twenty more, and a 27" computer monitor on the return trip. In Atlanta, I had to remove my belt as did everyone else, but my pants being too large I had to hold them up with one hand while being wanded. The TSA jerks didn't like that. They insisted I spread my arms. I refused. That didn't go well. They (it had escalated to two or three agents and a supervisor) told me that if my pants fell down it was on me, but I had to spread my arms. I pointed a finger at one of the goons and told him he was harassing me. He threatened to get the police involved if I didn't lower my finger. I rolled my pants waist down to make it tighter and was able to raise my arms. Then they decided they wanted to grope me. I mean who likes to grope men? Then they tested my hands for bomb-making residue and the test came back positive (or so he said). That meant another search in a small room with more of the groping. Finally, they let me go. Yesterday, I found out about a former member of the church I attend, a pastor and a lawyer, who was recently sentenced to eight years for an altercation with the TSA. What saved me I think is the fact that I was in transit. People in the US only think they're free. I pray to God I never have to even transit through the country again. Sorry for the rant.
Another thing I had to do was get a background check done for my application for permanent residency in Ecuador since I had lived four of the past five years in Thailand. Another exasperating experience. I don't seem to do well with bureaucracy. The police colonel insisted I had to have proof that I was applying for the residency visa in Ecuador before they could release the information and me trying to communicate the fact that I couldn't even apply until I had the background check information. I mean, is everyone employed in a bureaucratic position brain-dead? What purpose would it serve for me to lie about my intentions? Anyway, enough venting. Bangkok is still my favorite city, and I ate as much Thai food as I could manage. I don't expect to be going back or anywhere out of South America at this point.
I posted a photo on Flickr taken with the 20mm: A Flower in a Quito Garden | Sony a7 with SMC Takumar 20mm f? | Flickr

Very sorry to hear about this exasperating encounter with bureaucracy. The government seems to hire the lowest IQ bunch of folks that I have ever encountered anywhere, which is especially troubling when they are also evil tempered! In my most recent encounter, the security man asked me if anyone had placed anything in my luggage without my knowledge. I told them that if anyone had placed something there without my knowledge I would be unaware of it, so my answer would have to be that I could not answer the question. He snapped back that he wanted a yes or no answer, so I told him no.

[Andrew_Oid]

Thanks Arjay. It's actually reassuring to know that at least I'm not the only one with strange things happening to Flickr lately.

After some expletive accompanied testing this afternoon, it looks like the Opera browser will let me get onto my Flickr account and then actually see the photos when I'm on there. Here's a test post to check if it works for posting here too, a six shot stitch of defished shots with the 17mm. I think it's a testament to how well the lens defishes that you can get away with stitching the results.



(Fingers crossed that everyone can actually see the photo.)

That's a very impressive shot, Dave, and I'm sure you spent some time on it. It opens up a lot of possibilities it seems to me.

---------- Post added 04-22-19 at 01:39 PM ----------

Sorry to hear about your exasperating journey. Your statements about officials sound like my, and my colleagues, feelings about clerks in a university.


The flower picture seemed to be under very high contrast lighting, mix of shade and direct sun, which I found challenging to view. I guess you were quite close to the subject.

I was very close to the subject, maybe even at MFD. The lighting was contrasty, early morning, and from the side. It's what caught my attention. I think the red color is difficult to render well, but that the lens did well with it.

---------- Post added 04-22-19 at 01:46 PM ----------

Very sorry to hear about this exasperating encounter with bureaucracy. The government seems to hire the lowest IQ bunch of folks that I have ever encountered anywhere, which is especially troubling when they are also evil tempered! In my most recent encounter, the security man asked me if anyone had placed anything in my luggage without my knowledge. I told them that if anyone had placed something there without my knowledge I would be unaware of it, so my answer would have to be that I could not answer the question. He snapped back that he wanted a yes or no answer, so I told him no.

Your logic is impeccable, Ivan. How could anyone fault your answer? I may use that answer myself sometime if I feel it's safe enough to do so. Those people are what are referred to as "petty tyrants", miserable individuals doing a boring and demeaning job, but who have some "authority" and abuse it to compensate. Dangerous, as the story of the imprisoned church member shows. It's very easy for them to provoke and cause the incident to escalate.

[Arjay Bee]

In my most recent encounter, the security man asked me if anyone had placed anything in my luggage without my knowledge. I told them that if anyone had placed something there without my knowledge I would be unaware of it, so my answer would have to be that I could not answer the question.

That's brilliant Ivan. Made my morning. I get routinely asked an alternate form of the same question - Did you pack your own bag? Which provides them with an affirmative response and also ensures that I have incriminated myself if anything inappropriate is found during subsequent scans and checks. But the answer doesn't help if some person has added something to a pocket without my knowledge.

Responding to these requirements in a dutiful and obsequious manner is the easiest policy - As a young person I used to wonder how the Nazis managed to get all those people to walk to their death and board the cattle trucks and so on. As a member of the cattle class during international travel I now have discovered the answer. It is just easier to go with the flow.

[goatsNdonkey]

A friend of mine made it a hobby to frustrate his superiors when he was in the Air Force, by knowing the rule book better than some of them did. When an officer stopped him and told him to button the top button of his jacket, he would instead take the jacket off, fold it, and neatly put it over one of his forearms, which was the other proper way to have one's jacket. Steam would come out of the officer's ears, but they had to abide by the same rules. I suspect, however, that TSA bureaucrats have too much latitude for how to respond for them to be manipulated that way.

[ivanvernon]

That's brilliant Ivan. Made my morning. I get routinely asked an alternate form of the same question - Did you pack your own bag? Which provides them with an affirmative response and also ensures that I have incriminated myself if anything inappropriate is found during subsequent scans and checks. But the answer doesn't help if some person has added something to a pocket without my knowledge.

Responding to these requirements in a dutiful and obsequious manner is the easiest policy - As a young person I used to wonder how the Nazis managed to get all those people to walk to their death and board the cattle trucks and so on. As a member of the cattle class during international travel I now have discovered the answer. It is just easier to go with the flow.

Yes, and from my reading of German history, many of the Nazi functionaries were of about the same intelligence level and bureaucratic mentality as our airport security folks.

[wkraus]

This thread needs a photo.

Apple blossoms, K-1 with Super-Takumar 1:2/35 (first version with 67mm filter thread), f/2.8, slightly cropped.

[Josslen]

SMC Tacumar 50/1.4

[wkraus]

SMC Tacumar 50/1.4

Nice as always! Have you left flickr? I'm missing your uploads.

[Andrew_Oid]

Yes, and from my reading of German history, many of the Nazi functionaries were of about the same intelligence level and bureaucratic mentality as our airport security folks.

I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment, Pawns in the Game. If you, like history, Ivan, this might cause you to question the narratives we've been given. Check the reviews on Amazon and see if it's something that would interest you.

[ivanvernon]

I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment, Pawns in the Game. If you, like history, Ivan, this might cause you to question the narratives we've been given. Check the reviews on Amazon and see if it's something that would interest you.

I will check it out. I am a history buff, mainly Europe and WWII. Thanks for the tip.

[MXLX]

Visited a semi-nearby camera store. Had a surpising number of screw mount lenses; at least 50% being third party. There were a few 50/1.8s (?) a few K-mount 55s, and 2-3 Takumar 135s. They liked them a little too much. The tempting piece was a Super Tak 200/4. I didn't bite.