[Jonathan Mac]

More Fuji "rangefinder" format gear ... a new 7 artisans 35/1.2 and a used silver XE-2. I still have the black XE-1, but a Fuji-geared photo buddy is going to buy it off me.

I really like the style and feel of these Fuji and I would consider a new XE-3, except there's no on-board flash which is kind of a deal-killer for me and my use.

I almost switched from the X-M1 to the X-E1 a while back but I realisedd the E1 had no wifi or tilting screen, both great features of the supposedly lower-spec M1. Then I settled on a T10 and ended up buying a used T20 the day before the T30 was announced. If I'd waiting a couple of months I could have saved myself over €100

Make sure to post some results and thoughts on the 7Artisans lens over in the Fujifilm club, I'd be interested to see that, though with the 34/1.4 I can't justify a copy for myself.

Flickr informed me I have acquired another year of pro. No discounts this time.

Yeha, my wife saw my renewal so I got the third degree - What's that? Do you need it? Etc etc

Today was the annual photo swap meet just north of Tours and I picked up a few goodies ... for a 60€ grouped purchase from an individual seller, a very nice Minolta MD 35/1.8, a good Minolta MC 50/1.4 (but the front element is "loose" and will rattle - hopefully an easy fix), a very nice Minolta MC 100/2.5 with original hood and case and last, a Tamron AD-2 90/2.5 Macro (52BB) with a Minolta mount and a Vivitar MC 2x TC attached plus a Toshiba Sky filter ... the 52BB has some front element fungus, but I think that I can clean that up a bit.



From another individual seller, for 15€ total, a set of extension tubes for Canon FL, a EBC Fujinon SW 28/3.5 in M42 and a junk Zeiss Ikon S310 which I bought just for lens lens assembly. I have a project to convert it to a Fuji X mount via a cheap Chinese adapter and some epoxy ... the Tessar 40/2.8 should make a fun street lens. The 28/3.5 will see action on the K-1 plus the Fuji X-E2.

That's an excellent haul of Minolta gear. I'd love the 35 or the 100, though my own 35/2.8 is super sharp wide open.

I found a working ZX-5 with a 35-80 f4, Pentax Bag, and 4 rolls of slightly expired film for $25 bucks. FA 31mm limited not included Can't wait to shoot film again. I took the battery grip from the first camera, and now I have a battery grip that takes AAs.

The MZ-5 is nice but keep your fingers crossed you don't get the infamous mirror motor failure.

As for me, a small new & used online retailer I know of and have used several times has recently had some good prices on K-mount manual lenses. I got a great condition K 135mm f/2.5 for 40GBP and just the other day a K 35/3.5 for 25GBP. I already have a copy of the 35mm but I reckon I'l be able to sell the new one at a profit (to go into the lens kitty of course)

---------- Post added 02-12-19 at 12:16 PM ----------

Well, I don't have it yet, but I just ordered the HD FA35 f/2 via a very good early Cyber Monday deal from Amazon UK... just GBP £248.58 (approx. USD $321). That's a really good price here in the UK. The best Black Friday deal - through SRS Microsystems - was £285, and good used examples of the old FA35/2 typically sell here for £200+.

Do I need it? Probably not. At the very least, it's debatable. I only shoot APS-C with Pentax, and I already own both the plastic fantastic DA35/2.4 as well as the Sigma 30/1.4 Art, both of which I love for different reasons. The HD FA35/2 won't replace the Sigma, but it will certainly replace my DA35/2.4... so I could sell that or - more realistically, considering what I'd get for it - mount it almost permanently on my GX-1L. That would make a nice budget kit for general photography...

Thanks for bringing this to my attention - I've ordered one myself!

I'd had my eye on the lens as I'd really like an AF standard prime for my K-3 that is faster than the DA 35mm Limited (though I really, really love that lens) or the DAL 35/2.4. This offer combined with some accumulated Amazon gift cards made it too hard to resist.

The bad part is that I expect to have to make some difficult decisions between the Limited and the HD FA in the future.

[xmeda]

Olympus Stylus 1s

Cute portable ultrazoom with 28-300/2.8 lens and BSI-CMOS with modest 12 Mpix.

EVF is quite good, AF is superb, stabilisation is very effective, image quality is different level than the horrible stuff we know older Olympus cameras provided. Hi ISO is basically on K20D level, but that F2.8 lens provides enough light to stay in ISO 100-400 range most of the time.

[BigMackCam]

Olympus Stylus 1s

Cute portable ultrazoom with 28-300/2.8 lens and BSI-CMOS with modest 12 Mpix.

EVF is quite good, AF is superb, stabilisation is very effective, image quality is different level than the horrible stuff we know older Olympus cameras provided. Hi ISO is basically on K20D level, but that F2.8 lens provides enough light to stay in ISO 100-400 range most of the time.

Nice. I've long fancied owning one of those... A very versatile camera with that fast zoom lens

[BigMackCam]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention - I've ordered one myself!

I'd had my eye on the lens as I'd really like an AF standard prime for my K-3 that is faster than the DA 35mm Limited (though I really, really love that lens) or the DAL 35/2.4. This offer combined with some accumulated Amazon gift cards made it too hard to resist.

The bad part is that I expect to have to make some difficult decisions between the Limited and the HD FA in the future.

You're welcome, and good job on getting the deal while it's active. Congrats on the incoming lens

I forgot to mention that I own the HD DA35 Macro Limited too... It's a very nice lens, especially for close up work, but I've found I use the DA35 f/2.4 more. Like you, at some point I'll have to decide which to keep and which to sell...

[Benz3ne]

As for me, a small new & used online retailer I know of and have used several times has recently had some good prices on K-mount manual lenses. I got a great condition K 135mm f/2.5 for 40GBP and just the other day a K 35/3.5 for 25GBP. I already have a copy of the 35mm but I reckon I'l be able to sell the new one at a profit (to go into the lens kitty of course)

Excellent prices! Don't think I've seen either of those that cheap. Are you able to share the retailer's name with me? No obligation to do so, of course!

---------- Post added 12-02-19 at 07:51 AM ----------

My Sigma 'Perfect Hood' arrived today in a leisurely fashion, having paid for it on the 22nd November. Regardless, for £7 I can't really complain.

[stillshot2]

it was already marked as "reserved"

So close!

Hahah, I wish, although I did get the FA 31mm as a trade for a DA 21mm limited and SMC-m 28mm and 200 cash.

Yeah that's a pretty good trade on your side of the deal.

The most luck I've had was at a pawn shop in Utah. Got a Pentax A 135mm f2.8 for around $30 and a Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 for around the same. Also found a heavy duty Manfrotto tripod for $10 on Craigslist when living there too.

[y0chang]

The MZ-5 is nice but keep your fingers crossed you don't get the infamous mirror motor failure.

Yes, I know I bought a ZX-5n (which ergonomically I like even better than the ZX-5) but it had a failed mirror motor. I did salvage a battery grip from it though. I wanted to restart my film photography again and wanted a small AF body. If i really get into it, I'll look for another body or maybe get into 645 or 67.

[veato]

Some lens cleaning swabs. She's a dirty girl!

[Jean Poitiers]

I almost switched from the X-M1 to the X-E1 a while back but I realisedd the E1 had no wifi or tilting screen, both great features of the supposedly lower-spec M1. Then I settled on a T10 and ended up buying a used T20 the day before the T30 was announced. If I'd waiting a couple of months I could have saved myself over €100

Make sure to post some results and thoughts on the 7Artisans lens over in the Fujifilm club, I'd be interested to see that, though with the 34/1.4 I can't justify a copy for myself.
...


That's an excellent haul of Minolta gear. I'd love the 35 or the 100, though my own 35/2.8 is super sharp wide open.
...

Thanks for your post ... I have a X-E2 now plus the X-E1. The X-E1 is loaned to a Fuji shooting friend that has a X-M1 as well. I told him that he could have the X-E1 if it was of interest, but I think that he's going to pass. We crossed each other in Poitiers the other day and he was shooting street from the hip withe the articulating screen of the X-M1 with the 27 attached.


I will put up some 7artisans 35/1.2 images on the Fuji thread. Not quite sure yet another this one ...

The Minolta gear was quite lucky ... the 35/1.8 will be a keeper, but the rest will be fonder for future swap meets ... I already have a better copy of the Tamon AD-2 90 macro.

[SSGGeezer]

A Crucial MX500 1 TB internal SSD for BF best price. I initially wanted a 2 to 4 TB conventional HDD, but at the moment I don't need that much space and the price was very good, so my new desktop machine will not have a "mechanical" hard drive anymore, not even for storage.

And a 2 TB external WD elements HDD to serve as backup and for transfer purposes.

I went with the 8 GB external for multiple machines since my 2GB is pretty full just from game and photo back ups on my primary machine. New Laptop on the way with some additional RAM to make it more useful when editing photos and playing some lighter requirement games. AMD Ryzen 5, 16G RAM, Nvidia 1650 video card, 144hz IPS screen, M.2 SSD with room for an SSD, which I have ready to install.

[ehrwien]

AMD Ryzen 5, 16G RAM, Nvidia 1650 video card, 144hz IPS screen, M.2 SSD with room for an SSD, which I have ready to install.

This will be a nice machine. I don't need a portable computer, so I can save on the price premium of the portability. R5 3600 on its way, already have 32 GB RAM, 1060 graphics, M.2 for system and programs... I was torn if I should get a 3700X, but it's too much more expensive compared to the little extra on performance. I will keep a watch on what Zen 3 (Ryzen 4000) can offer next year and perhaps upgrade then (nice thing about AMD: no need for a new board (yet; after Ryzen 4000 there will probably be the need for a new platform)).

[SSGGeezer]

This will be a nice machine. I don't need a portable computer, so I can save on the price premium of the portability. R5 3600 on its way, already have 32 GB RAM, 1060 graphics, M.2 for system and programs... I was torn if I should get a 3700X, but it's too much more expensive compared to the little extra on performance. I will keep a watch on what Zen 3 (Ryzen 4000) can offer next year and perhaps upgrade then (nice thing about AMD: no need for a new board (yet; after Ryzen 4000 there will probably be the need for a new platform)).

I was checking out the pricing and the 3600 is the best bang for the buck if you have a fairly modern and compatible motherboard. my Desktop can wait for an upgrade as my old FX 8350 does fine for most of my uses.

[Canada_Rockies]

This will be a nice machine. I don't need a portable computer, so I can save on the price premium of the portability. R5 3600 on its way, already have 32 GB RAM, 1060 graphics, M.2 for system and programs... I was torn if I should get a 3700X, but it's too much more expensive compared to the little extra on performance. I will keep a watch on what Zen 3 (Ryzen 4000) can offer next year and perhaps upgrade then (nice thing about AMD: no need for a new board (yet; after Ryzen 4000 there will probably be the need for a new platform)).

Sounds like a super machine!

[ehrwien]

Sounds like a super machine!

Most of the time I'll use it just to browse this forum though

[steamloco76]

I won a Super Program, MEII winder and 35-105 SMC-A zoom on eBay for $37 plus $7.71 shipping and $2.68 PA tax. Photos looked OK. Seller said she couldn’t test the camera, but everything was in good vintage used condition. Well, I gambled and lost on this one. The camera is locked up. The battery door on the winder is broken. Those two items I don’t care about. Unfortunately, the 35-105 is loaded with spider-web fungus. Rats! and double rats. Other than the fungus, the 35-105 is in great condition. We shall see what the seller offers to do.