[ramseybuckeye]

Looks like a sit on top type.

I have a couple of Old Town sit inside Dirigo model kayaks. We live on a river and make a few trips each year. We have also gone out on a few local lakes. Haven’t made it out to Puget Sound yet though.

I looked up the Dirigo, looks like a perfect kayak for overnighting on a river. Old Town makes quality kayaks and canoes.

[WPRESTO]

I wish you the best of luck. My grandmother had a similar issue a few years back and the plumber found a deceased squirrel lodged in the roof vent.

I would not have wanted to be the person removing him/her.

I removed several dead chipmunks from the dryer vent at my sister-in-law's place after she died. They were mummified, dry as potato chips.

[aslyfox]

For my upcoming trip to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone NPs in mid December

Vintage Ushanka Mink fur hat - black

Made in Russia. Tag says CCCP

I also have a Ushanka Rabbit fur hat - brown - purchased during a 1977-1978 trip to the Soviet Union

[Racer X 69]

I looked up the Dirigo, looks like a perfect kayak for overnighting on a river. Old Town makes quality kayaks and canoes.

My neighbor (also a classmate from high school) introduced me to them. He invited me on a trip down the river our first summer here. He has several older Old Town kayaks (not Dirigo) and a couple other brands, even a fiberglass kayak. It was an awesome day on the river, an adventure.

The very next weekend I went kayak shopping. After going to a (now defunct) sporting goods chain store, I went to a one location kayak and canoe specialty shop on Lake Union in Seattle. The let us take them out on the lake for a test paddle, after a short lesson on paddling and getting in and out without tipping over.

Actually, aside from tipping when getting in and out, once seated, they are very stable. A selling point is the wide midboat beam, which makes it difficult to roll over. I've been fortunate the only time I have tipped one over was when entering on a lakeshore boat ramp. I've seen others to over on the river. They pop up pretty quick, grab the boat and (most times it is shallow enough) walk to shore and pump the water out.

I went home with two brand new kayaks, flotation vests, cockpit boots, a couple drybags, a manual pump for getting water out, and some Werner carbon paddles made up on US2 in Monroe. The asymmetric design is nice, delivering more power per stroke with less effort, the carbon makes them light in the hands, very strong and durable.

The first two times I went down the river, in my neighbor's boat and then mine, I followed his lead, learned the techniques for negotiating the currents, and the rapids, especially the ones with large boulders, enjoying the stretches in-between with calm water, drifting lazily, passing a jug with his version of a Dirty Mother (tequila instead of vodka).

After that I took the lead sometimes, picking different routes through the faster water.

We always pack lunches and snacks, and stop for a bit on a gravel bar or beach for lunch, always taking a break at a flat boulder the size of a large camp trailer known as t***ie rock because on some summer days we see women sunbathing on it. There is enough eddy currents downstream of it three or four of us can sit there, not paddling as the reverse current flow pushes us into the sediment on the downstream side.

I have probably made 30 trips down the river, most from our house down to either the swinging bridge (around 6 miles), or the county park (around 12 miles). We have gone upstream and put in, (about 4 miles) twice. It is mostly shallow and wide, and very rocky. There is a narrow window from when it is navigable (we never go on the river when it is high or at flood stage) to when it is too shallow to float the kayaks. After that there is too much getting out and stumbling over rocks the size of basketballs dragging the boats. In the ideal time, it is fun and quick, with only a couple of slow stretches.

Mrs. Racer and I have been out on a couple of local lakes, always a fun day. Again, lunch, snacks and beverages are part of the day.

I should pack a camera sometime.

---

Last edited by Racer X 69; 11-02-2021 at 03:23 AM.

[Jonathan Mac]

Very nice lens. Like the SMC Pentax -M/-A models these often develop sticky aperture blades.

Chris

Good to know. I wonder why that is, especially if it's the version not related to the Pentax M?

It has a two year guarantee so if there's anything wrong with it then it'll be going back. I could use it on my Fujifilm gear but I don't want to bother having it around if I can't use it on both my digital platforms or film.

[Lord Lucan]

.
Sunpak Auto DX 8R Ring Flash

Not bad for £9 - less than my previous and very basic Centon
It came with a Nikon DX module, but I already had a Pentax one (fitted here), Maybe I'll sell the Nikon one for £9 now

The "filter" thread on the flash ring is 52mm so I will also need a 49-52 step-up ring to fit it to my M100 macro lens.

[Marcus Rowland]

Got nothing this weekend, but today a courier delivered a charity shop item I bought last week - a very nice condition Russian Fed 2 Leica clone with a Jupiter-12 2.8/35mm lens which is a seriously weird design - the rear of the lens protrudes about 20mm past the mount and is hour-glass shaped. Got it for £25.99 including P&P which is amazing value.


The Jupiter-12 35 mm f/ 2.8 Lens. Specs. MTF Charts. User Reviews.

I want to play with the lens on Micro 4/3, maybe on Nex too. I've got a friend 3D printing a rear cap for it, since I have no M39 rear caps with that much room.

[ChrisPlatt]

Domke USPS shoulder pad

$8.89 from Amazon Marketplace, shipped free with $25 order.

I have never owned one of these but reviews are very good.
I seldom carry a heavy bag but when I do this should come in handy.

Chris

[bobD]

An RME HDSPe AIO sound-card... Used. (recently replaced by a newer model but still selling worldwide )

Could never have justified purchasing one new.. ($900.00 US)

So was a little (read LOT!) surprised to visit our local electronics recycler and find one in the "Big-Box-of-Cards" ripped from old desktops.
Sign said...All Cards $5.00 Untested. (that's $3.58 US )

Paid the man and back home installed it and tested...works fine

https://www.rubbermonkey.co.nz/RME-HDSPe-AIO-38-channel-audio-card
https://www.rme-audio.de/hdspe-aio.html

[stevebrot]

a Jupiter-12 2.8/35mm lens which is a seriously weird design - the rear of the lens protrudes about 20mm past the mount and is hour-glass shaped.

The J-12 is an interesting design and is true to its "parent", the Zeiss Biogon 35/2.8 used with the Contax I/II/III cameras. The protruding rear is a result of it not being retrofocus design.

I have both the LTM and Contax/Kiev versions and have found the J-12 to be a very competent optic.

Here the Contax/Kiev version on my Kiev 4A (Ferrania Solaris 100)


Here the LTM version on my FED2 (Ferrania Solaris 100)


Here the LTM version on my Zorki 4K (Legacy Pro 100)



Steve

[lmd91343]

Domke USPS shoulder pad

$8.89 from Amazon Marketplace, shipped free with $25 order.

I have never owned one of these but reviews are very good.
I seldom carry a heavy bag but when I do this should come in handy.

Chris

I've had one for years. It is great! The best!

[pepperberry farm]

another TTArtisan lens for my Fuji X-bodies - this time it's the 40mm macro...

[BigMackCam]

Another instalment in my Minolta AF 35-70 f/4 story...

The seller was very courteous and apologetic, and issued a full refund without requiring return of the lens - which probably made sense, as it's not worth anything in its current condition, and he'd have been responsible for return shipping due to the undeclared defect.

After a lot of initially-fruitless searching online, I eventually found a series of annotated photos on pbase that show how to fully disassemble this lens for the purpose of cleaning the diaphragm blades (seems it's a common issue with this model, among others). There's a fair amount of work involved, but it's not the worst I've seen. I haven't the time nor inclination to attempt it in the immediate future, but I'm thinking it might be a nice winter weekend project. If I screw it up, I'm no worse off... but if I'm successful then I'll have a nice little lens to play with over Christmas.

Watch this space

Final instalment in my Minolta AF 35-70 f/4 story:

[a partial cross-post from The Minolta AF / Sony A-mount Fan Club thread]

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon and evening disassembling, cleaning, servicing and re-assembling the lens. It was fiddly and a little frustrating at times, but not too bad. In addition to the oily diaphragm blades, lubricant had migrated just about everywhere, with spots of it and a fine oily mist on the inner optical elements too. It required a full clean, then re-lubrication before re-assembly. Infinity focus wasn't quite right, so I spent some time adjusting that this morning. It's spot on now.

So, I finally have a fully working lens

Since the seller had already refunded me in full, I got back in touch with him to explain my progress, and to offer a payment. Despite the work involved, it just didn't seem right that I now have a fully sorted lens and the seller was out of pocket. I received a lovely response from him, thanking me for the offer but refusing any payment, wishing me "many decent pictures" and praising the repair job. What a nice chap

This was the diaphragm before cleaning:



Here's the lens fully disassembled:



... and the cleaned diaphragm, after re-assembly:



Finally, the lens in its rightful place on my A-mount Hasselblad HV:

[Mbaez]

Final instalment in my Minolta AF 35-70 f/4 story:

[a partial cross-post from The Minolta AF / Sony A-mount Fan Club thread]

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon and evening disassembling, cleaning, servicing and re-assembling the lens. It was fiddly and a little frustrating at times, but not too bad. In addition to the oily diaphragm blades, lubricant had migrated just about everywhere, with spots of it (and a fine oily mist) on the inner optical elements too. It required a full clean, then re-lubrication before re-assembly. Infinity focus wasn't quite right, so I spent some time adjusting that this morning. It's spot on now.

So, I finally have a fully working lens

Since the seller had already refunded me in full, I got back in touch with him to explain my progress, and to offer a payment. Despite the work involved, it just didn't seem right that I now have a fully sorted lens and the seller was out of pocket. I received a lovely response from him, thanking me for the offer but refusing any payment, wishing me "many decent pictures" and praising the repair job. What a nice chap

This was the diaphragm before cleaning:



Here's the lens fully disassembled:



... and the cleaned diaphragm, after re-assembly:



Finally, the lens in its rightful place on my A-mount Hasselblad HV:

What a great job! I admire your skills.
BTW: The Hassy looks pretty.

[richard0170]

In search of a suitable 50 for my K1 ii a K 50mm f1.4 arrived the other day £130. It appears to be very suitable. I already have as Auto Revuenon 50mm f1.4 (already also very suitable), but I seem to have a thing for the K series of lenses.