[ChrisPlatt]

Dentistry seems to be really expensive in the states.

Naturally. How else could they afford their Leicas?

Chris

[D1N0]

and that's a hard "no" on the Tessar:

Those black Tessars have terrible build quality I have three and they all focus stiffly and have sticky aperture blades. I must sacrifice one to a cleaning/relubing effort.

[timb64]

New double DIN head unit fitted to the M-X5,bringing the infotainment system into the present century!

[trixtroll]

and it sent you to the emergency room?

(Dave quickly crosses off anything related to Yashica-Mat's from his list)

Ha, I did share part of the tale a while back.

Long version:

My grandfather was an avid Yashica Mat 124 user, but he had gotten rid his before I got into photography. He found the Yashica A in an antique shop and gave it to me as a gift when I was 17 or 18.

I used the camera once or twice to shoot some tri-x, but had lots of focus issues and it spent close to 20 years decorating a shelf next to my computer. I finally decided to tinker with and installed a bright screen, but someone before me had mangled the tabs that hold spring clips. The bright screen fell out while I was shooting.

Fast forward to Super Bowl Sunday…I decided to tinker with the spring clips, while we were watching the pre game show, and the fatigued metal snapped. The spring clip severely scratched my cornea and I ended up going to urgent care instead of watching the Bengals

At this point I’m close to $200 into a camera that still needs a CLA. Hindsight it 20/20, but I totally should have bought a newer better model. (That’s $200 + the medical bill).

I’m only half joking when I tell my wife I’m going to have cursed camera air brushed with a warning label.

---

Last edited by trixtroll; 05-06-2022 at 11:48 AM.

[jimr-pdx]

Picked up an off-brand (Pixco/Roxsen) PK->µ43 adapter. Definitely makes for some friendly focal lengths with my 50/85/135 now capable of 36, 60 and 96mm with an extra stop of light. Since the 200/4 becomes ~140/2.8 it's hardly worth the work, as the 135/3.5 is a tiny marvel on µ43 bodies with a hollow adapter.

Also gives the F17-28 fisheye new life as a 12-20/2.5-3.5 zoom a bit more speed than my old 9-18 Oly and 8/3.8 fisheye for sky shots!
And the XR Rikenon 50-105/2.8 is nice too

[Marcus Rowland]

A very good start to the weekend in Portobello road - lovely weather, and for £10 I got a 200mm f3.5 Mitakon lens in OK condition (it will need a clean but doesn't seem to have fungus so far), a couple of PK extension tubes, a PK reversing ring, a zoom slide duplicator (with a PK T mount), and (drum roll) an Apple bluetooth touch pad, which is probably worth more than £20 on its own.

Then on to the guy who mentioned having an original IBM AT keyboard - and he'd actually remembered to bring it this time. I ended up paying £40 for it, plus I'll give him a couple of Apple keyboards next week, and I'm typing on it now. Next stage of my master plan is to clean up my old keyboard and sell it on, they go for £100+ in good condition so I ought to come out a bit ahead. For anyone who hasn't used one, they are the ultimate in robust clicky PC keyboards - only the original IBM PC keyboard felt better, and that's because each key moved a small counterweight so it felt like a proper typewriter keyboard - but the PC ones are a sod to repair and don't actually work properly with modern PCs, whereas the AT boards are fine and still work well.

Keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow and Sunday!

[lmd91343]

Ha, I did share part of the tale a while back.

Long version:

My grandfather was an avid Yashica Mat 124 user, but he had gotten rid his before I got into photography. He found the Yashica A in an antique shop and gave it to me as a gift when I was 17 or 18.

I used the camera once or twice to shoot some tri-x, but had lots of focus issues and it spent close to 20 years decorating a shelf next to my computer. I finally decided to tinker with and installed a bright screen, but someone before me had mangled the tabs that hold spring clips. The bright screen fell out while I was shooting.

Fast forward to Super Bowl Sunday…I decided to tinker with the spring clips, while we were watching the pre game show, and the fatigued metal snapped. The spring clip severely scratched my cornea and I ended up going to urgent care instead of watching the Bengals

At this point I’m close to $200 into a camera that still needs a CLA. Hindsight it 20/20, but I totally should have bought a newer better model. (That’s $200 + the medical bill).

I’m only half joking when I tell my wife I’m going to have cursed camera air brushed with a warning label.

Ok now?

[Marcus Rowland]

Those black Tessars have terrible build quality I have three and they all focus stiffly and have sticky aperture blades. I must sacrifice one to a cleaning/relubing effort.

Unfortunately very true - I see a lot of them and most have had problems - not stopping down, focus not working or not working properly, oily, fungus, etc. I think their build quality nosedived some time in the seventies.

[Jome]

Found this (seems to be the early version of the 135/2.5) with a little dent on the front filter but no problem to set one (included box, B-W filter, original caps) for about 39 $ at a flea market.

[Cerebum]

My Ricoh 500RF rangefinder finally arrived. It cost £26 everything works so once the new light seals go in it has a date with some Rollei retro 80s

[D1N0]

Found this (seems to be the early version of the 135/2.5) with a little dent on the front filter but no problem to set one (included box, B-W filter, original caps) for about 39 $ at a flea market.

I have bad experiences with those boxes. Foam in them completely crumbled to dust. I wonder what people are thinking shipping a lens in them

---------- Post added 07-05-22 at 18:15 ----------

Replacement copy for my Pentacon 200/4 (aperture broken and still haven't figured out how to get to it) came by in an auction and a made a safety bid (not too much) Nobody out bid it so.. 25 euro's The distance scale is off but the lens does reach infinity.

[ChrisPlatt]

2 Columbia Roatan Drifter Booney hats
Shorter brim than standard Booney hat
Should be good for birding, photography etc.

These are for my wife and daughter, for their 4-day trip next month to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, organized by the American Littoral Society.

I don't expect them to lug around heavy camera gear but I'd love to see some printed photos.
I am lobbying for them to bring their so-far never used Olympus Trip 35 camera.

Chris

[trixtroll]

Ok now?

Eye healed up after 2 weeks of drops, but the camera is still in pieces.

I really need to remember to wear safety glasses when I’m tinkering on things.

[lmd91343]

Eye healed up after 2 weeks of drops, but the camera is still in pieces.

I really need to remember to wear safety glasses when I’m tinkering on things.

Camera's can be replaced but, ...

We all need to be careful.

Glad for the good news.

[Jonathan Mac]

Just ordered an adaptall 24mm f/3.5 and a Minolta SR mount (I already have K and KA mounts). I wanted to have a fully manual 24mm lens to use on full frame to fill the gap between 28mm and 17mm.