[Lord Lucan]

Sunpak Auto DX 12R Ring Flash

I already have the slightly smaller DX 8R but I saw this 12R on Ebay for £9.99 starting price, put in a half-hearted bid, and was the only bidder! It is near mint, complete with original carry-case, instructions and even some original packaging. They cost £270 new according to a 2004 Techno catalogue I have (£400 at today's price). The used market is buyer's market at the moment - I have stopped trying to sell anything myself.

But I'm a bit disappointed. There was no PF review of the DX 12R (there is now) so I didn't know it has no Auto mode (ie using its own sensor), only Manual and TTL modes. It belongs to the late film era by which time advanced cameras used TTL flash control, so flash unit makers had largely dropped the Auto mode. Film era TTL is useless on a modern DSLR, so I can only use it in Manual mode. My DX 8R was a slightly earlier design and has all three modes : Manual, Auto and TTL.

So I might sell it when the market picks up. Or I might adapt the 12R flash head to the 8R body unit, because the 12R head has a better method of attachment to the lens, a larger throat diameter for bigger lenses, and has modelling lights. The 12R head would be limited to the 8R energy level (the numbers are the Guide Number in metres), but it will take that in its stride. It is not a straightforward swap because the 12R's connecting plug has more pins, but it could be a project for the dark winter evenings.

[richard0170]

Arrived yesterday evening and initially tested this morning the TTartisans 25mm f2 for my Fujis. I have been impressed by this company's lenses since I first bought the 50m f1.2 some time ago, swiftly followed by the 35mm f1.4. Not interested in the 23 or 17mm offerings, but the recent 50mm f2 suited me perfectly for size and balance on my X-E3, so I took a gamble on the new 25mm f2, without seeing any reviews. I already own the Pergear and 7artisans models in this focal length but am not impressed by them due to focusing issues. To cut to the chase this TTartisans model suits me much better. Focuses reliably. Sharp in the centre when stopped down a little. Great contrast and colour rendition. It's not perfect optically though, as the extreme corners remain palpably soft even when stopped down to f5.6 or 8, and this is not pixel peeping softness either, so not a great landscape lens necessarily, but for everything else it is fine. I love the b&w images it produces and the soft corners are a nice effect in b&w and on my IR camera. Handling is great on the smaller Fuji bodies, though a minor annoyance is the ease with which the focusing can be knocked off when changing aperture.

[Benz3ne]

Arrived yesterday evening and initially tested this morning the TTartisans 25mm f2 for my Fujis. I have been impressed by this company's lenses since I first bought the 50m f1.2 some time ago, swiftly followed by the 35mm f1.4. Not interested in the 23 or 17mm offerings, but the recent 50mm f2 suited me perfectly for size and balance on my X-E3, so I took a gamble on the new 25mm f2, without seeing any reviews. I already own the Pergear and 7artisans models in this focal length but am not impressed by them due to focusing issues. To cut to the chase this TTartisans model suits me much better. Focuses reliably. Sharp in the centre when stopped down a little. Great contrast and colour rendition. It's not perfect optically though, as the extreme corners remain palpably soft even when stopped down to f5.6 or 8, and this is not pixel peeping softness either, so not a great landscape lens necessarily, but for everything else it is fine. I love the b&w images it produces and the soft corners are a nice effect in b&w and on my IR camera. Handling is great on the smaller Fuji bodies, though a minor annoyance is the ease with which the focusing can be knocked off when changing aperture.

Do you have any pictures up with it? I'm strongly considering one.

[cdd29]

Few things of interest we recently picked up:
Pentax 31mm Limited: finally caved and got one. Shipping was a nightmare but it's here and took it out and used it at dawn (pics to be posted later)
beast mower: Got tired of our old hand me down John Deere rider breaking down and waiting weeks for parts as no one will touch it since it's a John Deere. Picked up a Cub Cadet 50" lawn tractor. It's a beast of a machine and overkill for our 1/3 acre lot, but I figured if you're gonna go, go big...

[richard0170]

Do you have any pictures up with it? I'm strongly considering one.

Here you go...









I found another minor inconvenience...it focuses beyond infinity. Fortunately it looks like this can be easily re-calibrated if required.

---------- Post added 09-16-22 at 08:59 AM ----------

...beast mower: Got tired of our old hand me down John Deere rider breaking down and waiting weeks for parts as no one will touch it since it's a John Deere. Picked up a Cub Cadet 50" lawn tractor. It's a beast of a machine and overkill for our 1/3 acre lot, but I figured if you're gonna go, go big...

My cheap petrol hand mower broke earlier this summer and it was not worth the cost of fixing it. Tried a cordless electric one, a Bauer, but that started to shake itself to pieces after a few trips round the lawn. I gave up and got a Webb fully manual one with 18" blades. It's hard work pushing it on my sloping and undulating lawn but does the job quicker and cuts the grass finer so no need to rake up the clippings or catch them in the sack which would need emptying every few minutes. I'm looking forward now to some autumn rains so I can forget about the damn lawn for 6 months or so :-)

[D1N0]

Evening delivery Mamiya-Sekor C 300mm 1:5.6

[Benz3ne]

Here you go...









I found another minor inconvenience...it focuses beyond infinity. Fortunately it looks like this can be easily re-calibrated if required.

---------- Post added 09-16-22 at 08:59 AM ----------

Thank you Richard!

[ChrisPlatt]

Pentax MX black body with M50/1.4 lens

From Pentax Forums member Swift1

It will be an honor to own a camera used by Colton Allen.
I hope I can do it justice and make some images half as good as his.

Chris

[pepperberry farm]

the LX5 that arrived a couple of days ago (that's the 645D behind it)

[Racer X 69]

Got tired of our old hand me down John Deere rider breaking down and waiting weeks for parts as no one will touch it since it's a John Deere. Picked up a Cub Cadet 50" lawn tractor. It's a beast of a machine and overkill for our 1/3 acre lot, but I figured if you're gonna go, go big...

I went real big. A 72” three blade PTO driven finish mower, and an early 1970’s Kubota 2 cylinder diesel tractor.



I have a huge lawn, 6 acres or so.

[que es tu]

My latest acquisition is a Sirui ET 1004 tripod and a Think Tank mirrorless mover 20 camera bag. I use the bag for traveling with my KP and 18-135 lens with a Godox TT350P flash. It is a great fit along with a polarizer and spare batteries. the tripod is a significant upgrade over the old Davis and Sanford tripod I had been using.

[jimr-pdx]

Swapped away the 1"-sensor ZS100 for a 4:3 sensor gx85 body. Good for the little primes, and maybe an adapted K-prime like the 85/2.
I have a 1stop speed-up / .71x FL-drop adapter, so a 60mm f/1.4 comes 'free' with the 85mm!

and more! Added a red anodized grip to distinguish the all-black camera.
Maybe I can get the black top dial anodized to match.. ?

[nicolpa47]

There seemed to be some exceptional offers on new kit towards the end of July in the UK. The last purchase arrived recently - a K-1ii plus free 100mm DFA Macro.

[pepperberry farm]

on the way is an M-mount to Fuji X-body adapter with a helicoid to give M-mount lenses a better minimum-focusing distance....

[Racer X 69]

More non photo related stuff.

A pair of machinist’s vises, one that rotates, the other with a tilt feature, for $50. A 3” to 4” outside micrometer for $40. An inside micrometer set from 2” to 8”, $80. And a set of depth gauges from 0” to 10”, $25.

All on Craigslist.