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Forum: General Talk
11-29-2023, 09:23 AM
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I forgot to say something significant I liked about my f150. It started years before I got it.
There was a young mechanic living in my neighbourhood, who was looking for side work. I commissioned him to do some work on my old ranger, and he layed in the snow changing parts, diagnosing problems and kept it running just dandy. The agreement I made was that he bill in hours, not dollars, and use the book hours as a baseline. When I payed him the (Ford) shop rate, based on the book hours, he suggested it was too much, because he was working outside. I retorted that it should cost more, since he was working outside, and that I was getting a bargain.
It's 20 years later now, and I bought the truck from the dealership he now works at. As shop foreman. When I bring in my truck for its warranty service, or even now that the extended warranty is past, I get amazingly good service that I trust as much as I've ever trusted him.
So invest in your mechanics and other tradesmen. If you can't do it, it IS worth paying smartly for.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-11-2024, 08:25 AM
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I would only buy a 6x7 or 6x9 film camera---and a compact (ish) one I would probably buy right away. I marked "never going back", but that refers to 35mm. I gave that film format up more than 3 decades ago.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-05-2024, 08:53 PM
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For anyone who sees this and is curious, I went with a K3. After trading in stuff that I wasn't using anymore, it was about $180 from MPB. It just arrived. Here's my first photo with it...a re-shoot of a subject I have photographed before. I'm pretty pleased :) Lens is sigma 17-50 EX DC HSM. Shot raw in manual mode and edited in Rawtherapee. Side-by-side the noise level is much more manageable than the K10D's results.
Cheers to everyone for the advice, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a great value for $180!
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Forum: General Talk
10-17-2023, 08:39 PM
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Over the weekend I became a big fan of the Mazda MX-5. My wife got this in 2002, purchased one year old from an actual hairdresser. Nine years ago she decided to get a new convertible, but couldn't bear to get rid of the old one. It doesn't get driven much at all. A month ago I had to get it emission tested to renew the registration, and it wouldn't start. Great, now we have to get it towed and pay for repairs on a car which we don't use.
I am not a car mechanic but I watch a lot of YouTube car stuff. So I sighed and started diagnosing the problem. I kind of thought it was the fuel pump which all the tests led towards. Well, that has to be impossible, right? The car is so small, I'm sure you have to drop the gas tank to get to it. Probably the rear suspension too. Not at all! There's a bit of carpet behind the driver's seat which comes out easily. The fuel pump is right there. About ten screws, a connector and two fuel lines and it's out. The big community around this car means lots of videos showing the process. Parts are easy. I had to buy a cheap tool and some shrink tubing because I couldn't find mine. My neighbor (actual mechanic) spent more time replacing a headlight in a newer Nissan.
I plan to replace the fuel filter and siphon out some of the old gas, then we are off to emissions!
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-08-2023, 12:25 PM
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And now for something completely different. :D Grenzgletscher, Gornergrat, Switzerland, Pentacon six TL, CZJ MC Biometar 2.8/80mm, red filter, Ilford HP5
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
05-09-2023, 02:22 AM
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Nikon F100 12mm color negative digitised and converted to B&W with coolpix 9900. Museum "le grand Hornu" Belgium
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Forum: General Talk
04-12-2023, 03:16 PM
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Finally got myself a new phone. It is an Apple 13. My wife and two kids all have Apple phones. I had a Nokia, which I called a Nokia 14...as that is about how many years I've used it. But it finally died, Think a switch was gone, had trouble turning it on.
So thought time for a new, much more capable phone. Technology has certainly changed a lot in all these years.
So far, as I'm getting to know it, how to use it, I like it, a lot.
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Forum: General Talk
03-01-2023, 01:49 PM
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Good times are here again. I just pulled the trigger on an SMC Pentax M 100mm f/4 macro for less than USD50. The catch is that there is a bit of haze inside the front element. When it gets here, it will go straight to my repair guy. I have dealt with the seller before, so I expect it to be not too bad - as he says.
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Forum: General Talk
11-02-2022, 06:32 PM
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I paid $2,000 for Eddie. I’ve spent about another $2,000 in parts taking care of deferred maintenance. Of course I have the advantage of not having to pay a mechanic to do the work, but even then I would still be way ahead of a new F150, which ranges from $33,000 (base) to around $78,000 for a fully loaded and optioned model.
Even though the Eddie Bauer was the high option pickup at the time, air conditioning, tilt column, remote electric mirrors, power door locks, premium seats and upholstery, special trim, it doesn’t have all the gimcracks and geegaws of the 2022 models.
But I’m good with that.
And since I don’t have a pile of money wrapped up in it, it doesn’t concern me if some jerk parks too close, or someone wants to play chicken in traffic.
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Forum: General Talk
10-16-2022, 06:06 AM
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In USA Ford and GM eliminated most their car models due to lack of demand.
With higher gas prices American consumers might change their preferences.
I'd like access to an SUV for a trip or when I need to carry some large item.
However 99% of the time a small sedan just makes more sense.
Chris
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Forum: General Talk
10-07-2022, 06:49 AM
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The average American drives 14,263 miles per year.
That's under 55 miles per day if driven 5 days per week.
Practically any EV currently made would suffice as a daily driver for these folks,
presuming they have a facility to reliably recharge the batteries daily.
EVs are not for everyone but they would work fine for a majority of Americans.
Chris
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Forum: General Talk
09-26-2022, 06:55 AM
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Forum: General Talk
08-29-2022, 07:44 AM
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Forum: General Talk
08-09-2022, 04:27 AM
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After colliding with a car around a month ago, I bought a new bike after a week (the frame on the old one was, for want of a better word, 'dented'). This is my new (to me) 2015 Specialized Crux. I'm going to swap out bits-n-pieces for my SRAM components (Sram Rival 1 clutched derailleur, 1x11 groupset, hydraulic disc brakes, flared handlebars) but it rides really nice already.
As a chemist, I had to put my stamp on it...
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Forum: General Talk
08-02-2022, 12:19 AM
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Yes, of course. Lots of people do. For last 5 years I was programing for a Swiss watchmaking company, they sell a lot of watches each month. I use one too, despite having a phone with myself. It is easier to take a glance at wrist then take off an activate smartphone.
This is mine, almost 100 years old so not pretty and shiny but still works. Dare you to find a smartphone that will work after 100 years. And without electricity :P
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Forum: General Talk
07-27-2022, 12:57 AM
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To think that people complain about K-3 Mk III price. 216 shots and 80$ here. In preparation for August SiC and DiC
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-23-2022, 09:42 AM
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Something from the past. I haven't done any hiking since the start of covid.
Pentax 6x7, 67 55/4 + Pentax O2 orange filter , Tri-X 320TXP, PMK Pyro
Snow Lake Hike by tuco, on Flickr
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Forum: General Talk
07-22-2022, 09:42 PM
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Forum: General Talk
07-09-2022, 09:35 AM
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this should round-out my 645 system:
one SMC A 645 75mm 2.8
one SMC A 645 150mm f3.5
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Forum: General Talk
07-03-2022, 06:01 AM
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Used SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 lens
"Starter lens" for my daughter's Pentax MX
Chris
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Forum: General Photography
06-16-2022, 03:47 PM
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I'll admit In my non-commercial work I have been having a lot of fun with the DFA21.
Pentax K-1 DFA21mm f/2.4 @ f/2.4 ISO 100 1/640th
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Forum: General Talk
06-27-2022, 08:03 AM
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I was in the funeral procession for my uncle driving my brand new 1979 VW Rabbit.
My mother's uncle in the car in front of mine kicked up a rock that chipped my windshield.
Later driving my brand new 1987 Isuzu Trooper II, ten miles into our 1000 mile trip to Nova Scotia
my windshield got chipped. Of course my eyes homed in on that small spot for the entire journey.
Times like these make it worthwhile to pay extra for full no-deductible glass coverage.
Chris
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