Some Updates

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I just created three pages to the right – Graflex Optar page 3 / VPK Meniscus Images 003 / B&L Rapid Rectilinear

Our trip to the Statue of Liberty, for several small reasons, all added up to a cancellation. Perhaps next Spring.

I am rapidly learning to enjoy the Olympus E-510 and its ability to work with my old lens collection. The Fuji S2Pro needs the Nikon AF lens line, it doesn’t work well MF. The Pentax *istD has a nice feel to it, but I have yet to warm up to it. The Canon XTi, due to the wide range of good glass available to me, is the first to be grabbed for general shooting.

This and That

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A little bit of ramble tonite.

I have a few cameras on the workbench to shred and tear. Today I worked on a Kewpie, mounting the ~110mm Meniscus Lens in an M42 tube. Remaining is an Exacta mount Carl Zeiss Jena Polacolar f2.8 50mm lens to adapt to either my EOS or 4/3 systems. There is a mini German camera – Junka – that unfortunately has a 45mm registration, don’t know what I will do with that one- maybe a macro in an M42 tube. There is a Wollensak f4.5 triple all set for an M42 tube – I had to clean fungus from all three lenses – it needs a final cleaning before re-assembly. The original variable aperture is still functional on it. It is from an American made camera that was shipped to Germany for sale – an oddball for sure. More about each as I work them up and test them out.

The plan is to find a spot with a nice background- features at different distances, etc and test all my lenses and camera bodies so I can compare them for future reference and use. I’d hate to take lens B on body 3 to NYC when lens D turns out to be a much better performer on body 2. It will probably turn out to be an all day shoot with tripod and remote shutter release ( I will have to but two more releases- one each for the Fuji S2 and the Pentax *istD), so it will have to be either a completely overcast or Sunny day. Perhaps even two shoots – one with each sky condition.

I am addicted to Mafia Wars on FaceBook – Thompson Drum is my MW name.

On my favorite manual focus website recently, members from Austria and Viet Nam have been posting pictures, Makes the plain Jane scenery in Central New York State look very pale.

Enough !

Another One

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I spotted this on eBay and figured why not ?

Olympus E-510, purchased from Olympus as a refurb in March 2009 and used for two months for birding. Then the burst speed was determined to be too slow for his taste and he went to a Canon digital. He was selling the body with free shipping for $225.

The registration distance of the E-510 is very short. This simply means that any lens with a registration of a larger value will work with the camera. Most of the lens brands already have adapters for them manufactured and on sale at the bay. See this website for further info on using lenses across brands. Registration Distance Information
Now I have
Canon 300D 6mb
Canon XTi 10mb
Fujifilm S2 6mb – Nikon F mount
Pentax *istD 6mb
Olympus E-510 10mb
(in order of purchase and the XTi being the only one purchased new) They all also use CF cards so that is one thing I don’t have to purchase and duplicate.

That covers about everything. The neat thing about the E-510 is that it doubles the lenses. So, my favorite 300mm 5.6 lens is now a 600mm 5.6 lens at much less than the cost of a new lens. The Fujifilm mated with an ARSAT 20N 2.8/20; the Pentax with the 8mm Peleng fisheye and the XTi with the Sigma 15-30mm zoom take ample care of the wide angle.

Also, the most I paid, except for the new XTi, was $250 on eBay for the rest of the bodies. Shop carefully and bide your time, what you want will come your way.

Graflex Optar f/4.5 127mm Images

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I had a chance today, just before the rain came, to take these images. The sky was 100% overcast and pretty gloomy. The lens assembly is mounted in an old M42 135mm lens body with no aperture capability. The camera is my new (to me) Pentax *istD. The images are in a page to the right >>>>>>>>>>

A Replacement For The Damaged Fujifilm S1

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In a moment of extreme weakness, I bought a Fujifilm S2 on the Bay. It will complement my Canon XTi, and Pentax istD. Now I can use just about any lens made for 35MM format cameras by simply mounting a non-optical adapter to one of the three cameras.

I await its arrival to set up a shootout with my lenses; to be posted here. I have several M42, a couple Nikon and a dozen custom mounted pre-1939 uncoated lenses to try out. I am figuring at least three hours will be needed to finish it all. Perhaps three segments by aperture settings, to keep the lighting somewhat even, on a very clear day. 10:30AM to 1:30PM seems a goal.

Nearby my house is a small park that has a nice section where there are trees, shrubs, buildings, play ground equipment, etc to allow DOF to be apparent. The results will be posted here on separate pages. Maybe within a month I will get it completed.