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GFXs with a 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar. Many of the old Takumars have good coverage on the Fuji sensor as well. They don't have the clinical sharpness of the modern Fuji lenses, but they render beautifully.
Tom
https://flic.kr/p/2iwgPaC
Three Things That Are Good to Look At
'What you lookin' at?' Inge Morath, A Llama in Times Square, New York, 1957 ($2,000) 1. Llamas. Magnum is having a sale of New York prints by its members that includes Inge Morath's "A Llama in Times Square." The prints are signed and editioned, signed, or estate stamped, and prices range from ...
Hi Mike:
Most of the books mentioned in your post and the comments came as no surprise. E.g., I was directed in high school to read The Brothers Karamazov as a disciplinary measure and it is one of the most influential books I have ever read; I tried to read The Magic Mountain (auf deutsch) in college, but wasn't up to the task. The mention of Giants in the Earth completely surprised me. My mother was the daughter of Norwegian immigrants who homesteaded in the Dakotas, so I am familiar with the book, but I think of it as somewhat obscure.
I have attached a picture of my great-grandparents' homestead in South Dakota and can only imagine the feeling of isolation during the howling winds of winter.
Open Mike: Rereading and Anne Fadiman (and an Aside)
['Open Mike' is the often off-topic, anything-goes Editorial Page of TOP, wherein Yr. Hmbl. Ed. rambles afield very slightly more than usual. It appears either on Wednesdays, or when I get it finished.] - In response to this, a couple of days ago: "I loved C.S. Forester's Hornblower books...and ...
Hi Mike:
I live somewhat east of you along the shores of Lake Erie. I very much agree that winter's snow transforms the gray, dreary landscape. This winter has been a non-existant and, so far, a disappointment. The snowfall you mentioned fell here as well. It transformed this ski/snowmobile trail in western New York into a fairyland. A bit of freezing rain, hoarfrost and moist snow (in that order) clung to every surface. The image attached is a stitch from two Sigma DP2m files.
Sunday Support Group: Be Prepared...For Any Old Thing
I was a Boy Scout when I was young. It was a valuable experience; I was besotted with the Civil War and the Napoleonic Wars and all things related to antiquarian wars and soldiery when I was a boy (I loved C.S. Forester's Hornblower books particularly, and read the whole series through twice), a...
Mike said: "but there was a time when Leica M lenses were renowned for being tiny and Olympus was innovating by designing OM Zuiko lenses to be compact and light and yet still optically very good."
You could mention the Pentax M lenses as well. The 20mm f/4 could fit in a shirt pocket, try that with a modern f/1.4. Pentax had kept their 645 lenses fairly petite as well,compare the 645 400mm to one from Canon or Nikon. Since the Hoya and then Ricoh takeover however, big is better.
A Practical Fujifilm Lens Kit
[TOP will be off tomorrow as usual. Have a great weekend! Hope the weather is decent wherever in the world you are. The weather's gorgeous here right now, just unbelievably outrageously gorgeous. The G9, the Attention Hound, and Yr Hmbl. Ed. all need a walk. —Mike the Ed.] - Longtime readers hav...
I seem to have a fifth version of the 50mm f/1.4. IR mark to the left of 4 and 232g in mass, both consistent with the 7-element version; "A" rather than "auto" and "2" rather than a dot appears on the aperture ring, both consistent with the 8-element version. In any case, it's a wonderful lens.
Three More Things About the Spotmatic
Three funky little points about the ultra-retro-hipster icon the Pentax Spotmatic that I failed to mention the other day: Spottie without a spot meter: The name "Spotmatic" derived from the fact that the camera was originally intended to incorporate a spot meter. Late in pre-production the deci...
" I have no idea at all what he is. All I know is that he's twice as big as he was last year, and he's sending tendrils both into the sky and snaking along the ground at a frantic rate. When I garden nearby the little tendrils do seem to reach and grab for me"
I can't tell for sure, but it might be a wisteria. I love their flowers but have often felt that the tendrils are designed to trap me or any other moving creature causing a fall, death and decomposition to nourish the plant. Just kidding, but sometimes the plant seems malicious.
Open Mike: That's Proof
A few notes in passing, in no particular order. • I'm lying when I say that: I would like to disclose that my current net worth is two billion dollars. I am worth two billion dollars because I value my brand at two billion dollars. My other assets are intangible. Yes, of course I am aware that T...
I haven't read the comments, so I apologize if I'm repetitious. Do it, and make it bigger, it won't add that much to the cost and at some point you will need the space. If this is a detached building, add a bathroom.
In-floor heat would be nice too, but we all have to make compromises.
Please Tell Me If This Is Crazy
It's my birthday today. My brother is wrong—I am not older than dirt. Technically, at least, dirt is older than me. I am older than the Hills, though—my friends Scott and Catherine, who are somewhere around a decade younger than I am. Bah-dum-pah. Being older is good in some ways—the average 60-...
It appears Ricoh is quite serious about the Pentax brand. I find it interesting that some posters declare this camera too late. For me, it appears to be the most capable FF DSLR currently available, how can that be too late? Pixel shift appears to allow this fully equipped camera to compete with the sensor performance of the Sigma Foveon.
O Happy Pentax Day
A smile and a wave to all you Pentax fans out there. In case you don't know, in the camera world, Pentaxians are a breed apart. They're moderate, mild, friendly, dripping with decency, thoughtful, considerate, intelligent and tolerant. You know—like Canadians. They're also quietly long-suffering...
Merry Christmas to you and yours Mike. Your first December in NY is a rather warm one. Here's an image from the last warm December in western NY. Note rain drops on the window. Taken with a 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar BTW (8 element version).
Tom
Merry Christmas!
To all my readers, regular and occasional, near and far, young and old, known to me or not—thank you for reading, and for your company, your loyalty, your comments and your kindnesses in 2015. And Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Satisfactory Solstice, Frank Festivus, or [insert greetings for ...
Hi Mike:
Nice story. I'm sure it cost a pretty penny; we once spent $4k to remove a large maple from near the house. It was a fascinating process to watch, but not to pay for. The Japanese maples are spectacular in the fall, it seems every color in the spectrum is displayed at the same time. Attached is a shot of my neighbor's tree taken this fall. All the color in the background is from the same tree.
I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your new house and winter has been very kind so far.
Tom
Open Mike: No Timberrrrrr! Moment
You might remember that I belatedly discovered a beautiful Japanese maple tree in my new yard. (Pictures in this post.) It announced itself by keeping its leaves past the time the others lost theirs, and turning a brilliant scarlet-orange. (I have a dwarf Japanese maple too. Amusingly, I learn...
I would have expected the A7rII to appear more frequently than it has; demographic of TOP readers? For me it's the Pentax 645Z and someone to help carry the lenses.
It's very hard to pick one song, but if forced I might pick Gimmie Shelter, largely due to Merry Clayton's vocals
What's It Gonna Be?
Friday Night Lite: If you could have any one camera (cost no object), but just one—and you had to use it exclusively for, let's say, the next four years—what would it be? Optional: Why? [If you comment, see if you can please stick to the question—instead of, say, explaining why you absolutely ne...
You are far enough from Buffalo that rooting for the Bills is optional; however,"But of course many people in Buffalo don't even root for the Bills" isn't the case and the few who don't are unlikely to admit it publicly.
Gone Fishin'
...Well, not really fishing. But TOP will be taking a few days off, until Thursday or Friday, as I begin the task of getting ready for The Big Move II. If all goes well, tomorrow I'll dig out all the darkroom items I won't be taking with me, and I'll get those listed, for those of you who are wa...
Congratulations Mike. It's a beautiful area,the gallery is a great idea and you have other motivations.
I believe I took this less-than-spectacular shot from E. Lake Rd., maybe near your new house?
Tom
Blog Note
Regular readers might find this hard to believe, but...I'm moving again. I know. Remember Keuka Lake in Upstate New York, in the Finger Lakes region? I've sold my house in Wisconsin, which as you might remember was new to me only last Summer, and bought a small 1880 farmhouse a few hundred feet ...
"Wi-Fi" brought a smile to my face. Perhaps you're fortunate not to have asked for an enlarger in the photo department; they may have directed you to the pharmacy.
Dang I'm Old
In the only science fiction I ever wrote, years ago, one of the tropes that I fantasized I invented was something almost exactly like the new Amazon Echo. I called it the "conbox." And here it is already. I guess one of the (many) reasons I'm not a science fiction writer is that the reach of my ...
"Oh, to live on sugar mountain...."
Open Mike: Getting the Gist of Neil Young (OT)
Neil Young is a prolific, peripatetic artist who has recorded and toured at a breakneck pace for five decades. He's afraid of nothing, makes almost a fetish out of experimentation, and has released dozens and dozens of records—the sheer number of which now obscure his major accomplishments and m...
Quite coincidentally I recently posted two versions of an image and asked for thoughts (that is a way to get critiques). The same file, in one case minimal processing and a shoreline that is at an awkward angle. The second version has a straightened shoreline and some vibrance added. Opinions were divided, with a slight preference for the manipulated image. Critiques can reveal things you didn't see, but, I'm with Elizabeth on this, ultimately it's your image and your decision (I like the straight shoreline).
Tom
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8575/15985223837_a612be2be5_b.jpg
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7556/15560722613_c49ed7a29d_b.jpg
The Basic Teaching Method of Photo Art Schools
An aspect of blog editing that I seldom talk about is what I call "energy." Certain topics take on energy, and certain topics don't; in managing the flow of conversation, the editor has to be sensitive to what people want to talk about. Some conversations get very animated, and excerpting those ...
"1. C'mon. Do I really have to tell you? You can't guess? Seriously, you already know, right?"
Well, the 645Z should be on this list and since it hasn't appeared yet, it must be the choice for #1.
Where's the Quattro? :)
The Ten Best Digital Cameras
Always with a thumb clamped on the pulse of the Zeitgeist, herewith TOP's totally idiosyncratic, completely subjective, plausibly deniable, and cheerfully self-incriminating list of Digital Cameras We Love at the cusp of 2015—the digital cameras we think are the hottest at the moment and the mos...
Hi Mike:
I hope you got away from the Wi-Fi and had a chance to see the sunset. The linked shot was taken that evening in Dunkirk, NY, about 40 miles from Erie.
Happy travels,
Tom
https://flic.kr/p/pp9YrA
Snafu!
Hi everyone – I'm actually posting this from my iPhone if you can believe it. I drove 550 miles today, and then spent two hours tonight trying to get the hotel's Wi-Fi to work! No such luck. Tomorrow I'm down, but hopefully on Sunday I'll have workable Wi-Fi. See you then? (You can tell I'm not c...
Mike:
My solution is to use printer ink in a fountain pen. The Epson large format cartridges often have considerable ink remaining (I believe that was the subject of a lawsuit); you could also use a new cartridge if you have a lot of signing to do.
Pen for Signing Prints
Yesterday, Richard Alan Fox asked me what pen I'm using to sign my prints. Complicated question. You might recall that some time ago I told you that I'd some online research and bought a handful of different pens to try. I was after something that wouldn't damage prints, was considered permanent...
Those who have only lived in benign climates won't understand - how could they?
The rails shot is lovely. Lithium batteries are a Godsend.
Lens of Winter
So it was four o'clock and I was meeting people at five, and I have a new lens. Naturally I wanted to try it out even though it's the dead of winter and I have nothing to photograph. It's approximately 160 below zero outside (estimated) (and that's Celsius), so I was pretty determined to stoutly...
Pentax 645D. There aren't many cameras that will yield a better file and when lens costs are factored in (used), it's a bargain.
Camera of the Year 2013
It's that time of year again. Starting on Sunday I'm going to be doing a few posts about 2013's best cameras. Because, yes, it's fun. Before we start, anybody got any nominations? It should be something that was "appreciably new" in 2013, not just a fine camera, and it should be something that...
Bruno is correct, but perhaps supplies more detail than necessary. An AA filter that can be turned on or off is a really innovative development. Consider: are there many discussions of Nikon D800 vs. D800E?
I Meet Ewa (and Photo Equipment News)
As regular readers know, when I write about pool instead of photography, four dark horsemen mount up. Fruit rots on the trees, well water turns inexplicably odiferous, the sound of screaming is heard in the distance, and readers by their numberless legions drop out of TOP's audience never to be ...
Mike:
I see the potential of youth and the hopes and pride of parents in this photo. Digital/film and +/- a black border doesn’t change much.
Tom
Lillian and Rebecca
Here's my latest pic, taken last night. I got six or eight good shots last night, but the older I get the more willing I am to let the "just good" ones fall away and concentrate on the ones that have "it" for me—whatever strange grace it is that makes a picture work for me. This is one, but then...
Thanks for the link Mike. Jay Maisel, Pete Turner and Ernst Haas among others have been an inspiration to me. They all share that joy of seeing.
The Biggest Photographer in America
He lives in the biggest house, he smokes the biggest stogie, he has the biggest feet. I met Jay once—Arthur Kramer introduced us. I'm sure I was a lot less memorable to Jay than Jay is to me. There are all sorts of this-er or that-est photographers, but Jay, the leading commercial pro of his gen...
Mike:
This link works
http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcbabej/2013/05/08/how-leica-camera-is-reinventing-the-medium-format-market-on-its-own-terms/
The Leica S System
Ian Fairchild added an interesting thought to yesterday's "lensmakers" post. He said, "Agree with list with one exception. I would put Leica S lenses at the very top. They are as close to perfection as it gets. Prefer Zeiss to Leica M though." Although I was talking more about "character" and wh...
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