Recent content by cooltouch

Way back in the early 90s I took a camera repair class at a local community college. One of the cameras I worked on was an FG I picked up for cheap because it had gotten wet. So I removed the top and bottom covers, inspecting them for corrosion (there was none), then after putting it back...

Whether or not the Oly XA series is considered overpriced based on its capabilities, consider another Oly: the Trip 35. Talk about a bare-bones shooter. But look at its prices these days, especially the black ones. Several years ago, I bought a guy's Oly OM outfit and he tossed a black Trip 35...

The Olympus XA is something of a cult classic. The XA's prices have increased -- somewhat -- since I bought mine over 20 years ago. I paid about $100 for it back then, maybe less, I don't remember anymore. These days, you're looking at $140-150 to get a good clean one in full operating...

My wife doesn't bother me about my spending cuz I know how much she spends on purses. Hell, I've bought cameras and guitars for less than she'll spend on a purse!

Yeah, dedicated digit*l eyepiece cameras are by far the most popular nowadays, but back in the day, film was the only choice, and 35mm was considered optimum. But because camera weight was often an issue, telescope operators preferred small, light cameras. The Oly OM-1 became a very popular...

Flavio, I would agree that the low-light, slow-speed capability with the F2 is something of a gimmick, and yes, I also agree that a handheld meter would be much preferred for best results. But I have always marveled at the way Nikon incorporated the self-timer with the shutter and even tied the...

Correct exposure for the full moon is 1/125 @ f/8 @ ISO 100. Some prefer f/11 for deeper contrast. At f/15, I'd recommend dropping down a speed to 1/60, or bump up the ISO for a faster shutter speed.

I have long preferred manual, mechanical cameras. So I have a pretty short list, but at the top of it is the original Canon F-1, second version, aka F-1n, and the Nikon F2. I like the F2A the best because of its practicality for mounting all F-mount lenses (except G, of course), but I wouldn't...

I don't keep track of the alphabet soup with the various manufacturers' focusing screens. I just look for plain matte screens for any of my cameras that take interchangeable screens. I got into this habit when I did a lot of photography with slow zooms and telephotos. After a while, using plain...

Here's my latest. A Canon 7s rangefinder with 50mm f/1.2 lens. I took this pic right after I bought it, so it's pretty grungy looking. Fortunately, it cleaned up well. I bought the outfit for that lens. $300, which I think was a fair price. Actually, a very fair price.

I have always used Jon Goodman for my replacement light seals kits. He makes them for a dizzying variety of cameras and his prices are quite reasonable. I don't think I've ever paid more than $10 for a kit from him. Fit has been spot on. If you don't mind DIY, I highly recommend him. Jon's...

Canon nFD 400mm f/4.5. Stolen a few years ago. Not terribly expensive, but the most expensive photographic item I've lost.

I'm so glad I bought my medium format gear when I did. 2009 was probably close to the nadir with regard to prices for medium format gear. That's when I bought my Bronica ETRSi (in Exc+ condition) with prism finder, lens, and a couple of backs for $129. This was an eBay auction and I was the only...

For close to 40 years, my "just enough" camera has been the Original Canon F-1, specifically the Canon F-1n (the 2nd version of the original). I can get by with an FTb, as long as I'm not using slow lenses. The camera itself is of average size and weight for its era, which I have never found...

I bought my N80 with a 28-105 D lens for next to nothing -- like $40 or something -- a few years ago. I like it a lot. It's light, fast and very quiet. The stickiness was really annoying though, but I managed to get rid of the stickiness with talcum powder. I just put a little talcum powder in...