what waS your last photography related purchase?

[TheFlyingCamera]

Two books about Edward Weston and Tina Modotti in Mexico.

 

[Donald Qualls]

it had these stupid coloured wires - brown and blue and yellow

Those are European code colors for hot, neutral, and ground (or hot, second hot, and ground, since 230V is dual hot legs). Yellow should be ground, brown and blue hots.

Use of those colors likely means this is a "world" appliance intended for use on 210-250 V 50-60 Hz -- many/most resistive devices have plenty of voltage tolerance to work on US, European, UK, and much of the rest of the world's mains power (most of which is in the 220-250 V range).

 

[Don_ih]

Yellow should be ground, brown and blue hots.

That's what they were. It would have made sense for the instructions to show as much, though, or at least indicate there is a different standard for colour coding. Yellow is a poor choice for a coded colour - it can be too close to white if too pale and too close to orange if too dark (and brown can be too close to orange if too light).

 

[Donald Qualls]

Yellow is a poor choice for a coded colour - it can be too close to white if too pale and too close to orange if too dark (and brown can be too close to orange if too light).

I agree, on the confusion point; however, the Euro electrical codes don't use white or orange, and have standards for what color "brown" and "yellow" actually are. In practice, it's only likely to cause a problem if you're doing wiring under red safelight or similar.

 

[eli griggs]

Too much wiring for me, I think I might consider a campers burst hot water, gas operated device.

I have several Coleman camping devices, such as gas heaters, stoves, lanterns and if I get to do my long road trip, handy hot water might make it a duel use tool and give me back many welcomed returns in having it to hand.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I think I might consider a campers burst hot water, gas operated device.

In today's world I'd have to call it a bad decision to install any new appliance that runs on fossil fuel (much as I like a gas range, I'll probably never own another one). Even if you get your electricity from coal burning power plants, they burn less fuel for a given amount of consumed energy than your in-home appliance can, and they're under fairly strict emission regulations these days. Here in NC, a significant fraction of our public power comes from solar; other places it might be hydro, wind, or even nuclear -- none of which contribute to climate change.

 

[eli griggs]

True enough but, I'm speaking to a duel purpose need.

I currently use a hotplate for heating water in my darkroom, but there is a limit to where I can use it and since 19, I'm still a bit out of ballance in walking, climbing stairs, so I prefer something that can 'move' things along in the DR.

I also still camp on a blue moon, and though my car is usually right there, as it would be when on a photographic road-trip, being able to have hot water on demand is nowadays is pretty important for several reasons, including hygiene.

Usually, I make do with a very small Brunton pocket, multi fuel stove, which can be worn on a belt; it'll bring a liter of water to a high boil in three minutes with 'white' gas, but, unless there's a power outage, the only use it in the house for coffee, which is only third to air and water.

Until non-fossil powered electrical electricitys are the common standard, I'll (and others) prefer the quick, plentifully BTUs of F.F.s as a "reliable" point of need solution to energy needs.

If I needed portable, non F.Fs electricity, solar is my current favorite, when I can get a good panel set, but a small, quite Honda would be nice as well.

I have to admit though, being able to have a "Clean" fuel option is most desirable, darkroom or living 'rough'.

Happy Holidays, and Godspeed to All,
Eli

 

[Mal Paso]

In today's world I'd have to call it a bad decision to install any new appliance that runs on fossil fuel (much as I like a gas range, I'll probably never own another one). Even if you get your electricity from coal burning power plants, they burn less fuel for a given amount of consumed energy than your in-home appliance can, and they're under fairly strict emission regulations these days. Here in NC, a significant fraction of our public power comes from solar; other places it might be hydro, wind, or even nuclear -- none of which contribute to climate change.

Half the electricity is lost in transmission, the byproduct is heat.
Utility electricity is unreliable. Besides storms our utility will shut the power off if it gets windy. Propane heat is over twice as efficient as generators/electric.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Propane heat is over twice as efficient as generators/electric.

A difference which, if even true, is more than offset by the gain factor of heat pumps. Not to mention, "The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) losses equaled about 5% of the electricity transmitted and distributed in the United States in 2016 through 2020." So, that's ten times better than your claim, while a heat pump can put roundly five times as much heat into the house for each kWh equivalent consumed as a direct combustion or resistance heater. And large scale generating plants, even burning fossil fuels, convert 40-45% of the energy input to electricity (before 5% of that is lost in transmission), meaning my central heat pump consumes a little less than half the fossil fuel that would go to directly heat the house with propane or natural gas (and cooling the house with propane is an even less efficient kludge). At-home internal combustion generators are much worse, of course, because small engines are far less efficient than large scale power plants.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

That whack of 120 film finally arrived. Supply lines are choppy, but thankfully, stuff is getting through. I heard the Coquihalla will open way ahead of schedule next week (was supposed to open late Jan) to essential vehicles, so things will improve for sure!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Oh! And batteries and charger arrived for my GoPro!

 

[eli griggs]

I wonder what the fuel efficiency would be if wood or black coal were turned into charcoal or coke with a unit to capture out gases, which could in turn be used for a substitute for propane?

Using the heat from the conversion factor/process might also be possible in a closed tri-part system?

Any idea on that?

A difference which, if even true, is more than offset by the gain factor of heat pumps. Not to mention, "The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) losses equaled about 5% of the electricity transmitted and distributed in the United States in 2016 through 2020." So, that's ten times better than your claim, while a heat pump can put roundly five times as much heat into the house for each kWh equivalent consumed as a direct combustion or resistance heater. And large scale generating plants, even burning fossil fuels, convert 40-45% of the energy input to electricity (before 5% of that is lost in transmission), meaning my central heat pump consumes a little less than half the fossil fuel that would go to directly heat the house with propane or natural gas (and cooling the house with propane is an even less efficient kludge). At-home internal combustion generators are much worse, of course, because small engines are far less efficient than large scale power plants.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Bottom line, @eli griggs , anything that takes carbon or hydrocarbons out of the ground and burns them contributes to increasing the greenhouse gas load (and let's not forget waste disposal -- coal ash is a big deal in North Carolina the last few years, after Duke Energy let a bunch of it get away).. Wind and hydro power don't emit greenhouse gases or create hazardous wastes (once manufacturing is done, anyway), they harvest energy directly from the Earth's weather cycle (and tide power similarly, but seems to be much harder to implement well). Solar does better than that; converting a fraction of sunlight that would otherwise just heat up the land into electricity. Higher efficiency is better if you must burn fossil fuels, but coal power plants are efficient enough that converting the coal doesn't gain anything compared to the high temperature combustion already ongoing.

Wood is an odd case -- it's returning carbon to the air that (mostly) came from there, so it ought to be more or less carbon neutral. Except that any wood (pellets or cut firewood) that you can buy for your wood stove consumed a bunch of fossil fuels in harvest, processing, and transport (not to mention plastic packaging). Even if you cut your own, your truck, chainsaw, and splitter likely run on gasoline (or diesel, in the case of the truck), adding carbon emissions to your carbon-neutral firewood.

None of which really addresses the issue of heating water for a darkroom sink -- I have trouble picturing a propane appliance being any better than electricity for this, unless you live in an hold house with wiring that can't handle the necessary draw.

 

[abruzzi]

I really, really, really, don't need another 4x5 camera, really. But KEH listed a Sinar F for $26...plus $8 shipping!?!?

If nothing else I can use the rear standard to occasionally shoot 4x5 on my 8x10 Norma.

Seriously, that's cheaper than the shortest sinar rail piece on ebay ($37 for a 6 inch rail extension.)

 

[Donald Qualls]

But KEH listed a Sinar F for $26...plus $8 shipping!?!?

Sounds like you lucked into a typo. Either that or you missed some description on an UG grade item...

 

[Donald Qualls]

Latest "photography related" purchase, ordered 32 GB of RAM (4x 8GB sticks of DDR3-1600), should make GIMP (and possibly Vuescan) run a lot faster, along with everything else I do that needs a lot of memory. Reached the stage where 8 GB (4x 2GB modules) just isn't doing the job...

 

[Philippe-Georges]

A pot of half a kilo of Sodium Carbonate anhydricum (by Bellini) to mix my beloved E-72 paper developer.

 

[abruzzi]

Sounds like you lucked into a typo. Either that or you missed some description on an UG grade item...

Amazingly enough, it is fine. It only came with the 12” base rail, but I have extra rail sections out to close to a meter. I added a rail section, attached a lomo 450mm Industar 11m, and everything seems fine. It works a little different than the Norma pieces I have on the 8x10. So it’s the best $26 camera I own. (I honestly don’t know the differences between the F, F1, F+ (or is it F1+?), and F2.

oh, and today, my WF Ektar 190mm arrived, and tomorrow my Sinar shutter should arrive so I can actually shoot the Industar. (I’m really bad at the hat shutter method.)

 

[Donald Qualls]

(I’m really bad at the hat shutter method.)

With an actual lens, I'd consider that mainly useful for J. Lane dry plates (the original ISO 3 ones) and paper negatives. Otherwise, even at f/32 you'd need too short a shutter in Sunny conditions.

 

[eli griggs]

So, ND filters would be needed, which is still the simplest "fix" for old or slow shutters, no?

With an actual lens, I'd consider that mainly useful for J. Lane dry plates (the original ISO 3 ones) and paper negatives. Otherwise, even at f/32 you'd need too short a shutter in Sunny conditions.

 

[Roger Thoms]

More little screws from McMaster Carr. This time some black oxide 18-8 stainless steel flathead M2 x 0.4mm x 8mm screws, oh and a tap and drill bit so I can mount a Chamonix Lens Iris onto a Sinar board. Could have “through bolted” it but were's the fun in that. I got the lens board bored out for the lens iris, just need to locate the holes accurately. Unfortunately my transfer punch set doesn’t go down small enough so I’ll have to see if I can turn something on the lathe. To that end I ordered a gage pin set so that I can accurately measure the hole diameter. LOL,my little machinist hobby is just as bad as photography when it come to GAS. I’m fortunate in that I inherited a lathe and bench top milling machine along with a lot of tooling from my father. I post a photo when the project is complete.

Roger

 

[ColdEye]

Some Pyrocat HD in glycol from PF. After so many years of reading about this developer it is time to try it.

 

[Donald Qualls]

So, ND filters would be needed, which is still the simplest "fix" for old or slow shutters, no?

Or very slow material, either one (or perhaps both).

 

[TJer]

Treated myself to two phenomenal Voightlander lenses: the Classic Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL II S Lens and Classic Ultron 40mm f/2 SL II S Lens! To be worn occasionally by my Nikon Df, F3’s, F5, and F6. Some of the finest glass I’ve ever used!

 

[AnselMortensen]

A bottle of paper developer, and a working Alphax #4 shutter with no aperture.