what waS your last photography related purchase?

[justpete]

complete Nikkor 45mm f/2.8 AI-P for my FM3A

 

[locutus]

A big roll of draft stopping tape to make my bathroom light tight.

 

[Trower]

Two Agfa Isolettes - one an Isolette 1 with intact bellows, frozen-stiff Agnar lens and good working shutter. The other, an Isolette III (don't think the seller knew it was a nicer model, I could only tell by the photo of the embossed lens cover). Apotar lens and Prontor SV shutter. Trashed bellows covered in tape - RF dial, lens and shutter frozen solid.

Now I have a 40mm Isolette pinhole, with shutter and flash synch, and the front door closes vs. tearing it off (there's a lens board that slides out a few mm to not go insanely wide); and a fully functional Isolette III with the Apotar.

Both lenses took a bake in the oven and a twist with tape and hose clamps to get apart - soaked one for a week in 99% iso, wouldn't budge. 20 minutes at 180°f did the trick.

The RF was glued solid as well. Solvent didn't help, so I touched a soldering iron to the end of the screw and used snap-ring pliers to slowly free the mechanism up. Heat has been the only effective thing for me when it comes to the dreaded green grease. Cleaned all the optics and re-lubed the focus and RF threads. Just collimated the lens this AM and it's all good. Actually looks nice and sharp wide open.

I tested the slower shutter speeds with a 120fps video camera. Up to 1/100th, you can shoot footage of the shutter and count the frames, and do the math. Every speed up to 1/200th is almost exactly half speed, so that's easy to keep in mind when shooting. Will run some film in the next few days. Overall digging it, pretty groovy little camera that I can keep handy or stick in the glove box when it's not 110° out. Maybe $40 spent in total for both.

(BTW, I'm a digital video guy by day - I've found the LCD loupes that attach to the DSLR screens are just the shizz for anything requiring "faux ground glass" viewing. I use a piece of matte acetate on the film place and hold the loupe to it, and throw a 1K fresnel up. Going to try to dial in my flipped-lens brownie from close focus to a more portrait length with it).

I have been really impressed with my Isolette's! Great folders that rival the much pricier Zeiss folders. The 6x9 Billie records are very nice as well. Have fun with them!

 

[Hubigpielover]

Glossen Luna SBC. Great purchase for next to nothing. Trying to stop buying stuff and get a darkroom together and get more film. Also bought some Foma 100 classic. Really cannot wait to try it out.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Refoam job for my Nikomat FTn and a couple lens hoods. An HS-2 for the 50/2 H and an HN-3 for the 35/2 O.

-J

 

[Toyo]

Nikon F4s - Oh yeah!
T

 

[Anon Ymous]

Hydroquinone Monosulfonate Potassium
Potassium Thiocyanate
Cheap pH meter

 

[LeftCoastKid]

A pair of Archival Methods slide storage system boxes (the model with the six insert trays) from the good people at B&H Camera. Delivery is expected towards the end of next week. Next up: Once my last brick of Tri-X is drawn down, it will be time to order up a couple more bricks, as well some Delta 3200. Hoping to give some of the new P30 a look-see when it becomes available.

 

[Luis-F-S]

Deardorff V11 & holders.

 

[miha]

Various necessities for printing 20x24 large, including a 22x26 inch steel plate that will be used as an easel under my 4x5 Durst. I still need to obtain a couple of magnetic strips and half a dozen of 5 liter measuring jars as I'm in the single-tray processing camp.

 

[miha]

Nikon F4s - Oh yeah!
T
View attachment 174325 View attachment 174326

Best looking Nikon (or best looking SLR camera even) IMO.

 

[M Carter]

I have been really impressed with my Isolette's! Great folders that rival the much pricier Zeiss folders. The 6x9 Billie records are very nice as well. Have fun with them!

They're just dang cool cameras. And I'd like a 6x9 sometime. Here's a pic, note the La Croix-can pinhole lens.

 

[MattKing]

A 16 foot red LED rope light.
I am hoping that it will work as effectively and safely as a safelight as the one I tested for friends in my newly re-painted bathroom/darkroom. It is the same product.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Nikon F4s - Oh yeah!
...

Congratulations - the F4 is the last of the professional film Nikons with all-external dedicated manual controls (the Nikon Df pays homage to it).

Nice data back as well.

 

[fdonadio]

Best looking Nikon (or best looking SLR camera even) IMO.

the F4 is the last of the professional film Nikons with all-external dedicated manual controls

The F4 is my dream camera, not because of all the automatic features, but because of the simple and traditional "interface", fast motor-drive and flash sync.

 

[pdeeh]

Lartigue: Album of a century.
Paris Pictured: street photography 1900-1968.

Both charity shop finds, less than £7 for the two together. The Lartigue is a particularly nice discovery.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Paper (100 of old Kodak RC 8x10), paper developer (Kodak Dektol) and paper fixer (Kodak rapid fixer). It is only related to photography to me, if it is on the print.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Tomorrow, a K-type 50/2 Nikkor pre-AI will join the stable, along with quite a few parts/project cameras coming from Camera Clinic in Shoreline, WA, which is closing down next month after 37 years of business in the Seattle area.

-J

 

[guangong]

A very clean Kodak Medalist from a reputable dealer. Its only fault was a series filter ring frozen to a perfect 100mm coated Ektar that resisted all my efforts. Probably frozen since late 1942. Sent camera off to my repairman who spruced up viewfinder and cleaned an lubricated where necessary. Now have a "like new" Medalist. Some mink and neetsfoot oil applied to case and now pliable where should be. Camera should go for another 70 years. Total cost:$250.

Also just received a Canon 50 mm 2.8 lens for my P. Very clean. Didn't want to risk a collapsible Leica ltm because I know that I would forget and involuntarily collapse into camera.

 

[pdeeh]

Could not resist the OM-10 Quartz with 50/1.4 I saw in another charity shop yesterday. Light seals a bit gummy and battery compartment needed a clean, but for £15 ... Worth the risk I thought.
Seems to work perfectly.
Got a manual adapter on its way from ebay for an extra tenner, so now got a backup for my lovely om1n.

 

[skorpiius]

Top of a light stand adjustable flash and umbrella holder thingamabobber

 

[John_Nikon_F]

In addition to the 50/2 K-type Nikkor, a 135/2.8 Nikkor-Q (yes, another - previous one couldn't be AI'd with a ring) came home for the sum of $31.67, including tax.

-J

 

[removed account4]

a packet of dektol for shipping costs
a trade 1 nikon from a terrific apug member, traded for a lens with another terrific apug member
a vesta shipped from the great white north, and hmmm before that,
maybe contact printing frames? or auto repairs? ( so i can drive someplace with a camera )
or handful ( 15?20?) of archival prints made by my neighborhoot photo lab, .

doing my best to spend ALL my disposable income on photonecessities.

 

[nsurit]

B&W King developing tank for 5X7 film and Black A12 back for 501C Hasselblad.

 

[fdonadio]

New light seals for my Hasselblad backs, parts for fixing my spare Hasselblad 500C/M body, lots of Print File archival sheets (for 35mm and 120 film negatives) and a Sigma 18-35mm that I can't wait to get in the mail!

Cheers,
Flavio