CGrindahl wrote:
You doubtless remember when the Q,C, lens was being talked about on the thread. They could be picked up for less than a hundred bucks. As I said with the comparison, I preferred the Q.C. and K for their form factor. They didn't give up much to the 135 f/2 AI-s and are much lighter AND much less expensive. My f/2 was my most expensive lens... beautiful and a great performer but a monster to carry around.
Of course, we all know the 50-135 f/3.5 is a favorite of yours. If I recall correctly I brought the first one of those to the thread but I moved along. It proved to be a wonderful lens for shooting at the market and you certainly made the most of what it has to offer. Thus is became the "Leighton lens.," as it should be.
It is wonderful that kids in your neck of the woods are having the opportunity to become involved in theater. We had active theater and music programs for kids when I was working in Vallejo and the Cultural Commission was involved. I served as staff to the Commission and so I quite naturally became involved. There are many ways kids can become engaged... sports, music and theater are wonderful outlets, as is 4-H. The kids in your photo look very alive. I love all three photos but that one makes me smile. ...Show more →
I used to set up the local theater club to come to the market for a dress rehearsal of their favorite part of whatever show they were doing at the time. It was loved by them and our market customers. It also helped them sell tickets.
First, how the light is just touching the top of the trees. And secondly, the composition, the two separate clumps of trees acting as bookends, and for a bonus, the deer. Well seen.
It must be a change in the weather... the weather between my ears, of course. I carried my camera while taking a walk through my neighborhood. I mounted the venerable 105 f/2.5 P AI which I added to my kit during the years I began exploring pre-AI lenses. In fact, the first copy of that lens I bought was a bit rough, but it did have the Nikon AI conversion kit. The AI-s version of that lens was the first manual focus lens I bought and was in fact, the reason this thread came into being. Since Dean from Hong Kong had impressed on me the value in buying mint copies of lenses, I made it a priority to find a cleaner copy of the 105 P. I found one but it didn't have the conversion so I did what a compulsive person might do... I bought the mint condition lens and brought both lenses to my local camera shop to have their skilled camera technician swap the aperture ring. I'm not certain I would go quite that far at this time in my life. I have too many lenses and most never find their way to my camera. But I do love this lens. It is second only to the 135 f/3.5 Q in terms of being a beautiful companion to my silver Df.
To continue my rambling... many years ago when shooting with Canon gear I was drawn to power poles and large transmission towers. I called those photos "power to the people." This is not quite so grand but I decided to use that name. Imagine... I live in a community where a modest home will cost over a million dollars.. This is a bit of an outlier...
Great to see you on the board Scott... though you've certainly been on it much more often then I have over the last few years.
Here's another taken during my walk this morning. It is not a very attractive photo but it has its unique qualities. Taken with the 105 f/2.5 P AI shooting downward while standing on a narrow pedestrian bridge toward a creek that flows through the small community where I live. The tree shown is actually a reflection off the water. It stands above the creek. I focused in the tree rather than the rocks by the creek. I like it... what can I say? Shooting down into a gorge and capturing the sky above me.
CGrindahl wrote:
It must be a change in the weather... the weather between my ears, of course. I carried my camera while taking a walk through my neighborhood. I mounted the venerable 105 f/2.5 P AI which I added to my kit during the years I began exploring pre-AI lenses. In fact, the first copy of that lens I bought was a bit rough, but it did have the Nikon AI conversion kit. The AI-s version of that lens was the first manual focus lens I bought and was in fact, the reason this thread came into being. Since Dean from Hong Kong had impressed on me the value in buying mint copies of lenses, I made it a priority to find a cleaner copy of the 105 P. I found one but it didn't have the conversion so I did what a compulsive person might do... I bought the mint condition lens and brought both lenses to my local camera shop to have their skilled camera technician swap the aperture ring. I'm not certain I would go quite that far at this time in my life. I have too many lenses and most never find their way to my camera. But I do love this lens. It is second only to the 135 f/3.5 Q in terms of being a beautiful companion to my silver Df.
To continue my rambling... many years ago when shooting with Canon gear I was drawn to power poles and large transmission towers. I called those photos "power to the people." This is not quite so grand but I decided to use that name. Imagine... I live in a community where a modest home will cost over a million dollars.. This is a bit of an outlier...
The 105 f2.5 was one of my first MF lenses when I found my way back to them once I found this thread 14 years ago. Mine was the Ais version but all were great lenses.
I'm a bit surprised there is a meter still mounted in this box being that it looks in such poor shape.
I have been out of the loop for so long and didn't realize Curtis had started posting regularly again.
Picking up a camera after a couple months (this was about 10 days ago):
Brightness of Inner Harbour, Baltimore, Nikon SP, 5cm f/1.4 SC, Ektar 100 000149110006 by Maryland Photos, on Flickr
Green heron contemplating life, or its next meal, also Nikon SP, 5cm f/1.4 SC. With Panther XX motion picture film 000273140015 by Maryland Photos, on Flickr
Colin, just finished watching a video of Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea. The Cathedral contains an enormous amount of artworks, awesome. May have to visit someday.
Curtis, a pristine 105/2.5 Ai was the second lens I added to the collection. Several months later, acquired a mint SIC version of the 105/2.5 AIs which was a bear to find. Both are stunning performers as everyone knows.
Samy, great to see you and nice photos.
Mirador del Valle, the hilltop area has the best views of Toledo. It is best to take photos near sunset but the train schedule did not allow, perhaps next time.
16mm f/3.5 Ai
There is a very popular restaurant beneath, La Ermitana. The tables have fantastic views and reservations are required well in advance.
16mm f/3.5 Ai
View from the courtyard section of the restaurant. Alcazar of Toledo, Roman 3rd century was mostly destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. It was rebuilt during 1940-1950s hence its modern appearance.
I know I've told the story but as an old man I give myself permission to repeat myself...
I was shooting with Canon gear when I arrived at Fred Miranda. I was as intent on kit building when shooting with Canon but the lenses were always AF and the really important ones had red rings around them and cost over a thousand dollars... gulp! At one point a friend of mine who shoots professionally... George Ward... told me as we were hiking how much he was enjoying shooting with the newly released Nikon D700. Like many of us Nikon had been the first camera he'd used. I was intrigued.
I began following the Buy and Sell forum on FM and eventually found a D700 at a price I could afford. Then I began a hunt for lenses. I discovered that those thousand dollar lenses I was using on my 5D cost $1,500 for the Nikon. Since this was just an experiment I looked for lenses with decent reputations. I picked up an 85 f/1.4D and compared it to my 85 f/1.2L and was pleasantly surprised. By that time I was browsing the Nikon forum. I was slowly building a kit but I hadn't made up my mind to switch. I liked the D700 but the 5D wasn't exactly chopped liver.
At that time everyone included the list of lenses in their kit as part of their signature line, so on every post you could see the gear a person was using. I kept seeing a 105 f/2.5 AI-s listened and I became curious. The curiosity led me back to the Buy and Sell forum where I found a lens at the jaw dropping price of $197. That was March 10, 2010. Suddenly the world of manual focusing opened up for me and this thread was soon born. I eventually sold $12,000 dollars worth of Canon gear to finance my adventure with these amazing lenses we all love.
So THANK YOU to the 105 f/2.5 AI-s that still sits in the cabinet behind me. Without it I likely would never have met the wonderful people who find their way to this thread. And even though I've not been around much the last few years, I count it as one of the gifts of my life that I've been able to play with all of you. And for the record... that $12,000 was ALL spent on Nikon gear...
Good to see Curtis pop in. Been slammed with work and life recently, so a nice tranquil shot (taken a week ago). Hope to catch up on the thread this week.
