leighton w wrote:
Hard to believe this thread is still going, but it all started 13 years ago today thanks to Curtis.
Credit also goes to all (old and new) that continue to participate and use the lenses that brought us here in the first place.
Thanks for the reminder, Leighton! I agree with Andy about the "exceptional images and exceptional human beings." I know that Curtis worked hard during the first years to set the positive tone of camaraderie and fellowship. That it has continued in that spirit is a testament to how effective he was and the type of people who have been attracted to this thread since that time. Only rarely, in my time, have we ever had to respond to minor incidents of misbehaviour and, even then, it has always been done respectfully and without rancour. This is, indeed, a unique place to hang out on the internet!
In celebration of our 13th anniversary---and to add a fittingly eerie tone to go with the number 13---here is a set of photos from Courtenay that I have dubbed "The Car Show of the Apocalypse." They are brought to you by the 20 f/3.5 UD and my Fuji X-T4, with special mention going to the Lens Turbo II focal reducer, Lightroom Classic CC and Nik 6 Silver Efex.
leighton w wrote:
Hard to believe this thread is still going, but it all started 13 years ago today thanks to Curtis.
Credit also goes to all (old and new) that continue to participate and use the lenses that brought us here in the first place.
As I've said often along the way, I may have started this thread thirteen years ago, but it has always belonged to everyone who chooses to hang out here... and there have been a great many women and men who have done so over the years. I've been AWOL for most of the last four years for reasons I won't go into here... but when I have dropped in it has been reassuring to find so many familiar names still sharing photos and encouraging others who are drawn to these remarkable lenses.
I've done a bit of shooting over the last year but having given away the iMac computer that was still able to run Adobe products I'd purchased and installed on a series of computers, I was left without familiar software to process images. I've resisted the demands of Adobe, have dabbled with Affinity Photo and now am playing a bit with Nikon's free software, NX Studio. I'm now able to do enough that I feel I can actually share images again. I don't know how active I'll be on this thread, but I still own 46 manual focus Nikon lenses, so it would be a shame if I NEVER used them...
I'll share two... the first my most recent shot. I noticed the moon just before it slid behind a nearby tree. I dashed to get my Df, mounted the 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF, opened the door of my cottage and grabbed this shot... wide open at 12,800 ISO... not great, but I'm glad I caught it...
Then one more... with a sad story. This was taken along a trail I often hike in the watershed near where I live... a two mile loop. On June 29, 2023, I walked this trail and took a very bad fall... breaking off my two front teeth when I fell down a slope... my face smashing against the rocky trail. I was fortunate that rock didn't hit the middle of my forehead because it probably would have killed me. But I came away with no other broken bones. A week from today I go in for oral surgery to remove the roots of those teeth and to have a bone graft required for me to eventually have two implants. I won't be walking on these trails again, simply because at age 81... 82 next month... I don't have the agility or balance I did when I was younger. I also am wearing glasses for the first time in my life... but I still seem to be able to find focus with the little green light in the viewfinder. Life goes on... I'm happy to say.
Congratulations to everyone still participating in this conversation. Like Leighton I'm surprised it is still going on... but then we know turning the focusing ring makes photography a joy. Perhaps I'll see you all a bit more often in the coming months. Happy anniversary everyone!
I thought I'd share one more panorama I created using Affinity Photo. I wasn't certain it would stitch photos together but it worked seamlessly. These were taken with a 135 mm lens but I honestly don't remember whether it was a K, a Q or a Q.C. lens. This is probably six or seven photos merged together. It was taken from the side of Mount Tamalpais which is where I often hiked looking toward San Francisco with fog entering the Bay through the Golden Gate. You can see one tower of the bridge rising above one of the hills. I love this photo... it is often on my desktop.
CGrindahl wrote:
As I've said often along the way, I may have started this thread thirteen years ago, but it has always belonged to everyone who chooses to hang out here... and there have been a great many women and men who have done so over the years. I've been AWOL for most of the last four years for reasons I won't go into here... but when I have dropped in it has been reassuring to find so many familiar names still sharing photos and encouraging others who are drawn to these remarkable lenses.
I've done a bit of shooting over the last year but having given away the iMac computer that was still able to run Adobe products I'd purchased and installed on a series of computers, I was left without familiar software to process images. I've resisted the demands of Adobe, have dabbled with Affinity Photo and now am playing a bit with Nikon's free software, NX Studio. I'm now able to do enough that I feel I can actually share images again. I don't know how active I'll be on this thread, but I still own 46 manual focus Nikon lenses, so it would be a shame if I NEVER used them...
I'll share two... the first my most recent shot. I noticed the moon just before it slid behind a nearby tree. I dashed to get my Df, mounted the 300 f/4.5 AI-s ED-IF, opened the door of my cottage and grabbed this shot... wide open at 12,800 ISO... not great, but I'm glad I caught it...
Then one more... with a sad story. This was taken along a trail I often hike in the watershed near where I live... a two mile loop. On June 29, 2023, I walked this trail and took a very bad fall... breaking off my two front teeth when I fell down a slope... my face smashing against the rocky trail. I was fortunate that rock didn't hit the middle of my forehead because it probably would have killed me. But I came away with no other broken bones. A week from today I go in for oral surgery to remove the roots of those teeth and to have a bone graft required for me to eventually have two implants. I won't be walking on these trails again, simply because at age 81... 82 next month... I don't have the agility or balance I did when I was younger. I also am wearing glasses for the first time in my life... but I still seem to be able to find focus with the little green light in the viewfinder. Life goes on... I'm happy to say.
Congratulations to everyone still participating in this conversation. Like Leighton I'm surprised it is still going on... but then we know turning the focusing ring makes photography a joy. Perhaps I'll see you all a bit more often in the coming months. Happy anniversary everyone! ...Show more →
So sorry for your fall, but glad it was not worse than it was! Looking forward to seeing you more. Keep up the shooting
George
Thanks George. You've been one of the stalwart supporters of this thread for many years. I know that comes from your passion for photography and for these lenses. You've been one of the adventurers who has explored widely both in terms of lenses and cameras with which to mount them. Your anniversary shot is gorgeous! That was a lens that never made its way into my kit... perhaps because I was so smitten with the 55 f/1.2 S.C. AI. You likely recall I eventually owned three of those gorgeous lenses... though I finally sold one to Ken. That was years after he first asked if I were willing to sell one. I'm happy he is enjoying it but it was a reminder that I'm much more adept at BUYING lenses than at SELLING them. That, of course, becomes more of an issue as one gets older and contemplates what will happen to them when I do leave this mortal coil.
For today I'm keeping my lenses... and I'll likely use them. When I do I'll share a photo here among friends. Have a lovely day.
Thanks James and welcome Regina. I often refer to turning the focusing ring as a "religious experience." I know that could be thought of as blasphemy by some but that was exactly what it felt like when I mounted my first manual focus lens... the venerable 105 f/2.5 AI-s. It was that lens that motivated me to eventually start this thread thirteen years ago. I still feel that way when I shoot today. I have only two AF lenses in my kit and I'm honestly not certain where there are since I NEVER use them. Glad you found this thread Regina. Have fun!
CGrindahl wrote:
For the cat fanciers among us here are some of my neighbors...
It's great to see you Curtis, along with your feline friends! Sorry to hear about your fall; I hope the restoration and recovery process goes well for you. I'm having some oral surgery next Wednesday that is a bit less extensive than yours, but will likely be followed in a few or several years by something almost identical to what you are having done. I guess this all just makes the aging process a richer experience, right?
As of a couple of months ago, I no longer have any AF lenses left in my possession. Maybe you could develop selling skill by unloading the AF lenses, then start reducing the MF burden by selling the redundant ones to people like us. Sounds like a win-win to me!
CGrindahl wrote:
I thought I'd share one more panorama I created using Affinity Photo. I wasn't certain it would stitch photos together but it worked seamlessly. These were taken with a 135 mm lens but I honestly don't remember whether it was a K, a Q or a Q.C. lens. This is probably six or seven photos merged together. It was taken from the side of Mount Tamalpais which is where I often hiked looking toward San Francisco with fog entering the Bay through the Golden Gate. You can see one tower of the bridge rising above one of the hills. I love this photo... it is often on my desktop.
Hello Curtis!!! So glad to hear from you and to see some posts of yours. We all owe it to you for starting and nurturing this thread, and for promoting a welcoming atmosphere and camaraderie. From my perspective, you certainly brought me along in my knowledge of these lenses and my comfort level to join in here. So many interesting people from around the world, sharing not only sharing a common interest, but sharing parts of our lives and developing friendships. Who can forget "Nikki".
Best wishes for your upcoming dental work.
Don't be a stranger and don't let those Nikkors collect dust.
Scott
CGrindahl wrote:
Thanks James and welcome Regina. I often refer to turning the focusing ring as a "religious experience." I know that could be thought of as blasphemy by some but that was exactly what it felt like when I mounted my first manual focus lens... the venerable 105 f/2.5 AI-s. It was that lens that motivated me to eventually start this thread thirteen years ago. I still feel that way when I shoot today. I have only two AF lenses in my kit and I'm honestly not certain where there are since I NEVER use them. Glad you found this thread Regina. Have fun!...Show more →
Thanks, Curtis. Since I start posting in this thread, I have been spending a lot on "new MF lenses."
