leighton w
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huddy wrote:
Where has the time gone?
13 years for this wonderful thread where so many fine people have come to visit and some have lingered. Curtis started this thread two days after Nikki (the wife, not the lens!) and I were married; I was a bit late to the party and didn't make my first post until Jan 16, 2011 (page 57!). I couldn't help but be inspired by all the pictures coming from these wonderful lenses! Folks (especially Curtis and Laura) raved about them and unlike the AF counterparts, I could afford some of these on my shoestring budgets (married college student).
Inspired, intrigued, egged on, whatever you'd like to call it, I carried out my fair share of kit building through those early years, buying a few lenses from folks here FM, some from this thread, and beyond. I don't have any of the originals anymore
- jhinkey's lovely 28/2 AI fell by the wayside due to a temporary dalliance with the 28/1.8 G AF-S
- AI versions gave way to AI-S versions for the shorter focus throw that I found useful for chasing fast moving children
- Experimenting with different focal lengths.
- My widest lenses were the 20/3.5 AI-S and 20/2.8 AI-S
- My longest was the 300/2.8 ED AI-S (still sad I missed that 500 f/4 AI-P that was on the board a few weeks back for $450 with a TC)
- At one point, Nikki (again, my wife, not the lens) suggested maybe this was getting out of hand because she couldn't remember how many lenses I had. At the time, I think I had: 20/3.5, 28/2.0, 35/1.4, 50/1.2, 105/2.5, 180/2.8, 200/4, 25-50 f/4, 50-135/3.5, and an 80-200/4.5 (AI). I ultimately agreed and started evaluating my most used focal lengths and whittling things back (she didn't realize at the time this would manifest in me picking up Leica M6TTL's or Pentax 67's on 2 occasions each when the prices were siren song low). Ultimately I'm glad that I passed many of the lesser used lenses along. I settled on 28/50/105 as my 3x main focal lengths and still find this is what I gravitate towards most.
I now have a 28/2 AI-S, a 28/2.8 AI-S, 50/1.2 AI-S, and 105/2.5 AI-S as well as a really cheap 50-135. I still regularly shoot them on my FE-2 or F3 and occasionally pull them out on my Z6. Even with a decade plus on the eyes now, I really prefer the viewfinder of the F3 for fast focusing of manual lenses although perhaps I'd pickup better on the Z6 if I gave it more practice.
My 105/2.5 still has the original dead fungus traces at the edge that were present when I bought it (knowingly, it was all I could afford at the time and I won't replace it) whereas my 50/1.2 has become a bit dustier, hazier, and looser over the years (it was always loose but has finally gotten a tad sloppy) and sadly picked up a few bits of fungus on an edge. I am not sure if I can bring myself to send it in for a CLA as it was always dusty and a bit hazy from the get go and I'm not sure I want the results that come out of it to change. Those two and my trusty FE2 have been with me for longer than my oldest child.
Enough about kit building. What's really great about this thread is all of the people. So many have come and gone, sometimes for a few posts, sometimes for weeks-years, some almost forever. It was so rare that we had issues with folks being sour about the original guidelines. Curtis' enthusiasm in getting the thread started and the kindness and warmth of everyone making this a happy little corner of the internet is pretty well unmatched in the history of the internet... or maybe it's the feeling of pleasure that comes over one from turning a smooth focusing ring! This group has been there for a lot of folks through hard times.
- Chris, keeping you in thoughts here for the prostate issues. Seems to be one of those things for aging with men.
- Leighton, I'm sorry to say I've still never made it all the way to your corner of the world. The closest we came was Tennessee (right along the edge of the Smokies at Maryville/Knoxville back in 2021 and another 6 or so hours away from you. I know for certain you have the more desirable locale of natural beauty!)
- Curtis, what a surprise it was to open this page a few days ago and see you back posting at such a historically normal rate!  I'm saddened for the loss of your hikes at Mount Tam and the other surroundings. As a fellow lover of being outdoors, especially in such a lovely place, I can only imagine the pain of waning ability to do the same activities as when we were younger. I've watched this happen to my own father who is not too far behind you in years and it's been hard for him too. Hopefully there remain a few of the less grueling trails that remain well suited for your current ability. Although I don't get to post a lot of pictures right now (the work schedule remains busy and my 24-120 S is usually glued to the front of the Z6, I've enjoyed greatly seeing you back and seeing your pictures (both old and new).
Oh and by the way, if I ever grab one of those 500 f/4's, just remember that it was probably the devil (or Laura) that made me do it! ...Show more →
Hey Alan, good to see you. The part about the people of the thread was well said. I too think it's what makes this place magicle.
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. I guess that