Fuji G690 BLP And More Internet Nonsense....

My new toy for today, I had to buy it, not even sure how it turned up in my EB search but it did and now it's here.

I've yet to see a bad review for the Lens and by some accounts the 100mm f3.5 that seems to be its standard lens is by far one of the best for it and it was one of the reasons I impulsely bought it, as it said the lens was clean, a good start.

For a 54 year old Camera it needs some TLC and as you can see it's had a life, the mount ring behind the Focus ring is supposed to be black in colour and the Shutter and Aperture No.s are faded but it works and it has clean glass and that's all that matters.

The Rangfinder needs fettling and the paintwork needs some attention but it would be easy to repaint it and make it look all nice and shiny but that would remove the scars of the beautiful life it has had and will be mostly left as it is, the only thing that bugs me is the frame around the Viewfinder on the front, that will be cleaned upand repainted just as a little cosmetic tart up.

So whats all the nonsense about....

Upon doing a little research I came across some comments about the Camera that reall pissed me off, they were just the opinion of one person but were just silly and I'll show you what I mean:

"Mythology of the Fuji G690BL GL690 GM670"

July 6, 2010.  There are some things floating around on the internet that tend to inflame people's imaginations and inflate asking prices for the G series cameras and their lenses (G690, G690BL, GL690, GM670)  We'll address each of these categorically.  Maybe you can save some money.  Maybe this will make your G-lust worse.

1.   "I need a 6x7 or 6x9 camera."  Yes, you probably need one like you need a hole in your head.  Most people should think twice (or more):

•     At least up to an 8x10 enlargement, you won't see any difference between a 6x7 or 6x9 camera and a 6x4.5.
•     A 6x7 or 6x9 enlarger is about double the size of a 35mm/6x6 dual model.
•     There are only 8 to 10 shots per roll of film.  If you buy film at B&H and develop/print at A&I, that means your pictures cost $2.00+ apiece.  That's a bit of money to drop per frame when it isn't 4x5.
•     Even if you develop your own film, it's still $6 for the film and chemicals, which makes for 75  cents a frame - before any prints.
•     Not only is the bulk of the camera double that of, say, a GA645, you're also carrying twice as much film for a given number of scenes.
•     The 6x9 format (like 35mm) is not a great fit for the sizes of photo paper sold in the United States. If you need a full frame but also need something to overlap with a mat, you get a 6x9" image on 8x10 paper.  To get a picture 8" wide (horizontal frame) requires 11x14 paper which costs about a dollar a sheet. To do the same thing with 6x7 only takes an 8x10 sheet.

OK, so lets make it clear and add the corrections:

"Mythology of the Fuji G690BL GL690 GM670"

July 6, 2010.  There are some things floating around on the internet that tend to inflame people's imaginations and inflate asking prices for the G series cameras and their lenses (G690, G690BL, GL690, GM670)  We'll address each of these categorically.  Maybe you can save some money.  Maybe this will make your G-lust worse.

1.   "I need a 6x7 or 6x9 camera."  Yes, that's my choice so what has it got to do with you?

•     At least up to an 8x10 enlargement, you won't see any difference between a 6x7 or 6x9 camera and a 6x4.5. (So what!}
  
•     A 6x7 or 6x9 enlarger is about double the size of a 35mm/6x6 dual model. (So what!}
  
•     There are only 8 to 10 shots per roll of film.  If you buy film at B&H and develop/print at A&I, that means your pictures cost $2.00+ apiece.  That's a bit of money to drop per frame when it isn't 4x5. (It's not your money so.....)
  
•     Even if you develop your own film, it's still $6 for the film and chemicals, which makes for 75  cents a frame - before any prints. (It's not your money so.....)
  
•     Not only is the bulk of the camera double that of, say, a GA645, you're also carrying twice as much film for a given number of scenes. (So what!}
  
•     The 6x9 format (like 35mm) is not a great fit for the sizes of photo paper sold in the United States. If you need a full frame but also need something to overlap with a mat, you get a 6x9" image on 8x10 paper.  To get a picture 8" wide (horizontal frame) requires 11x14 paper which costs about a dollar a sheet. To do the same thing with 6x7 only takes an 8x10 sheet. (So what! Not everyone lives in the US and have you never heard of composition and or a sharp knife to trim the paper or where does it say it has to be 8" wide.....}
  

The silly article then goes on about how cheaply made they were....And yet here we are, 54 years later, still working and still producing breathtaking negs/trans as the day it was released.

If you want to try something take NO notice of anyone else, no one, just try it yourself and make up your own mind and the cost of my choices on this occasion was just £100 for the Camera and Lens.

The Nikon Series E 70-150mm 1:3.5 - A Misguided Dumb Myth

If you follow Nikon History or are interested in Photography to a certain level or frequent certain forums, you'll read all about this Lens and the famous picture that started it all, it didn't really but like any good drama you have to make shit up....

"Rainbow over the Potala Palace" © Galen Rowell *Used for review purposes

Kiron 70-150mm f/4 - It Has Landed....

Well, well, well, what a lovely lens, let the pics do the talking, what a fascinating hood design, when you are not using it, you reverse the hood onto the lens and it clips into the filter thread, then the front cap goes on like normal but it stops the hood from being able to be removed when not being used, it's pretty clever.

It's well built and you feel confident using it, I quickly tried it on a Nikon FE and a Nikon D1H for feel and focus and it is really very nice, I'll post some pics when I get a spare 5 mins.

For £17 no one in their right mind should turn one down, I don't really care for others opinions in general about gear as they are not using my gear so their gear isn't the same and all I'm interested in is the end result, wether it costs £5 or £5K, is 5 or 50 rs old, I couldn't care less, it doesn't make me a better photographer, what does is, understand how things work and a little bit of 45yrs of learning.

YAEBSL - Yet another Ebay Seller Lying....

Oh dear, how desperate must you be to lie about a Light Meter to get a few more quid than its real worth....Sad and desperate methinks, check this crap out....

This is not a Sekonic L398 and never will be, don't believe me:

Yes, historically there's a link but see the dates, Norwood Model B - 1948 / Sekonic L398 - 1978, there's a 30 year difference and to suggest a Model B is a Sekonic L398 is just a deliberate lie to try and increase the value of a Meter that is worth no more than £15-£20 at best, my complete and boxed Norwood Model C was £13.44 Delivered....

Not hard to check:

http://www.jollinger.com/photo/meters/meters/norwood_directorB.html

New EB addition, just had to....Kiron 70-150mm f4 - £17 WOT!

Remember this quicky from the other day, cost £35 delivered and it really is mint, just some very slight stiffness near the end of the Zoom but that could loosen with useage, we'll see, so then I was bored earlier and saw the Kiron....

Kiron 70-150mmm f4 NAI

So, a 35-70mm and a 70-150mm all for £55 to the door (£3 Postage for the Kiron), what a perfect combo, the Kiron takes 52mm Filters just to fit with all my Nikon Filters which are mostly 52mm, even thinking of picking up a Kiron Reverse Mate (55mm) (I don't like 52mm > 55mm Adapters) then both can be reversed in the field (Have a BR2A) and still only carry it all in my pockets if I need to be discreet or lazy, plus the Nikon BR3 can be added for Filters, Hoods or a bit more protection.

Geez what a no brainer, Oh and who cares about pointless tests and AF and Pixel Bollox, that's not what Photography is about AT ALL, if you think so, then leave now....

I've stopped reading silly forum posts and reviews etc as they don't really mean anything, some tech info can be handy, except show people are really bored or boring....It's a bit like posting Pics of what you had for tea on Social Media....Imagine going to the Pub before the brain numbing internet with a Pic of you tea and shown it to your mates, you'd be sat in the corner, alone, while people threw things at you....And don't get me started on Ken Notwell, he really is....

Don't Let The Money Stop you Having Fun....My Latest EB Buys....

Funny how I only mentioned the Nikon E Series Lenses the other day and today was lucky to find this:

Nikon 50mm f1.8 AI

Cost, £28 delivered....I've been looking for an AI one for a while now at the right price, as I mentioned earlier, nothing really wrong mechanically with an E Lens but I'd rather use this, than that....Plus this will add value to my collection and possibly increase slightly in value after a good service, why did I want one....It's for use on the PB-5 Bellows, by some accounts on the www this is a perfect match for the PB-5, especially reversed, we'll see, plus it's considered by some to be Nikons best 50mm ever....

Next up is this hump of metal:

Manfrotto 338 Levelling Base

Come on, a perfect platform for Panoramas or Landscapes all for £13.29 inc delivery, it's a no brainer if you need one, go look at what others want for them, think this is already my bargain of the year, it's meaty, heavy, simple to maintain and easy to operate, what more could one want from their gear.

And for now, the best till last, almost....

Nikon PK-11A Extension Tube

In the UK these are a pain to find cheap, my PK-12 & PK-13 only cost me £12 for both but this bad boy was £30 delivered, whilst one might think that's not really a bargain, trust me, here it is, I'm also happy now as this completes the Set, PK-11A/PK-12/PK-13, all nice and warm inside now, it did take me a few months to find a decent one cheap enough but as I say, a lot, patience has its rewards.

The almost....At the time the only one on EB

£35 through the door....

• This is a fully manual lens
• Focus works
• Iris works
• Zoom works (tiny bit stiff)
• No haze
• No fungus
• No notable dust
• No scratches

Some nice usable gear well within my budgets.

Nikon E Series Lens - Don't Pay For The Hype....(Short III)

There is nothing predominantly wrong with Nikon E Series Lenses, they have an acceptable build quality, my small Zoom is lovely, and the glass is, well glass....I don't like how cheap they feel (I don't mean cheap as in nasty as that isn't true, but to the personal touch) compared to an original non E Lens, the 70-150mm Zoom is nice, light and perfectly usable but I'd rather use my 80-200mm f4 AIS or f4.5N as they just feel better to me but regardless of that personal choice, it doesn't change the fact most E Series Lenses are overpriced.

There's a saying if you've heard of it....'It's only worth what someone will pay....' which might make sense in some peoples lives but not here, I'm not really a subscriber of paying the 'going rate' for things, I don't support sites that try and manipulate increased unrealistic second hand prices for increased fees, I pay what I think something is worth not necessarily what others think it's worth, which don't always align but I nearly always buy what I need in my budget.

Not just Camera gear either, I own about 30 Guitar Pedals and never paid EB/Greedverb/Anyotherott prices for any of them, many I've not paid more than £30 for and most are worth more now, if I sold them, but it returns as if I do sell any I don't need loads of profit, if any, so they end up being sold quickly as they are usually below the 'going rate' and hopefully some other patient buyer is the lucky one to get it, remember what I said about timing and buying previously....

Is it April 1st....

Anyway, what I find silly is the ridiculous prices people try and get for these little bits of Nikon Technology, it's fantasy land, some dealers obviously have been drinking the Kool' Aid, why would anyone buy one for more than what the equivalent for their big brother, and better everything, relations fetch, would I rather have my all metal 28mm f3.5 Pre AI, which is like new, that cost me £20 or a £50+ second cousin.

Bit of a no brainer really, unless you are collecting them to get the set, I'd pay no more than £40 for any of them and for the common 50mm no more than £30 but go to EB now and see all the overpriced junk, everything has a price limit and I suppose most don't sell at the stupid prices but you know the saying, A fool and his money....

It's all down to the hype, the buzz, the one review from years ago that said they were amazing....They are the best thing since sliced bread....Blah blah, you know the deal....More internet nonsense. They do what they are meant to, but to suggest that any E Series Lens is worth more than a historic standard Nikon 50mm or whatever is as stupid as stupid comes, gift wrapped with a delusional bow, don't encourage it by buying them.

For now....

Adapting Adapter Things....PT II (Short II)

Just some more messing with things I picked up on my travels, I'll post loaned pics until the real thing turns up soon....

First up is this homemade interesting Olympus > M39/Dallmeyer (C Mount) Adapter that came with a set of AICO Bellows, more of those later, have a quick look first....

What you can't see is the solo mount is hand engraved 'Leica' and the underside one is engraved 'Ental / Dallmeyer '82 and the trio of holes you see allows them to be changed onto the Olympus Mount by tapped threads added to what looks like a nonhacked Olympus > 49mm Male Adapter, I'll add pictures later and all will be revealed to your eyeballs.

(The box contains an Olympus T-Mount and a Lensman Microscope Adapter)

You just unscrew the 3 straight machine screws to change either or for the desired effect, the Minolta EL tightened up but was loose whilst on the way, these adapters are Aluminium I think and have softer threads and over time they just relax a little and if they do ever become unusable, the Olympus Adapter has 49mm threads that are clean and still screw into the 49mm mount on the Glanz as a test and all is good.

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Let's have a quick look at these for a sec....

A set of Nikon Mounts for the Elicar Auto Bellows and according to the box, a later version, I've seen the same set but without the Aperture Ring, so it fits and what is interesting about these is they fit the AICO Auto Bellows as they share the same blueprints as the Elicar, mine came with an Olympus (OM) Set attached and the Auto function is also interesting, no matter the extension, the front and rear mounts are coupled with a simple 2 prong fork along the bottom of the rail that attaches to a small extended rod from the mount....

You can see the rod at 11ish O'Clock in the above pic and the front and rear forks for it to connect to are in the same position on the bellows....So of course, all giddy I possibly disastrously took off the rear Olympus Mount and tried the Nikon on for the maybes and it sort of worked, for a sec, sort of....When I make more of an effort I'll post my findings but up to now the only issue could be the travel for the coupling and its relationship to each makers Mounts but as we've been distracted....

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Next up is a simple, not what you might expect adapter, that brings old and new together which is handy if you use old and newer than that old gear, but as you've no idea what I'm talking about, here's a clue....

A Nikon MC-25, something I wasn't really looking for but was pointed to by a great article about using Nikon Bellows, the double cable with one cable closing the aperture, pre shutter release and the other cable releasing the shutter after that was done, there's a slight delay in each of the cable releases, you do need a MR-3 to go direct to Camera or as I do, with the MR-1, see below, this is what Nikon says about it:

The MC-25 Adapter Cord enables the use of two-pin remote accessories: Remote Cord MC-4A, Remote Cord MC-12B, and Terminal Release MR-3. And officially compatible with:

It also worked fine with the F90X I tried it with, you should always try or ask as you'll never know, this thing doesn't need line of sight either and uses modern, easy to get batteries, (4xAA & 1xPP3) what it also doesn't say is, it works with an ML-1 (1976)

All for the princely sum of £21....inc Delivery but it was a bit of a slog to get it, worth it but possibly nearly didn't....Let me quickly tell the tale....I saw the MC-25, as I said earlier in another article, and did a quick EB search and found this one with a SB of £3, so I saved it and noticed the ML-1 from the same seller, 2 saves later I moved on....After the reminder I saw no bids but at the end got distracted by home life and missed the end of the auction, it was still at £3 with no bids, so I messaged the seller asking if they were going to relist as I was interested and just missed it, while I was waiting I looked again and saw none, not even close, not sure of the release price but these are still available from Nikon for $125 AFAIK.

So it might seem expensive for a bit of wire and some connectors and either not a lot were sold or people don't get rid of them as there weren't any about for a good price when I looked. I got a reply a few days later saying that both items will be relisted but not sure when as he's really busy, fair enough, so I waited for 2 weeks before they showed up again, with the same starting prices (£3 & £15 ML-1) and were listed for.....10 Days! LOL....So I bid and waited and waited and won them both for the starting price, plus £3 for delivery, sometimes it just works out for you, unlike the, as new £40 55mm f2.8 Vivitar Macro that never turned up....(It eventually did turn up but will talk later about it) And sometimes it doesn't but I always take the view, that there will always be another....

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Let's move on....

Pentax 'A' Adapter

Pentax 'B' Adapter

The 'B' Adapter was alleged to be in the wrong box but I think the seller just thought the big A on the box was the designation for the type as it is the Type B version of this beautifully made piece of real metal, it's heavy and confident and is made to do one thing and do it well, whilst it might not seem exciting these adapters are hardish to find in this condition here in the UK, cheaply anyway, there are a newer version but who wants lightweight, softer metal in something that's a vital link to what you do.

I've read posts that claim these are not common to buy and if so then I've been lucky to find both, so close together and for under £20 through the door, and if not then they are still great value, they are deceivingly heavy for the size of them and reveal the heavy metal content which inspires confidence and warming of the heart, put it on, forget about it, you know it'll work.

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Oh yeah, I liked this one so much, I bought another....

I'll end this with a warning....I bought this to mess with, it's supposed to be an Olympus Set but the front fits a Nikon Mount!

Be wary of cheap knock off EB crap.

There's no such thing as a bad lens. (Short I)

Whatever you read on the www, including here, do not take it at face value but one thing that is quite clear is that some people need a gym membership or some more Weetabix in the morning.

The first thing is, there are no general use lenses that are too heavy, you'll see it all the time in older lens 'reviews' or Forum posts....Oooh it's too heavy, oooh it weighs more than a tin of beans, really, in what world can a few ounces or even a couple of lbs, in ratio to an average 12st of Human Mass and Muscle, of metal weigh you down, in what world does anyone carry a Camera up to their face constantly or in their hands all day, I would have thought not many and if required in your field of work then it's just part of that job and a skill to learn, like keeping both eyes open, so you can see what is going on outside of the view of the viewfinder, a useful method for Live Stage work as an example and from personal experience, a very useful method to learn.

That's what straps where invented for, geez even when I was trekking around on muddy Festival sites for 12 hours at a time did I moan about the weight of my gear, not really because, one, because I had a decent bag and two, a Camera strap that works to this day (O/T - 1990's) and three, I only took enough equipment to do the job at hand, this is area specific, I've seen some photographers weighed down by gear but that's because they take too much back up gear or just in case gear, but oooh look at that car, the wheels are too round....is funny.

You can take all your ultimately pointless pixel peeping and shove it, look at all the pixels you want, it won't make your pics any better, it won't make you more wise, it won't make you a better person or photographer, there are areas where it might mean something but in the real world, it means absolutely nothing, yet the www is full of tests and charts, it still means nothing when it's on the Camera and being used.

It's knowing your gear and using it within it's capabilities and its weaknesses to your advantage, you can get a good picture with any lens, how it turns out doesn't rely on the tests you've pointlessly, obsessively read, in fact it's not even the Camera you are using as they are a mechanical means to an end, and at the end of the day only perform the 3 main functions, if the idea isn't in your head then no amount of good or 'bad' gear will help you.

For now I'll leave you with some quotes from a Nikon Engineer:

But this is a characteristic of the lens, and cannot be dismissed as an out-and-out defect.

The aperture stop is normally used to control exposure, soft focus effects, and depth of field, but having an idea of the changes in imaging characteristics with variations in the aperture will enable you to get just that little extra from the lens characteristics. One object is to find the aperture which gives you just the kind of image you like.

It seems that every introductory book on photography includes a statement to the effect that: "A 50mm lens is the universal workhorse, that can function both as wide-angle and telephoto. But one could also say that by the very fact of being a universal lens it tends to fall between two stools, and learning to use such a lens to the full is actually rather difficult.

I often think of the 50mm lens as a "short medium-telephoto." Though trying to learn how to use it as a universal lens may be difficult, think of it as just one of a set of interchangeable lenses, and the possibilities remain vastIf you don't understand what these might lead to or encountered such thoughts about your equipment, then I think you're potentially not using your gear to its maximum capabilities, quality or usability....

Otherwise you need to adopt a manual technique. This is one of the difficulties in using vintage glass!

I've nothing against AF at all, it's a feature that is useful and makes some Photographers lives a more relaxing experience and easier when working, but personally I know how to use a lens manually, it's one of the first things I learned and if otherwise by others then becoming reliant on one technique or technology could limit ones progress in demanding situations, it allows a wider working safety net and possibly wider experiences, working in quiet environments is a positive example, and is also the preferred method used in Macro work, even with new AF advances, professionally or amateur, it matters not.

It's not difficult to manual focus at all, it can be a monotone learning curve as repetition is key, knowing your lens is important, there are different levels of need, I can for my needs but not to the level of, let's say, Bird in Flight Photography, I'd get lucky because focusing manually for me feels natural through practice, but not consistant, it would take only a few months though to move up a level as it's a progressive, repetitive method.

Don't get me wrong on not recommending this lens - I don't think it's hopeless, I'm just not sure of it's relevance in the digital age. It's not wide enough to be a proper landscape/wide lens - but of course has no reach either, and because of its f2.8 combined with a not-long 28mm, it doesn't throw backgrounds out particularly easily.

It's relevance isn't relevant, DSLR or SLR it is what it is, whatever the use, want wider landscapes, use a wider lens, plenty of landscape Photographers use a 28mm lens without issue, want reach, everyone knows, want a little reach, I find my Nikkor 85mm f2 is reach enough with a nice soft touch if I need it, without adding more glass, if it's hard to get the results you want then it's either broke, your not using it as it should be to get where you want or it's the wrong lens for the idea, if I want a little less reach then a 50mm f1.8 is perfect.

The older lens also renders pictures with more “character” but this is so subjective because some people either like or hate the look of pictures taken using older lenses and this has been the topic of debates for decades and I hope that this article will show you how this lens performs so you can make your own personal judgement.

You will want to use this with its dedicated lens hood to help protect the front element. It is also useful in helping to prevent stray light hitting the front element from an angle and that will prevent any ghosts and flares from appearing in your pictures. Digital cameras are more prone to ghosts than film because they reflect more light due to the protective glass in front of the sensor, this is why many manufacturers offer digital versions of their lenses some time in the early 2000s.

This lens is one of the best deals in portrait lenses today. This is a portrait photographer’s secret weapon and the value-to-performance ratio of this lens is very good. Once you see how this lens performs you will wonder why you will want to pay a more expensive lens. If you are fine with manual focusing then this lens will fill your portraiture needs! If you don’t believe me then please inspect my sample pictures and see for yourself!  (Nikon 85mm f2)

From the experienced mind of Mr Richard Haw and his thoughtful and useful words, it is all personal, you'll be happier recalling this when 'listening' to others opinions and find his words in the last paragraph agreeable with my own opinion of my 26yr old 85/2.

A useful tip and shows he's experienced enough to be using the equipment to get the best out of it, that's important when learning or getting more interested in the more technically or engineering detail of Nikon equipment, the Lens itself is part of a system, designed to work together, always OEM when buying here, for a reason and noted is the limitation of the new technology at the time, knowing how something works is very useful.

If you are a Nikon fan of a certain level of interest you know who RW is and his thoughts are useful to consider when deciding on what one might either need a lens for a certain use or to purchase something for your personal collection.

A Personal Reference Site: https://richardhaw.com/

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I'll leave these here:

"Poor lenses can be used to make fine photographs, but how much more fun is it to use good lenses and not need to find ways around their shortcomings".  David Ruether

Even an average Lens is better than most Photographers....

Adapting Adapter Things....

Just some bits aquired on my travels to mess with, that's what I love about things, there are no rules really, or silly 'You need to do it this way' templates to negate your freedom to choose, if they are usable though, is another quiz.

Let's start with this love it thing....

GLANZ 700 - 1000mm TELESHOTS P-ADAPTER VARI EXTENSION TUBE*

Circa: 1960-70s

So already I can add 49mm Filters inline, between the front extension tube and the main body, nice, of course the bare 49mm thread could be then added to go to 52mm (*A Nikon Fav....) for a reverse lens set up....

That delicious knurled ring is big, easy to grip and easy to rotate, it feels a little dry but still smooth, nothing a little TLC wouldn't put right.

*The rear....A T-Mount fits perfectly, just....It has a groove in the ring for the screws to catch, just....

*With the front 49mm tube removed.

Quick fit test, needs a shim but yes, it's fit!

Once again, old meets new, to make good.

Let's guess what fits on the mount....Begins with T....

The base of it all, stability.

Sits middle balanced with Nikon M2 Extension and Nikon 36-72mm f3.5 Series E.

*The top of the Glanz does touch the top of the Camera near the nameplate if no Extension Tube is used.

Now to the nitty gritty things 1:

• Glanz - £23.80
• Nikon F Mount - £8.00
• Nikon T-Mount - £6.00
  
• My Options:
  
• Manfrotto 120 - £8.29
• Nikon M2 Ext Tube - Personal
• Nikon 36-72mm f3.5 - Currently in the process of trying to sell it (With a nice Black FG) but it sits nice on this set up, I might try it reversed!
• F90x for testing. - Personal

I'll come back to this because we had a delivery....

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This is lovely thing 2....

ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 16466M (late)*

Production era - 1959-1983

After looking tirelessly for a decent M39 Adapter for the Nikon experiments and drowned by cheap knockoffs from The Controller of all technology, I came across this beautiful piece of engineering from pre 1983, it's not an early one as that is just labelled OUBIO and not the engraved 16466M on later ones.

I know it wouldn't be hard to knock something together with many things but I'm a believer of, the less, the better, mechanically, for consistancy, and reliability, which means it's something I don't need to think about and can free some brain space for other things, on this occasion.

*The rear mount.

*Inc for free, a solid tripod mount with 2 size threads.

Sometimes simple works out best, unscrew 5 grub screws, pull off original mount, put on T-Mount, tighten up 3 grub screws....

When old and new work, with Nikon T-Mount.

Scale.

Mount me.

Rotating 45° Mount.

My Dream Come True.

It also opens up the knowledge that these adapters can be extremely versatile and a great base for similar mods, the added mount is a very nice convenience indeed....

Indeed it is.

Manfrotto 120 Base Plate, 16466M, Minolta E Rokkor 75mm f4.5

Now to the nitty gritty things 2:

• 16466M - £30.98
• Nikon T-Mount - £6.00
• My Options:
  
• Manfrotto 120 - £8.29
  
• Minolta E Rokkor 75mm f4.5 - £12.00

There are cheaper methods, but non look and feel as good as this.

Added: 04/12/23

First Hands On Thoughts

The tripod mount (3/8" & 1/4") on the complete assembled adapter is fine with a light Camera body (Nikon D70s), the added Nikon M²  Extension Tube is light, keeps the body away from the tripod mount and it keeps the weight down but with strong enough mounts for this occasion.

Or mount the D70s, the whole adapter only weighs 288 grams (10.15 ounces) with the Minolta and gives it a nice handling characteristic, you just move the camera to focus, plenty to hold onto and just enough weight for some slower shutter speeds.

Stopping the Minolta down is instant and live and it's very easy to confidently work faster, if you want to, around a still subject and this would make a great set up to learn on, focusing, hand holding, slower shutter speeds.

Of course any of this is pointless without pics....

These are some results from testing the equipment and not 'Oooh look at that quality'. It's a view test, all subjects close together on the same table, to test moving from subject to subject, focus depth and handling. (Handheld, D70s, Manual, No Post, JPEG, Craft Light - Daylight Bulb - All but one @ 1/40th Sec)

I don't PP, I even don't like saying it, but nice enough without trying IMHO.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Temp sales pics until I update with my personal versions, this notice will be removed when that happens.

M42 Teleconverter Hack in 4 Easy Steps....[Quick Hack *1)

As I've been looking for a half decent, not cheap knockoff, M39 to M42/Nikon F adapter it seems they don't exist....Well the M39 to Nikon F seem to be the silliest missing adapter ever known to man, come on, Nikon F is one of the main mounts and M39 has been around for how long, yet if you look it seems to be the hens teeth of Adapters, well cheap easily available ones anyway.

I know M39 to Nikon adapters are available BUT those thin cheap aluminium snide ones are not a thing in my world, too thin and unreliable, dodgy soft metal and tales of these jamming on Cameras/Lenses, as using cheap metal with good metal isn't a good mix sometimes.

Snip: Some of those adapters, especially Nikon ones, don't have the 'Stop Screw' installed and can easily get stuck on the Camera if you over rotate it on the Camera and even cause damage to your Camera.There's a company in Portugal (https://customphototools.com/) that make or will custom make, most adapters in good Aluminium or Brass and they are lovely, very lovely infact and I'll order one at some point in the future but I was sat enjoying a quick coffee whilst messing with some adapters and realised that the cheap Boots (UK Shop Brand) M42 x2 Converter had 3 screws around the edge of the mount....Mmmm I thought....

Prettyish pics:

Boots M42 x2 Converter

Yes, it does indeed just unscrews, just like a T2 Mount.....Err....You mean like this....

Yeah, that's the one....

Fits perfectly.

Nikon Mount on reverse....

The bits....

I know what you are thinking, so what, there are already M42 T Adapters but if I can source a M39 Ring and fit it into the T Mount....But M39 T Mount adapters are available....

But M39 to M42 x 2 Converters don't exist in the retail world as far as I know.

Or stick a Nikon adapter on the back of it and you have a M39 to Nikon F x 2 Converter, take out the internals and a M39 to Nikon F Extension Tube is born, get a M42 Helicoil Ext Tube and....

I know I'm not the first to do or think this but the last OEM M39 Heli Tube I saw for sale was $400+ Ouch! And please point me to the shop that sells M39 to Nikon Heli Extension Tubes....See where it's going....

Anyhere you want....

Look at some alternatives....Just a Nikon M42 adapter with a 39mm Reducer ring glued in, from a retailer for 32,80 EUR

Another Nikon Adapter with a T-Mount glued or screwed to it, from a retailer for 28,00 EUR.

I actually like the one above but not for the money when it's 2 x $5 parts joined together, may as well just DIY, which is why I'm here....

In case you might be wondering....The T2 original Mount from the adapter does fit into the Boots converter, almost....It sits a little too high as it's thicker than the Boots mount by about a millimeter and the original removable mount has a small lip on it to stop it dropping into the body of the converter.

Plus the pins for the 'Auto' mechanism in the converter stop it dropping into the body but if they weren't needed and removed then it would drop in easily.

[Insert child like diagrams to demonstrate, at some point in the future ; ) ]

So any T Mount adapter could fit into the Boots converter with some messing, making it possible to have a custom mount system to M42 default or add any camera mount version on the rear, you choose.

*

Nikon PB-5 Bellows - The Ugly Duckling

When your looking for information or reviews about Bellows for Nikon the PB-5 doesn't seem to get a lot of love, certainly nowhere near as much as the PB-4 or PB-6 in some circles and to be honest it's unnecessary and a little sad that something that does exactly what the others do, but in an easier package, gets bad press when there is nothing whatsoever wrong with them.

If you know Nikons older gear, you know when I say, they are built to last, all metal, (Bellows not, obviously) no dodgy or weak or cheap parts, smooth rails, if maintained properly, solid and work as advertised, if you've ever used older Novoflex Bellows and move up to the PB-5 you'll be surprised at the difference on build quality, they are twice as big in size at least and give you a feeling of confidence when in use, something that's important in critical work, you want to know your gear is reliable and work without thinking about it and sometimes that's what your paying for.

Please don't think I'm slagging off the Novoflex, they are lovely and perfect for field work because of their size, solid and tougher than they look, nice metal and smooth rails but the PB-5 is in a different class all together.

The PB-4 does more but still it's just a bellows unit, same as the PB-6, just a bellows at the end of the day and anyone looking at the pics wouldn't have a clue what you used.

One other great reason to choose the PB-5 is this:

Good luck finding a PB-4 or PB-6 for that money, boxed inc Manual and a Massive base plate that weighs almost as much as the PB-5, so it's going nowhere when mounted.

My PB-5 from the EB listing, going to add bigger knobs or rubber sleeves for easier and finer focusing, not such an ugly duckling after all.

If any of the PB-4/6 lovers are watching and once you've stopped salivating with anger, come back when you can tell the difference which bellows was used in any pic, used straight as a bellows....I'll wait.....Don't worry though, now you've  I get it but there are cheaper and more accessable alternatives that don't constantly need updating or rely on electronics to get superb results with some practice

It also shows that whatever some 'Review' or Begging YT Channel might say, you do not need to spend loads of money to get decent quality gear. (This + £12 D70S + £35 Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF v1 = £83.50 Bliss.

Do not believe everything you read on the internet: Abraham Lincoln

Maintaining And Buying Lens Filters....It's Easy.

Keeping it short for this one up to now as no pictures, yet....

When I've mentioned filters previously it was in general and just a KISS view, sometimes it's the best way as complicating things or delving deeper technically doesn't always bring the benefits we were expecting or looking for in relation to the time spent researching or investments spent.

This is nothing to do deciding wether to use them or not, there are plenty of 'expert' articles out there to bore you, it only takes common sense, a little reading and your own desires, not someone elses idea of what you should be using or not for their reasons and not your own.

For me I use them primarily for protection which has roots in using them in the field and in the elements but I'd also use them if I didn't have that experience, my personal interests are also outside so it's a no brainer, decide which one, put it on, forget about it, any other filter I need to use for an effect is bought with the same mindset, I'm looking for glass that's easy to clean, some say Hoya HMC Coated Filters are hard to clean, I don't own any so, do your own testing, do not take my or anyone elses word for it, try it yourself, it's the only way.

Snip: If you need to use a generic or alternative Petal Lens Hood on an older lens, where the original hood might be hard to find, I've seen commments saying some don't work because they are fixed in the wrong position, personally I'd just try an old Polariser (Or any rotating Filter Ring), with the glass removed, inbetween the Hood and Lens to be able to rotate the hood into the desired position. (I think SRB sell empty Filter Rings)  I clean dirty filters with warm water, a little mild degreaser for stubborn marks making sure the soft brush or cloth is clean from grit or cornflakes etc. I use a really soft micro fibre cloth gently to remove any water marks, many gentle passes rather than one or two heavy rubs, I use a soft (Sable) paintrush sometimes to clean at the edge and threads, any liquid that's used will settle behind the edge of the glass and mount, make sure it's gone before using or putting away, I'm not a, sometimes recommended, fan of using compressed air onto glass, it's tougher than you think but a hairdryer has speed if needed but slower for drying.

 I mostly use Nikon OEM for all my Nikon Lenses, partly to do with fitment, they are made for each other, just make sure they are era specific and they'll fit, never get stuck, are cheap (Most common under £10) and they do what they were designed to do.

 Some larger Nikon filters can expensive if on a low budget so 3rd Party Hoya or Hama are a friendly option for the wallet and unless you need a specific technical minimum for scientific work etc then your OEM will usually suffice, I do know each filter does impact on the image but the ones I use result in the same image, no filter, three figure or cheap knockoff regardless.

 They protect against light knocks, protect against wind debris, rain, make you feel more secure about possible damage to your beloved lens, all my fav Nikons have all OEM Hardware specific Caps, Hoods etc as yours probably do, plus they keep dust off the front element, if you also need to get close for Macro stuff then no need to worry about subjects touching the glass.

The unconditional winner of our test! We didn’t expect that the 79 Polish zloty Hoya HMC would win against B+W, Marumi or Heliopan. This filter cuts out the UV radiation the best and has a large visible light transmission (although that 3% value could be a bit less). The very good balance between price and quality easily convinces us to buy it. We don’t have to add anything else, do we?

UV filters test - 11 May 2009 - lenstipdotcom/index.php?art=113&roz=15

 It's not rocket science and no one needs any 'Special' snake oil product to clean material that's harder than anything you use to clean it, sandpaper might be an issue but you get the drift....If you don't, then you need to find another hobby.

 I don't care or want to know why others do or don't, that does not affect my decisions as I can make my own mind up based on 30 yrs of taking pics, that's the only advice I need and really, how hard are people making it for themselves if they can't clean a 2" piece of glass.

Snip: I've found that some newer Hoya Filter glass is held in with what seems to be plastic rings that can't be unscrewed, if you like changing things or replacing things as I do, that isn't DIY friendly at all...Of course as someone who likes to pay as little as possible, who doesn't, sometimes you need to buy dirty to get cheap so the above treatments are the extreme end of the tale, most arrive in good shape so don't think it applies to every Filter, but the Hoya on the 180/2.8 that's been on it since the 90's sometimes, needs a fettle....after being dragged around a Festival Site for 12 hours....

Forums, want to know something? Then don't use them....

Obviously the one you visit is the best of course, regardless of the name calling, bigotry, hate, wrong information, experts who know only what they've read on other forums, egos who think numbers mean 'I'm right', when usually they are wrong.

They can of course be resources for valuable information BUT trying to find it is the problem, the real info is always hidden, layers deep in thousands of nonsense words from those clinging to some pseudo online recognition, Oh look I've just hit 10000000000k posts, I'm great....

No....

"I suppose the design made more sense long ago when just about every Nikon lens had a 52 mm. thread, so you could buy the one filter and hood set for everything.....

Now the funny thing is my Nikon Lenses still have a 52mm thread in 2023 and the 1 Filter and Hood still applies so what has how old it is got to do with anything, it makes it sound like there's something wrong with it, there's nothing wrong with the design as it makes sense today as it did when it came from the factory on the first day.

Then there's the old....

Hi, I'm looking for info about this certain item....

Yeah you should try this, even though it's unrelated and 3 times the price....But look how clever I am

Don't get me wrong, most do, the trouble is finding a middle ground where the forum doesn't bug you, not generally full of idiots, good luck with that and you can find real information and not copy/paste from another Forum or from someone who's never even used whatever you are looking for....

How do I know this, well over 25yrs on the www teaches you things, being a Moderator for a Forum with over 35k Members also teaches you a few things and being a member of several popular (Mostly full of crap) Forums in the past reveals the reality when you participate and if you correct a long term member on some, you'll be tarred and feathered, even though you were probably right!

They can be vile cesspits full of opinions forced on you as fact....Oh I have 4 Million posts I must be right, that is the mental unstable state of most forums long term members, obviously the www has affected them beyond help, I feel sorry for them, as no one really cares.

Imagine being at an event,

"And what do you do in your spare time"

"I spend hours wasting my life trying to prove I'm a smart arse"

Got to laugh and I do, often, go to ANY established forum and have a browse, the subject matters not as the minds are still messed up because the effect is the same for everyone who uses the www long term, mental illness. (If you think I'm joking, do a little research)

So the boring reply might be relevant in another thread but how look at me boring is this, it's about context and when forums are filled with these it soon becomes dull.

No website 'needs' Cookies, it's all Lies....

Of course if it's a site you need to login to or banking etc....Then obviously as it's the only method of remembering you, if you didn't know, but what we are talking about is all those Data gatherers who claim 'They are 'required' to better your experience....blah blah blag'

It's mumbo jumbo I tell you, if you don't need to log on to a site then NO site needs to use Cookies or Web Bugs or Fingerprinting ,ha! etc....Yes they still exist, or any other method of 'making' your visit better....Don't believe me, go look for yourself, plus I used to develop Wordpress Sites and am from the days before CSS was a thing and even that Flash monster so have seen the www change from simplicity when it worked to the point where it now needs you to give up your personal info to look at pictures of Cats.....

Even trying to get Pron sites to get more ID from users before entering the other level world so they could identify users if the men in black suits wanted your boring life in their HD's, luckily the owners laugh at such restrictions, they don't care who watches because they can't stop those who 'legally' should'nt be there, technology is the Anons money shot....

The truth is, that is what happens to people when they use the www too much, it turns their brain too mushy peas, robots on the street walking into things, people, my mate had to go to the Hospital as he walked onto an overhangong branch and cut his head open so blood was dripping down his face, watching Tik-WTFok, even he said he's a dickhead, well, when your confessing your realisation, it's a start.

So anyway....

It's all BS to gather Data, that's all, if you know how, look how many sites want to know your business on a popular site....Try Yahoo, scummy site and I've just blocked 25 Sites that want to know what I'm looking at....Sorry but piss off, why do 25 other sites need to know what I'm doing there, I never actually use Yahoo and only a walnut would, but that's me, I'm just a nut.

Also if those who love it are so enamoured by the GDRP then why don't they implement it properly, NO site is allowed to restrict access if you choose to block all Cookies, no fancy Pop Ups to stop you reading what you want UNLESS you agree to Cookies, that's 'illegal' under GDRP or was last time I looked, but don't see anyone being told to stop it and bet no one has been prosecuted for breaking those Data Mining Rules, as that's all it is, a ploy to grab your life....you don't even get a cut of the dough, cheeky f&$kers.

It's not even that hard to stop, as long as you can read and count your probably set, there are many levels though so be warned, it depends on how much time you want to spend setting up, what level of restrictions you want, treat each subject on it's own, Privacy, Data, Tracking, Ads.

My phone is set to block all cookies, except 1 site, there's SW out there that is easy to get to get to the same place, I only visit 2 sites (Not including the 1 that uses cookies) on my phone and occasionally a quick search, all 3 actions work as intended with no restrictions, when I use the Laptop at home, there is no hint of what I was doing on my phone but you know the stories of folk being shown Ads when they were searching for something on another device only hours before, well that's the modern www for you, data and tracking, through Cookies and other functions, look them up, you'll be surprised if you didn't already know, plus after all, my phone is just a phone.

Quick Tip: I turn off Wi-Fi on my phone when at home, some say Wi-Fi is more precise than GPS and can tell who you are with in the same room, think that's made up, nope, and did you know most modern Phones have tracking Hardwired into the device, partly because the phone technology requires sending requests to towers so they know when to use a different Tower, especially when moving but also for location.

Funny how the WWW worked before Cookies isn't it, a bit like 'Digital' TV Aerials, people were too stupid to realise that those old Terrestial Aerials still worked with DTV but all of a sudden you needed a 'Digital' one, it's smoke and mirrors and nonsense, we used DTV from a 30yr old Aerial in the loft covered in crud and still worked fine.

I personally don't use sites that cover the page with 'permissions', and have set it up to not even show the annoying Pop Ups/Overlays, some get through but no skin off my nose, there's no website really generally, that you need to use, as there's always an alternative.

Remember the good old days when Cookies weren't a thing, Oh no, how ever did websites work!!!

No matter what spin you read or BS (Marketing) is shoved in your face for 'Your' benefit, remember this, it's all crap falling from the mouths of conmen.

Goodnight.

Afterthought: Funny how those who blurt about how dodgy 5G is and the Street Lights are from War Of The Worlds but don't mention we've had 5G in our Routers for years....Or did I miss that report?

Let's see what £40 Buys you on Ebay....

Nevermind all that nonsense about, is old good now BS that seems to have a hypnotic effect on people with nothing better to do, read it or write it it's a timewasting futile pointless thing! One thing these empty thoughts never talk about is the most important thing you need to learn about, Light, it doesn't care if you've spent 10k or £1, it works the same way.

It's knowing and learning what you want to achieve and using the tools to get to that end and knowing any limitations and working WITH those, not seeing them as a negative, which some seem to thrive on, strange folk indeed.

It's the 2.4 Children Syndrome, templates are boring, useful but boring as boring can be.

So armed with some fingers and 15 mins spare time, let's have a look at reality....

Search Parameters: (Don't forget this is just one day, other days reveal less, some more....)

Nikon / UK Only / BIN / Used / £40 or under.

Lens:

• NIKON 35-70mm F/3.3-4.5 AF NIKKOR - £30
  
• Nikon 50mm f1.8 Series E - £40
• Nikon 75 - 150mm f3.5 Series E - £39.95
  

*Something for everyone generally. All good glass, no damage or 'quick fixes', working perfectly, I personally never look for f5.6 lenses, usable but you may as well go for the lesser f stop version as price difference is negligable if you look for long enough and no one would know what lens you used in any of your pics.

Camera:

• Nikon D70 digital camera in great working order. Body is in clean tidy condition with light marks and scratches on back screen. Supplied with battery and charger. Shutter count is 17472. - £30
• Nikon EM 35mm SLR Film Camera Body + Case. Camera is in excellent and fully tested and working. Comes in the fitted Nikon Case - £29.99 There was another for £24.99

*There are usually some F90's knocking about but not today and you'll find some D40's on other days, if you really want to dabble cheaply with film, my 2 working F50's were £3 each! So film or digital and no one would know what camera you used in any of your pics!

Flash:

• Nikon Speedlight SB-27 - £39.99
• Nikon SPEEDLIGHT SB-50DX inc Case and most accessories - £37.99

*Don't forget working with older gear only needs era specific accessories, my SB-600 was £40 and usually there are some about as that's the one to look for and no one would know what flash you used in any of your pics!

Filters:

That old nugget, never mind what you read, if you want to use one, use 10 if you want, for me it's doesn't even need thinking about once I've decided what Filter to use on which lens.

I use them for protection, for the glass, to add fall protection, a filter and a cap are a good bumper for an edge of lens drop. You'll read about oh colour casts and blah....After millions and years of research I finally found a solution, a few turns anti clockwise seems to work or in laymans terms, take it off.

It protects the lens whilst handling and putting in and out of a bag quickly, if no cap is needed, it's peace of mind and now don't even think about it, free the brain.

I use the best non aluminium ones I can afford at the time I need one, it can be frustrating though as filter prices are really variable at any given day, one minute it's £15 then a day later one turns up for £6.99 inc free postage....!!! And I don't buy from sellers who say, 'may be some light cleaning marks', there is or there isn't, not 'may be' what, have their eyes stop working....

So here we go:

• Hama 'Pro Series' filters are an underated nice find. (< £10)
  
• Hoya Standard are perfectly fine.
  
• B&W 010 are a nice quality brass option. (Approx £20)
• Nikon OEM are mostly Hoya STD prices, for common types but the few extra pennies make you feel warm and cosy inside when it's matched with it's Hood brother, completing a ménage à trois of yum.
• Some Harumi filters have a good reputation but hard to find definative references to which ones are really good.

* What I find hilarious is that you'll see reports of some filters being hard to clean, well that's because they are using the same crap chemical that is sold to mugs and all of a sudden glass and its coatings are delicate and need to be cleaned with super duper expensive crap. They are made of glass FFS, it isn't soft and can be cleaned perfectly with some mild detergent and some warm water, a nice soft cloth and some compressed air, it's not rocket science, want to clean the edges, most decent filters can be unscrewed so the glass can be removed, the worst enemy of filters are your own greasy fingers.

* I recently tried some different cloths and 'spray' that reportedly does the job, made by Leitz, it is shite, the cloths don't work and I just ended up breathing on them to clean them properly with a lens tissue.

* I don't know enough (<Anything ;>) ) about other Camera makers OEM Filters to comment on them.

* Cheap imported filters are cheap for a reason, glass for a start but the mounts can be useful if experimenting, for cheap parts but remember what I said a few posts ago....It was approx, again:

• When you get to a certain level of interest in photography you need to learn other skills or gain knowledge in other subjects, metallurgy for one, mixing metals in certain conditions isn't always a good thing, fine shavings, (Metal Dust and glass aren't friends!), bad friction....Not always needed but I like to buy things to keep and not have to constantly replace as it's softer and more fragile than 'metal', brass etc ones, it's false economy and then there's the reliability view, then there's the hardness of the glass, then there's....Sadly a by product of 'progress' and cheap manufacturing methods to create a perpetual money scheme, buy good, buy once, that's why I personally buy mostly OEM Filters.
  

Accessory:

It's easy to find a nice Bag or Tripod, some notable mentions:

• Lowepro Messenger bags are great, understated and cheap, good for lens storage as well, as a bit square.
  
•  Any Tenba DNA for discreet use, easy access and flexible inside but hard to find a good size one for £40<
  
• For me, an older Manfrotto Tripod if possible with removable base plate, think they are good value for the quality you get, you may have to hunt for a cheaper one, they hold their price for a reason. (Added 250923: Just picked up a Manfrotto 055 with 121 Head and Bag for £30 from Facebook Marketplace, so EB isn't the only source for goodies)
  

*Only buy Lens Hoods if you need really need to, save your money, when you do only buy OEM as you will find them cheap enough if you are patient enough and no one would know what hood you used in any of your pics! (Personally under £10 is my base)

Fun:

Not much around today but to steer away from the norm, look for:

• Nikon BR2/A Reversing Ring. £20 approx, although the 'A' version seems to hold its value more than the BR2 but that will work as well, depending on camera.
  
• Nikon Close Up Filters. From £5 if you are lucky, but £10 > should buy you up to No.2, the 'T' series are more expensive.
  
• Teleconverter, my TC 1.6A was £33, if you time it right you could pick up a TC-201 for £40<
• Extension Tubes, manual or AF, my own recent set of Kenro AF ones were £25 and I picked up a set of Nikon K ones for £14.
  

Depressing:

• Missed a F4S for £35....Boohoo!....It does happen but there will always be another along.
• Also a PK-13 Extension Tube for £150, dreamers LOL, mine came with a PK-12 for £17.
  

Disclaimer:

• Before you go spilling your milk, these are perfectly adequate to grab most pics in most common situations in high quality and produce very good prints that most generally will never use, most consumer Digital Cameras are underused IMHO, unless you want to be a Wildlife or Sports Photographer etc....Even then you could find a cheap kit to get started, maybe next time I'll focus on a more specific type of needs. (I might do a subject I know nothing about to see if some 'base criteria' works/applies across the activity, I'll choose a subject randomly, do no research, then do a 'enough to get a decent pic as cheap as possible under £100' attempt, mmmm!)
  

If you bought any of the above as soon as they landed you could take pics with them and not one person would know if it was a day old or 20 yr old gear when looking at the pics, anyone who thinks that Cameras are aware of how old they are and start not working as the day they left the factory because new gear comes out is delusional, but also shows how the internet has made people well....Let's say....Dumbed-down..

Sure, nothing stopping anyone paying what they want for whatever they want but, here the focus is cost, benefit, reliability, consistancy, possibilty and hopefully showing that nice Photography equipment shouldn't be restricted just by 'needing' expensive money, but is sometiimes, just by views! As I've said before, never take one persons view on decision making, even mine....especially mine! Smi)y Face.

Photography is an old craft, older than the internet, believe it or not, so there are plenty of experienced, hands on good Photographers telling their real life stories with equipment, my quick guide to look away:

• Any 'Review' site that uses any affilate links.
• Some 'Commercial' sites maybe Copy/Pasted.

But it's mostly common sense, the good ones are easy to weed out from Googles maddening 'sell me anything BS' search results, some good start ones are:

https://www.dpreview.com/

The Reviews are useful, nice Technical Info inc and some good info can be filtered in the Forums.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/

Guess the focus but some nice user reviews in the Lens Section inc 3rd Party with added images to back up comments. User reviews seem balanced as there are good and bad in the same product.

You'll also find links at both sites to other good sites, especially the Forums, I do sometimes search independant websites that concentrate on what I might be looking for or something unusual, that's how I found out about the Leitz 16466M Adapter, elsewhere on the site, a lovely cheap quality solution. (Since that post, my next one on the way, was £12 delivered)

For now, over and out....

An Ebay Buying Exploration For Photographers

An Ebay Buying Exploration For Photographers

Ebay is a place to buy other peoples crap, most of it is junk or just brand new retail stuff and even some with more than bricks and mortar shop prices, yet people still pay over what they should, probably because they are lazy or bored or too much time on their hands or think because it's on Ebay it's cheaper, maybe it was years ago but now it's just mostly a massive junk shop, if you spend more than a week browsing, giving time for items to run out, you'll notice it's the same old crap regurgitated over and over, it's like watching TV.

There are some things that are useful, depending on what you need but don't rely on the inhouse search engine that just feeds you what it wants, noticed how your 'other suggestions' are usually not even in your Country and nothing to do with what you are looking for, high priced or more junk and what's with the obsession with shoving Japan in your face!

So here's my version based on most of what I do:

• Use the option buttons, Condition, Format etc to weed out the junk, as an example, type Nikon and you'll see about 50k returns, choose 'Used' and it dwindles, then choose BIN or another choice and you'll end up sometimes with less than 10 items from 50k! *Even from 'All' 48k results with 'Nikon' and set 'Used' in Condition and you'll get to about 18k, so 30k of mostly of cheap knockoff crap....Worse than Grabazon.
• Reveal all!
• Any pics that don't show all of the item, depending on what it is, needs caution, I recently saw a camera and there were no pics of the Baseplate, so I asked for one, and low and behold, there was a screw stripped and no head!
• Here's an example: No full face back pics as usual from good sellers and notice the wear on the Play button etc....My, from new, D200 isn't that bad! It takes me back to my car days when we used to tell if the mileage was high by checking the wear on the pedal rubbers and seats.
  

•  Where's it from again?
• Almost every item that states it's from the UK will not be, why even mention it, you don't see Flags in your High street shops stating the bleeding obvious, genuine sellers don't need to, those fancy graphics in the thumbnail should be a give away.

• Original is cheaper!
• If you need, say a Nikon Accessory....Do not bother to buy a 3rd party copy as it will not last as long as the original, or be better 'quality', there's loads of stories out there that things don't fit properly or the plastic breaks easily etc....And what makes it hilarious is the OEM version is sometimes cheaper or not much more than the snide version, in the long term you will save money. There's also a lot of 3rd Party expensive alternatives to do what you can already do with what's available but it's not cheap looking Jonesy.
  

•  Know your gear!
• Do not believe anyone who says that tiny/small/barely visible/ marks on any Lens do not make a difference, especially the rear glass, it's nonsense and misleading, cleaning marks are the same, they cannot be removed, well they can but you need to remove the coating with rouge and a cotton cloth, exciting eh, especially for the value of it, with Lenses especially, most can be repaired mechanically but not the glass.
• Example: 50mm EL Nikkor - Mint and Boxed - Condition: Used - “rear glass marked” How can it be mint if it's damaged!
  
  
  

• Reliability.
• If you buy a lot then try and use the same sellers, there are good ones but you need to buy something small first to see how they perform, is everything as they say and to your expectations, I use a few of the same ones and all has been good up to now, the moment it isn't I stop buying from them, don't need the added stress of wondering if what turns up is what I bought.

• Alternatve methods.
• If you just need a lens, then look at Cameras with lenses, it's sometimes a good way to buy something cheaper than standalone, some sellers don't realise the Lens is sometimes more valuable than the Camera it's attached to and some don't care.

• Dig deeper!
• Ebay shows you what it wants not always what you are looking for, be more specific in your searches and some sellers don't list in the correct category, so look at 'All' always first, then be more specific, some Nikon spares/parts do not come up in a general Nikon search, you have to find the correct catagory and hope the seller has listed it correctly, also try some mis spellings, I've seen, Nikor, Nikkon, Nion....You get it.

• Value:
  
• Non official Nikon AI Conversions will devalue your Lens, if you hear different, walk away....It may add utility value, which is very important to some but for half serious collectors/users it adds horror and nothing to the monetary/investment value, original is king.
  

• Not today!
• I refuse to pay sellers for their dreams of buying an island with their excessive postage fees, also from sellers who are 'Private Sellers' but just dealers so they don't have to follow consumer protection and responsibilty under Selling Regs as in the UK there are very few 'Consumer' Laws that protect either party in private sales.
• I also don't buy from sellers who say " We accept no responsibility for goods delayed due to the services of Royal Mail or the courier." Whilst the time it takes to arrive is out of their hands, so the warning is mute, be aware though, the last time I looked the seller is legally, fully responsible for the item to be delivered to your hand, any non delivery issues have to be sorted by the seller with the Mail Service and anyone who says different is BSing you.
  

• Not such a bargain!
• Don't forget some prices have up to 20% added because of ebay Fees, if you are not sure of what to pay, look at the 'Sold' prices, they are more realistic and take an average not just the first one random overpriced, overpaid for item that usually sells for less if you look further.

• Don't rely on one source!
• Check independant websites, not everyone uses ebay, it's a chore but worth your while sometimes, you get a warranty usually, easy return policy, any return fee nonsense gets the boot.
• I'm currently looking at a Nikon TC-201 and on EB it's £38.50 inc postage, from the same shop's own website, it's £32.95 inc postage and what is 20% of £38.50....almost the same as the difference in price for the TC-201. (See above)

• Maybe baby....
• When I read "There maybe some...." I walk away immediately, there either is or isn't, when I look at something I see it, I don't think...Mmmm maybe there's something there I can't see....Pretty silly when the object is in front of me.

• Feeling lucky!
• Be wary of 'Untested' claims, not saying all are dodgy but why wouldn't you test something if it might make you more money, not got a Kettle plug or figure of 8 or a set of Batteries, which are cheap enough to have a stock of ones for testing, I do and you would have thought someone selling on Ebay would, apparently not, although if you want to take a chance as some sellers don't know how to check something and I've had bits and pieces that were 'Untested' but worked fine with some tlc.

• Some 'House Clearance' Sellers don't always know what they are selling and can be some nice finds as they don't care about the item, just getting paid. I recently (Oct 23) picked up a, looks like new, 'K' 28mm f3.5 Nikkor for £20 from such a seller.

• Patience rewards!

• Unless you are desperate, Ebays fav mood, or you've just timed it right, never pay for the first thing you are looking for, first, there will always be another at the right price, I was recently looking for some cheap Bellows to try some macro stuff on and found a nice set of Novoflex Balcast ones for £35, fair price, nice condition, manual inc....
• So I saved them while I had another quick look, a couple of days later bought a Novoflex Bal-S Bellows and attached to a Castel Focusing Rack which gives me more options for £20 plus it has a Pentax Adapter I can sell on, oh and they have the option NIVEL Spirit Level inc.
• Then there's a bit of good timing involved in the 105mm f4 Micro that was listed for £70 that had 'one screw missing', upon further inspection there was indeed a screw missing from the aperture ring but also the mount screws were bordering on looking like chewing gum the heads were so err, chewed up, wrong screwdriver is the usual suspect, so I offered £55 and thankfully got rejected, 2 days later I bought this:

There's nothing wrong with it mechanically, a little fungus on the edge that doesn't show up (Can be cropped out as on edge) in pics and will be cleaned in the future to make a nice lens.

The Last Bit:

Do a little homework, I was looking at some 200mm f4 Micro Nikkors the other day and some came with Tripod Mounts and some didn't, but priced similar, did you even know it should have one, I asked one seller if it was included as it wasn't in the pics, he replied that in the past it had broken off, mmm! have you seen how they look, they are designed to stay on, not easily break off!

Think that's it for now, happy shopping....It might seem like a lot to remember but it sinks in quick and is mostly common sense so becomes almost automatic when on EB.

Oh yeah, the last bit after the last bit:

Only pay what you think it's worth, not what everyone else thinks, I've never paid what the 'going rate' is, all most do is copy/paste other prices, look at the mostly different price gaps between Sold items and For Sale items of the same description, some sellers are realistic and it's those you need to 'Save'.

Some recent examples:

• 3 Nikon Close up Filters - 0>2, NOS, inc leather cases, boxes, docs. £40. - Some single ones go for up to £35 from some sellers, not hard to work out.
• PK13/PK12 Extension Tubes, hardly used. £17 - Single ones sell for more.
• Nikon TC-201 x 2 Tele Converter, as new. £30 - Cheapest one in a while.
• Nikon DR-3, with Key and adapter for 22mm thread. £30 - Fair price not seen often.

Never take one persons opinion of whatever you are looking for:

Let's not pick on anyone in particular as you could compare any 2 reviews (Still only personal opinion, no matter how long you've been doing it) and have different 'reviews', it's what some base their decisions on or partly, which can be done but shouldn't really.

A Nikon SB-400 to some is the bees knees, light honey dripping from ones lips....What I missed was the, what I call the Past Future Test, it's not scientific, it goes like this.

The SB-400 by all accounts does what it needs to, when it works and when it was released, what anyone couldn't predict was how easily they seem to break, only now in the future do we learn this, look on Ebay, last time I looked there were more broken ones than working, check yourself, it will happen on one place though as the items repeat and things are sold but there's a common theme.

It applies to most things in general but you don't hear of many broken PB-6's because they are reliable, it says it most places, how long have they been out there, not many would hesitate to buy them, even pay more than one should but desire can be expensive....And some silly folk think they are just tools....moving on.

If you only read a glowing review, and base your decision on that then take your chances, Ebay isn't the only resource of course but a good base to get a good grounding for real prices and looking for omissions, let's not talk about them yet....If you looked for more recent reviews (There's a lot of 'Old gear, good this year' Videos out there) and discovered it maybe wasn't as reliable as you might have been lead to believe if you only have one old source of information, would you change your mind and look elsewhere or still buy one, it could last years or could break the day after, the same as anything applies but common faults are a thing.

• I've fixed 2 Nikon FG's with dodgy winders by fixing them the same way, taking the base off and poking around with a chopstick, the Chopstick Fix is my name for it.

Don't be sad though, this isn't always a negative, it might read like it but you learn from your mistakes, it might cost you some money but you can usually recoup most if not all sometimes when you sell things on, even broken things, one might consider 'breaking' a piece of gear into smaller parts as people still DIY Repair, old Cameras are perfectly usable, even digital ones, I've got a D200 here with 2 bent CF Pins, cost £20, I already have a broken one, the sensor is useless, so even if the pins break I have the broken one to salvage a new CF Reader, easier to change than a Sensor.

The broken one owes me nothing, it paid for itself years ago, and a good source for spares or parts to fix another cheap one, maybe? Not everyone though wants to fix things but I'd still use the same thought process whatever my interest level, mostly common sense really just highlighted my way.

Whatever you buy, good luck, I like a challenge so I'm off now to look for some cheap PB-4 Bellows and some T Close Ups Filters, could be a while....

Notice how sometimes sellers who sell photo gear all the time take dodgy pics when it's conveniently appropriate, you'll know what I mean if you browse Ebay alot, you've been warned!

Don't let the fancy graphics and cool display stands distract you from the item, they mean nothing, also if something was 'Rare' you wouldn't need to tell everyone, they'd know it, if it's something that is 'Rare' as collectors use 'Save Search' for a reason plus 'Rare' doesn't mean valuable but can mean overpriced. I own a really nice Tokina AT-X 60-120mm f2.8 (OM) and you don't see them often, so could be considered 'Rare' by some or 'Hard to come by' but was only £10.

A final warning about Lenses, when you see those marked, slight marks doesn't effect image, is that true though:

https://richardhaw.com/2016/12/24/study-damaged-lens-artifacts/

See for yourself, not some no no decription from some seller but real life proof they do.

Remember: EB isn't the only place to buy gear, only this morning I saw 50mm E Series for £45 and a SB-400 for £65, so forget EB prices and look around first, Oh yeah both from CEX which might scare you but old rumours don't mean it's the same, our local one is excellent and show me where you can get a 2yr Warranty on SH Gear!

Be aware that 'Untested' Lenses listings are misleading, you don't need a Camera to test any lens that doesn't rely on electronics to work, even then the mechanical workings can be, it takes 2 mins to check most lenses, aperture working and is the glass clean....It's not rocket science especially for those who sell Camera gear who miraculously forgot how to lie properly....

Notice how most 'Bundles' always have somethig OK and one comlplete piece of trash, well how do you think sellers dump their crap....on you.

Remember also if you stick around on EB for a few weeks you'll notice the same Junk over and over, bet there really are only hundreds of real new things to buy on EB every week and not the thousands they make out, they have competition now, Vinted etc....And can't compete unfortunately, although yet to find an online sales site that isn't full of dickheads, let's not talk about FB Marketplace....The moron magnet....

Ebay is pretty much dead for anything nice or cheap unless you look hard and are persistant, it's mostly expensive junk or retailers desperately trying to move old overpriced stock, look at the listing dates for some, May, June....If it was that cheap, it would have sold months ago.

UK Seller, yeah ok then, there's no FREE SpeedPAK in the UK but EB doesn't care what or how people sell junk as long as they get their fees....If you took all the BS away, you'd be left with about 10 Genuine sellers or a Myspace look lookalike ; )

It's pretty much dead and I find cheaper and better quality from independant online retailers, plus you get a Warranty on most gear, even SH (CEX gives a 2yr Warranty, on SH Gear, no where does that happen in the UK.

An fine example of EB BS:

Repected by who? And what's a 'Digital fit'....It's a £25 Lens at best.

My D70s is Broken, No it's not, Yes it is, No it's not....

I bought a D70s for £12, reported not working: 

This camera is broken!! It powers on but won’t take pictures. From what I can remember some kind of fault sign comes up on the display.

It arrived and I bought it originally as for £12 it was a great Camera to learn on, maybe teardown to see what's inside, it also had a Hotshoe Cover, turned out to be an original BS-1, regardless of internet stories of people losing these, I've never lost one since I've been using Nikon from the 90's!, the DK-2 was dodgy but works, screen was umarked, top screen was clean and unmarked, I have another working D70 that would be a little nicer with those bits added and considering just the cost of a genuine BS-1, which is BS! £12 looks like a nice find whatever happens to it.

No sticky grips or unusual wear or marks, not bad actually, pins were fine and clear so I grabbed an old Jessops 256mb CF from the box of, where did that come from and pushed in a fresh battery and it works!

What!

Well it sort of works but throws up another possible solution to a non issue that I see sometimes, as an example:

If you look in certain places it'll report several times that they think their Cameras are broken, one common read is that the LEDs in the viewfinder of the FE flash between 90/125 and think it's broken, it's not, it's a method of letting you know you aren't at the first frame on your film of choice, there were no fancy viewfinders or top screens with overloads of info, for me it seems like it's a simple misunderstood check, made that way, probably documented somewhere but everyone forgot to read, so is misinterpreted as a fault.

So, back to the D70s, so after a reset, I fired off a few shots and pressed Play > The screen was full of colour, wait a minute now, it's not supposed to work, hang on, so I take the card and put it in the other D70, and voila....nothing, 'No images blah....' Eh!

So I take some pics with the D70 and they show up as normal, put the card in the D70s and voila....No images! Stop right now, put the card back into the D70 and voila, the pictures I took with  it filling the screen, that's silly.

So what is happening, obviously a compatability issue, if you tried the wrong card in the D70s it didn't work, the Firmware on the D70 is at v2.0, the D70s at v1.0, but don't forget the v2.0 is reported to be very similar to v1.0 on the D70s as it came out later and is a newer model so started at v1.0 but some think it's almost the same as the D70's v2.0 as they are mostly the same camera.

But is it, I took some pics and plugged the Camera (D70s) through USB in both modes into the Laptop and the pics I took with the D70s that doesn't work, are there, if I put this card into the D70 they aren't, so is it a Firmware issue or SW issue or Card design issue, sometimes using newer equipment with older gear might seem like an improvement on paper but paper isn't real life and it just doesn't work properly sometimes.

So as long as I use the same card in the D70s it works, if the card is put into the D70 it doesn't, I just think the seller used the wrong type to test or wasn't nosey enough to look further, I also have 2 x F50's that cost £6 for both, they arrived, reported broken and both look like they've never been used, one even has a Data back, so I ordered the obscure CR-2 to make sure they tested with the correct power, it arrived and both work apparently!

The 'err' sign does appear on the tiny gameboy reminiscent screen when you don't have a Lens attached, that's deliberate I think, not a true error! As soon as I attached one they sprang to life, not sure they like the more modern VR lens but they liked the 50mm (Non D) I tried, AF works, all settings worked, viewfinder shows changes, flash guns work, they don't 'auto' pop but don't think that was a thing then so....Have to double check.

I did notice one thing, if you change lenses whilst the Camera is on, it sometimes locks up and you have to take out the battery, being that it does it a lot when I tested I think it's just an electronic mismatch and the Camera complains, going from a older AF to a newer one with signals it's not expecting is not a good idea methinks.

So my broken Cameras aren't broken really, they are it seems, just a result of not doing enough looking or just people who aren't bothered, which could be seen as a good thing especially as a buyer, thanks guys for being so not bothered.

*Here are the actual Cameras.

*I do have some more testing to do with the D70/D70s to confirm my thoughts so will report back if and when.

I will try more cards inc a more modern card, plus some formatting tests to see if that effects how the cameras read the cards.

I might even go as far as to read the docs as sometimes reported errors can be resolved as it could just be a mistaken limitation.

Why are so many 'Solved' posts on forums NOT Solved?

It's a strange thing to see, how many have searched for 'My <- insert device here -> won't satisfy my needs.....Only to be greated with false hope....SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED To the rescue or not.

Here's a typical example, lots of people asking the same question, the true solution is below if you really want to know but let's stick with this for now, apparently here's the only reply and it's marked as 'Solved'

Is this real solution? We'll never know as there's no feedback or confirmation that it did anything at all, and to suggest to someone who's ability is obviously not technical as they wouldn't be asking such a common question to take apart a Camera is ridiculous.

Wonder if it's anything to do with the site in question posting 'Solved' issues to boost their false image that what they do works, when it doesn't.

Nooooo! they wouldn't do that, it's such a respectable site used by thousands....Maybe that's why some people appear a bit dumb on the www as all they are doing is going round in circles repeating the Copy/Paste answers from other 'Solved' <- Wrong! posts and that's the problem right there.

I usually find the more bigger and 'trusted' the site is the more shite is spread on the www from that source, let's take 2 real life examples:

Rockwells 'review' site, sorry but it's just an early affiliate sales site with some Tech info, available anywhere, made to look like some sort of 'reference' or interweb 'bible' for info....people sending others there as if it makes what they might be trying to say more valid....Err it's not, to me it feels like a cheesy scam 90's sales site, there are snippets of info in there but nothing you can't find elsewhere and how do I think this? The more you read it the more you realise, he almost loves everything new, it's the best of the best, even sometimes slating his previous 'It's the best of the best, it's either the best or not, make your bleeding mind up, one minute it's the best, then when something new replaces it the old is sluggish and....Boring, photography is slow most times and if you are finding constant issues, maybe your using the wrong tool for the task in hand.

Don't get me wrong, it has some useful info but to treat it like some sort of internet approval system is nonsense, which leads me to iFixit:

The only glaringly obvious thing I noticed on iFixit as I'm not a regular visitor is that on every and I mean every, go check later, article about Nikon gear has a link or reference to Phillips Screwdrivers....WRONG! You use JIS Screwdrivers on Nikon gear, ask ANY decent Camera Technician, any! The most reason screws are damaged is using the wrong screwdriver and the most common culprit is Phillips Screwdrivers so if you go there and see that and you don't know about JIS, then off you go to potentially damage your own gear with iFixits seal of approval, another example of ignorance or just sales BS, what makes it ironic is they sell JIS Screwdrivers!

Ignorance, deliberate, a mistake! the only choices, all options not good options for a 'reference' site and allowing the article writers to promote the wrongness, who are they if they don't know you use JIS only, probably bored at home copy/pasting from another 'Solved' post from the other 'Reference' site.....

Has anyone informed them, you would have thought so but maybe not? If so, why hasn't it changed, maybe the sales of Phillips made them forget or genuinely ignorant to the fact that Phillips are the wrong tool and now so do potentially thousands of others but the www makes people lazy so to be expected.

ALWAYS, make sure you have more than one reference when learning, do not take one persons word for it, find people with real life experiences in doing things, not sales sites disguised as helping, the most depressing thing is they've already informed thousands of innocent fools with wrong information and there's no going back, well done!

Solved nothing!

The real answer to the original question:

It's a matter of elimination, the system works in a certain way to certain instructions, follow the path and if you hear silence then that's what is not working, in this case:

Card: Does it fit properly, does it work in other Cameras, is it compatible with the Camera System, is it genuine, is it damaged, are the holes clear and clean.

Camera: Does the card fit properly, no obstacles or dirt, does it have a full battery, is the firmware up to date, is Preview on or off, is the front cap off the lens!

Pins: Are they clean, no obstructions, not bent or broken, are they stable in place.

Test: *Format Card, in Camera, twice. *Press Play >, what does the screen say, take notes. *Take a picture, 1. *Does it show up on Preview Screen if turned on. *Press Play > what does the screen say, take notes. *Take Card out and try in another Camera, same model if possible and not PC yet. *Press Play > what does it say, take notes. *Try card in card reader on PC. *Each outcome will lead to a path, some dead ends and that's when you need to try something else, when all else fails then you'll know if it can be fixed and how or not.

Ideas:

Have a Card that was available at the time when the Camera was released.

If using 2 of the same Cameras for testing make sure the Firmware is the same on both.

Sometimes if you don't have the proper tools for testing then you can't check every possibility so will never diagnose the issue fully.

Use 2 different aged cards, one older, one newer as not are all compatible.

Don't use one sources answer, even to what might seem like a simple issue, ever, always confirm, especially if a 'fix' might potentially damage the Camera any further if it's wrong.

Or it could just be Nikons common non working sensor issue, my D200 is a victim of this fault, if you want reliability use Mechanical Cameras and Film, learn to develop it yourself and you're halfway there, I always wondered why one would use disposable Cameras for reliable ones and call it progress!

Or go here where I had a similar issue:

https://lpm-2.mozellosite.com/life/params/post/4318886/my-d70s-is-broken-no-its-not-yes-it-is-no-its-not

I don't like labels but being a 'Minority' in my youth was not my fault........

There is the fact that it has many meanings that mostly are ignored, pushing the negative but sometimes it is, decision makers deciding what's 'Best' (That word grinds my wires as it's another misused word) for what 'they' want, not what's best for the people that their 'Best' isn't 'Best'.

My early education in the early 70's was normalish in the UK, a blur now but my High School (From 11yrs to 16) was Ducie High School, an old Military Hospital.

I remember those doors and also remember having to leave and move to another School because I was white, it was so 'Multicultural' they ran out of space for the lowest 'culture', regardless of the students feelings or desires of course, it's 'Best' so they said....

I was sent to a white majority school for my last year, I lasted 2 weeks from what I remember, there are no memories, no friends, no chance, now headed for my real education but sad I never got to end my school days at my real school, closed now, beautiful classrooms replaced by not so rooms for strangers, where we were taught Algebra by the classic, 'Throw old wooden blackboard wiper thing at our heads' method, it was memorable.

I didn't want to move, I don't think I even needed to, what was the rush to get rid of us! We only had a year left, the education was the same, although we had, music, any instrument pretty much, Athletics was encouraged, we did everything, Running, Javelin, the whole Olympic bundle, it was fantastically fun, we really were fit, as we're not doing labels, Obesity is a freind of processed food, a relatively modern food process for the masses but wrongly encouraged, so having to run back to the School from the grass sports field on occasion, which was a Bus ride away, was not so fun but we were outside of the classroom, there were Darkrooms, real Science experiments, when I've shown the breaking a wooden ruler with a newspaper thing no one has ever seen it, what do they teach in schools these days?

Some anonymous decision spoiled my education and school experience, as I rode on the top of the bus on the way to my 2 week vacation, going past the old Violin Teachers house, where he moved to when he left the school wihen the offer of private lessons fell on 4 deaf lugs, oh what could have been....