My Nikon Bundle, buy cheap, take a chance, yes please....

What about to follows doesn't happen that often, I was just looking at the right time, I've mentioned this lens earlier so a refresh....

I got my rough but clear 35mm 2.8 AI in a bundle and it worked out at £20, threw a fresh Hoya on it, quick clean and for £28 I'm set, there is a 28mm 3.5 AIS here with it but the front element is errm, patchy, sort of streaky as well, looks like too much rub a dub but the back set is clear as clear can be, shame, so as I've mentioned, there's not only ebay to buy from, the lenses were from a local classified and timing was on my side.

I got the 2 lenses, an F90, F4s, F5, D1H and 2 x SB-28/X Speedlights and a SB-800 Soft Pouch, all bought untested, reported working but from a career photo journalist, so work scars needed some plasters, but even if non worked, I had the lenses and easily recover the cost even if 'Spares or Repair'.

It was mostly corrosion that refused them making me smile after excitingly shoving fresh batteries into every orifice, anticaption was dripping down my lip, geez get a grip....Both SL's came too life after an emery board persuaded the dull to shine, both charge and flash on request, that reassuringly annoying high pitch whine of electrons, steady now....Don't press the red butto.....'Thanks I can't see shit now....', YES! they work.

The F5 is next, what a beast, it fits like a nearly fitted glove, ergonomically it doesn't work for all but maybe my D200 was priming me from a previous life, phew, it's nice, I see what the reports are about now, the work screen is in the same place, the rear poke me in the face wheel, it feels familiar but let's not get carried away, luckily it came with the blue clouds AA Battery Holder, and had to poke rough things into the holder to see the clear bridge for the power to flow, all contacts, checked, roger that, secure batteries, affirmative, ignition....Yes have screen on, push some more buttons and the screen responds, affirmative, heavy breathing now....Push the bleeding button, whizz bang, it works and after some more messing, it all works apart from the rear viewfinder screen is stuck open, probably never been used is my guess and the grip is just coming loose on the grip and ever so on the opposite side, no chance of new, haha, bet there's thousands stashed in some warehouse, lost at the back, one can dream....

Come here F4s, with both hands, yeah it is heavy at first, I get the moans but only for 2 mins while you adjust and muscle memory sets in, you know why the best car shows are the best, because they share the feel of the car, not just how good the radio is, they share what they needed to do to get the best from it, all from the feel, their bodies automatically, without thought, embedded through years of experience, adjust, adapt becomes normal. After a few times of picking the Gym thing up, the surprise of the heft disappeared as I knew and adusted before picking it up.

There's a reason it's heavy, so any serious declaration of moaning about it is irrelevant, put a matched optic on it and it becomes heavy heaven, confident, I've not tried yet but I bet this can be handheld bliss in low light if you get the poisture right, my 85/f2 will be first so I may report back, which reminds me, the corrosion was so bad, when I removed the puffy AA's, a piece of the battery terminal fell out, rotted along a bend in of course the worse place to repair it, in the grip, in place and needs removing and completely stripping down really to do it properly.

Much, emery boarding, Iso swabs later I call on emergency foil to test the missing contact, I must try and find out why they made the MB-21 so shallow, for balance maybe or cost, although it's a complicated design for a battery 'pack' I think, so the reason must have outweighed the, I would have also thought, more costs option as well, anyway, lock and loaded, turn on, check viewfinder, whooo look at those led screens talk to my eyeballs, whizz, click, works fine, check all buttons a few times, loosen them up gently, check screen reflects changes, good so far, it's what the first Terminator maybe felt like when he was covered in 'skin' but in reverse, it's stranglely feels like a go-cart or going fast in a real Mini, low to the ground, you feel part of the camera or it you.

The F5 is hushier but a bit boring for me and one of the main reasons is, you can't remove the 'Grip' it's always one size and a bit inflexable for some, I already have boring Jr (D200, I do like it though) so the F4 is staying, so much so I bought another F4 (MB-20) complete just for the grip, it needs a serious repair, the red light thing but what turned up looked unused at first glance, powered up, it won't fire the shutter, that's for later, the grip is clean, works perfectly and first time in the F4(s), the DP-20 is as new on the red light monster but the old boy isn't so old with a 255erial and has the pin for the HS, so out with the Sharpie to spruce it up.

So the end is near, the D1H rears it's stupid power options head, WTF where Nikon thinking, sometimes even all the money in the world can't cure WTF!

I actually kinda like this look....

The rubbers are all but useless, I had to make some quick mad contraption to test it....That's just 2 x recycled Vape rechargables from empty ones, taped together.

But you know....

As with most useful things these days in the UK, almost impossible to buy a Charger cheaply, can from the US but then the same amount for shipping and then customs BS in top, not worth the hassle, so it's going, if I need a high endish DSLR I'll save up for a D3S, oh yes, it all works.

So I'm not going to tell you but if I sold either the F4s or the F5 it would cover the cost of all of it....Now that is a bargain.