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The Photography Purchase Confessional Thread (GAS)

What other lenses have you got with your Z camera and have you got the FTZ adaptor as well?

Lefty

I have just the excellent standard 24-70/4 and the Samyang 14/2.8. I don't have an FTZ adapter but was hoping to keep things simple. Wex had an open-box 70-300 AF-P. Oops.
 
I have the FTZ and like the results I get with the 85mm f1.4G. I also have the 35mm f1.8S which is very nice. The 50mm f1.8 S is on my radar. Nikon was offering these at a very good discount late last year (£350) and I regret not getting it then. Hopefully these discounts will return one day.
 
As I've got a few AI-NIkkor (and AF-D Nikkors) on hand, I thought it would be great to use them on my M240. Only downside of course is that they're not rangefinder-coupled which means a. guessing focus or b. getting an EVF.

MPB had an as-new Leica VF-2 in so I grabbed it. Whilst its resolution is nothing to shout about, it does provide more than enough IQ for accurate focusing via peaking. Can't wait to give the 105 2.5 a go. :)

Leica + EVF by Boxertrixter, on Flickr

You won't lose out on most Leica and Voightlander glass, but it is difficult to go cheap. The reality is that whereas you will generally get your money back, and sometimes make a nice profit, the cost is the holding cost of the money invested.

I'm not a fan of the fast Voightlanders, as optically they're not really up to the job. At 35mm the 35/f2.5 Color Skopar is a very good lens and small, the Zeiss 35/f2 and f2.8 much better but heavier. On an M8 or M9 you just haver to deal with the light as best you can given the poor ISO performance.

I built up a set of lenses over years, fairly typical, my regulars are a 90/f2.8 that I got for £300 off eBay, a 50/f1.4 that was £2,000, has been that price for years and you will never lose money on and a 28/f5.6 that is a quirky lens that is great fun and surprisingly good optics. I have various others and share with my son, but there is no getting around the fact that you have to make the investment. They do work well on Fujifilm and Sony.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50265461527_0218783be9_c.jpg
 
Been umming and ahhing of getting a 24-70 for my trusty D700 since I got it over 7 years ago. No way was I going to shell out for the Nikon version (especially the newer VR) but came upon this Tamron 24-70 2.8 which I picked up yesterday.

It's been through the wars a bit - there are a couple of tiny marks on the front element, and the mount betrays the amount of use the lens has had. Upside it that it works perfectly, but ye gods it's a big b*gger:

Tamron by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
 
You won't lose out on most Leica and Voightlander glass, but it is difficult to go cheap. The reality is that whereas you will generally get your money back, and sometimes make a nice profit, the cost is the holding cost of the money invested.

I'm not a fan of the fast Voightlanders, as optically they're not really up to the job. At 35mm the 35/f2.5 Color Skopar is a very good lens and small, the Zeiss 35/f2 and f2.8 much better but heavier. On an M8 or M9 you just haver to deal with the light as best you can given the poor ISO performance.

I built up a set of lenses over years, fairly typical, my regulars are a 90/f2.8 that I got for £300 off eBay, a 50/f1.4 that was £2,000, has been that price for years and you will never lose money on and a 28/f5.6 that is a quirky lens that is great fun and surprisingly good optics. I have various others and share with my son, but there is no getting around the fact that you have to make the investment. They do work well on Fujifilm and Sony.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50265461527_0218783be9_c.jpg

... the tele-elmarit is a lovely lens - I use it a lot, the Skopar is also suprisingly good for its price and diminutive proportions. Some Voigts can be a disappointment though ...
 
As I just missed out on a Nikon Coolscan 9000 (went for just over £2000 o_O) ... thought I'd treat myself to something lavish that will do the job just as well - delivered today:

50321002141_7590bb01d5_c.jpg


The 'Slide Copyer' speaks for itself ... the black wallet below conceals a Pen F copy stand - which looks more intriguing than it probably is useful.

The princely sum of £85 down the plughole LOL ....
 
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... the tele-elmarit is a lovely lens - I use it a lot, the Skopar is also suprisingly good for its price and diminutive proportions. Some Voigts can be a disappointment though ...

Matt Osborne certainly appears to like the Skopar(s) and I for one am a big fan of their tiny form factor. I have 3 Voigts now: 35 1.4 Nokton II (MC) and a 50-1.5 Nokton. The 50 is lovely, and for the money I've no complaints at all - works beautifully on my Fuji X-T1. The 35 is good, but vignettes a lot unless stopped down to at least 2.8. Still, no real complaints for the money but I do have a 35 'cron on the radar at some point in the future.

MPB had a 'like new' 28 Ultron in so that arrived today. First impressions are very favourable...and it really does look 'like new'. :)
 
Indulged a whim - saw an example of the first 'proper' camera that I got in my teens and hit the buy button:

50386722892_74c040e006_b.jpg


The lens has had a few knocks but the body itself is in fantastic nick for its age ...
Fondly remembered are it's supremely annoying waist-level viewfinder and limited speed range - tops out at 150th!
At least it was small and relatively light weight - and the picture quality was top notch (to me anyway)

I absolutely loved it ... and still do (a roll of out of date Ilford FP4 awaits)

50386722037_593d157170_b.jpg


50386721247_f2c3140fb2_b.jpg


(excuse the camera shake...)
 
Ooooh lovely! I've ordered both of those myself so should be getting my copies shortly :)

You'll really enjoy them, especially Adam Gibb's old growth forest photographs

......and in direct contradiction of my comment above I've also pre-ordered Rachael Talibart's "Tides & Tempests" (although disappointingly there may be duplicated images from Sirens) and Neil Burnell's reprint of Mystical!
 
You'll really enjoy them, especially Adam Gibb's old growth forest photographs

......and in direct contradiction of my comment above I've also pre-ordered Rachael Talibart's "Tides & Tempests" (although disappointingly there may be duplicated images from Sirens) and Neil Burnell's reprint of Mystical!

Ah excellent - I just got notification from Kozu that my copies have been shipped. Can't wait to get my hands on them! Lovely, I did consider getting Racahel's book, but I already have Tides and Tempests. I also have a copy of Neil Burnell's Mystical on order too. Speaking of which, he mentioned you went on a workshop with him the other day in Wistmans! Said you got fantastic conditions for it too - looking forward to seeing the resulting images :)
 
I don't suppose I'll ever go to Wistmans. Neil B has crowned it photographically. If that sounds peevish, it really isn't. His work there is simply astonishing.
 
I don't suppose I'll ever go to Wistmans. Neil B has crowned it photographically. If that sounds peevish, it really isn't. His work there is simply astonishing.

We were staying on Dartmoor & Neil was able to make my free day at very short notice. You're quite right, nobody has taken better images there, but it is also the result of lots of visits over a number of years. I found it quite difficult (couldn't see the wood for the trees!) and woodland is not my favourite subject. However, we still have the post-processing to go and then I'll make a final judgement and put up a couple of images for criticism. Nevertheless it was a great experience and Neil is brilliant to spend a day with

I'm hopefully off to Scotland in a few weeks Covid regs permitting and then a day on the South Coast from dawn to dusk which are more to my liking!
 
Indulged a whim - saw an example of the first 'proper' camera that I got in my teens and hit the buy button:

50386722892_74c040e006_b.jpg


The lens has had a few knocks but the body itself is in fantastic nick for its age ...
Fondly remembered are it's supremely annoying waist-level viewfinder and limited speed range - tops out at 150th!
At least it was small and relatively light weight - and the picture quality was top notch (to me anyway)

I absolutely loved it ... and still do (a roll of out of date Ilford FP4 awaits)

Well - the first trial film turned out to be a 5 yr out of date roll of Fuji Velvia 100 slide film.
Processed by AG Labs in rapid time, looks not too shabby for close work:

50437539511_1a84117ed4_b.jpg


.... if a bit soft for landscapes (although not the easiest camera to focus, so might be me...):

50436844533_33dc77d057_b.jpg
 
Bought plenty more zines and books.

Recently managed to add a 28mm and a 35mm to my Fuji STX-1N setup, so now have 28/35/50 - the lenses took a bit of hunting as they are not exactly common - in the end the 35mm came from Italy.

VBjreQFh.jpg
 
Well - the first trial film turned out to be a 5 yr out of date roll of Fuji Velvia 100 slide film.
Processed by AG Labs in rapid time, looks not too shabby for close work:

50437539511_1a84117ed4_b.jpg


.... if a bit soft for landscapes (although not the easiest camera to focus, so might be me...):

50436844533_33dc77d057_b.jpg

First one's certainly ok. The second looks as though Dr.Beeching should answer for it.
 
The acquisition syndrome is still strong:-

At an antique/collectables market last weekend, chanced on an immaculate Olympus Trip AF50 and an immaculate Ricoh FF-9, set me back £3.50, put batteries in them, and they both work - result!

Bought a very cheap Fujifilm X-M1 for my Thingfy pinhole lens, the camera came with a 16-50 lens, once I've sold that, it will stand me £50-£60 for the X-M1 - another result

And have a Fuji STX-2 (35mm Film body) on its way to me at another bargain price - this one claims to be working, so I'll have two 35mm film bodies - one for colour and one for b+w
 


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