And what did you buy today ?

[gnuyork]

In medium format I had both the Pentax 67 and Bronica ETRS II but never found them to be my shooting style. I've got to admit there was something very therapeutic about film though. Used to find processing relaxing, just the rhythm of things. Winding the film into the spool. Getting the temperature right, timing the shakes and the taps. And when I finally started figuring out using the different contrast filters while printing along with the dodging and burning, it really got amazing. Editing images in Lightroom and Photoshop just isn't as pleasing but the results are great and it really speeds things up.

The IIIf was quirky and screw mount lenses were really a pain, but I can't say enough about how special that glass was. The 50 Summitar was a favorite. I still have the 35 and 90 Elmars. Also a 135 Canon that's a tank! I remember shooting video with it on my Olympus at a Black Crowes concert. The colors were amazing!

I still process my own black and white film, and I have four enlargers for printing, but none are set up right now. I do have a few scanners (including the Nikon 9000 ED) and make inkjet prints that way. Inkjet technology has come a long way and the prints really look amazing with the right paper. But I still prefer a good silver gelatin print any day.

Digital does speed things up and makes the process more efficient.

and yeah, my IIIF came with a Summitar attached. I was thinking of sending it off to one of the guys that do CLAs for the IIIf. I did that with one of the Hasselblads and also the Rolleiflex, and both came back looking and operating like brand new.

I look forward to the challenge of the square format with the Hasselblad, if I can ever get inspiration lately.

[crownpuller]

...I hope I never need either of those ever again.

Didn't you just have a cold spell in Florida ?.... Hardly cold enough for 'winter gear', but by your standards - A bit fresh.
Sounds like you have a similar bucket list item to John Cleese - "Never be cold again".

[tribe125]

A sexy hi-fi brick.

Paid a deposit anyway. Supply is a bit of a trickle because of COVID, but they’re made just up the road from me, which might help. Should have it before Christmas.

[Samanator]

Didn't you just have a cold spell in Florida ?.... Hardly cold enough for 'winter gear', but by your standards - A bit fresh.
Sounds like you have a similar bucket list item to John Cleese - "Never be cold again".

Today in fact it was 49F with 65% humidity for a feels like of 45F. Not the coldest, but I debated if the top I had on was thick enough this morning. The humidity makes it feel much colder. If I need gloves to keep my hands warm I'm not going out. I do have a pair of boots, but more for wet than cold. When mlcor was here a few years ago he had on a short sleeve shirt, and there were northerners in bathing suits and bikini in the outdoor pool, while I had on a zip up turtle neck, sweatshirt and a fleece pull over on. It was about the same temperature. I'm nearly always in shorts since my legs are never cold, but from the waist up I'm cold at anything less than 80F. Given I was a Skier and grew up in Pennsylvania I have zero tolerance for cold whether today. We think Orlando is cold.

[chuckmiller]

It was 37F at sunrise with a feels like of 31F but now at almost noon its up to 55F.

[litlmn]

We think Orlando is cold.

It is today.

[Kronos]

Me too. As I mentioned, I bought a strap simultaneously for just that reason.


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Here’s the new Marlin auto on the Timex leather strap it is sold with. (I note it is non-tapering). I’m liking the mesh bracelet more than I expected to, but I think I like it better on a strap — and surely for the winter months.

Also, I could be wrong, but the mesh does not evoke for me the 50’s/early 60’s vibe I associate with the Marlin. When I think of watch bracelets of that era — and certainly for a Timex — I think of the old fashioned, arm hair grabbing expansion bracelets. (Americans of my generation my remember the Speidel Twist-O-Flex, a classic example of the expansion bracelet.)












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[geoffbot]

A sexy hi-fi brick.

Paid a deposit anyway. Supply is a bit of a trickle because of COVID, but they’re made just up the road from me, which might help. Should have it before Christmas.

What does it do?

[tribe125]

What does it do?

It’s a DAC - digital to analogue converter. Digital signals need to be converted to analogue before they are amplified.

A standard CD player has one built in, but my music is stored on a computer hard disk, so needs an external DAC running from a USB socket. Computers do have internal DACs, but they’re basic and crude and computer sound quality is horrible.

Basically, if you have your music stored digitally, you need a DAC between the hard drive and amplifier. Simple DACs that work quite well can be had for £100 - or you can pay Rolex money. This one was modestly extravagant at £1,195.

The Qutest a lovely object too. The ‘globes’ are switches that show a different colour for different settings, as does the ‘window’ on the top. I won’t deny that the aesthetics are part of the appeal, but it’s an outstanding bit of kit without that. I also like the fact that Chord’s workshop is in Maidstone, and that they’re an in-house manufacturer, to put it into watchmaking terms. If Chord was a watch company, it might be De Bethune.

[gnuyork]

A sexy hi-fi brick.

Paid a deposit anyway. Supply is a bit of a trickle because of COVID, but they’re made just up the road from me, which might help. Should have it before Christmas.

Let me know your impressions when you get it in, as I mentioned I'm mostly analog, but I want to get a good quality DAC.