torsdag 31. august 2017

Another Nikon EM arrived

Just done the way to boring scanning job of the last batch of films I developed when I came back from work. I just wish I were able to do more printing and less scanning, just like Michael of the North Liberties. Well, it's out of the question at the moment, so I just have to keep on doing it the way I do for now. Things might change some day though.

It's been the very worst of weeks this last one, so I have not been able to do anything involving using the brain at all to tell you the truth. I know I have been trying to get the daily snap done, but I'm quite sure there are holes or doubles somewhere. But OK... there are more important things in life than having the daily photo done, after all.
Everything works way much better now, and the world can slowly start turning again. I even managed to find energy to haul the hoover around the house for a short while, and to clear away some tools and stuff I had left in the hallway a couple of weeks back. Not bad at all, actually...

Probably an old shipyard or something. They used to build ships and stuff along the river Clyde back in the days, as you might know very well. Seems like there's not too much of that sorts going on anymore, which is a real shame I think. The good thing is that it's probably a lot healthier environment for the river itself these days, but then again the world has changed a bit in the last 50 years as we know. 

The second Nikon EM I just bought arrived yesterday. The one with the 50mm E-series lens attached which I got for next to nothing. It sort of pleased me to find out that I had to change batteries on this one, and to find this body to be in a lot more used state than the other one arriving with the 35mm lens. Also it didn't work properly. The light meter, which is absolutely essential on this type of camera being a fully automatic exposure sort of thing, didn't show any reading at all when I first fired it up. After some fiddling and thinking and doing, I finally found the problem. The ring on the camera front following the aperture ring on the lens didn't make good contact with the inner parts of the camera, so we were talking about a mechanical/electrical issue. That's the kind of stuff I know a couple of bits about, so now it works like a dream. A very tiny spray of contact cleaner and some excessive movements of said ring, and it seems to have done the trick. At least it works for now, so we'll see how the test roll comes out some time in the future.
As a matter of fact I'm sort of shooting the first test roll as we speak, because in addition to a 50mm lens with the original UV filter attached, and the original (and very good, mind you) carrying strap, the camera also came with a partly shot film sitting inside. The ASA wheel was set to 200, so I guess there might be a Kodak Gold 200 or something similar in there somewhere. We will see when I remove it some day soon. If it's a negative color film, which I'm about 99% sure it is, it will still take some time yet before I get it developed. It might be a good idea to buy a set of C-41 chemicals soon anyway, as I got a few of my own rolls to develop as well. Stuff that has been waiting a long time now, for sure.
The lens, which was the reason I bought it in the first place, looks absolutely great and was just what I was after. Small and light weight, and hopefully a great performer.

Old slipways and signs of times long gone. The buildings in the background seems to be in use though, so the area is still good for something obviously. I would think the rest of the area will turn out useful as well, some day.

I'm sort of trying to put together this series of snaps from the banks of the River Clyde. I've been posting a few on Instagram lately, and there's also a few in my last post here on the blog, to hopefully get some sort of feedback and feel for it. I'm not too confident about this thing, but it might grow on me a bit. Or maybe not.
All three snaps posted today is part of the same series, and there might be a few more to come. All taken from the same roll, but I might take away a few and maybe even add a few taken from another couple of rolls snapped in the same area. The plan is to get a few of them printed as well.
I really liked this place to be honest, and sort of hoping to be able to go back some day and have a walk on the river bank itself instead of steaming down the river on a ship. There's quite a few opportunities lost that way, just saying. 

Seems to be some sort of abandoned old industrial building, but I'm not too sure about what it is to tell the truth. Looks like it's sitting in the middle of an old and obsolete shipyard or ship base area with quays and warehouses. 

6 kommentarer:

  1. Sounds like you can sell these EM bodies and perhaps end up having bought these lenses for nothing!

    I have a 50/1.8 Series E and I really like it. If it weren't for its too-thin focusing ring, I'd forget about my 50/2 AI Nikkor forever.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. I'm sure I could easily get rid of the two EM bodies and ended up having payed nothing for the lenses, but I might just follow my initial plan and give them away instead. I mean I can still get food on the table without the very few dollars we're talking about here so that might be a just as good idea. At least if I can find someone willing to give them a chance these days.
      The 50mm E-series lens sure have a way too thin focusing ring. I really have to agree on that. On the other hand I should just keep shut about it, especially considering the main reason I bought it at all... tiny-ness and neat size and weight. I will have to take it for a few walks just to see if I can get used to the thing.

      Slett
  2. Are you familiar with Pink Floyd's The Final Cut album? The first song ("Post War Dream"?) has these lines:

    If it wasn't for the Nips
    being so good at building ships,
    the yards would still be open on the Clyde.
    And it can't be much fun for them
    beneath the rising sun,
    with all their kids committing suicide.

    Ouch.I hope the yards can get used for something else, even if it's not ship building.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. :) Thank you, Marcus. Yes, I'm very familiar with that very album indeed. It's one of the best out there, me thinks.
      I also used to, for some reason or another, be quite familiar with David Knopfler's album "Cut the Wire" from back in 1985 or 86 where he said something like:

      When my Grandpapa sailed, to New York
      Took his family way up over Boston
      My Papa went to Scotland, three small Children watch The Clyde
      where the men built ships, built'em with pride.
      The same as their fathers before them
      Same as their fathers did before them...

      Let's just cross fingers, for those old yards :)

      Slett
  3. Just a thought re that troublesome thin focussing ring - why not stick a stick on it, if you see what I mean. I read somewhere something about putting a home-made focus knob, Leica-style if perhaps not Leica quality, on a lens. Sounded like a good idea at the time. Personally I'm a big fan of the focus knobs on the two smallest lenses I have - the Voigtlander 21mm and the Leica 35mm. Actually the Voigtlander is the better of the two.

    Congrats also on fixing the camera body - must be very satisfactory when that happens!

    And...the Clyde Project sounds great to my ears. Projects in general sound good :)

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Thank you, Michael.
      The sticking a stick on the focusing ring much not be a bad idea at all. Since it's located on the outer edge of the lens it's not a very big problem I think, but it seems like it's going to take some time to get used to. I'll give it a few months just to check if it's still an issue a bit further down the line, and then maybe do something.

      The Clyde project... well, I didn't actually know it was a project until I had the negs scanned. And maybe it's no project at all a week or so from now, we will see.
      Projects in general sound very good to me as well :))

      Slett

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