CameraCollectors.com

After much consideration, we have decided to drop our toll free telephone number and our local business telephone number.  It is an unfortunate reality of business that telemarketers are flooding businesses with annoying calls.

U.S. law no longer allows telemarketing calls to individuals (with rare exception), so all the telemarketing firms have redoubled their efforts toward businesses.  There are days I will receive three times more telemarketing calls than customer calls.

Since telephone companies are unable or unwilling to stop this attack on my time, I have decided to drop both business lines, just as I dropped my fax line many years back (great device for vacation rental companies, caterers, and marketers, but few customers used it).

Unfortunately, this means I will no longer be listed in the local telephone directory.  For most customers this is not a problem; a large majority of our customers find us via the internet.

It also means that long distance calls may cost the customer.  Again, for most this will not be a problem as long distance is inexpensive, and often included with a phone plan.  In fact, Verizon and Alltel users will not be charged at all for their calls.

So, after eleven years our telephone number has changed.  I apologize for any inconvenience.  I just cannot justify the time I waste dealing with telemarketers.

Call us at 720-982-9574.

My daughter’s little Nikon Coolpix 2100 has been a great camera, but the plastic latch that the battery door slides into broke. Nikon wanted $95 + shipping to repair the darn thing, which is more than we paid for it!

The offending part - a cheap plastic holding a spring-loaded door. A poor design, one which affects the 2100, 3100, and 3200 models - and one which Nikon changed in later models.

I used JB Weld, an epoxy with metal mixed in for extra strength. The stuff is versatile, easy to use, and strong.

To bridge the gap I used a piece of silver wire I just happened to have on hand - I bought a roll to repair my Rosary a while back (yes, I really am cheap… er, I mean frugal). I attached it to the remaining latch with the epoxy, and tested it once the epoxy set. I then used more epoxy to fill in around and beneath the wire, so that the door would close and latch properly. An inexpensive and relatively elegant solution (I’ve seen some repair efforts that involve all sorts of external clamps and screws). My daughter is thrilled to have her camera back.

To see images of the repair follow this link:

CoolPix 2100 repair.

A friend asked my opinion of the Fuji F200 EXR.  I am not an expert in digital photography, but my opinion follows:

I don’t know much about this camera, but they seem to be trying to address one of the main complaints about digital vs. analog formats.  Film, since it is at least three photosensitive layers in a matrix, is able to capture a level of detail that most digital cameras cannot duplicate.  In other words, each “pixel” of film captures three pieces of color information.  Even very high resolution cameras lack a “depth” to the image, because each pixel can only capture a single bit of information ( and each pixel is larger than a silver halide crystal).  If I read correctly, this camera has two sets of photo diodes, which can be combined in different ways to enhance resolution, light sensitivity, or contrast range.  I think that is a very interesting step toward replicating film characteristics.

You may have seen this page already, where they compare images using the different exposure modes:
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/review/2009/02/05/10144.html
It seems like quite the improvement in low light settings.

I have a lot of aftermarket Leica caps - M bayonet and M39 - that I have put on eBay in lots of 5 to 8 caps. These are good, quality caps - but they haven’t sold. If you are interested, grab them up! I am even paying the shipping on these pieces.

Tomorrow some Nikon lens hoods will also be available - very nice condition, and cheap.

I expect to add a few nice pieces to the on-line catalog this weekend. I’ll see what I can come up with - perhaps some Minox, Graflex, maybe some large format gear.

Visit our eBay catalog

New on our site:

Hasselblad 1000F with 80mm Tessar;

Hasselblad Ektar 135mm Lens - rare, nice, in original box;

Hasselblad Chimney Finder and 12 Back for 1000F.

Also, please note that prices have been reduced on  some of our most collectible cameras and lenses!

Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee will be manufacturing a replacement paper for those who printed with Azo. This is a silver chloride paper, and from their press release it looks very promising.

We are moving some of our miscellaneous pieces to eBay - filters, viewfinders, tripods, etc.  Over the next several weeks we hope to clear out some of the cases of stuff we have in the back room.

The good news is that eBay is  struggling, so these pieces may be had for a song.

More to come!

A question posed today: “Is it possible to disassemble to clean and restore an old Voigtlander & Son large format lens? It is full of loose flakes and particals, but it is an awesome lens, and the glass is clear.”

My answer:

It may be possible - partly depending on the construction of the lens. Many lenses have elements that are held in place with threads or retaining rings; some older lenses had the brass barrel rolled over the edge of the element, which makes disassembly much more difficult.

I can recommend John at Focal Point:
http://www.focalpointlens.com/

He worked on an old Gold Rim Dagor that I shoot with my Deardorff. He disassembled and recoated the lens, replacing the old soft coating with a modern multi-coating. I am always pleased with his work - and he will tell you frankly if the cost of the repair is higher than the worth of the lens. Sometimes one repairs anyway - just because the lens is a classic.

Seems I am behind as usual.  Many pieces I’ve pulled from our inventory are now on-line, but weeks later than I had hoped.  We still have a lot of equipment that has yet to see daylight - part of my penchant for buying and holding.  Well, it’s time to move it out of here!

New on our web Site:

Leica If RD with 5cm Elmar Red Scale

Nikon 43-86mm f/3.5 AI

Pentax Spotmatic Black Paint

Pentax Lenses

Robot Luftwaffen

Rollei “Baby” Rolleiflex

TDC Stereo Camera

Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex IIa

Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta IV

That’s all for today.  I hope to post more frequently, maybe with some items more interesting than strictly inventory lists!

New this week are a very nice Nikon AF lens, and a Gossen meter.

Also, the last day for the Imacon Ixpress digital back for Hasselblad. This is the 96C, which is very versatile, can be adapted to several different camera bodies, and is in near mint condition.

We have several recent purchases that we will be adding this week.

You can view the auctions here:
www.cameracollectors.com/pages/eBay.html.

Just trying to catch up….