Tag: camera

New Lens Day? I Hope!

We ordered a new Nikon Z mount lens and a couple of memory cards from Best Buy this morning. The intention being a curbside pickup in Salem, NH.

An hour or so ago I got a notification that the memory cards are ready for pick up. Jen got a notification that the lens was being readied for pickup in Nashua, NH.

Oops.

I don’t care where I have to go to pick the thing up, I just want it for the vacation. It’s a 40mm, f2 full frame prime lens and I am sitting here kinda drooling over the thought of it. Nikon doesn’t seem to have a 35mm or 50mm Z mount lens yet, so this puppy is pretty much the sweet spot in between them. It’s also tiny, which is super nice. I’m really hoping I can wander around Disney World with a 40mm prime on my digital camera, and a 50mm prime on my film camera. Double fisting like a boss, right?

Speaking of film, I am still waiting for the notification that my test roll of film scans is ready to download. It’s been a couple of days since the lab notified me that they had the film. Now I just need the scans so I can be sure using Dad’s Pentax lens on my Nikon camera will work. I know it will because the camera is an SLR and I can see through it without any problem. I just want to make sure the film shots look okay. I’m hoping the adapter doesn’t screw with the focus, or let any light leak into the camera, or anything like that. If I don’t see the scans today I will likely see them next week, but there will be a few days of picture taking opportunities in between. I’ll probably just use the lens that came with the Nikon when I bought it off of eBay. I’ve already packed up the film I’m bringing along. There’s more than I can see myself using, but I will be set no matter what. There’s also this groovy new mirrorless camera that will be drawing attention away from film, so I’ll likely shoot less film that I was planning. I can’t say for sure though.

I am a nerd. You knew that already though. I think we’re all good with it.

Three hours and 32 minutes until vacation.

Morning Stuff Complete

I did everything I wanted to do before work today and then some. I got up at 5:10, ran in place for 45 minutes. Surprisingly my Apple Watch’s workout app didn’t screw me over on any of the numbers. It gave me 5.5 miles and 1000 calories when yesterday the exact same time and pace gave me 3.5 miles and 800 calories. Why was today different? Who knows. Who really cares.

I ate breakfast, showered, dressed, and ran out to the supermarket. I bought everything we need to make a mini-Thanksgiving this weekend. We might need a bigger turkey breast, but I can leap off that bridge later today. I was out of the house early enough to bring Dad’s camera and make a quick shootin’ stop. I think the place I went to might be bad luck.

Walnut Grove Cemetery in Methuen is awesome. It was the first place I thought of when I thought about using black and white film. The last time I took Dad’s camera there the film jammed and then broke when I was trying to rewind it. Today I expected to have 9-10 shots left in the roll. It jammed after five. What the hell? When I got home I rewound it without issue so hopefully all will be well. Just… what the hell?

I’m trying to keep track of what goes onto each roll of film. This roll is roll number 8 and it is the cheapest film I could find on Amazon, Kentmere 100. I wonder if the cheapness is part of the reason it jammed. I also wonder if the cheapness is part of the reason it was an absolute bitch to load. It was by far the hardest roll to load yet and I bet I burned a shot or two during the fiasco. I loaded roll number nine into Dad’s camera this morning too and that was a bitch to load as well. Either I suck or the film does… it’s probably me.

Roll #8 was through Dad’s prime lens only. Roll #9 will use Dad’s zoom lens. Roll #10 will be my camera with Dad’s prime lens, and Roll #11 will be my camera with Dad’s zoom lens. My camera using an adapter as well, of course. That will be it for the black and white film I have. There may be a Christmas roll in there too, which will likely be color and much better film using Dad’s camera and whichever lens I have available at the time. HoHoHo and all that.

Okay, it’s 8:56. Time to punch into work.

Walnut Grove Cemetery
Dad’s camera, loaded up with roll number nine.

Stay the Course Don’t Give In

No, this post isn’t about my stupid personal Facebook ban, though you might think so based on the title.

I watched a bunch of film photography vlogs on YouTube tonight. Now I know I said I was putting film photography silliness on hold until around Thanksgiving* but I super want to get a bunch of rolls of cheap black and white film and load it into dad’s Pentax and throw his zoom lens on (because I’ve yet to really use it) and go out shooting film!

No, Robert! Fight the urge! Fight the urge!

*For the first time since I was hired in 2004, I do not have the day after Thanksgiving off this year. I’ll put in for PTO if no one from my staff puts in first. The four day Thanksgiving weekend is literally my favorite holiday of the year. I wonder if Thanksgiving will be weird this year, due to having a mangled stomach and rewired intestines. We will see.

Rough Morning

This one might venture into TMI territory. I’ll be careful not to overshare, but given that this blog is more like a personal weight loss surgery journal just for me (sorry) I feel I need to document today’s fun. Again, sorry.

A couple of times over the last two months my digestive system has rebelled. I go a few days with nuttin’ but chirping crickets and then a very difficult, rather painful morning of struggle and teeth gritting and all sorts of fun. That’s me today. I have spent a lot of time in the bathroom with… very little reward. Is that skirting the TMI line? There has been success, it just took a lot of work and a lot of discomfort and now that things are… well… moving (wink wink) I don’t think it is going to stop for a while. How’s that? Did I give enough detail for me to know what I am talking about when I review this post five years from now without maybe grossing out all of you fine people who happen to read this? Would it make you all feel better if I say that people who read this page are among the finest people on the Earth? You are all kind hearted, generous, strong, good looking folks who are respected and looked up to by all who meet you. Given that, I hope I didn’t gross you out.

In other news, Jen is in the office today and it sucks. She’s going to be in the office tomorrow too and that is going to suck. Suck for me, at least. I miss her. She also has an after work, work function tonight and she won’t be home until late. I’m on my own for dinner, which isn’t a big deal, but I am going to be sad without her around.

I’m thinking of taking the camera into Boston tonight. Maybe I could get some pics of all the signs and lights in the theater district. That little area has been on my photo-to-do list for a while. Unfortunately there are thunderstorms in the forecast. We’ll have to see how it goes this evening. It would be nice, and I’ve already started researching how high I can set my ISO before the digital noise gets too obnoxious.

Here’s hoping the weather forecast changes and things clear up.

Primary Day

I cast ballot #5 in precinct #5 in Methuen, MA today.

We had planned to apply for a vote by mail ballot, but we forgot to send in the application. Next time, for sure. So today I went to the poll just after it opened. They moved my precinct to a new location. I was a little nervous about the very small parking lot, but I was early enough that it wasn’t an issue. The city has a new check in/check out system so hopefully that all goes well and there aren’t any hiccups.

My civic duty is done once again. While I was out I also dropped my two rolls of film into the mail to get developed. I’m using the same New Hampshire based lab as last time. Here’s hoping the turn around time is as lightning fast as last time. Also, here’s hoping my Ebay Nikon’s A (basically aperture priority) mode works and I didn’t ruin a roll by test driving it.

I’m back at work after the holiday. My exercise ring is closed. All is right with the world… except for the whole empty nest thing and my parents’ health situation and all of that stuff. Other than that, all is right with the world.

Happy Tuesday.

Bed Time Thoughts

I tried to watch Sunday night’s episode of Westworld before work this morning but HBO Max wouldn’t play the video for some reason. It’s playing now. Once it’s done I’m going to sleep.

My Apple Watch is charging. Once it’s done I’ll go to sleep, assuming the above item is complete. I actually just kicked off an update. Who knows how long that will take.

Speaking of my Apple Watch, the activity app’s calorie goal wasn’t reached until almost 10pm tonight. Not sure why it took so long this time. I’ll keep an eye on it.

I was looking at a Nikon D90 group on Flickr tonight. The newest discussion topic was two years old but I found a thread discussing shutter counts. Now I’m paranoid that my camera has too much mileage to be reliable. That’s bullshit, of course. I’m going to use it until it disintegrates, and probably keep using it after that.

Speaking of cameras, I really want to take another stroll around Boston. There is talk of the Aquarium this weekend. We’ll see.

That cat was laying down on Jen’s pillow a few minutes ago. It’s was as adorable as can be.

Okay, my watch is updated and Westworld is 2/3 finished. I think I’ll post this now. I hope you enjoyed it for it’s random stupidness.

FG-20: It Seems to Work

I put film in the new/ebay camera. It was a little difficult getting it to advance. It moved okay when the door was open, but not at all when it was closed. I think I need to roll it back a little to tighten it. It seems that way at least.

I also have to remember to half-push the shutter to get the light meter to work. That has gone wrong once as my attempt to half push accidently turned into a full push. Woops. So far it seems to be advancing the film correctly. Hopefully that continues for… forever, I guess.

Now I just have to shoot the whole roll and get it developed so that I can know the whole thing actually really works instead of just feels like it works. I also need to know if there’s anything fatal with the lens. It seems okay, but focusing feels a little difficult.

It’s all very interesting.

Tuesday Stuff

Happy Amazon Prime Day. I don’t really know what that means, but my beloved wife spent her pre-work morning shopping for bargains. I don’t know if she got any, but we have a new dorm room to partially populate at the end of next month so fingers crossed for good stuff.

Today is my work anniversary. 18 years ago today I started a new job. Eighteen (18) years… That’s the longest I’ve ever stuck with anything in my whole life. It’s crazy. Crazy, I tells ya.

My father is moving to a new room within the assisted living facility he’s currently living in. The moving day is tomorrow. I haven’t seen his new room, but I’ve seen one that is similar. It’s bigger than his current room and it has an actual kitchen. I took the day off to help out. I’m not sure how it’s going to go yet. We’ll see. I’m optimistic that this is going to be a good thing. I am not sure if my father agrees or not. Again, we’ll see.

Bellana is coming home on Friday. Repeat: Bellana is coming home on Friday. We’re going to have both kids in the house at the same time and it’s everything. Literally everything!

My Ebay camera purchase that I kinda wanted to back out of but didn’t is supposed to be delivered today. Here’s hoping the lens that the seller chucked in for free actually works. I am not sure it will. Unfortunately, Amazon Prime Day doesn’t have any deals on Nikon lenses from the 80’s so there’s no help coming from there.

18 years. I’ve actually stuck with something for 18 years. Who woulda thunk it. I wonder how many other folks from my new hire group are still around. Our careers are old enough to vote. So weird.