GAS GAS: Please Share your Latest Acquisitions Big and Small

My Conda strap has finally arrived.

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Feels nice, works as advertised, looks nicely enough made. I'm pretty happy, especially since this looks like a really nice way to carry a table-top tripod ...

M.
 
A couple of 300WS lights.

A simple corded Godox MS300.
A not so simple AD300.

Not much to say about the AC unit except it's a nice cheap lightweight workhorse.

The AD300 however is quite a surprise. If not for the nice used price I don't think I would've tried it.
The balance of power and size is very nice. Handles great.
It's small enough for all the little things and when I need a little more it's much easier to use than the ADB2 with two AD200s.
Looking to add a Godox mount softbox for ultra portability.
 
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The problem with owning a Leica is that you always have the urge to baby it and dress it up nicely. Luigi's cases have always been very good for that. Fortunately he's on Ebay...
Following up with the actual case and camera. This is his "Basic Plus" and available at an even lower BIN price on Ebay and the quality is still higher than anything else I've ever used. Beautiful leather.

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The Speed Graphic arrived last week. Plugging some pinholes in the bellows, but apart from that it's fine!
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400' magazine for the Bell&Howell 71 Eyemo camera.
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Graflex Side Flash with 5" reflector to add to the outfit kit. Still need the clamp.
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The inevitable has happened: I was able to pick up a Zeiss Loxia 2.4/25. Have been looking around for it for quite some time. A gentleman in Belgium was offering one for a few months or so and last week he lowered his price to an irresistable level. So I struck a deal after doing some 2 hours of research to find out what was required Covid-wise, resulting in printing a few declarations which should get me across the Dutch-Belgian border without too much trouble. The lens was in excellent shape and proved to be OK image-quality-wise except for some sharpness deterioration at the left side, not enough to decline it.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I now have all the Loxias, even the 21mm and 25mm which are quite close in focal length. We'll see. Can't bring myself to really think about selling the Loxia 2/35 even though I have the excellent Voigtländer Apo-Lanthar 2/35.

Quick grab shot
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The Mk II is indeed a sweet camera. I'm using mine with the more pedestrian original P 14-45.
It took handling one in person to start liking that camera, I've always felt the EM1 series is an ugly looking frankenstein with the size of the grip added to the svelte retro body, but now I understand... and the Mk II sure marries it all together into something that just performs.
 
Well after looking for a couple weeks for a replacement EM5 classic, and wavering over the idea of an EM1 II, I split the difference today when the same shop I bought the EM5 from listed a used EM5 II for $299. I'll have to make sure nothing is wrong with the camera, and use it a bit to see if I take to it at all, but it may be a nice compromise. Seems like at least the best build quality for any 16MP M4/3 sensor with the exception maybe of the original EM1. I'll see whether the ergonomics feel alright with a bit more use.
 
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Nice. Looking forward to your impressions, especially in regards to sharpness and detail at 300mm at a distance. (Looking at this as possibly an easier to carry airshow lens...)
Preliminary testing shows excellent imaging. Attached pic of a house over a half mile away is handheld SOOC (size reduced).
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Pic of hill is over 1 1/2 miles away, also handheld. Very hot temp affects I.Q.
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I received M4/3 sensor swabs and liquid today, promptly proceeded to clean my GX80. The first wet wipe actually for me. Not too scary. Might be brave enough to wet-clean my Leica in the future.

Because these modern shaky sensors dust themselves off I don't actually need the swabs so I am thinking if I resell the remaining 9 swabs. We'll see. The GX80 had a sticky spot that I think might be now cleaned. It's something that doesn't show that easily in all the pictures.
 
I received M4/3 sensor swabs and liquid today, promptly proceeded to clean my GX80. The first wet wipe actually for me. Not too scary. Might be brave enough to wet-clean my Leica in the future.

Because these modern shaky sensors dust themselves off I don't actually need the swabs so I am thinking if I resell the remaining 9 swabs. We'll see. The GX80 had a sticky spot that I think might be now cleaned. It's something that doesn't show that easily in all the pictures.
I admire you and anyone else doing that, I'm too terrified I'll mess it up. The hand pump sensor blower is as far as I'll go, to be fair it's proved to be very effective so far.
 
I admire you and anyone else doing that, I'm too terrified I'll mess it up. The hand pump sensor blower is as far as I'll go, to be fair it's proved to be very effective so far.
Sadly my Leica M behaves so that blowing only suffles the dirt around. I have these single-use swabs that usually do a good job. But the last time I used one I was careless or something -- I introduced or rearranged existing dust. But that time a second application of rocket blower seemed to make a clean job.

~

A sample drop on a tissue looked like a big amount but making the same drop on the M4/3 sensor was tidy -- the surface tension kept the liquid as a droplet. It was then easy to apply the swab on the droplet and nothing got spilled. As one might guess, the stuff dries up quick without residue.

BUT... i have yet to make good test images to see if I screwed anything up... 🤡
I made some poor test images at f/8 but they were through a dirty window.
 
I admire you and anyone else doing that, I'm too terrified I'll mess it up. The hand pump sensor blower is as far as I'll go, to be fair it's proved to be very effective so far.
Cameras with fixed sensors (non IBIS) are fairly simple to wet swab clean. With IBIS cameras, you must take care to lock the IBIS system to hold the sensor steady before cleaning with a wet swab. (y)
 
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