GAS GAS: Please Share your Latest Acquisitions Big and Small

The new Sony got here today. Still waiting on the USB floppy drive, which I’ll need sooner rather than later as it appears on the ‘fine’ setting, I’ll only get about 32 images per floppy disk 😂
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The new Sony got here today. Still waiting on the USB floppy drive, which I’ll need sooner rather than later as it appears on the ‘fine’ setting, I’ll only get about 32 images per floppy disk 😂
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That's pretty good.

The OEM CF card that came with my Nikon Coolpix E5000 (5 MPx) was a whole whopping 32 MB ...
It would store 1.5 RAW files ...

I recall spending about AUD$ 150 for a 512 MB card for it!
 
The new Sony got here today. Still waiting on the USB floppy drive, which I’ll need sooner rather than later as it appears on the ‘fine’ setting, I’ll only get about 32 images per floppy disk 😂
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And floppies aren’t the most resilient and reusable storage media. Too many writes and they start crapping out. They should make a dual-slot model for redundancy!
 
And floppies aren’t the most resilient and reusable storage media. Too many writes and they start crapping out. They should make a dual-slot model for redundancy!
Which is why I’m really pretty surprised the 15+ year old one I yanked out of the bottom of a desk drawer is working just fine.

I wonder what ISO my floppy is 🤣
 
Nice lens, Timo, congrats!
And I really really like the fly shot.
Since I'm basically clueless about macro photography in general, but curious also: what type of flash did you use to get this shot?
Thanks Miguel.

I just used an old MIJ Sigma EF-430 for Canon in manual mode + Godox softbox/diffuser. I use it as an off-camera flash for macro, products and portraits with the use of FlashQ, which is the tiniest hotshoe trigger on the market, at the moment. With the FlashQ, any flash system can be used so it's makes flash photography future-proof in that regard.
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Which is why I’m really pretty surprised the 15+ year old one I yanked out of the bottom of a desk drawer is working just fine.

I wonder what ISO my floppy is 🤣
Somewhere in my house I have a storage caddy of floppies, and it contains the disks for Windows 3.1 and a golf game called Links386. There might be a few random writable disks in there too. I still have a floppy drive, but it's for an actual ATA connection, not your fancy USB model!
 
Somewhere in my house I have a storage caddy of floppies, and it contains the disks for Windows 3.1 and a golf game called Links386. There might be a few random writable disks in there too. I still have a floppy drive, but it's for an actual ATA connection, not your fancy USB model!
I’m guessing you’ll find your 5 1/4” Oregon Trail disks whenever you locate that stash.
 
The 1st 14 f2.5 I bought had very soft corners, but this new one is very sharp pretty much everywhere. Think I'm gonna keep this one as it fits nicely on my E-M5 III. (y)
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My copy back in the day also wasn't very sharp, I think there was a lot of sample variation, at least early on. I keep wondering if I should try it again...
 
Thanks Miguel.

I just used an old MIJ Sigma EF-430 for Canon in manual mode + Godox softbox/diffuser. I use it as an off-camera flash for macro, products and portraits with the use of FlashQ, which is the tiniest hotshoe trigger on the market, at the moment. With the FlashQ, any flash system can be used so it's makes flash photography future-proof in that regard.
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This is seriously cool - and your photos and description are very helpful, too, Timo. Thank you!
I have one more question which I am afraid may be even more ignorant than the previous one, but: in simple terms, how does the FlashQ unit work? Does one part of it go inside your hot-shoe mount (on the camera) - while the other somehow attaches to flash itself?
 
This is seriously cool - and your photos and description are very helpful, too, Timo. Thank you!
I have one more question which I am afraid may be even more ignorant than the previous one, but: in simple terms, how does the FlashQ unit work? Does one part of it go inside your hot-shoe mount (on the camera) - while the other somehow attaches to flash itself?
The FlashQ unit just triggers the flash manually through any hotshoe on any camera. I believe it's the centre contact on the ISO hotshoe which is the actual trigger. The other contacts are proprietary/camera-dependent for TTL and other technologies. So when the camera detects the transmitter on the hotshoe and the shutter button is pressed, a trigger signal is detected by the FlashQ transmitter and sends signal on the same node on the receiver which is attached to the flash.

On the photo below, the left one is the transmitter that goes on the hotshoe and the one on the right is the receiver which can be attached on any flash. The centre contact on receiver is universal so the flash will have to be operated manually. It's best to get a flash system that has a full manual mode. I use full manual both on the camera and on the flash when doing flash photography, especially on the GM5 since the flash sync is only up to 1/50sec.
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The battery is Li-ion, as well, vs the version 1 which used coin-type batteries.

The transmitter can be paired with multiple receivers.

It is a cool device. It opens up access to even the best speedlights on the market like the highly-regarded Nikon SB-600 and SB-800.

EDIT: Here's their page for the trigger system for more info: – LightPix Labs
 
I think my personal copy of the Z 40mm f/2 is a dud.
Just a little follow-up: It definitely is. My favourite store had a couple of Z 40mm f/2 delivered and kindly let me test one on my Z 6. Not quite as crisp as the Z 35mm f/1.8 S, but predictably reliable right into the corners, nice and sharp, with medium contrast. I repeat, sharp. Not mushy like the lens I happen to own.

Back it goes to Nikon for another attempt at repairs or, hopefully, a direct replacement. I'll deliver it to Nikon Switzerland headquarters myself (again :dash2:).

M.
 
A camp toilet. Planning to use it as a backyard birding blind and maybe for some trips to the field if I can get up the gumption. The zip down flap is a bit lower than I had hoped for but can make it work. There's a little pouch near the top, perfect for a lens cap, and just above that is another zip open flap that's the right height for me to stand and shoot. It pops up in seconds, folds almost as quick. Carrying bag has straps and is about two feet in diameter. I'm going to put a little ceramic safety heater in it for the backyard.

The ugly camo one is on clearance from Wallyworld for $32.

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A camp toilet. Planning to use it as a backyard birding blind and maybe for some trips to the field if I can get up the gumption. The zip down flap is a bit lower than I had hoped for but can make it work. There's a little pouch near the top, perfect for a lens cap, and just above that is another zip open flap that's the right height for me to stand and shoot. It pops up in seconds, folds almost as quick. Carrying bag has straps and is about two feet in diameter. I'm going to put a little ceramic safety heater in it for the backyard.

The ugly camo one is on clearance from Wallyworld for $32.

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Amusing primary use case aside, I think this is a great idea for a small portable blind. I keep camo netting in my trunk which attaches to tiny fishing rods I can bury in the ground that gives me a little “fence” to hide behind, but this looks to be a much better solution that keeps you hidden from all angles. So long as you can get a little folding stool (no pun intended) in there, I think I may grab one of these.
 
Just a little follow-up: It definitely is. My favourite store had a couple of Z 40mm f/2 delivered and kindly let me test one on my Z 6. Not quite as crisp as the Z 35mm f/1.8 S, but predictably reliable right into the corners, nice and sharp, with medium contrast. I repeat, sharp. Not mushy like the lens I happen to own.

Back it goes to Nikon for another attempt at repairs or, hopefully, a direct replacement. I'll deliver it to Nikon Switzerland headquarters myself (again :dash2:).

M.
Even I myself am starting to find this whole affair increasingly hilarious ... Next (though probably second-to-last) chapter of the story: Today, I cracked - and went (literally - I walked, all the way, some seven miles to and fro) back into town to pick up the very Z 40mm f/2 I had test shot yesterday. My reasoning may seem skewed, but the logic of the madness is a follows: I want a *good* Z 40mm f/2, and it's already very obvious that sample variation is considerable - so if I buy this very lens I *am* actually pleased with, I'll end up with a good one. Deal!

The really nice turn-out: I have the lens (duh!), but also, my favourite store proved its worth once again: Once we had talked about what had happened, one of the owners said that if Nikon was decent enough to do a full exchange of my dodgy Z 40mm f/2 (which, in everyone's opinion, they really should), I could either swap that (new, boxed) lens for something else - or let them have it, at full price! It doesn't get any more generous than this ... Though I have to admit that they're doing rather well out of my regular bouts of GAS and my insatiable desire for experimentation ...

M.
 
Amusing primary use case aside, I think this is a great idea for a small portable blind. I keep camo netting in my trunk which attaches to tiny fishing rods I can bury in the ground that gives me a little “fence” to hide behind, but this looks to be a much better solution that keeps you hidden from all angles. So long as you can get a little folding stool (no pun intended) in there, I think I may grab one of these.
Ok, in all truth it's not a camp toilet, but it resembles one and I thought you guys would have fun with it. It's actually a privacy/shower shelter. The flaps are designed for shower valves, nozzles, etc. The little pocket is for shampoo. It's supposed to be waterproof. The case has backpack style straps.

I used to have camo netting and a pop-up hunting blind that I used for hunting, but this is faster and easier. Never bothered with stakes for the netting, I just tossed it over low branches or brush.

You'd need a short stool or folding chair to make good use of the lower opening for birds.

Link at the bottom. For $32 shipped, worth a shot.

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Somewhere in my house I have a storage caddy of floppies, and it contains the disks for Windows 3.1 and a golf game called Links386. There might be a few random writable disks in there too. I still have a floppy drive, but it's for an actual ATA connection, not your fancy USB model!
I remember playing Links386! Probably around 1995 IIRC (which is far from certain).
 
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