GAS GAS: Please Share your Latest Acquisitions Big and Small

I posted on April 17 that I purchased a Minolta 500/8 AF reflex. It's still not here. Below is a snip from the tracking info. If it weren't so maddening it'd be funny. At this point I'm concerned it'll even arrive in one piece.

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I'm sorry to hear that. In October, 2021 I ordered a Godox flash from B&H that got lost by FedEx in Oakland. If I check tracking it still says it's on its way... I contacted B&H twice with no resolution and I've just given up. Thankfully it was a fairly cheap flash and not a new lens or body. I used to prefer FedEx over UPS before Covid, but now it is the other way around. And, because of this delivery failure by FedEx I hesitate to order any more expensive items from BH.

On the day that Nikon announced the Z9 they also announced the Z100-400 and I called Pictureline in Utah about a minute after they opened and placed an order. I got my lens before Christmas! Now Pictureline is my go to for ordering Nikon gear like bodies and lenses.

When I bought a new ProMediaGear tripod and head I went straight to the company website and ordered from them instead of BH.
 
If you know me, you know I have a problem turning down early digital cameras under $25. Just picked up a working d-600l, the first Olympus digital camera, for $9.
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This approach is great for young, budding photographers that like to leave things in places they can’t always remember. Beats the heck out of the ugly, basic cameras they try to market to kids.
 
We do really well in the center of the country on delivery. All of them get it right, either on the forecasted delivery day or sometimes a day early. One of our postal workers is a bit of a slacker, though. He often ignores scheduled pickups, and he will leave packages on the rainy half of the porch when the dry half is literally another 1-2’ away. Even the most careless of tosses would keep it dry. I believe we call that an “engagement problem” in the corporate world.
 
I'm sorry to hear that. In October, 2021 I ordered a Godox flash from B&H that got lost by FedEx in Oakland. If I check tracking it still says it's on its way... I contacted B&H twice with no resolution and I've just given up. Thankfully it was a fairly cheap flash and not a new lens or body. I used to prefer FedEx over UPS before Covid, but now it is the other way around. And, because of this delivery failure by FedEx I hesitate to order any more expensive items from BH.

On the day that Nikon announced the Z9 they also announced the Z100-400 and I called Pictureline in Utah about a minute after they opened and placed an order. I got my lens before Christmas! Now Pictureline is my go to for ordering Nikon gear like bodies and lenses.

When I bought a new ProMediaGear tripod and head I went straight to the company website and ordered from them instead of BH.
I would call them, and continue to call them until I got a response. I would not email, use their form, or send mail. Call, call, call. I'll bet you'd get a refund or a new flash in a hurry. Maybe even in a flash...
 
I have had similar screwy results with UPS bouncing my Pixii package all over the country. On its way back to France it is now stuck for the second day in customs at Louisville.

OTOH the Jupiter 12 KMZ 35 mm f/2.8 from Ukraine is arriving here within the predicted arrival time, USPS. Say what you will about our post office but I find it efficient, economical and reliable. From Ukraine to Oregon, baby! It should be here tomorrow or the day after. It will be tried on Pixii and will for sure work on the M9.

I am at peace with the Pixii. It will get here, just not when I expected it. And all of you folks are still on notice of the coming photo deluge. Being nice will not help you. LOL
 
My newest purchase: 'The Fat Baby', a remarkable, disturbing, and profoundly compelling book of photo essays, by the American documentary photographer/photojournalist, Eugene Richards. Some of his fellow photographers, at Magnum and elsewhere, have called this book 'a masterpiece', and having now read it once, I have to concur. One of Richards' younger contemporaries, Alec Soth, said of him that, "(he) is one of the few photographers who really figured out how to tell stories."

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Returned the Nikon Z 28-75 f2.8 after trying it out for a couple days. Got the Z 40mm F2 and the FTZ adapter instead.
I am going to wait on a zoom. Maybe the 24-120 or the 24-200...
As you know, I really like the 40mm, and your copy seems to be fine.

Both the two zooms you mention are really interesting - the 24-120mm is a powerhouse, a great lens in almost every way (except maybe for its lack of VR, but that's not a big deal on FX bodies), the 24-200mm is very convenient and quite competent as well, while being very portable for what it is; The superzoom is a cut above most earlier zooms of a similar kind, though there are two notable competitors on the market today, but neither is for Z mount: the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 PRO and Tamron's 28-200mm. But the Z 24-200mm offers a compelling set of mild compromises with really nice assets (VR, weather sealing) - I like it almost as much as the 24-120mm, and it's a fantastic travel lens. My current (compact) travel setup is the Z 6, the 40mm and the 24-200mm ...

M.
 
As you know, I really like the 40mm, and your copy seems to be fine.

Both the two zooms you mention are really interesting - the 24-120mm is a powerhouse, a great lens in almost every way (except maybe for its lack of VR, but that's not a big deal on FX bodies), the 24-200mm is very convenient and quite competent as well, while being very portable for what it is; The superzoom is a cut above most earlier zooms of a similar kind, though there are two notable competitors on the market today, but neither is for Z mount: the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 PRO and Tamron's 28-200mm. But the Z 24-200mm offers a compelling set of mild compromises with really nice assets (VR, weather sealing) - I like it almost as much as the 24-120mm, and it's a fantastic travel lens. My current (compact) travel setup is the Z 6, the 40mm and the 24-200mm ...
Matt, I appreciate your insights on the Z lens. The 40mm seems great so far and I think it may become my main lens on the Z5.
Very tempted to try the 24-200 and it seems the 24-120 is backordered, or at least in short supply.
But for now I am going to be testing out the FTZ with some of my F mount lenses.

 
I posted on April 17 that I purchased a Minolta 500/8 AF reflex. It's still not here. Below is a snip from the tracking info. If it weren't so maddening it'd be funny. At this point I'm concerned it'll even arrive in one piece.

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Well, it appears to be lost at the post office. After opening a case the other day and speaking with them this evening, they advised me to request a refund. They think it may have been sent back to Chicago, but they really have no idea where it is or what happened to it. They did say they'd keep looking but at this point they have low confidence. I would be ok with waiting a few more days but wanted to get it on the record before the allowable time period expires, so I requested the refund through eBay. The seller has until next Thursday to respond. That's actually almost perfect in that it gives them 6 more days to get it here. If it doesn't show up then I'll have no qualms about taking a refund, by then I'd feel like I'd given it a fair shot.

The one good thing is that she said if it was sent back to Chicago it would be in a container with a lot of other packages. At least it's not being manhandled and tossed around as an individual package. That also means (hopefully) there are a couple hundred other people hollering.

How in the hell do you lose an entire container?
 
A soothing balm arrived yesterday from Ukraine, a Jupiter 12. I missed the letter carrier so I went down to the PO today to pick it up. It is a '51 KMZ Jupiter 12 35mm f/2.8. I got a plum Jupiter 8 from the same fellow last year. This one is in A+ shape. It has the same solid but muted colors as the J8 but is not as sharp. For US$180 + US$20 for shipping it is an alright lens. As usual the heat from the sun was sweltering. Lots of sunscreen today. Yeah, right.


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I've just received a nice condition Billingham f1.4 bag from ebayland.

The f1.4, now discontinued, is deeper than the Hadley series and will accommodate an MFT body with grip and tele-zoom without having to take the lens off.

Bought it because it was 6cm longer than the Billingham f2.8 I already owned, meaning I could squeeze an extra lens inside.

Slight snag.

Put the bags side by side and they are identical apart from colour. I 'thought' I owned a Billingham f2.8 but didn't check the label buried in the front pocket seam.

Not the seller's fault so I have some ebaying to do this weekend :dash2:
 
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