raen

new post, well let's see. life in general is still quite empty, although I've decided I def get something out of this site. when I didn't have my computer for 6 weeks I really missed this place. you girls, ahhmmmm... I mean wow. this might be taken the wrong way, but I would say SG satistfies like .2 percent of my libido. and it is surprisingly significant, .2 percent vs. 0. much, much better than the big fat 0. also I have learned quite a bit and met a few interesting people through this site. no one I actually hang out with, although there was a time when I met a bunch of SGSFers. but it always seemed like a bad time to get to know them... like for 2 years. when I made the last effort I realized that going out until morning and drinking a lot was absolutely not what I needed to be doing. my body said hell no.

so now I've been living in oakland for just over a year. and I def have to say I like it. I like it a lot even. it has taken much getting used to though, moving here from SF. it is waaay quiet. nice not to hear a fire engine siren every day but it took a lot of getting used to. for the longest time I was just in my bubble working. so I have felt pretty isolated since returning to the bay area from miami (which was just 4 mo and so that was not a 'normal' living situation either). now I am starting to really get settled into my place. buying cool furniiture, and my landlord just told me I'm getting one of these storage units in my building. and I've been waiting for it for like 6 months, fucking banging into shit and stubbing my toe every day. so good stuff. and I have gotten some fucking sweet camera equipment (see my beautiful babies below). Those cameras I got a little while ago actually. I've shot with the black one which I'm gonna keep. I also have another black one on the way with the same finder as on the chrome camera. I will get into the photo-geek speak details in a moment. just to finish up on this moment of reflection and fascinating slice of my life at present... friday was the oakland art murmur, or the first friday's monthly art gallery openings. really quite a few people come out for this. I ran into kate- my crush from the plant store. she was with a friend who was asking about my camera. I had just gotten there really late and was handling the gear while talking to them and getting ready to start shooting. so really nothing signifcant to say here. prob I should edit this but I won't. then later I was shooting this really cool exhibit and starting talking to this shy, brainy looking girl. she was ok with being in a photo and then we talked some and turned out she's a musician- and also with virginia roots. so i'm gonna email her and she "may say yes" to going to a show with me... so doubtful of course but people do occasionally surprise me. that is all.

without further ado... here is the Nikon F... the camera that changed photography in the 20th Century.

previously there was no single lens reflex (where what you see when you look through the viewfinder is actually the image coming through the lens) with a well designed automated diaphragm and return mirror. introduced with 5 outstanding lenses this tool for the professional photographer forever 'relegated' the german cameras to the connoisseurs (with the minor exception of Leicas for some of the photojournalists). it was nearly as well crafted as the germans' Contax and Leicas, and the lenses nearly as sharp. not quite as sharp, but with a growing line of high quality lenses and a system so genius it would soon take over the market of pro shooters. it was not any one thing that made this camera great, but there were so many important refinements that it just blew away all the competition. then Nikon developed the highest overall quality line of lenses with a variety and system of accessories beyond comparison. the F was first released in 1959 with a standard non- metered prism and external clip-on selenium cell meter, the Photomic finder followed by the end of the year. the first version of the Photomic metered-finder is not pictured here but it looks similar to these. it also had a light sensitive cell on it, which looks like a little lens. the design of the camera allowed the metere-d prism to be removed, so it was easily updated, improved and released for Nikon users. the design also allowed for a waist-level finder (I'm finding very useful for tight wide-angle shots, like in a small gallery full of people) there are also a few vartiations to the original Photomic (as well as the camera) which make life interesting for collectors. on the chrome F you see the 2nd main version of the Photomic metered-finder. the light senstive cell is now inside the prism and this finder is known as the Photomic T, followed by the Photomic TN, and ultimately the Photomic FTN (pictured in black) the FTN was the best finder for the F although they did away with this little window displaying the f-stop on the back of the finder. why the heck they did that I do not know... but it comes in very handy for me when I am shooting concerts with flash. you change the f-stop based on the distance to subject which you read off the lens after you focus, and it is a pain in the ass to tilt the camera read the f-stop of the lens in the dark, you get the picture. But fortunately the gods have bestowed another black Nikon F with Photomic T finder for me... any day now. I have really been scoring on eBay. I have to pay $130 with shipping. I already a whole mess of stuff from eBay, some of which I'll be selling to pay the rent in oct. or nov. but it will all be captured on my digi, don't worry.