# This week I buy, Next week I seek a therapist



## Rick58 (Jan 18, 2015)

I may have to delete my eBay account for my own well being. I was paging through the Nikon film camera's and came upon a really nice F3 body, very reasonable and it was in my home town!...Couldn't resist...Sold! Kind'a nice transaction because I just met the guy down the road about a mile for the hand off.
Ok... not so bad. Still able to put square pegs in square holes.

Next night, again paging through Satan's Photo Center, somehow I came across a Tiltall tripod. I had one of these back in the 70's! They aren't fancy, but they're rock solid and built like a tank...Sold. Heck, for a second I thought I was 20 again.
Took my temperature, all's well. Went to bed.

Next night: So this is where I really go bonkers. As a younger lad, I used to know a photographer who had a Graphic 45 View Camera in his studio. A real beast, but for whatever reason, I really loved that camera. One day it went up for sale. I was a young father / husband and broke, so it was gone. Well, there on eBay, sits this sorrowful relic, looking for a last-chance home. Really rough. I inquired about the bellows which were fine (according to the seller). I made a ridiculous offer, and it was mine. My plan is to turn it into a project camera. Strip everything down to the bare castings and rebuild / repaint it piece by piece. Maybe start a project thread and photograph my progress.

There you have it. A tale of a weak man. End result:
My wife is happy and says it's better then a red convertable sportcar and young women.
The Linhof says it refuses to slum it by living in the same closet as the Graphic view.

Now if I could only shoot a single frame of film again.


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## pgriz (Jan 18, 2015)

Your wife's a wise woman.  Red convertibles are over-rated, with or without the young women.  But a vintage camera, on the other hand, shows refinement, awareness of quality and harkens back to when it took skill to make something.  No need for therapy, Rick.  Just time.  And congratulations.


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## Rick58 (Jan 18, 2015)

pgriz said:


> No need for therapy, Rick.  Just time.  And congratulations.



5 more years to retirement. The stresses of the job will be gone and all the time in the world to play.


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## Rick50 (Jan 18, 2015)

Your doing like I did. Buy as much as you can before retiring. You most likely will not be able to then.
Good buy I say!


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## Rick58 (Jan 18, 2015)

Rick50 said:


> Good buy I say!


Yeah, except by the time I retire, the F3 will probably only be worth a loaf of bread, the way film gear is selling. $70 for a really nice F3? That's criminal.


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## compur (Jan 18, 2015)

70 bucks for a nice F3 is a great buy. I think it will be worth more by the time you retire if you look after it.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 19, 2015)

I think I like your wife. And the cameras you're buying. lol


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## Rick58 (Jan 19, 2015)

vintagesnaps said:


> I think I like your wife. And the cameras you're buying. lol


Yeah, the wife is a keeper. She tolerates me and my obsessions.


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## timor (Jan 26, 2015)

Rick58 said:


> Rick50 said:
> 
> 
> > Good buy I say!
> ...


Maybe... but good for us. A little extra fun in life. Don't you think, that THIS is a therapy ?


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## Rick58 (Jan 26, 2015)

Got the F3...Really nice.  Since  I got an F3, I  had to buy another 50/2 rated at Ex++. My 'ol 50 has been around the block, so I thought the F3 deserved something nice to wear. f2 is fast enough  for what I do.

Got the Tiltall...Very happy with that purchase. They ain't fancy but they're rock solid.

Got the Graphic View...a real beater, but I knew that. It's all there and light tight. Fun project camera

Continued confessions of the weak minded...

Since I bought all this stuff I also bought myself a "near mint" 65 for my RB. What?!...My Mamiya case had an empty hole...LOL


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## dxqcanada (Jan 26, 2015)

Yeah, I had a Tiltall with original pan head ... almost solid metal ... great to beat off competing photographers with that thing.

If I ever get a darkroom setup I gotta get a large format ... just hide under the sheet.

Hmm, you got worse GAS than I do ... well at least you get stuff in working condition.


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## Rick58 (Jan 26, 2015)

Yeah, I don't smoke, I don't gamble and I only drink about a case of domestic beer a year, but I do like my toys.


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## Rick58 (Jan 30, 2015)

The RB 65 WA arrived today. 5 days from Japan!
Geez, I'm impressed...It took the USPS 2 weeks to deliver a 1st class package from Texas!
Anyway, she sure is sweet. The guy rated it at "near mint". I looked close and I don't even see any evidence it was ever hung on a camera. I sure do like my toys


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## desertrattm2r12 (Dec 25, 2015)

I had a red convertible. An Italian job. Sweet, low to the ground, racy looking as the devil. The wimmin loved it. Don't knock it. But now I have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film 110 camera. With Raphael, I think, on the front (red mask). Vivid green in color. Eat your hearts out.


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