View Full Version : You know you're a rangefinder nut when...
bmattock
03-11-2004, 06:46
Most people know that in many US states, you can order 'custom' license plates that have cute sayings on them. For example, I've seen one that said IMSOGR8 ("I'm so great").
Well, last night, I saw one that I'm convinced is NOT a custom or vanity plate, but it might just as well be: CRF-411.
I told my wife that only the people on Rangefinderforum would 'get' this one. Which makes me a rangefinder nut.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
PS - For those who might not get this one - "Coupled RangeFinder - Information". In the USA, '411' is the number you dial for information, thus people sometimes say to each other "Give me the 4-1-1 on that situation."
bmattock
03-11-2004, 06:53
You know you're a rangefinder nut when you see a camera you really want on eBay, and you refrain from bidding because you recognize the bidder's name from RFF.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
bmattock
03-11-2004, 06:54
You know you're a rangefinder nut when you buy a camera accessory for a camera you don't have - because you know that sooner or later, you will have it.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
bmattock
03-11-2004, 07:28
You know you're a rangefinder nut when you find yourself identifying cameras you see in movies and on TV for friends and family - like they really care.
Examples: In the movie 'Pecker', you see that the main subject is carrying a Canon Canonet GIII QL (possibly a 28). In the anime cartoon 'FLCL', (Fooly-Cooly or Fui Curi), the female character Eri Ninamori carries an Olympus XA.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
PS - Come on, folks, chip in here!
RangefinderR2
03-11-2004, 07:54
I was watching Bush at the rodeo the other day, and one of the offical White House photogs was shooting with a M6 or M7. I went nuts and started yelling to my wife about the virtues of film and "thank god someone still uses film". She just stared. . .
Parker
oftheherd
03-11-2004, 09:29
Originally posted by bmattock
You know you're a rangefinder nut when you buy a camera accessory for a camera you don't have - because you know that sooner or later, you will have it.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
:eek: I thought everyone did that! Does that mean that I need professional help? :D
bmattock
03-11-2004, 09:35
Originally posted by oftheherd
:eek: I thought everyone did that! Does that mean that I need professional help? :D
Yes, you do. Take two rolls of film on a fixed-lens rangefinder and call me in the morning.
Best Regards,
Bill "Dr. Rangefinder" Mattocks
... When you consider taking the Mamiya Universal a couple lenses, and a couple backs "light travel kit."
Of course you have to have a Moskva or Zeiss backup.
... when you spend a week in advance agonizing over whether to take either the 50mm or the 25mm with you on a two day trip because taking both along somehow feels blasphemous...
... and when in a last minute decision you grab the 35 because
you just can't decide...
Rich Silfver
03-11-2004, 22:48
...when you set www.rangefinderforum.com as your home page in IE...
... when you go to the optometrist to have your eyes checked for vertical alignment...
... when you keep telling your friends how the Soviets took over the Carl Zeiss plant after WWII and the strange Kiev around your neck is in fact a Contax II :D
back alley
03-12-2004, 17:25
...when every coat you put on has a extra roll of film in it.
bmattock
03-12-2004, 21:15
Originally posted by backalley photo
...when every coat you put on has a extra roll of film in it.
Oh man, you nailed that one! I find rolls of film in pockets of coats I haven't worn since last spring!
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
oftheherd
03-13-2004, 03:02
Originally posted by jdos2
... When you consider taking the Mamiya Universal a couple lenses, and a couple backs "light travel kit."
Of course you have to have a Moskva or Zeiss backup.
Ouch! Been there and done that.:(
But oh, those beautiful big negatives.:p
I'm very guilty when it comes to cameras appearing in movies. They recently had Close Encounters of the Third Kind on TV. I knew every camera, the specs for most of them and blurted them out when I saw one. Fellow movie watchers responded with-
"He's still single right?"
Here in NZ someone is Leica nut. The personalised car licence plate "LEICA" is gone.
I've often toyed with the idea of getting HSLBLD on my car... oh dear, help!.
Stu :)
PS. Here in New Zealand, our licence plates are only six alphanumeric digits long.
...when some family member gives you small carton boxes, "just in case" you have to mail some lens or camera somewhere... happened to me this morning :)
... When your significant other leaves the room when she sees you have a camera (not specific to rangefinders...)
SolaresLarrave
03-13-2004, 17:08
You're a RF nut... when you imagine you're focusing your lens while squinting to see better.
When your significant other tries to convince you to go on a vacation saying that the place is ideal for photography.
Rich Silfver
03-13-2004, 22:57
...when you take photos such as this one and you refer to them as 'family photo'...
back alley
03-13-2004, 23:44
you have 2 sp cams and one of them is black!!!???
i think i'm green with envy!
joe
Rich Silfver
03-13-2004, 23:54
:-)
Here is a 'legend' for those that are curious about what is what:
1 Olympus 35 LC
2 Olympus 35 LC
3 Olympus 35 DC
4 Olympus 35 SP (chrome)
5 Olympus 35 SP (black)
6 Olympus 35 Trip (chrome, metal shutter release)
7 Olympus 35 Trip (black)
8 Olympus 35 ECR
9 Olympus 35 EC2
10 Olympus 35 EC (chrome)
11 Olympus 35 EC (black)
12 Olympus 35 ED
13 Olympus XA-2
14 Olympus 35 RC
15 Olympus Quickmatic EEM
oftheherd
03-14-2004, 04:17
Originally posted by bmattock
You know you're a rangefinder nut when you buy a camera accessory for a camera you don't have - because you know that sooner or later, you will have it.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Wow. I was posting in another forum and realized I had done something similar. About 15 years ago I bought a 7/15 "spot" attachment and an enlarging attachment for the Gossen Luna Pro. I didn't go ahead and get one as I still had a working Sekonic l28c2 (you know, they just don't make things like they used to. All I did was drop it).
Welll, I recently acquired a Gossen Luna Pro for a song and dance (amazing when you consider I dont sing or dance). I don't imagine I will ever have a darkroom again, but who knows. So, bmattock, don't dispair, WE know what we are doing, whether our wives do or not.:D
Originally posted by rsilfverberg
:-)
Here is a 'legend' for those that are curious about what is what:
1 Olympus 35 LC
2 Olympus 35 LC
3 Olympus 35 DC
4 Olympus 35 SP (chrome)
5 Olympus 35 SP (black)
6 Olympus 35 Trip (chrome, metal shutter release)
7 Olympus 35 Trip (black)
8 Olympus 35 ECR
9 Olympus 35 EC2
10 Olympus 35 EC (chrome)
11 Olympus 35 EC (black)
12 Olympus 35 ED
13 Olympus XA-2
14 Olympus 35 RC
15 Olympus Quickmatic EEM
You are one sick puppy! :D
SolaresLarrave
03-14-2004, 12:09
More traits that reveal you're a RF nut:
You get up in the middle of the night to "exercise" the shutters of your cameras.
You're watching a movie and let out a cry of "What a beautiful bokeh!" when you see a good head shot (that has it!).
You relish the attention you get because nobody can figure out your camera... or because some (few) can.
(As a funny experience, when I was in Barcelona, a fairly attractive young woman stared at me, a bit more intensely than I would have imagined. I felt great :)! However, as I walked, I noticed she was rather looking at my chest, where I had my black Leica, sporting the old Elmar lens that makes it look a bit anachronistic... Oh, well... :()
bmattock
03-14-2004, 12:17
Originally posted by SolaresLarrave
More traits that reveal you're a RF nut:
(As a funny experience, when I was in Barcelona, a fairly attractive young woman stared at me, a bit more intensely than I would have imagined. I felt great :)! However, as I walked, I noticed she was rather looking at my chest, where I had my black Leica, sporting the old Elmar lens that makes it look a bit anachronistic... Oh, well... :()
I get stared at all the time - I can never figure out why!
SolaresLarrave
03-14-2004, 12:29
Hey, good bokeh, Bill!!! :p
Originally posted by SolaresLarrave
(As a funny experience, when I was in Barcelona, a fairly attractive young woman stared at me, a bit more intensely than I would have imagined. I felt great :)! However, as I walked, I noticed she was rather looking at my chest, where I had my black Leica, sporting the old Elmar lens that makes it look a bit anachronistic... Oh, well... :()
Well I must say I've had not too much luck with classic cameras as babe magnets... that's of course 'cos I haven't used a lot my Rolleicord yet, so girls, be prepared, here I go :cool:
Oscar
SolaresLarrave
03-16-2004, 11:17
Oscar, all it takes is to walk nonchalantly, act like the world is yours and just hold your camera very casually, very naturally. They won't fail to spot it!
And how about spotting the camera holder? That's another story, it seems... :)
wierdcollector
03-16-2004, 13:16
Hi Francisco,
Not sure if even that works. Yesterday I used my Exa w/Meritar, the day before my Retina ll w/Ektar, and today my Mir w/Jupiter 8. All classics and although I spoke to several women each day, all they noticed was the 85 pounds of pure spoiled rotten canine trotting along beside me. Oh well, at least they stopped to chat about something. Shhh, don't tell my wife.
SolaresLarrave
03-16-2004, 14:27
Talk about conflictive attention sources here... A nice dog and an interesting camera. Not a winning combination, Curt.
Yeah, sure, and this is the expert talking... :o
returning to the original thread... you know you're a rf nut when...
... you're in abstract calculus models class this afternoon, the teacher projects a slide, starring Alan Turing as an introduction to his Turing Machine. But I was already trying to figure out what kind of camera could have been used to take that portrait...
they won't ask that on the exam, I'm afraid :p
Francisco, I don't know if I'll be able to remember your advices and still take pictures, seems difficult to do both things at a time :D
You are a rangefinder nut if you have learned how to frame your shots to correct for parallax errors with closeup subjects. :cool:
Originally posted by Oldprof
You are a rangefinder nut if you have learned how to frame your shots to correct for parallax errors with closeup subjects. :cool:
Gee Oldprof, that was the truest and most perceptive response so far. The vast majority of rangefinder photographers will be able to relate to that! You must be a real rangefinder nut!
back alley
03-16-2004, 18:13
hhhmmm, you may be an rf nut when you start talkin to yourself about rf nuts.;)
joe:D
Wayne R. Scott
03-16-2004, 18:44
You know you are a RF nut when your wife has your photo on her desk and it looks like this:
Wayne
Good comment, Oldprof! It could be rephrased something like "You're a real RF nut when you've learned not to lop off important parts of the subject at short distances!"
On the Babe Magnet issue, I can't offer anything useful except to note the Fuji GS645S's unusual "roo-guard" crash bar around the lens does draw some attention, but just from other guys with cameras! :-(
bmattock
03-17-2004, 06:27
Brian, you're right! Only a true rangefinder nut would know that instinctively. And only a special kind of RF nut at that - gotta be into the Nikon/Contax rare air.
Congratulations, my fine young cannibal; you're a true RF nut!
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
SolaresLarrave
03-17-2004, 07:45
You're a true RF nut when you can figure out the subtle differences between lens mounts, like Brian did above.
Or... when you get to really like bokeh and try to get it against all odds!
bmattock
03-17-2004, 07:57
Originally posted by SolaresLarrave
You're a true RF nut when you can figure out the subtle differences between lens mounts, like Brian did above.
Or... when you get to really like bokeh and try to get it against all odds!
I have to agree with your last statement as well!
I am just a babe in the woods when it comes to photography - I have so much to learn! But I am finally past that part where one strives for correct exposure. I am working on good composition, which of course is the next step. Then, as things progress, I find that I can concentrate on things like 3 dimensional thinking - which includes intentionally rendering backgrounds out-of-focus.
But at the moment, I find I still have portraits of people with lamps and trees growing out of their heads! Bad Bill! Bad Bill!
Best Regards,
Bill (Lampshade) Mattocks
back alley
03-17-2004, 12:06
lol, that's a lovely hat there bill!
joe
oftheherd
03-17-2004, 12:43
At least you centered it over her head. Anyway, looks sort of like a standard issue Vietnamese hat to me. :D
You know you're a rangefinder nut when you can't understand where there isn't a yellow patch on the computer screen.
anselwannab
10-13-2006, 16:55
You know you are a Range Finder Nut when you revive two and a half year old topics.
You're also a nut when you buy accesories, but when you get home you realize you already had one and forget.
Mark
LOL ... I recently bought a second hood for an Oly RC ... and I rarely use the RC.
You know you are a rangefinder nut when a total stranger walks up to you while squinting at your chest (I'm a guy...) and regaling you with stories about his gear...and you understand and accept the encounter as refreshing.
Bob
Before going out of home, even on casual occasions, I spend more time to choose my camera and lens combo than my wife to choose how to dress, and I change my mind in the way much more times than her...
Do I qualify?
I'm very guilty when it comes to cameras appearing in movies. They recently had Close Encounters of the Third Kind on TV. I knew every camera, the specs for most of them and blurted them out when I saw one. Fellow movie watchers responded with-
"He's still single right?"
Oh man, isn't that the perfect movie for someone who has spent too much time reading about cameras? ;) It must be the only movie on earth to feature a Rapid-Omega! And a Rollei 35! And a guy who fiddles loading with the supposedly easy-to-load Instamatic 126 film! And... And... And... so many more that are justified by the fact that aliens only exist if you can take a photo of them.
You're a real RF nut when you meet with a person you don't know at all and who lives on another continent just because he happens to visit your country and all you know you have in common is a fascination for RF cams.
And after a short while you realize that you have much more in common and you understand that RF fans are a special kind of people who get along really well together.
(That was so much fun to talk, Raid. I often think back to your visit!)
anselwannab
10-28-2007, 23:25
Before going out of home, even on casual occasions, I spend more time to choose my camera and lens combo than my wife to choose how to dress, and I change my mind in the way much more times than her...
Do I qualify?
Revived from the dead again!!!!
I told my wife that I would stop buying black cameras when she stops buying black shoes. My Canon G9 arrives in two weeks.
Mark
Morca007
10-29-2007, 00:06
You know you're a rf nut when...
...You become confused when looking around because there aren't any framelines.
...when you are always guesstimating how far things are.
350D_user
11-01-2007, 06:33
You know if you're an FSU nut when...
... you make an effort to wind the film on, before selecting the shutter speed.
Yeah, laugh away... I did this (or tried to) with my 350D. :(
boobbbers
11-14-2007, 19:01
... when your more excited about recieving a Yashica GSN than a Canon 400D w/18-55 & 70-300 lens set.
FallisPhoto
01-17-2008, 18:12
...if you would actually consider bidding on this (emphasis on the word nut): http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-Duo-Six-20-Very-Rare-Rangefinder-camera-MINT_W0QQitemZ270202003207QQihZ017QQcategoryZ11717 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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