Around the lake – some black and whites

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As is often the case I took these while walking the dog one day. I didn’t have too many winter pictures so I thought I’d take a few before all of the snow and ice disappeared. The first one is of ‘Children’s Beach’, one of several beaches around the lake. In summer it’s often full of people swimming, boating etc. Kind of desolate in winter though. I liked the boat in the foreground and the tracks across the icy snow.

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In and around Carmel, NY

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Wikipedia has this to say about Carmel:

Carmel is a town in Putnam County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 34,305.
The town of Carmel is on the south border of Putnam County. There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have populations sizable enough to be thought of as villages…The town was settled around 1740 by George Hughson.

The picture above is of the Sybil Luddington Statue. I had never heard of her, but apparently she’s Putnam County’s Paul Revere. On April 26, 1777 the British were burning Danbury, Connecticut. Sybil, aged 16, rode all night through Putnam County warning of the imminent arrival of the British. She’s buried in Maple Avenue Cemetery, Patterson, NY.
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Back to film: Olympus Stylus Epic

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My small camera collection has so far mostly (but not entirely) focused on older rangefinder cameras. However, while browsing around looking for Olympus rangefinders I came across this camera. It’s much younger than most of my cameras having been produced from 1996 to 2003. It’s an Olympus Stylus Epic (or mju ii as it’s known outside the US). It’s not a rangefinder camera. To quote Wikipedia “The Epic has a fixed 35mm f/2.8 lens, and can focus down to 14 inches. It has a spot meter, and optional red eye reduction. The clamshell design is very tough and the camera can be carried in a pocket or handbag without fear of damage. The camera is also very lightweight (145 grams) and splash proof.” It also has an “active three point” exposure system, which is reputed to produce very accurate expoosures. My model also has a date back, which I don’t use.

The camera has something of a cult following. This has driven up the cost up of late. However, you can still find usable examples for between $50 and $100. You also might get lucky and find one at a garage sale or flea market for much less. Beware though. There are a number of “Stylus” models, most of them zooms. Although very cheap (I picked up one in pristine condition with a nice case in a thrift store for $4.99.) they do not have as good a reputation as this camera. The predecessor to this camera (Olympus Infinity Stylus or “mju” as it’s known outside the US) also has a good reputation. It’s less expensive than the Stylus Epic, has a slower lens, and lacks some of the Epic’s features.

Continue for pictures

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