Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
Seen in Geneva, Switzerland some time in August, 2010. I believe it’s either an XK-120 or an XK-150, but I’m not sure which. Actually, as I’m looking at it I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s an XK-120, largely because the 120 had a two piece windshield while the XK-150 a curved single piece. Whichever it is it’s certainly a beautiful car.
You’ve got to love that Jaguar hood ornament.
Taken with a Panasonic Lumix LX3
Taken with a Sony NEX 5N, 16mm lens and ultra-wide converter. Small park/plaza adjacent to the UNICEF building on East 44th Street (between 1st and 2nd) in New York City.
Came across this on the Hudson River waterfront in Cold Spring.
Teatown Lake Reservation is one of my favorite places: to walk the dog; hike around myself and just sit and watch the world go by. It’s quite large: 1,000 acres including the 41-acre Teatown Lake, 7-acre Shadow Lake and 9-acre Vernay Lake, streams, waterfalls, hardwood swamps, mixed forests, meadowns, hemlock forests and laurel groves. There are a number of trails so you don’t have to repeat yourself too much. One of the easier walks is around the lake. It’s flat and takes between 45 and one hour depending on how fast you walk. It was on one of the walks around the lake that I came across this tree overhanging the lake itself.
Taken October, 2011 with a Panasonic ZS-7
Red Milk Churns (I think)
I came across this lens in a Goodwill store. I’d already developed an interest in older Pentax cameras as well as a yen to try out M42 mount lenses, many of which seem to be good value for money. It was selling for $7.99 (with a nice leather case) so I figured that there was nothing to lose and I bought it. I also bought a nice looking black Spotmatic on ebay and an adaptor so I could use the lens on my NEX 5N.
The adapter came yesterday and I had a chance to try the lens. How do I like it? Frankly I’m astonished! I didn’t expect it to be ask good as it is. Maybe a little soft at f2.8 it’s extremely sharp from f4 onwards. There’s a little barrel distortion but nothing that isn’t easily correctible in post processing. I took a few shots into the sun and didn’t notice much flare. All things considered an extremely nice lens, particularly for what I paid for it.
The Spotmatic is another story. It looks great, but the mirror sticks every few shots and I can’t open the battery compartment (although I haven’t tried very hard yet). Neither of these seem to be insurmountable problems though. It didn’t cost much so I’m not too concerned. I’d like to get it work though.
Wagon Wheels
Canon on the Hudson Waterfront
Chest Detail
Lamps at The Depot
Hudson View
Meter on an abandoned gas station