Just about to leave Tokyo after 5 days here, and the damage this trip is a Leica Summarit f1.5 M mount, and a nice Artisan & Artist ACAM3000 bag.
Summarit was just too pretty to pass up, especially when it comes with a XOONS hood. The grade at Fujiya was B but it looked better. A little battered cosmetically, but the glass looks alright to me. And did I mention about the hood?
And photography is nothing if you dont have a lot of bags. A&A bags are some of the best canvas bags on the market and Fujiya sell them for anything between 10-20% cheaper than more other shops in Tokyo. The ACAM3000 bag has zipped top instead of flaps, which I think is better when you move around quick. The zips are large enough that its smooth and easy to open and close. Padding is plenty enough for 2 Leica M bodies with <50mm lenses and a lightmeter in the main compartment. The front compartment is large enough to fit rolls of film, so its the perfect bag. No obvious brand name on the front, so it doesn’t shout “camera bag here”.
Processed a roll of Neopan SS in HC110B last night. There was lack of information at EI100 for this film in HC110B all over the internet, including the Massive Development Chart, which carries only 120 film at EI100. Even on the Neopan SS specification sheet they only have development times for EI200 (6 1/4 mins at 20C). Anyway, I souped it at 5 3/4 mins for EI100 for 135 film, and it looks like came out ok. The density looks perfect, and I will do some scanning tonight to verify it.
How can I not try it. Been hearing plenty about this dirt cheap chinese black and white film with the limited dynamic range and possible unpredictable performance that I’ve got to get some to muck around. It costs 7.5 rmb at Huan Loong dept store next to the train station and I’m pretty confident its the same elsewhere.
Was looking for Lucky 400 as well but it seems they do not make nor carry it anymore. Will keep looking for it.
So 4 rolls to fool around, portion 2 rolls for Rodinal and the other 2 for HC110B, which i still have some stock solution leftover.
My flight has been delayed 2 hours. No idea why, but Taipei and Hong Kong looks very foggy today. Low lying clouds where you can’t see anything till you’re almost touching down. 2 hours, reminds me of a typical flight in Europe around Heathrow & CDG.
There’s a 75HKG voucher for dinner, which I think I know what to have for that price (2 bowls of wonton noodles, for one) but the most depressing thing about this is watching the only TV I can find, Larry King and with someone called Dr Laura who’s talking about “free world” bla bla bla. Oh, and she’s going to talk about Britney and Lindsay too according to the subtitles. I hereby term this crap-o-vision. Only someone marooned in an airport with only 1 TV and no internet would watch this. I have internet so I’m going to put on the ipod and do something else.
On my first flight of the year, KA831, with my notebook whipped out. Admittedly not many people are travelling during the new year, at least not from or to Shanghai. I get the whole of the left side of row 33 to myself, my original seat 33K has one of those broken recliner stopper, and when I lean back it reclines. Switched to 33H but the table is a little screwed up such that when I’m typing on this damned Dell notebook it rocks side to side depending on where the keys are. So fine… 33H for sleeping, 33K for typing.
The usual question we all get getting into the new year is “what is your resolution”. Personal problems not included, this is what I think I’m going to do in 2008. First of all, I need a haircut.
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