Bob,

I completely agree with the portion of this that applies to film. However I do think that in digital the "crop" format provides both an entry level and more than adequate image resolution for those of us who don't have the resources devoted to digital to afford full frame. My 24 MP Nikons provide image quality that's enough for my needs when properly exposed and processed, and the difference in cost is the difference between being able to afford two comprehensive outfits for Michelle and me vs sharing only one. It would, of course, be capable of even more IQ if the format weren't dead ended, but the D7100/D7200 bodies and a good lens suite are enough for my needs. It's kind of a shame that the manufacturers didn't market FF at an affordable price point from the beginning.

Andy

Bob,

I completely agree with the portion of this that applies to film. However I do think that in digital the "crop" format provides both an entry level and more than adequate image resolution for those of us who don't have the resources devoted to digital to afford full frame. My 24 MP Nikons provide image quality that's enough for my needs when properly exposed and processed, and the difference in cost is the difference between being able to afford two comprehensive outfits for Michelle and me vs sharing only one. It would, of course, be capable of even more IQ if the format weren't dead ended, but the D7100/D7200 bodies and a good lens suite are enough for my needs. It's kind of a shame that the manufacturers didn't market FF at an affordable price point from the beginning.

Andy

Andy

Bogart spelled and signed it "Bogie", according to Lauren Bacall and to some autographed items I've seen.

Isn't a "bogey" a mechanical device on which railroad wheels are mounted?

Andy

I think you mean "Bogen"?

You could have posted the exact same information without the personal insult. I was in the middle of composing a similar message when I saw yours.

Great stuff E.L.! At my first newspaper job, when I was still in high school in the late 1960s, they still had one of these in daily use. It was a big deal when they upgraded to the Mat 124, because they couldn't manage to keep light meters around (they walked off, got broken, or got lost all by themselves) and the reporters who used these on assignment couldn't manage Sunny 16. I thought the addition of a built in light meter was a very big deal!

Andy

I'd tune in for that!

Andy

I generally agree. I've also got Yongnuo and Godox units for particular purposes with my Nikon system. They may not last as long, but I can replace the Neewer units I use most three times before they get to the price of the equivalent Nikon unit. Functionally, they are, at least in my opinion, equally good. Their build quality is a little lower, so you might need to be a little bit gentler with them than the OEM.

The only real drawback is their "Chinglish" instruction manuals, which are pretty hard to decipher. There is enough material on the Interwebz to make up for this, though, and you can always ask here - plenty of Hoggers use Neewer gear, even if they don't like to admit to it.

Andy

I understand, and fewer buyers mean more bargains for me. I have been buying on eBay for nearly twenty years now, and I have been taken only one time, out of dozens of transactions. Needless to say, that transaction was before I learned how to protect myself and avoid scammers. I lost fifty bucks, which sum has been repaid, literally, a hundred times over in the many bargains I've found since then.

I have only a few tips:

1) Read the actual reviews. You can generally suss out which reviewers are, in fact, the bad actors. Yet many, many eBay buyers refuse to buy with a seller that has less than a 100% rating. If Jesus were selling miracles for free on eBay, there would be a few who downrated Him for poor packaging and overcharging for shipping. The devil is in the details when it comes to reviews.

2) Ask questions of the seller. If you get disingenuous or evasive responses stay away. Some of the greatest bargains I've ever found have been from sellers who could not answer questions about functionality, but who seemed to answer honestly. You can tell an awful lot, if you're a decent judge of people in real life, by the kinds of answers you get when you ask honest questions. Maybe I've just been lucky, but my instincts on the positive side have almost always been correct.

3) Be patient. If you don't like the price, don't get tempted to overbid on an auction item with a reserve price set too high. And if this one is too dear, there will probably be another one if you're patient enough. One of the best bargains I've ever gotten in my life, on or off line, came when I waited for a seller to relist an item for the THIRD time, this time with no reserve. Others had apparently been scared off by the relisting and by the less than 100% seller rating. I purchased a rare item that I wanted badly for about 1/10 of its true value because the seller had gotten discouraged by the lack of response to his first two auctions and buyers were wary of his less than perfect rating. This one transaction saved me more than $1,000 over what I would have paid at KEH or B&H.

4) Snipe. If you don't know what it is, Google it. On true auctions, it's a good source of bargains. There are several free or low-cost software programs that can help you do it.

5) When all else fails, buy the Square Trade Warranty. I've only had to make one single warranty claim over the years, and it was paid promptly and without argument. Just be sure that the condition and description are accurate.

eBay sellers are just like the rest of humanity. There are a few bad apples but most are honest people trying to get rid of surplus kit for the best price or to make an honest living. Golden rule applies here, as in most everything in life.

Andy

My most common choice. "If it fits, it ships...."

If you don't know what you're doing on eBay, stay away. There are a lot of wolves actively looking for sheep. If you learn how to buy using proper safety measures, it's often the cheapest source of real bargains, and you're well protected from the cutthroats and pirates.

They lean so far over in protection of the buyer that I'm not sure I'd want to sell stuff there. I know that will eventually catch up to them, but for right now it's a buyer's paradise.

Andy

That's sad, Bill.

Our local shop closed just prior to the pandemic, but not for reasons related to business. There is still one in the next town to the east of us. And at least five or six within an hour's drive. And then, fifteen miles to the west, is this treasure:

https://vcphoto.org/

Click on their "Thrift Shop" for a trip down nostalgia lane.

Andy

As long as there are photographers who are both decent photographers and decent people to follow, I’ll continue to give This jerk a pass.

Andy

Bob, the C-41 process today is literally as simple as traditional B/W.

Well worth the limited investment of time and chemistry.

Andy