I bought a different Opteka lens (600,, telephoto) a while back. Used it 2-3 times, then put it back into its' carrying bag and into the closet it went.
Optics are decent but far from name brand level of quality. As it was a fixed f8 lens nothing I could really do to change that but I did find the focus was somewhat sloppy. Also it was a very heavy lens and had to use a front brace to keep the camera/lens setup stable. I had to do a lot of post work to clean up my photos due to aberrations, etc.
Like I said, it is in my closet now. I might take it out to do some wildlife shots but alos just might keep to my 150-600 Tamron which is IMHO a far better lens.

As a Family Practice doc, my response to these anti-VAX posts are that they are all BS. I've been asked to sign off on school forms from anti-Vax parents and refused because I don't want to have kids fall ill due to their parent's stupidity. Vaccinations work and hopefully we will have a valid vaccine for Coronavirus but
unlike illnesses like measles, mumps, etc, we do not yet have a vaccine for COVID-19 and anyone who thinks Trump has a solution or treatment, then maybe you do deserve to fall ill. COVID-19 is a virus.
COVID-19 has no intelligence nor does it respect race, gender or age. Poor and rich have, can, and will be at risk for catching and dying from this illness. The best way at least for now to minimize the risk of falling ill is to avoid contact with someone who does carry the virus. That means stay at home, wear a mask when you do have to go out, wash your hands when you do gt home and don' be an idiot and go to the beach, a party, or similar venue where there's a good chance that someone may be asymptomatic but still have the virus and pass it on to you

Hi. Interested but any idea of shipping $? Thanks

Hi. We changed from wood to a composite deck (Azek) and love it. No annual maintenance and cleans with a mop or a a quick power wash set on low. Unlike wood,, there is no risk of the composite board splitting and if you want, you can get screws that match the color you selected or use mounting systems that hide the screws. The color doesn't fade and you have no risk of mold/fungus buildup. As an engineer, I was also concerned about mechanical properties but while this may have been an issue early on, the design and construction of your deck should pretty much handle any potential problems.
It may be more $ to buy but you'll save it back over time and it really is better investment than wood.

Manufacturers won't fix a "gray market" camera so you have to find an independent dealer who can/will do it. Unfortunately they are becoming fewer and far between which may need you to ship it out rather than just drive over, drop it off and then pick it up.
You have to decide if the added inconvenience in case something does go wrong is worth saving some money. I can say that when I was living in France, I bought some Nikon lenses from an approved store (FNAC) and kept the receipt. I had a problem with one of lenses and contacted Nikon. They said as long as I could produce a copy of the receipt, they would honor the warranty which they did.

Hi - is this a US model? Thanks

Whatever I look to buy at Ebay (photo, tools etc) I always check to see the seller's feedback. Unless it is >90% positive and there is a sufficient selling history, I don't waste my time.
For high $ camera equipment I still rely on the known names (B&H, Adorama, KEH, etc.). May be a few $ more, but they back up their sales and provide support if you need it.
I guess the motto we all should follow when buying online is "buyer beware". This is even more true when looking to buy photo equipment.

Thanks for looking into it.

Do you know if there is an aviation db for this model? I have an old Lowrance I use in our club's Cessna but the company no longer supports that unit.
Thanks - Jeff

When we moved to our new home last summer, I bit the bullet and got rid of my darkroom (color). I tried to five away my enlarger (Beseler Dichro 67, Halogen head) and everything else that went with it. No one wanted it. Not a school, not a photo enthusiast, not any of the local camera stores. Even offered to deliver it toa good home and all for free. Not even a nibble.
I could have put it into my my new home but then I could not find a convenient camera store that carried color chemistry. Shipping costs were way high so I finally brought everything to the curb with a Take It sign but no one did. Eventually the garbage hauler picked it up and that was the end of my dark room.
Luckily I do have a scanner so my books of B&W and color negatives along with my boxes of Ektachrome slides will not go to waste. Kinda sad but sometimes you just have to accept things change and so must we.

Wow! Wonder how much Loc-tite you need to buy for one of these?

It makes me think of my mom, Rita Goldstein. Only she would have brought her own food. Thanks for posting these

Being a Long Island guy, I bought from Berger, Cameta and other shops that served the Long Island photo community. They all had great and knowledgeable staff along with services to meet a photographers's needs. Sadly due to age or simply lack of business (and COVID19 is not helping either), more and more are closing their doors.
Until this year, you could see folks write about ABC as the Big 3 in NY (Adorama, B&H, and Cameta). It looks like we're down to just "AB" with other stores scattered around to provide local and mail order photo needs. Sad, but true.

When the old owner of Cameta closed down late last year, We all thought it was sold and was going to re-open early this year. But now with COVID19 dominating the scene and the brick and mortar store located in the heart of the one of the worst hotspots for the disease, the same "coming soon" webpage that has been up for months is still there.
I really liked the store and if it is gone, then its a loss for a lot of us. Anyone been able to find out if we'll actually see a new Cameta anytime soon?

As a physician, I can say that based upon CDC sanitization guidelines, alcohol-based products that contain a minimum of 60% will destroy the COVID virus. Based upon this information, I would suggest to consider instead products such as Moonshine (typical 75% alcohol) or Everclear (190 proof as the 151 will not be a high enough concentration).
You may also wish to engage with others to develop a scientific study which you could then publish including a discussion of efficacy as well as potential side-effects specific to the use of these products. You may want to do this as a double-blind study where the reference to being double-blind could carry a myriad of interpretations