Hello, New to the Photoforum

BrianV · Nov 29, 2012

Hello from Virginia, I found this forum in a google search for technical photography and Bokeh. I recognize some of the avatars and usernames from other forums, see quite a few people have landed here.

Photography has been my hobby for 50 years, since my Grandma gave me a Kodak Brownie when I was 5. RF's since I was 11, SLR's, 13. Longtime collector of 35mm cameras and lenses, I like the collectors section here. I also have a longtime interest in amateur camera repair and lens adaptation, mostly simple repairs of classic fixed-lens RF's and modifying lenses for use on Leica and u43 cameras. Sonnar and Jupiter lenses are a special addiction, I've probably converted 40 pre-war Zeiss Contax lenses to Leica mount. It's a special satisfaction to see a professional photographer using a lens that came off of my kitchen table. If I see a technical question, I will probably take a stab at answering it.

The_Traveler · Nov 29, 2012

Welcome Brian
Do you chip older Nikkors?

BrianV · Nov 29, 2012

I've played with the optics of lenses, and adapted optics to Leica mount. I've stayed away from anything electronic with the amateur repair work. I shoot with the Rangefinder Nikkor lenses quite a bit. The last repair for a Nikon lens was a 10.5cm f2.5 in Nikon RF mount that was missing the rear element: bought on Ebay for $40. Replaced the rear element with a lens bought from surplusshack. I was Happy!

I'm a computer engineer by profession, so the amateur repair is a balancing act- complete opposite of what paid the bills for the past 35 years.

A typical kitchen table project- modify a Jupiter-8 50mm f2 lens to close-focus on a Leica, and be RF coupled to 0.65m.