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Brownie

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Name
Tim
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SE Michigan
Decided I should come in and say hello after posting in a few forums. While not currently an E Mount user, I have a deposit on an A7 IV and am hoping I see it by year's end.

I'm old. Not real old, but old-ish. My first photography experience was with a Kodak Brownie (like the one in my avatar) with which I documented a train wreck at the crossing down the street. This would've been around 1967 or '68. Moved from P-n-S to SLRs in the early 80's. I still shoot film and have a small collection of cameras, primarily Argus 120s (620) and 35s, (since they were local to me) and Brownies with a few oddities in between. SLRs include Pentax, several Minoltas, a Miranda, and an Argus. I develop my own, both black and white and more recently color.

My main digital is a Panasonic G9. Other cameras are a Panny GX9 and a couple of Sony A-Mounts, an A700 and an SLT-65. I love my G9, it's a wonderful camera and may be the most ergonomic I've ever held. It does everything needed except action focusing, the DFD contrast based just isn't fast enough. A lot of folks 'come over' from a different brand. The G9 won't be going anywhere anytime soon, although the GX9 and SLT-65 will probably end up sold. For some reason I can't yet bring myself to get rid of the A700 brick of a camera.

I'm decidedly not a pro but have enjoyed an all-access media pass for the last few years at the Milan Dragway in Michigan where I was one of the trackside photographers in 2019 and 2020. Unfortunately the Owner didn't pay bills and went bankrupt and there was no racing in 2021. The track has been sold and I'm hoping the new owners will allow those of us who were established there to continue. The link below is to one of my Flickr accounts. It's for racing/auto/airplane/air show stuff, and is the main reason for my interest in Sony.

When I started at the track the other photographers told me to come up with an identity/name/logo etc. because we have to provide the track an album link from each race for their website.

I've seen some really nice shots from you folks when poking around in here. Looking forward to hanging out and learning this new camera.

 
Hi Tim and welcome to the forum.
 
Welcome!
 
Thanks!
 
Welcome to the forum. I know your starting camera well as it is the same model I started with. You are in a good place here.
 
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Welcome Tim
 
Welcome to the forum. I know your starting camera well as it is the same model I started with. You are in a good place here.
If you're referring to the Brownie, I got all nostalgic a few months ago and bought another one. I bought a couple rolls of 127 and put one through it. Unfortunately they're being hand-cut and someone goofed, they're just too wide to fit in my Paterson tank reel without bunching up. I developed it but got a lot of marks from the film contacting the layers in the tank. The other roll sets in the refrigerator. At least B&H gave me a refund. I'll try again someday when I feel like I want to experience failure! :D
 
If you're referring to the Brownie, I got all nostalgic a few months ago and bought another one. I bought a couple rolls of 127 and put one through it. Unfortunately they're being hand-cut and someone goofed, they're just too wide to fit in my Paterson tank reel without bunching up. I developed it but got a lot of marks from the film contacting the layers in the tank. The other roll sets in the refrigerator. At least B&H gave me a refund. I'll try again someday when I feel like I want to experience failure! :D

That is a real shame. It would be nice if nostalgia were 100% reproducible. I hope you have better luck with the second roll. When I had one we developed the film by hand without a tank just running it back and forth in the developer, then a rinse and then the fixer, the second rinse and a peep at what we got. I was 10 or 11. It was magic in the darkroom lit by that dim red bulb.
 
That is a real shame. It would be nice if nostalgia were 100% reproducible. I hope you have better luck with the second roll. When I had one we developed the film by hand without a tank just running it back and forth in the developer, then a rinse and then the fixer, the second rinse and a peep at what we got. I was 10 or 11. It was magic in the darkroom lit by that dim red bulb.
Would love to try, no darkroom. I use a bag to load and develop at the kitchen sink. Scan with a digital camera/macro/copy stand.
 
Would love to try, no darkroom. I use a bag to load and develop at the kitchen sink. Scan with a digital camera/macro/copy stand.

An old standby was the bathroom, suitably lightproofed. But you don't have to go to all these steps. It was kind of fun, though, for a ten year-old.
 
My home was built in 1873, before there were bathrooms. Our two bathrooms were converted by splitting a single bedroom in half. The windows go from 6" above the floor to a foot below the ceiling. Not much chance to lightproof efficiently.
 
Welcome Tim and thanks for joining up and the great introduction! Hopefully you'll see that a7 IV before the year is out! :)
 
Welcome Tim and thanks for joining up and the great introduction! Hopefully you'll see that a7 IV before the year is out! :)
I think it's unlikely, but fingers are crossed. I put my deposit down at my local shop. I am lucky enough to have a shop near me that maintains internet pricing, deals in used, and has a good group of counter folks. I don't know if they're large enough to get some in the first run and if so, how many they'd get. I am trying to be pragmatic about it and guess I may not see it until well into winter.
 
My dealer (B&H) says shipping BEGINS December 30th.
 
I had heard that too. Most manufacturers will err on the side of caution. They'd rather tell you late December and ship earlier than tell you earlier and be late. I spoke to my shop today when I was there. They said with Sony they usually get some on the first shipment, so hopefully sometime in January at the latest..
 
I had heard that too. Most manufacturers will err on the side of caution. They'd rather tell you late December and ship earlier than tell you earlier and be late. I spoke to my shop today when I was there. They said with Sony they usually get some on the first shipment, so hopefully sometime in January at the latest..

On a positive note, the longer you wait the happier you will be to get it. Better get a spare battery! ;o)
 
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Welcome to the forum.
 
On a positive note, the longer you wait the happier you will be to get it. Better get a spare battery! ;o)
Or I'll get bored and start looking around. It's happened before. If it weren't for my desire for world-class action focusing I may already be starting to stray.
 
On a positive note, the longer you wait the happier you will be to get it. Better get a spare battery! ;o)
The good news is that you will be pleased with your battery life. I do have three batteries, one of which is a non Sony battery. It has a little less mAh rating but the worse part about is my A7 III recognizes it is not a Sony battery and gives you a scary message regarding the battery when I turn on the camera.
 
The good news is that you will be pleased with your battery life. I do have three batteries, one of which is a non Sony battery. It has a little less mAh rating but the worse part about is my A7 III recognizes it is not a Sony battery and gives you a scary message regarding the battery when I turn on the camera.
Interesting. What is the message?

I have purchased and used Wasabi and Power Extra batteries for years in several Panasonics and Sony A-mounts as well as my daughter's Nikon and have had no problems. Yeah, I know about all the overcharge and swelling warnings, but we've have never had an issue. Both OEM and aftermarket chargers get used with all batteries. We've never found either to last appreciably longer than the other. I've seen B&H supply Wasabi in some of their kits as the spare.

Evidently some companies disable features like the remaining charge to try and force the use of OEM.
 
Interesting. What is the message?

I have purchased and used Wasabi and Power Extra batteries for years in several Panasonics and Sony A-mounts as well as my daughter's Nikon and have had no problems. Yeah, I know about all the overcharge and swelling warnings, but we've have never had an issue. Both OEM and aftermarket chargers get used with all batteries. We've never found either to last appreciably longer than the other. I've seen B&H supply Wasabi in some of their kits as the spare.

Evidently some companies disable features like the remaining charge to try and force the use of OEM.
The message says, "The Operation and Safety of this battery cannot be guaranteed. Continue use?" Then you have to click "OK" or "Cancel". This battery is a Watson brand, 2000 mAh battery, Made in China. The difference in battery life isn't huge, but noticeable.
 
This happens with other cameras when using off-brand batteries. I have seen no reports of damaged or exploding cameras. But ya never know, wear a flack jacket. LMAO One battery I buy is ~US$25 off-brand and the same thing is ~US$150 brand. Really? Both made in China. That's customer service alright, like we used to use the bull on our cows in the spring.
 
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