After successfully completing some medical treatments, I was overcome with a serious bout of GAS. That is Gear Acquisition Syndrome, although the other gas was also present.
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Hasselblad 501CM with 100mm ƒ/3.5 Planar CSi lens and correct hood |
For over five years, I used an 80mm Planar lens on my Hasselblad. But sometimes, I wanted just a bit more reach. With 35mm cameras, I liked the 55mm ƒ/1.8 Super-Takumar lens on the Pentax Spotmatic. This was just marginally longer than the more common 50mm. Hasselblad's 100mm Planar lens would provide a diagonal coverage on 6×6 approximately equal to 55mm on 35mm, so I started looking at online vendors in USA. Soon, this gorgeous 100mm ƒ/3.5 Planar CSi lens came in a big padded box from Camera West. This is a 6-element Planar design and is reputed to be the highest resolution Hasselblad lens for distant subjects.
On a foggy and drizzly January day (my favorite light), I loaded a roll of Fuji Pro 160 NS film in the holder and headed out. This is a neutral color balanced film designed for wedding, fashion, and commercial product photography. Fuji did not distribute 160NS in the USA and discontinued it in the Japan market in October 2021.
I posted these frames at 2400 pixels wide, so click any picture to see the details. Most were tripod-mounted.
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Polk Street view east, January 7, 2023, 1/15 ƒ/11 |
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Monroe Street looking south from China Street. The former Junius Ward YMCA is to the right. |
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Pearl Street near Fairground Street, 1/15 ƒ/16 |
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2521 Pearl Street, still occupied (taken from railroad tracks) |
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501-509 Fairground Street (taken from railroad bridge), 1/15 ƒ/16 |
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Floodwall and Bunge Corporation, Levee Street, view south (hand-held) |
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1109 Mulberry Street, view east, 1/30 ƒ/11 |
LD's Restaurant is in a building that formerly housed a club/bar (closed several times because of shootings) and a liquor store.
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Railroad yard from Levee Street - 250mm ƒ/5.6 Sonnar lens, 1/4 ƒ/22 |
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2427 Washington Street - 80mm ƒ/2.8 Planar-CB lens |
I added two frames that I took with my 80mm and 250mm lenses. Hasselblad's 100mm lens is considered to be their "sharpest" (whatever that means in internet fantasy-land), but all the Zeiss lenses are superb performers. My Planar-CB is a 6-element design, in contrast to the more common 7-element models. My 250mm Sonnar is a 1960s silver barrel model with single coating, but it is just fine.
I found a very handy padded bag to hold my camera on the car seat next to me or on the floor. The rest of the kit stays in a larger camera bag. This is a Ruggard Onyx 35, only $17.95 from B&H. $17.95? That is the cost of a roll of film now. The original idea came from a WalMart lunch box that my wife suggested, but this Onyx is well-sewn and protective. Highly recommended.
Thank you all for joining me on this semi-random tour of Vicksburg.