what photography related item did you buy this week?

[RichardC]

For the *ist DL or the display case?

Just the camera.

There will be plenty of display cases to be had from bankrupt jewellery shops soon. Every cloud....etc.

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

Just the camera.

There will be plenty of display cases to be had from bankrupt jewellery shops soon. Every cloud....etc.

Nah, all the pawn shops scooped up those jewelry store display cases.

 

[Erich_H]

Just the camera.

There will be plenty of display cases to be had from bankrupt jewellery shops soon. Every cloud....etc.

Silver lining! Right you are!

EDIT: I made a whoopsie. First part has gone to Digital Heaven. Or Hell. It was not that important anyway.

RE-EDIT: I managed to do an un-whoopsie! Here's that first, un-important part again, resuscitated from beyond the river Styx!

Spoiler: Pretty boring stuff pt. I

And I figured the social distancing pandemic elbow greet too. No need for showers here!

First elbow up: Haven't had a shower for three weeks!

Second elbow up: Ha! I win! I haven't had hot water in my shower since the big kitchen hole water leak incident on September 11!

(Yes! They broke my kitchen wall on 9.11!! A really ominous date, that... (The actual leak took place in the apartment below mine two days earlier, on 9.9, though)).

9.9 was the date when they shut off the hot water (but the story is better using 9.11! Creative license in action here!) on account of some gobbledygook (didn't really listen) about flooding in the apartment below. As if I care about the apartment below mine!

I mean, water follows Newton's lead, travelling like apples. Downward. Eventually ending up in some ocean. I don't see a problem here. It's the way Nature intended it to play out. If you want me to take notice, the below apartment will have to be on fire!

But just today I've got scolding hot water available in every tap I've got. The nice plumbers fixed the not so hot water issue. And unclogged my drain to boot! But they wouldn't clean my windows, though. And I bought them maple pecan danishes. That's the thanks you get for being kind.

But I don't think I'm ready for a shower just yet... ?

I'm really quite happy just standing watching the hot water running like a miniature Niagara, occasionally sticking my fingers in, to enjoy the blistering sensation of near boiling water.

I'll have to weigh the pros and cons of taking a shower carefully here. On the one hand big savings on soap, shampoo, and stuff. On the other... well, let me think...oh yes:

The cats like my armpits the natural way. Given half a chance they'll stick their faces into them. Sweaty T-shirts dumped on the floor will get a response of cats rolling and rubbing their faces fervently in them.

And disappointed looks on furry faces when I remove the pile once a week on laundry day.

I just realized that is two cons and no pro. Hmmm.

Anyway, I also got new water related equipment in both kitchen and bathroom. New sleek wash basin with logo. New luxury, nondripping, style of taps.

Nice chrome plated water pipes all over the walls in the bathroom. Looks like the insides of the engine of the Tardis. Cyberpunk stuff.

Maybe that's what my *istDLs 1111th shutter actuation is going to document? Thoughts?

The blippin' hole in the wall in the kitchen I've got to live with for another month, though. That's the most recent prognosis.

Just please get it friggin' plugged before the end of the year! One can only hope for good tidings before Yuletide. And believe you me! One does!

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Spoiler: Pretty boring stuff pt. II

Lots of microwave stuff and pizzas going on at the moment. On account of fist size pieces of mortar dropping on my stove at irregular intervals as the bloody main water pipe channel is drying out.

Just my luck it runs in the wall right behind my stove.

But they promised me a new stove before Christmas. A non mortar dropped stove. Then at least I can be pleased about not having to clean the oven on the old one.

Silver lining...

Oh well. Another Pentax would perhaps cure the kitchen blues. Got my eye on a K-m. The last CCD Pentax model. Also one of the last using AA batteries. (EDIT: battery chamber of the K-m won't allow use of rechargeable CR-V3 batteries, so four NiMH AA batteries it is!)

Not mint, so I could actually use it.

I think the following model, K-x, was the last AA battery model. And I know it had a CMOS type sensor.

Spoiler: Pretty boring stuff pt. III

Or maybe it's time to pop @AJ68's Pentax cherry. So far I done a pretty good job on the Olympus one.

 

[Panolyman]

Thank goodness for social distancing.
That is, if you're ever allowed out.

 

[BosseBe]

Just my luck it runs in the wall right behind my stove.

And I bet they stick you with the bill for the electricity for that 2000W fan going 24/7!

 

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

I am still waiting for this to be delivered. The art supply place shipped it the same day I ordered it (10/13/2020). Tracking shows it disappeared when UPS was to transfer it to the Postal Service for final delivery, early on the morning of October 15th. Postal Service tracking shows they are still waiting for the package. I have contacted the art supply place about this twice. The first time I contacted them they told me it was too soon, and that I should wait until two weeks after I placed the order to contact them about the missing shipment. I jumped the gun a bit and contacted them on Monday (10/26). They told me they would ship a replacement. I have seen no indication that they have actually shipped a replacement.

Plan is to wait until Friday. If it hasn't shipped by then I will ask them to cancel the replacement and refund my money so I can buy from another supplier.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Ha! The 17" x 20" picture frame sections got delivered this afternoon. I still have to cut the mat board and buy a 17" x 20" sheet of glass.

Today's delivery was a replacement that was shipped on Wednesday. If the original shipment from October 13th ever shows up I am supposed to ship it back to them.

 

[Macroramphosis]

You could always send it to Erich. He could frame the hole in his wall.....

 

[Erich_H]

And I bet they stick you with the bill for the electricity for that 2000W fan going 24/7!

Well, the guys from the firm doing the actual holeing, the fan-owners, has passed the buck to the building manager. So far I haven't heard anything from them. Which isn't surprising. In my experience, very few companies contact you to say: "We owe you money to the amount of this much. Please send us your bank account number, so we can deposit this amount in your account."

Spoiler: Boring facts and some personal opinions

Sad, really. But then I have no real leverage on them. I'm doubting that the owner of the property would dump the building manager on the account of they trying not to pay money owed. After all, it's the owner's money they will use to pay my bill with. Eventually.

Which means that I will have to waste my time and bandwidth by mailing them. And it won't be enough with just one mail. And this type of mail is extremely boring to write. Even more so than this text I'm writing right now.

I'm furthermore guessing, that if I don't contact them, absolutely nothing will happen, except me keeping my nice electricity overbill. Standard "honesty" in business practice in Sweden today. Long gone are the days when you could make a deal by a handshake and a mutual sense of honour.

I made an enquiry to my electricity supplier about what the extra cost on my bill would be for a 2kW device running 24/7 for fourteen days. And, yes, it took a couple or three mails, before someone actually read it, and understood the question asked. But the answer was: SEK 942 and change. About US 120, if anyone has made it this far.

 

[Erich_H]

Thank goodness for social distancing.
That is, if you're ever allowed out.

Yes. You're absolutely correct!
There's some people you really can't wait to not meet!

 

[alex66]

Someones set of monolighs and bits (Stands,reflector dishes, meter etc) as it was silly low priced. It has cost the amount I would have paid for the stands so pleased with this one.

 

[RichardC]

A rotating platform and remote cord with intervalometer. Trying my hand at 360 deg pictures for some of my products.

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Turns out there are quite a few things to go wrong with these interactive pictures.

First attempt below. Slight wobble because I cropped the pictures before manually aligning the layers. Next one I do I'll align the layers at full resolution.

Link to final result: http://arqspin.com/s/7ze7b2bcl18b

EDIT: The iframe was causing a few issues on my website - and I noticed that the image got progressively darker towards the end of the rotation, no doubt because my flash with ordinary alkaline batteries was running out of steam.

Corrected the darker images in photoshop and logo repositioned when exporting from Lightroom.

Have now uploaded via Sirv which uses a line of javascript and a div rather than an iframe. I also much prefer the rendering.

Pleased with the final result at https://teat.shop/nuk-orthodontic-shape.html, although I'm either going to have to upgrade the rotating platform to a slower/variable speed one, or get a studio light.

Still some vertical wobble though, and with the object having a round base, it is quite obvious. When I get a spare hour, I'll fix it.

 

[Erich_H]

A rotating platform and remote cord with intervalometer. Trying my hand at 360 deg pictures for some of my products.

View attachment 855454

Turns out there are quite a few things to go wrong with these interactive pictures.

First attempt below. Slight wobble because I cropped the pictures before manually aligning the layers. Next one I do I'll align the layers at full resolution.

Link to final result: http://arqspin.com/s/7ze7b2bcl18b

Interesting product. Accessory for inflatable love dolls?

 

[RichardC]

Interesting product. Accessory for inflatable love dolls?

Just wait to see what I have in store for Christmas

 

[Erich_H]

Just wait to see what I have in store for Christmas

Business must be booming with all this social distancing. And this 360 degree picture thing makes a lot of sense in this context too!

 

[RichardC]

Business must be booming with all this social distancing. And this 360 degree picture thing makes a lot of sense in this context too!

It's definitely not booming. I trade in a very competitive sector and the market for single use teats/bottles is very small. Fortunately, the first wave of COVID babies should start to arrive in the next few weeks.

I'm lucky in that I work for myself and I am stocked to the roof in anticipation of panic buying or interruptions at the ports from January 1st. Half of our country will be closed for business again from Thursday.

I'm working on a plan b, and buying regular lottery tickets.

 

[Panolyman]

Although possibly counter-productive, could you not diversify into other rubber products Richard (you know, the one's that stop the babies) as I've heard there's a big demand for them during these days of lockdown?

 

[RichardC]

Although possibly counter-productive, could you not diversify into other rubber products Richard (you know, the one's that stop the babies) as I've heard there's a big demand for them during these days of lockdown?

My present customers get through 6-8 latex accessories per day, 7 days a week, without getting hospitalised.

 

[Erich_H]

Although possibly counter-productive, could you not diversify into other rubber products Richard (you know, the one's that stop the babies) as I've heard there's a big demand for them during these days of lockdown?

I don't think it's that counter productive!

Remember, this possible counter measure product plan won't be affecting the other leg of the business of @RichardC for at least about 10 months from now.

WARNING! Below material is strictly confidential and for the sole use of @RichardC

Spoiler: Confidential Market Analysis Report

@RichardC: In fact, this gives rise to all kinds of innovative out of the box thoughts.

Would it not be possible to modify this single use baby product on your carousel, into an economic, highly secure, hand washable, 3 - 6 times usable (?) baby antidote product?

Advertising could be along the lines of:
"First in the World! New 100% Guaranteed Anti-Viral Close Contact Security Enhancing Intimacy Product."

I foresee that this innovation would be very much appreciated by the steadily increasing customer group who are close to the edge of their sanity by lack of body contact, on account of the prevailing pandemic situation.

This, in turn, would create a viable time frame for further innovation and relabeling of your current stock of products.

Distress, remember, is the mother of invention!

 

[RichardC]

@Erich_H -

There are two minor problems with your scheme.

The current product has a hole in the tip.

Then there is the rather delicate matter of size.

 

[Erich_H]

@Erich_H -

There are two minor problems with your scheme.

The current product has a hole in the tip.

Then there is the rather delicate matter of size.

Back to the distress angle then!

WARNING! Below material is strictly confidential and for the sole use of @RichardC

Spoiler: Confidential Market Analysis Report

My advice in this case would be to work around the perceived problems to turn them into advantages.

The first issue could be addressed as freedom of choice, regardless of what stage of life the customer is in. "RC Intimacy Products: Security Enhancement No Matter What!"

An accessory kit of self adhesive material could be made available through a subscription plan.

The second issue could be mitigated by pointing out that during this stressful time of life, it is completely normal for certain body parts to not always function in the anticipated way.

This, however, should not be a hindrance for the intimacy seeking customer. Furthermore, the human equality issue mentioned in the UN charter of Human Rights could be invoked to validate the product.

In this case it would be termed as an issue of equipment equality.