Down the Road

Photographs and stories by Jim Grey

Recommended reading

Jim Grey

💻 J. P. Cavanaugh writes a paean to the humble hamburger. Read Wherein The Author Celebrates Hamburgers

Inflatable
Yashica TL Electro X, 50mm f/1.7 Auto Yahinon-DX, Kodak Max 400 @ EI 200, 2021

💻 Daniel Miessler explains rationally how you can support vaccine mandates even if you’re a Republican. Read Thoughts on Vaccine Mandates

📷 The rules aren’t applied fairly: men can get away with certain behaviors women can’t, and vice versa; Black people can get away with some behaviors white people can’t, and vice versa; and liberals can get away with some stuff conservatives can’t, and vice versa. Aaron Renn recommends you understand this dynamic and honor it. Read Life’s Not Fair

📷 Film photographer J. R. Smith tells you which film-camera repair shops he uses and recommends. Read My Annual Blog Post About Servicing Old Cameras

📷 Mike Eckman reviews a funky ’60s Russian camera, the Lomo Voshkod. Read LOMO Voshkod

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Comments

11 responses to “Recommended reading”

  1. Andy Umbo Avatar
    Andy Umbo

    Good list of repair people. I cannot recommend Eric Hendrickson enough! I once had him servicing a K-1000 series Pentax body, and sent him a screw mount Pentax body missing some parts, for his “bone-yard” that a friend had given me. He said he could “bring it back” and did so for less than a century note, even the meter works! I had a soft spot for late series Pentax screw mount, and it is now my favorite body!

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Eric restored my dropped Pentax KM this year. So happy to have it back and like new. That KM came to me from an old friend, whose father bought it new, so I wanted to take extra good care of it.

      Reply
  2. bodegabayf2 Avatar
    bodegabayf2

    I appreciate the nod.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Happy to share your article, my friend.

      Reply
  3. Jerome Avatar
    Jerome

    Jim, for any of your readers who may have a Minolta camera or lens that might need a CLA or repair, I maintain a list of Minolta camera and gear repair shops. The list includes shops that repair Minolta Maxxum/Dynax AF cameras and lenses, Autocords, rangefinders, and mechanical cameras and lenses including the Minolta XK.

    I update the list monthly.

    https://earthsunfilm.com/repair-services/

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Thanks Jerome!

      Reply
  4. Kurt Ingham Avatar
    Kurt Ingham

    Three really good reads and one patronizing crap. Still a good ratio!Thanks for this series Jim, I’ve seen a lot of stuff I would have missed without it.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Can’t please everyone every time!

      Reply
  5. Olli Thomson Avatar
    Olli Thomson

    Thanks. The camera repair article is very helpful even though all my film cameras are currently in storage. I do wonder what will happen in the long term. I imagine some of these folks are getting older and I wonder if they are able to afford to take on apprentices, or even if anyone is still interested in learning the trade. Let’s wish them long lives and good health.

    Reply
    1. Andy Umbo Avatar
      Andy Umbo

      Olli, this is a constant fear! 40 years ago I had professionals working in my town that could CLA Hasselblads, View Camera Lens Shutters, and we even had Leica specialists, and this was a second tier city that happened to have a decent amount of work because of three retail department store chain internal photo studios here and a couple of big manufacturers that used a lot of photography. The work was perfect and stuff was returned pristine and quickly. Now, you’re lucky to find one person nationally that can do some stuff. There’s only one person I’d trust with my Compur shutters and it sometimes takes six months between first contact, the point they tell you to send it, and then you getting it back. I’m 67, and I know people that did genius level work that were 10 to 20 years older than me (40 years ago), and long gone! These lists are interesting and of value, but only as a starting point.

      Reply
    2. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      I worry about that as well. I’m going to be sending off my best cameras 1 by 1 to various places for CLA, in hopes that that makes them last the rest of my life.

      Reply

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