cyberastrofolkie's photostream  

I enjoy imaging the world around me, especially the natural world. I live in a rural town in upstate New York and spend much time in an even more rural location in Columbia County in upstate New York, very close to the place where the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet. I also spend time in northern New Jersey taking care of the family estate property. When I'm there, I manage to break away for a few hours, as often as possible, to image wildlife in the nearby Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Somerset County Environmental Education Center, The Raptor Trust, Fairview Farm Wildlife Refuge, and Buck Gardens. I also enjoy photographing the wildlife in the neighborhood where I grew up. I spend precious imaging time with my companion in life, mudder_bbc. We are both active members of the Sharon Audubon Center in Sharon, CT. I also work part-time, on demand for Folk Legacy Records in Sharon, CT. and represent them several times per year at northeastern US Folk Music Festivals where I sell Folk Legacy products to the festivalgoers.

I enjoy participating in what I like to refer to as "Digital Photography on a Budget,." specifically DSLR photography. I prefer to use old manual focus 35mm film camera lenses and adapter rings with my Canon 350D (aka digital Rebel XT) camera body. Most of the lenses I've owned since the 1970s and 1980s and are Pre-AI Nikkors and Vivitars I used to use with two Nikkormat 35mm film camera bodies. I've been using these lenses with and without teleconverters and/or extension tubes, I later added the three AI and AI-S telephoto lenses I'm currently using. In July, 2008, while on a trip to Maine, I visited the used equipment department of a camera shop in South Portland and purchased a Vivitar Series 1 (version 1) 70-210mm f3.5 macro telephoto zoom lens in the Nikon AI mount for $20. The old lenses and accessories I currently own and use are:
Pre-AI Vivitar 28mm f2.5
Pre-AI Nikkor-S 50mm f1.4
Pre-AI Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5
Pre-AI Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8
N/AI Vivitar Series 1 (version 1) 70-210mm f3.5 macro tele
AI Nikkor 300mm f4.5 ED-IF
AI-S Vivitar 120-600mm f5.6-8
AI Tamron Adaptall-2 35-135mm f3.5-4.5 model 40A
Pre-AI Vivitar 2X teleconverter
Pre-AI Samigon 3X teleconverter
Pre-AI Nikon PK-3 1:1 extension tube
Pre-AI Vivitar AT-3 extension tube set
I also own the two AF lenses that came with my camera, the Canon 18-55mm kit lens and a Sigma 70-300mm macro zoom lens. I will use the kit lens as needed when I need a wide angle capability, but I rarely use the Sigma lens now. I've been imaging with the Canon 350D since July, 2007. Prior to that time, I imaged with Sony point and shoot cameras, an H5 from February 2007 until it stopped working properly after the warranty ran out in 2008, a DSC-S85 since the Spring of 2003 (and still use occaisionally), and a Mavica FD-75 from 2000 to 2003.

I have added many more manual focus lenses and accessories to the above list including:
Tamron Adaptall-2 SP90mm f2.5 macro model 52B
Tamron Adaptall-2 70-210mm f4-5.6 model 58A
Tamron Adaptall-2 70-210mm f3.8-4 model 46A
Tamron Adaptall-2 80-210mm f3.8-4 model 103A
Tamron Adaptall-2 75-250mm f3.8-4.5 model 104A
Tamron Adaptall-2 SP60-300mm f3.8-5.4 model 23A
Tamron Adaptall-2 28-200mm f/3.8-5.6 LD Aspherical-IF model 171A
Two Tamron Adaptall 01f 2X flat-field teleconverters
CPC AI 28mm f2.8 macro
Vivitar 24mm f2.8 OM mount
Vivitar 75-205mm f3.8 Macro Focusing Zoom AI mount
Vivitar 70-150mm f3.8 Close Focusing Zoom AI mount
Tele Vivitar 500mm f6.3 preset Pre-AI T-mount
Vivitar 800mm f8 preset Pre-AI mount
Celestron C90 1000mm f11 Mirror Lens T-mount
Rokunar AI 80-205mm
Samyang AI 18-28mm f4-4.5
Nikkor Pre-AI 200mm f4
Two Nikon TC-200 2X teleconverters
Nikon Pre-AI K set extension tubes
Nikon BR-2 reversing ring
52mm lens to lens ring
Step-down rings
Telesar Super Wider 52mm threaded auxilliary lens
Soligor 35mm f3.5 T-mount

On September 14, 2010, I received the lightly used Pentax K20D body I ordered from KEH. At the time I ordered it I also ordered a used K mount Vivitar 17-28mm f4-4.5 lens and Tamron Adaptall mounts in Pentax K and M42. I also receved an order of mount adapters from Fotodiox including: T-mount to K, K to EOS, M42 to K, M42 to EOS, M42 to Nikon. These adapters and mounts will allow me to use all my existing T-mount and Tamron Adaptall lenses on the K20D camera. I am planning to modify the output end of one of my Nikon TC-200 2X teleconverters to either K mount or M42, whichever is easier. This would allow me to mount the TC-200 to the K20D camera and mount on the TC-200 any of the Nikon mount lenses I typically use with the TC-200 including: Pre-AI Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5, Pre-AI Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8, Pre-AI 200mm f4, AI Nikkor 300mm f4.5, and Pre-AI Nikon mount Vivitar 800mm f8 preset. I intend to continue adapting additional Nikon teleconverters as I buy them, and at a later time, the Nikon mount lenses to M42. This would allow the use of all my Nikon mount lenses and accessories, with the proper adapter, to either Pentax K or Canon EOS.

More additional lenses I have added to my collection include:

Tamron Adaptall-2 28-70mm f3.5-4.5 model 159A
Tamron Adaptall-2 CF 35-135mm f3.5-4.2 model 22A
Tamron Adaptall-2 SP CF 70-210mm f3.5 model 52A
Tamron Adaptall-2 SP CF 70-210mm f3.5-4 model 19AH
Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 500 f8 model 55BB
Tamron Adaptall-2 200mm f3.5 model 04B
Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 300 f2.8 model 60B
Tamron Adaptall-2 140f 1.4X Teleconverter
a third Tamron Adaptall-2 01f 2X flat field teleconverter

I just became New Member #361PX of the Worldwide Squirrel Shooters Association (WSSA) on November 03, 2010.