Dance After Dark Photography

Okay, so I thought about it the other day, and I talked myself out of buying the 50mm Nikkor lens that Colonial Photo had because it cost a bit more than the one I could order from B&H, even taking shipping into account. (See previous post for rant and details.) Then I thought about the $50 gift card I got from work for being a kick-ass employee, and I thought about the fact that said gift card is only good in person. Sure, I could use it online, but how many websites let you use two Visa cards? Then I thought about the ML-L3, which is my camera’s wireless remote control. It’s hard to find because the camera is damned popular. I decided that if Colonial had the remote in stock, I’d go down there and buy both remote and lens.

Lo and behold! They’d just gotten a new order in, so they had ‘em in stock. I went down there, dealt with Denver (who sold me a reflector oh-so long ago), and walked out with loot. What’d I get?

Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lens
ML-L3 wireless infrared remote for Nikon D70
Cokin square filter adapter
Cokin filter adapter ring (52mm)
Cokin filter adapter ring (72mm)

What does all of that mean? It means I’m happy. It means, thanks to the gift card, that I spent $140 on $190 worth of stuff. It means I can buy one polarizer filter to use with all of my lenses, thanks to the tip from madscience, who officially rocks. I didn’t realize that a circular polarizer could be square. Thanks for pointing out that the opposite of circular, in this instance, is linear. I hadn’t grasped the distinction.

The story continues! You see, Colonial didn’t have any filters I would actually use. They had various colors, a neutral skylight, and several special-effects filters that I really don’t care for. They did not have a polarizer, nor did they have the warming skylight I wanted. The drive home took me past Wolf Camera’s Winter Park store, so I called ahead and asked what they had in stock because, like any good camera geek, I have all the local camera shops on speed dial.

I talked to Jessica, who had sold me my camera bag a few months ago. She told me they didn’t have circular polarizers either. We enthused a bit over the D70 because she has one as well, and on a whim I asked how many tripods they had in stock. “Many,” came the reply. So as I hung up, I pulled into the parking lot. Upon seeing me, Jessica remembered me from my previous visit. (It’s nice to be remembered. Ego boost.) Long story short, they had some very nice, very sturdy tripods in the $80-$100 range. That’s a bit pricey for me still, but considering the fact that nearly $1500 will be resting on the tripod at any given time (between camera, lens, filters, and memory card) I decided it was worth the investment. My old, mostly-broken tripod has become a reflector holder, and the new $100 tripod is 31 flavors of spiffy.

Thanks to a gift card from Kym, I also got a UV haze filter for my 70-300mm lens. For those not in the know, a UV filter cuts down on the hazy blue appearance of distant objects in landscape pictures. It’s also a good way to protect the very expensive lens by putting a not-nearly-as-expensive layer of glass in front. Many photographers leave the UV filter on all the time just as a safety measure, and now I am among those many. I’d have bought three (one 72mm and two 52mm) filters if they’d had them, but alas they had only the one. It’s probably for the best.

But wait, there’s more!

I got a bit caught up in the moment. For once I had money to spend, and I was enjoying it. Jessica and I talked quite a bit about cameras and random things, and I mentioned that I’d gotten the wireless remote at Colonial Photo. Her eyes lit up, so I urged her to call and reserve one. We talked a bit more before I left, and as I walked out the door I noticed Jessica was going to be busy for a while with a backlog of customers.

So what do I do? I call Colonial and have them hold another remote. On the drive back there, I realized Bruce would probably want one as well, so I woke him up (poor guy) to make sure he didn’t already have one. Called Colonial again (I’m no longer “remembered,” I’m infamous) and had them hold two. Bruce will get his whenever I see him again, and I stopped back by Wolf to surprise Jessica with hers. The look on her face was reward enough.

Even with all the new toys I bought today, the thing that’s making me smile most is the fact that for just a little more money I could make two other people happy. Sad, isn’t it? Sappy, to say the least. Of course, one might think that I have an ulterior motive because one of the two people happens to be very nice and very pretty. (Sorry, Bruce. You’re nice, but I am referring to Jessica here. *grin*) Hidden agenda? Maybe. I don’t know. Probably. Come what may, right? I’m not really looking, but it’s nice to think someone might be looking at me.

Well, I’m frustrated. It makes sense because most people wouldn’t opt for a “normal” 50mm lens, but none of the stores in the area stock the blasted thing. I was even willing to pay $15 more (price difference plus tax) through Wolf just because they have stores here, as opposed to B&H, who have good prices but operate only out of NYC. I haven’t called Colonial Photo & Hobby, so I suppose I should call them instead of complaining online before I’ve fully explored my options. Of course, I have to wonder how much they’ll overcharge. They always do.

Okay, I checked. $119.00, where Ritz/Wolf offers it at $110 and B&H is $99. I didn’t think to ask what they’re charging for the filters. I want a circular polarizer, though I’m seriously considering the square, sliding-mount kind because it’ll fit over all of my lenses. Wouldn’t hurt to grab a couple of UV haze filters. They’re cheap, and they’d protect my lenses from dust and scratches. It’s cheaper to replace them than to replace an entire lens.

Did I lose everyone there? Maybe I should’ve hidden everything but the gripe behind a “photo geeks only” label, eh?

*grumbling*