Suzuki-san gave me this! Can you beleive it?!

Hi,

Last month my local camera store owner, Suzuki-san, closed his store after 52-years in business. He closed because his Fuji developing machine went KAPUT. He decided against leasing a new one. It was just not economical in the long run.

Over the past month he has been cleaning out the store. He has found many wonder lost and forgotten gems. He has sold me a Nikon FG with a 50mm f1.8 AI lens for 10$ and a Pentax SP with a SMC 55mm f1.8 for 7$. All in perfect working order. I periodically drop by to see how the clean-up is going and to see what else he might have found in the dark corners of his store. On Friday, I made one such sojourn. I really lucked out ;-0. First, he gave me:

1. Yashica 17 half
2. Canon Demi
3. Olympus EE
4. Olympus EE2
5. Olympus EE3
6. Yashica Electro 35 original with no gold contacts
7. Ricoh half (spring winding shutter)

But the real gem he gave me was a Pentax 6X7 with a 105mm f2.4 and a 75mm f4. I was over joyed with the Pentax. I was really taken back. I have been looking a Pentax 67s for the last year, but unable to put the trigger because of its darn size and the price tag. I guess good fortune rained down on me. I still cannot believe that he gave it to me.

He said that he used it for many years. He impressed upon me that lenses and penta prism were beautifully clean, the shutter fired properly and that I just needed to real seal it. Well, after I got home I real sealed it, so I could use as quickly as possible. Yesterday, I took it out. I love the camera. Though heavy it is much easier to handle than my old Bronica S2 and my Yashica D TLR. The shutter is actually quieter than my old Bronica S2. It only sounds like a handgun going off whereas the Bronica sounds like a shotgun going off.

Anyway, enough about the camera. Please take a look at the photos. This is the first time I can say that any photos I have taken with a medium format popped out at me.

I used T-max 400 film developed in T-max developer at 20C for 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Any light spots in the photos are my fault developing the film. I have a hard time getting 120 film on the developing spool.

Mike