This looks like a fascinating site! I look forward to seeing the progress of Jonathan Brewer's work, as well as others, as this site maturates. As a photojournalist, I'm always excited to discover new sites that empower the many talented photographers that are around today.

Hi Jonathan,
I am honored to be one of the first members of this blog and I would like to be an active part of the blog from the far away Berlin, Germany. Here in Europe there are not so many people out there with these wonderful old lenses.

Hi Jonathan! Cangrats on a fine idea. I'll post a second comment in a minute or two which I tried to do yesterday.

Meanwhile I've just reviewed some of the prices Dagor 77 just got, yes just hours ago today, for some of our favorite lenses. Mainly the Pinkham Bi-Quality. $3501.00!! Oh my! The Bi-Quality was the name that the original Series IV was made by the heirs in a run some time in the late 1940's or early '50's. I'm stunned. WOW!

Some other "higher than I've seen so far" prices:

16" Kodak Portrait $597
9" Verito $461
$308 for a nice Darlot Petzval seems about right, as does $224 for an f6 Versar. Last is the early Pinkham Portrait lens for $1017. I'll keep my mouth shut about that one. I'm gladder each day that most of what I had hoped to attain lens wise is in the cupboard. As more folks get interested these classics will only get nuttier. I've often compared the current phenomenon to pictures of Duesenberg sedans sitting in used car lots after WWII. Just some random babbling :) 2nd post will be about swirly bokeh which I tried to post yesterday and failed. Jim

OK, I'm on a roll and want to find out if I can hot link a picture in. If successful the photo is a little group done with my 9 inch Hyperion, a gorgeous little lens.

[IMG]http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/CastleCreekHyperionS.jpg[/IMG]

Well that didn't work. If someone figures it out, let me know. Seems being able to get an image or 2 into the discussions would be fairly important.

Hi Jim..Hi Mary...Hi Stefan

A great many thanks for stopping by....I started this blog so that folks can write their personal journals, upload thier images, and exchange ideas.

I'm having trouble getting everyone configured into the right classification as far as the software is concerned, so that members can write these journals and upload pictures, I'm working to correct this, so please bear with me, I'll clear this glitch up as fast as I can.

Jim....your reference which links to your fabulous imagery worked, so for anyone waiting while I get all the 'kinks' out of this site, please click on this to get to Jim's work, which is always a source of inspiration for me.

As soon as I get capability for members to generate journals and upload their own images, I'll let everybody know.

Take care

Hi Folks

Members can create their own journal entries and upload images, to do this, after you login, you'll see a 'create a journal' button, clicking on that will give you a panel with two boxes, the top box is where you type in the title, the bigger box is for your journal entry.

Between these two boxes is a horizontal row of little icons(tools), going from left to right to just past the middle of the row, will be a 'little square box', passing your cursor over this little box will give you the pop-up 'insert image', when clicking on the 'insert image' icon, a panel will appear, .....at the top and to the right in this panel, will appear a small 'page icon', click on the 'page icon', which will bring up a 'browse' button, click on 'browse' and NOT on the 'General Storage' files(which indicates files stored on the site just under the words 'Squarespace files).

Clicking on 'browse' will take you to the files on your computer.

Take care

Hi Jonathan:

This site is cool. I have bookmarked it and will visit often. :o)

Hey Lei!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!! For those of you who don't know, Lei is Lei Meng and has his own website, a Chinese photographic forum called Paowang, it's a great website and the people on it are warm and friendly, just like Lei.

Paowang also has great photographs on it, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. Lei, whenever you check back in, I'll let you finish telling this story, again, thanks for stopping by.

Take care

I don't think it needs to be said, but I'll go ahead and say it, everyone/anyone is welcome that would like to become a member, contact me, and I'll give you a login and password, and you're good to go.

I've given members the right to create their own separate journal entries, and uploading images along w/those journal entries.

I want to make this a fun site in exploring all those unique lenses out there, and anyone is welcome in helping to do that.

Take care

Hey Jonathan, congrats on selling your PS 945. Someone got a fine deal and a fabulous optik. Anyone we know? Jim

Hey Jim

Thank you, I don't believe your know him, he's a gentleman out of New York, just finished up the deal w/him today. Yes it's a great deal for him, I believe getting a new PS945 is at least $3400.

Yes it's a fabulous optik, it'll be tough saying goodbye to this lens, but I had too many soft focus/portrait lenses, and I felt like a guy resource wise, who had one arm and three legs, I had one leg too many, so I traded for an arm.

Take care

Jonathan,

How does one contact you? I can't find your email address on this site.

Regards,
Will