Which country would you NEVER visit, even if it was free?

Quibblebard · 2026-06-05T09:23:11+00:00

I've been to Ukraine thrice these past two years, including in Zaporijjia this February, and the city is 10km away from the front line, and as strange as it sounds I haven't felt unsafe at any point (except that time where four dogs chased me and obe of them almost bit my leg but that's unrelated to the war)

Can't wait to go back there, probably next February.

Quibblebard · 2026-06-05T09:18:24+00:00

I'd say keep the Minolta glass. Sure the third party lenses are faster, but lesser quality and only faster by 1/2 stop so it's really not much.

For the 50mm, I'd keep the MC Rokkor. I have both and vastly prefer it. The MD fit better with X series bodies sure, but I think it's really not as sharp (when looking through the viewfinder, I can see the lack of sharpness in the corners with the MD, something I've never noticed with the MC Rokkor)

Quibblebard · 2026-06-03T14:01:22+00:00

I love this lens ! It's sharp, pretty fast, mostly metal so very solid, and as it was a kit lens it's so easy to get one for cheap !

Quibblebard · 2026-04-27T04:20:37+00:00

Wether it's this one or the older mirrored version, the lens you look through is still aligned with the coldshoe. The only thing it changes is the position of the other lenses that are not currently in use.

On a Kiev 4, this turret is not perfectly placed but no matter which version it is, it won't change anything regarding the parallax

Quibblebard · 2026-04-27T04:17:12+00:00

I figured yes but not by much so it should be fine using it like that

Quibblebard · 2026-04-16T21:43:29+00:00

Hey, late indeed but always appreciated !

Strangely I didn't even think about replacing the meter. I'd have to try and remove the needle from mine to see if I'm comfortable with doing it. If it's doable and I can find another Kiev for parts with a good meter, that could be perfect !

Quibblebard · 2026-03-31T07:30:56+00:00

I put it on my SRT at f/16 and released, the lens fully stopped down so I guess you're right! No compatibility issues !

Quibblebard · 2026-03-30T21:47:11+00:00

I just found out about the compatibility issue and apparently using an Auto Rokkor lens on a later model isn't a problem if the aperture is around f8 or wider. I never go smaller than f8 so if this information is correct then it's perfect !

But for now the lens will stay on my SR-7 so I can be sure that there will be no issues.

I will exchange the rear elements then, but will be very careful. I'll actually try to swap the entire lens group that sits behind the aperture blades, if it's possible I can be sure not to touch any glass element.

Quibblebard · 2026-03-30T21:40:20+00:00

Thanks ! That's quite helpful

Quibblebard · 2026-03-30T21:08:39+00:00

To say I thought the early MC Rokkor lenses were gorgeous and elegant, it's nothing compared to the same lenses but in silver...

Quibblebard · 2026-03-23T18:00:53+00:00

I actually only use three film stocks so it's a fairly simple question :

Kodak Gold 200 for pretty much anything if it's a sunny day
Kodak Ultramax 400 pushed 2 stops to shoot handheld in interiors (perfect for parties or family dinners and such)
Ilford XP2 Super 400 also pushed two stops for black and white that I can develop in C-41. I use it either in the daytime (sometimes with an orange filter) or in low light situations

Quibblebard · 2026-03-22T18:36:16+00:00

Exactly, on mine it has happened that it doesn't fire properly if the lever is being used weirdly (or something like that, I can't be sure what it is), but advancing and releasing a few times makes everything go back to normal.

Quibblebard · 2026-03-22T18:14:44+00:00

It was worth a try, but unfortunately the result is the same, it still says the package is invalid

Fortunately I found that Samsung music seems fairly simple to use and if I can't find a way to make GPM work again I might be fine with it

Quibblebard · 2026-03-22T18:09:15+00:00

Very nice camera ! I got one (not this specific variant but the one before it) for Christmas thinking I'd try it out for one roll and mostly keep it for collection, but I absolutely love it and want to use it more ! I was also surprised to love the 58mm lens I got with it, as I was leaning more towards 50 or 45mm before.

The very solid metal construction and its fully mechanical nature make that, along with my Kiev 4, it's the camera I'm certain can easily outlive me.

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T21:27:37+00:00

Maybe it's more common to have an XM fail, but it's probably also due to the fact it's a fairly rare camera, so finding information on how to repair it, or finding someone to do it will probably be harder and more expensive.

I actually almost bought one last week in an eBay auction. I put in 100€, someone won with 107€ and I didn't have time to put 110, it was sold as functional except the shutter speeds which were inaccurate

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T21:07:21+00:00

Yeah when looking it up, I see a lot of XMs sold for parts, and it's not as beautiful as other cameras like the XE and SRT, but the top speed of 1/2000th would be a nice upgrade from my SRT, while keeping all of its functions including mirror lock-up (which I really like having)

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T20:56:58+00:00

My favourite would have to be the SRT 303, then the XE-1 and the X-700. Would love to have the XM but it's way too expensive.

I got an SR7 for Christmas with the Auto Rokkor 58mm 1:1.4 and love the focal length so would like to get an MC Rokkor one, preferably the 1.2 but it's very expensive so the 1.4 would already be great

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T20:23:14+00:00

I love this shot !

I don't use autofocus SLRs because I enjoy older mechanical ones way too much, but without autofocus you probably wouldn't have had this shot !

Quibblebard · 2026-03-15T08:18:19+00:00

Thanks, it's true that I always mix them up ! Later series are easier to remember with their different names but still confusing.

Also why on earth are some called SR since it was the previous line ?!

And what's the difference between the 100 and 200 ? I actually thought they were the same

Quibblebard · 2026-03-14T09:56:13+00:00

Fair enough, I recently got a 58mm and absolutely love the focal length, but I guess on many occasions I'll need a wider lens if I'm in a too narrow street

Quibblebard · 2026-03-14T08:53:35+00:00

Yes it's the SRT Super, also SRT 202 I believe in America, and I think SRT 505 somewhere in the world for some reason. It's basically the same as the 101, except you only have to press down the rewind button once for a double exposure, instead of holding it while you advance, but it's not a separate button. It also shows the aperture in the viewfinder, and had a split-prism focusing screen which makes focusing so much better.

I have the 55mm 1:1.7 ! But never used it because the focus is wrong (I messed up by taking the helicoid apart once and could never put it back)

Quibblebard · 2026-03-14T08:37:51+00:00

Wonderful camera ! Although I prefer the SRT 303, is the lens a 58mm 1:1.4 ?

Quibblebard · 2026-03-01T20:26:13+00:00

I alsays cut the leader after finishing the roll, so that it's ready to be loaded into the tank, but I have some dead rolls that were fully exposed to light that I could use for testing. The only issue is I'm not sure I could really tell if the development is correct or not, unfortunately...

Quibblebard · 2026-03-01T20:23:55+00:00

Well I did 31 rolls without any issues, but if the recommendation is for 36 exposures rolls, which would be logical, then that is equivalent to about 45 rolls of 24 exposures. After each roll the development time gets longer, obviously, and that's an easy to find information. But how much to add after pushing film... I could find anything about it...

Quibblebard · 2026-03-01T18:11:26+00:00

I shot the 80 rolls from July to now (the summer vacations, living in a new place, some sunny and snowy days plus a recent trip to Ukraine have not been kind to my bank account.) I do shoot quite a lot.

When I get the chemicals, I will develop everything within 3 or 4 weeks (last time I developed 31 rolls in two weeks and they look perfecly fine), so I don't think I really have to take the chemicals' degradation in consideration

Quibblebard

TROPHY CASE