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I just got back in touch with my inner 500mm mirror lens. I've had a 500mm f/8 Reflex Nikkor since, basically, forever. For years, well decades, it rode around in my trunk. Eventually - like twenty, twenty-five years ago - the old mirror lens was supplanted by more "practical" long lenses, like a 400mm 3.5, and a 300mm 2.8, then a 500mm 4, 400mm 2.8, and a 600mm 4 when I needed it. You get the idea. The old mirror lens eventually moved from my trunk to the back of my camera cabinet at home. Which I am now trying to civilize. I'm selling old and stupid stuff, putting things in order, getting stuff repaired - the kind of thing you do every ten years or so, whether it's needed or not. And I pulled out the old mirror lens. So I marched outside to the creek with it and sat on the bank and photographed whatever happened by for five minutes and six seconds (according to the Exif data) And this thing is just so damned cool! It used to be that you had about three choices for exposure level for any given film speed (1/500th, 1/1000th, and 1/2000th. Well, and 1/250 most of the time.) Neutral density filters made the lens unfocusable. On a modern digital camera, you've got two more shutter speeds and four more instantly changeable ISOs. The lens fits in a bag, weighs nothing, and is hand holdable to an easy-ish 1/250th. Close focus is very reasonable. It's sharp and contrasty. Not 400 2.8 sharp, but 300 4.5 ED IF sharp, easily. It's "practical" all of a sudden! And now with everybody all about bokeh, those annular highlights are the bee's knees. I checked on eBay. You can grab these things for less than $300 (for the newer series no less) Mr ibis here was shot at 1/250th, handheld, at ISO 400. I don't know if anybody else will find this intriguing, but I'm all (re)excited.

1) Install 5 megohm safety resistor in the bias supply following the last bias cap if there isn't one or it is a different value. 2) Toss the output chokes and install good constant current loads with appropriate heatsinks. 3) Install 5 kilohm safety resistors in the output if there aren't any. If you are in the mood, put in a somewhat higher voltage transformer that will allow you to install a regulated power supply. That should fix the major issues, don't know if there are others.

Went to a "celebration of life" for my friend Alex who passed away earlier this month at 26; many tears were shed yesterday. I haven't had the heart to come in this thread in a bit, but I'm so saddened by all of the losses near and dear to those of our d-_-b family. ❤️ and *hugs* to you all.

Unreal crash at the Macau Formula 3 race. It's incredible to think that this 17 year old will be released from hospital in a couple of weeks!

Condolences, Wayne. My brother in law got killed in a bike accident this afternoon. 38yo, father of two, 6 and 3 yo kids. I can't find words to say how stupid and nonsensical is this.