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For the short term at least, I threw up some French cleats and threw together a holder for the Clamp Squares and the Infinity Tools Woodworkers First Aid kit.

Nice! tested out my new pocket hole machine. It makes holes.

I was explaining to my (sainted, octogenarian) mother the different focal length lenses for 35mm cameras and their usages. I quoted a famous and incredibly pithy piece of writing from Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer. In early 2009 (almost 14 years ago to the day) Mike went over every common focal length for 35mm lenses. A worrisome facet of the Information Age is that things are a lot less permanent than we thought. In spite of massive tech companies indexing and archiving goddamn everything, there's a lot fairly recent internet content that is gone or nearly gone. It took me entirely too long to find Mike's list, which is related to both its current scarcity and how crap Google search results are in 2023. With that said, I repost this here for posterity's sake: USES AND APPLICATIONS OF 35mm LENSES Fisheye: No known uses, except to illustrate fisheye effects in photo how-to books. Ultra-wide rectilinears wider than 19mm: Occasional interiors. Also used to stump gearheads trying to find stuff to photograph with the things. Ultra-wide-angle (19, 20, 21, or 24mm): One of the four of five essential lenses for pros, broadly useful for artists and accomplished amateurs. Used for landscapes, interiors, street shooting, crowd shots, etc. Also used by bored amateurs as the next thing to covet for purchase. Despite the ubiquity of this focal length, relatively few photographers are practiced enough or visually acute enough to use this type of lens effectively; lots more people own these than do good work with them. See Brian Bowers’ Leica books for a rare example of a scenic photographer who actually sees well with a 21mm. Ultra-wide-angle zoom (wide end 20mm or wider): Useful for when the photographer would like to carry one heavy lens instead of three light ones, or has a breezy, devil-may-care attitude towards flare effects. Secondary “CYA” lens for pros who aren’t great with wide angles in the first place. (Exceptions do exist.) Also sometimes paired with a fast 80-200mm zoom as a professional’s only two lenses. Wide angles: Now that 24mm is more often lumped with 20mm and 35mm has become an alternative “normal” focal length, this class has contracted down to one fixed focal length, 28mm. Useful as a do-anything lens (especially for street and art photography, photojournalism, faux photojournalism, and environmental portraits) where a wide “look” is desired, and/or to complement a 50mm main lens, and/or for pressing into service in place of a super-wide when the photographer does not own same. Shift lenses: Buildings. Used for the overcorrection of convergence caused by perspective. Ditto, but with tilt: Ditto above, plus landscapes with tons of foreground and tables laden with food. All-purpose 28-200mm zoom lenses: Bad snapshots. Also great for making five rolls of film last a whole year. All-purpose = no purpose. Wide normal primes (35mm): Alternative normal. Often, the thing replaced by a zoom. Easiest focal length to shoot with. Best focal length for Leicas. Not really "wide" by today’s standards, 35mm is an alternative normal. Leica M6, 35mm pre-ASPH., Ilford XP-2. “Pancake” Tessar-types, usually 45mm: Good for lightening the burden of photographers who would rather not carry an SLR at all. Normal/standard (50mm): Useful for taking photographs, if you have a thick skin. When used exclusively, classic “hair shirt” lens for disciplining oneself needlessly. Strangely, when in skilled hands, can mimic moderate wide angles as well as short telephotos. According to one far Eastern expert, lower yield of usable shots than 35mm lens, but higher yield of great shots. Second best focal length for a Leica. Standard 55–58mm: Shows you use a really, really old camera. Macros/micros: Flowers, bugs, eyeballs, eyelashes, small products, tchotchkes. Dew-covered spider webs, frost patterns on windowpanes. Great hobby lenses, as macro photographers are among the only happy photo enthusiasts. Also much utilized by photography buffs who like to test lenses. Superfast normals (ƒ/1, ƒ/1.2): Used for people who like limited depth of field, as well as for people who like to complain about limited depth of field. Also, especially when aspherical elements are involved, an effective way to vaporize excess cash for almost no good reason. Standard zooms (35-70mm, 28-105mm, 35-135mm, etc.): Used for taking pictures in bright light — mainly snapshots, scenics, cars, travel pictures, semi-naked women, underexposed pictures, and pictures blasted by uncontrolled on-camera flash. Evidently very useful for clichés. Sometimes used to remove interchangeability feature from interchangeable-lens cameras. Fast medium zooms: For pros, bread-and-butter lenses. For amateurs, often left at home rather than lugged around all day. If very expensive, big, and heavy, may be almost as good and almost as fast at any given focal length as cheap fixed primes. Good for making both hobbyists and their portrait subjects feel self-conscious. Short teles (75, 77, 80, 85, 90, 100, or 105mm): Portraits, tight landscapes, headshots, beauty and glamor. In skilled hands, can be used for general and art photography, photojournalism. Essential. 135mm prime: Little owned, less used. Became a standard 35mm focal length when rangefinders were the main camera type because it’s the longest focal length that is feasible on a rangefinder. Now vestigial, like a male’s nipples. Fast 180mm or 200mm prime: Longest general use lens for photojournalism. Sports, beauty, auto races, surveillance in film noire. Slow 180mm or 200mm prime: Lightweight and easy to carry. May project a certain “image,” i.e. that you are poor or cheap. Standard telephoto zoom (70 or 80 to 180, 200, or 210): Whether slow or fast, indispensable for most photographers, amateur or pro. Used for all kinds of action, activity, fashion, portrait, headshot, reportage, sports, wildlife, landscape, and nature photography. Covers all the telephoto range most photographers ever need, at least until they become afflicted by the terrible urge to photograph birds. IS (Canon) or VR (Nikon) standard telephoto zoom: Same as above, but for photographers who drink lotsa coffee and/or do crank. Fast 300mm: Fashion, catalog, runway, sports, nature, air shows. Important lens for pros, also for nature photographers. Tough for amateurs unless shooting surreptitious faces in crowds or critters. Status symbol. As fashion, looks grand when accessorizing a photo vest. Super-telephoto zooms (to 300mm or more on long end): For adjusting FOV when standpoint is constrained. Replaces several heavy primes. Sometimes pressed into service by amateurs who have burr up ass about having all focal lengths “covered.” 400mm: Critters, sports, and birds. Landscapes, if you’re a nut. Also good for photographing football games when you don’t want the picture to show a dang thing about what’s going on. 500mm: Critters and birds. Money laundering: can be bought and sold to placate wife about questionable expenses. “But I sold one of my lenses to pay for it, honey, honest.” 600mm: Critters. 1200mm: No known uses. — Mike Johnston _____________________________________________________ "Uses and Application of 35mm Lenses" is taken from Issue #7 ofThe 37th Frame, which I hope to send in early September. There are two companion articles, "Choosing Lenses: What’s Seeing Got to Do with It?" and "Why a 35mm is the Best Lens for a Leica." The Issue also contains a number of lens reviews, plus a long article about the new Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH. To subscribe, go towww.37thframe.com.If you’re already a subscriber and haven’t gotten Issue #6 yet, please don’t despair — I’m making steady progress in contacting people and setting up accounts. If you do not receive an e-mail from me, you will receive a letter. Thanks for being patient! --- The frequency with which I use the expression "the terrible urge to photograph birds" defies probability.

I have a VST and go 18 grams. I also drink Paso wines and listen to acapella music in the office so let that be your guide.

I'll do the Dad jokes here!

Also found this 5200/1943 board on Amazon for $16. Vbestlife 2SC5200+2SA1943 Power Amplifier Board 100W Set it up as balanced mono on the left channel and compared it to a XLR cable on the right channel. It has about 23 dB gain. RightMark Audio Analyzer test _ 5200 1943 ADC1.pdf

Here is the Benchmark AHB2 RMAA on the RME. RightMark Audio Analyzer test _ AHB2 RME ADI-2 Pro.pdf

Now that's boring!

I have a couple IMS and a couple VST. Honestly I grab them pretty indiscriminately. I used to be careful with my dose matching the basket, but I shove a 20gram dose into all of them.

If you get any of the IMS with the nanotech coating, be mindful that espresso detergent will strip the coating. Also, yes, the Acaia Pearl is a must have, AFAIC.

I cannot offer comparisons, but the two IMS's that came with my Lelit Bianca have been great. I only bother with the 20g basket these days as I shoot for a 2:1 20 to 40ish when I'm pulling. I always watch with one of those little mirrors and it does a great job based on anything I've seen on videos or in person unless I screw up which fortunately doesn't happen much any more unless I just happens to have a fresh batch of beans I am figuring out. On a separate note, I keep meaning to post about the Acaia Pearl scale that the shop tossed in where I purchased the espresso machine. That thing really makes life much better / efficient. It's more robust than I care to admit as well (incident teaching my sister's kids how to make coffee...let's just say it was the only time my Niche ended up on its side...). HS

That is a bit of money for a basket. But it is really pretty. I have not made the jump to IMS or VST yet. I have heard good things about both and was leaning towards a VST 20g ridgeless. Do you (or others) have a preference? But at the price, I could try a few. I have not had an interest in a puck screen at this point. Next step after the Weber is the refractometer.

Here is the HPA4 & RME RMAA. RightMark Audio Analyzer test _ HPA4 RME ADI-2 Pro 48.pdf

I should test my Benchmark HPA4 or AHB2 on the RME.

I thought you were repairing some Stax.

HS

Bryan, if you go with the Flair try a Bellman stovetop steamer; it’s a little slow compared to my Breville, but it steams very high quality milk. You would just want an induction burner on your coffee bar.

spent way way too much time on home barista lately… ordered something ridiculous last week. Lagom P100 in silver. special request added to swap to SSP brew burrs which are a recent development and should allow for peak light roasted filter coffee and focus on turbo shots for espresso… meaning the next purchase will probably be a Flair 58 or (if another order round opens up) an Odyssey Espresso Argos. hoping for the latter. wife likes lattes.

T2 psu back panel, design and cut. I wanted to have the pin outs of the sockets for the umbilical chords from the psu to amp to be on the psu back for future reference.. I decided to go for 10degree 0.1mm tip engraving bit for the lettering, 0.025mm depth of cut rather than laser. Screw holes done with 3.175 end mill and main cut outs 6mm end mill. Now I have a good collection of quality bits and little experience now. CNC machining is starting to become FUN 🙂. Its so much nicer and more satisfying watching a CNC cut than using a hand drill and Dremel... Tool changing is a bit of a hassle and then I have to use a Z block and Z probe command get the new Z height reference for the tool sickout. So I try to minimise the number of different tools used. Tape hold-down and CA glue works perfectly. I'm very happy with the surface finish, perhaps the text for the pinouts and lines could be a little narrower, but its certainly not a disaster. Cut still currently in progress: The nice thing about symmetrical panels is that you can always adjust your settings and have another go with the other side... I decided to decrease the line width by half, nock 20% off the size of the socket decals, decrease the socket decal font size, change the style of the lines and reduce the engraving depth from 0.025 to 0.02mm... I think the new version should look a little less blocky and a bit more refined... The 0.02mm engraving depth is slightly too little, other than that I think its an improvement.

R.I.P. David Crosby at 81...