Double Sub-woofers and The Ultimate Olympus OM kit

Gentle reader,

Thanks once again for taking the time to read my humble blog. Also thanks for your kind words. They encourage me to keep shooting the pics and typing the words. 

My wife and I live our lives the fullest we can with limited funds. We obtain what we want to enjoy our interests without going into debt. Thus what I call "previously enjoyed" items once loved by others pass through our hands and stay for a while. Since out time on this earth is limited, we do not own anything, we are merely stewards of the many things that clutter our lives and hopefully enhance them as well.

It seems to us that plenty of you are interested in what we are able to find and fit into our small home. First off, I found at Goodwill a JBL sub-woofer, called Power Bass and model number PB10. It is comprised of a long excursion 10" driver and 150 watt amplifier. It was made in 2001 and retailed for $349. I got it for $27. 

It is to the left of the cabinet. I have removed the DCM Timeframe speakers and have run the wires from the modern Dynaco Stereo 200 power amplifier's "B" speaker terminals to the high level inputs on the PB10. With the DCMs gone, it is a little less clustered than it was. To balance the scene and remove the other sub-woofer from the cabinet, I moved it to the right side. Note that I placed the subs on wood. This means that no bass is absorbed by the carpet, but is released for fullest enjoyment. They are two of three dividers that were designed to go in the left side of the cabinets and divide LPs. This move freed a lot of space with more than 16" of vertical clearance. Thus, I was able to move many of the oversize books from this room and into the listening room where I tend to read while listening to music. Lastly, removing the 12" sub isolates the components from the bass. This prevents vibrations from injecting unwanted sounds into the music.

Also, I wired the 12" sub the same way as the 10" but with the Sony receiver's front speaker wires going into the inputs and the front channel speakers wires hooked to the sub's output. The sub amplifier's internal circuitry removes sounds below the threshold you choose and channeling everything above to the front speakers. I tested it with Telarc's mighty SACD of the 1812 Overture. The sub did the bass and saved the front speakers from trying to reproduce the incredible cannon shots. Cool!

I also ran the RCA cables from the Adcom preamplifier to the low level inputs of the 12" sub. I turn it on if something, like the 1812 SACD, calls for extra oomph. 

Lastly, I moved the matching wooden CD racks to atop the sub-woofer cabinets. No rattling that I could detect. Also the little dragons on each are closer the simulated Bonsai trees.

NOW for the second part. As you may recall, from my blog back in January of 2013 about my getting a new Olympus OM-10: The Robb Collections: Coming full circle 

Well, I have been gathering lots of lenses and also scored a very nice OM-2S Program which came with three lenses. I am going to be passing on two of them, but keeping the 50mm f1.8 lens that came with it. 

Perhaps you have heard the term, "Mirror Lens". The official title is "catadioptric". Fancy word that explains that the light passes around the small black disc on the front, bounces off a curved mirror on the back "wall" of the lens, bounces again off the small curved mirror inside that small black disc and into the camera. 

The vast majority of mirror lenses are inexpensive and abundant and usually have a fixed aperture of f8. Most lens companies have made them, even Nikon. As you also may recall, the majority of the OM-mount lenses I have gathered are Soligor brand. The best Soligor lenses are called "C-D". What that means, I don't know, but the cost more new and still do used. So, I bought a Soligor C-D 500mm f8 mirror lens and a 77mm hood for it. It came in a nice little felt lined case. Again, cool. 

Well, a mirror lens that has often avoided my capture was made by Lentar. It to is f8 but that is where the scene blurs.

Above and below are the cases that house each lens. Obviously, the Lentar is larger and appears more complicated.

Above and all below show the massive size differences. But note below that the actual glass appears to be the same diameter. It should be since they share the f8 speed.

Bigger and longer. Also, the Lentar has a tripod mount collar. It can be rotated for vertical shots.

Note the intrusion in the Lentar's exit pupil. That is part of the mechanism that holds neutral density filters that act as virtual aperture blades, each halving the available light. Rotating the knurled ring moves the filters in and out of the light path.

The "X" refers to the amount of light reduction. Pretty cool, huh?

So, below shows the whole kit and caboodle of the Olympus kit I have painstakingly assembled:

There are fourteen lenses here. Although only 13 of them have glass in them. The 14th will be explained below.

Below are the three super-wide lenses. The left one, attached to the front of a 50mm lens, turns it from 50mm to 7.5mm and produces a circular image that is 180 degrees wide. Keep your feet out of the image! The right lens is a 12mm fisheye lens. It is also f8, but being a normal, non-mirror lens, it has aperture blades. The middle is the Holy Grail of Olympus OM mount lenses: 18-28mm zoom lens. 

Now, if you have a DSLR, you may be thinking, "Heck most cameras come with an 18-55mm lens, so what's the big deal?" On all but "full-frame" i.e., the sensor is 24mm by 36mm, just like 35mm film, digital SLR cameras use a sensor the same size as the now defunct APS film. Or 50% smaller. So, an 18mm digital lens is the same "size" as a 35mm film lens of 27mm. Wide, for sure, but not 18mm wide. 

On any 35mm camera, an 18-28mm lens is really wide. I was constantly looking for an 18mm Sigma or Spiratone lens when I saw this Samyang 18-28mm and snatched it up! Samyang lenses are made in South Korea. Home of Hyndai and Kia.

The "bubble" inside the lenses are the inside edge of the front elements.

Above and below are the three zoom lenses that start in the wide angle end: Samyang 18-28mm, Soligor C-D 28-80mm and Tamron 28-200mm lens. The widest range of the three.

 

Above and below are the big-boy zoom lenses. Soligor C-D 70-220mm with a constant f3.8 aperture. A real beauty that is so heavy, it has a tripod mount built on it. Middle, same length, but in fact longer focus is the Sologor C-D 85-300mm zoom. The beast on the right is the second rarest of the group, also a Samyang, it is 100-500mm zoom. It too has a tripod mount. 

Below is a 7-element 2X tele-converter. Mounted on the camera first and then the intended lens is mounted to it. With a 50mm f1.4 attached, it becomes a 100mm f2.8. 2X models have either four or seven elements (pieces) of glass in the lenses. A 2X halves the amount of light, a 3X cuts out even more light. Seven element 2X converters are higher quality and it will show. 

So, frankly, with this and one of the 500mm lenses, it will be like having a 1-meter (1000mm) f16 lens. If you can find a 1-meter lens, be prepared to pay!

The one on the right is in fact three "tubes". No glass inside, each also goes on the camera first then a lens, usually 50mm, mounts on it. They are 12mm, 20mm and 36mm. Combined it is 68mm. The drawback is the further the lens is from the film, the less light reaches the film. Each tube mechanically connects the lens' aperture to the camera.

Lastly, below is the OM-2S Program mounted on the motor drive and 50mm f1.4 lens. I'm keeping the OM10 as a backup body. It has the slightly slower 50mm f1.8 lens that came with the 2S.

Finally, before I can use either film camera, I need to replace the ancient light seals as they have turned to goo. 

Thanks for taking the time to read and view my blog.

Scott

My Asian obsession and other new stuff plus more speakers!

Gentle reader,

As you know, we frequent thrift stores looking for cool stuff. My wife was saying, "You go to all these thrift stores during the week, what about the weekend for both of us?" I told her, I will always be willing to visit a thrift store or two.

As to the beginning of this blog's title: "My Asian obsession". I don't know that 'obsession' is the right word. I think it all started with the Japanese Geisha doll my one-and-only Aunt has. I used to look and look at it as a kid. It's about 15" tall and in a glass case. She still has it. 

Anyway, I got into Bonsai trees many years ago, none survived, however. And what guy doesn't want a Samurai sword? So take a look at some of the cool Asian stuff that has shown up over the years:

The three Bonsai trees are artificial. Can't kill 'em, cuz' they ain't alive! The bicycle painting was in this room (where I am typing, right now) but I needed to fill the opposite space the new bamboo painting occupies. Plus, I found, but did not photograph, an attachment that allows me to mount my road bike and train on it inside. It will be in the alcove of the listening room so that I can "spin" and listen to music.

In case you are or have wondered about that skin. No, I did not kill it. Nor did my now-late-friend. He bought it in Thailand, many years ago. I don't hunt and could never kill an animal.

The bottom sword is the real deal. It is razor sharp and has drawn blood. Again, not me. The stand came with it and I bought the smaller not-sharp-at-all sword so the top space would be filled.

This is the first fake Bonsai I found, years ago. Looks pretty cool, huh?

This brass thing is an artist's (Asian, I assume) representation of a cool tree. Bonsai-ish.

This is the latest find. $5.00 at Goodwill. Again, very realistic.

This one I found without a pot. I "planted" it by gluing it's base into this pot, which is actually a bowl. Then I added soil and real moss. 

I don't know what the little thing in the middle is called, but I find them fascinating. The dragons on each side are really cool.

Yes, I a 21st Century man, bought a snow globe. Except this one has sparkles. It is also a music box. When wound, the subway cars travel around what looks like it might be part of Hong Kong or in a Singapore city.

As stated above, I just found the bamboo painting last Wednesday. The one on the right we've had for a while.

UPDATE: I found some more Asian stuff! Below, which now that I see it, may not be Asian, but still a cool little table-like thing to put something Asian on.

Like, this cool, definitely Asian pot! I don't know what the symbols mean.

 And check out this cool Chinese cork art. Made mainly in Fuzhou since invented in 1910. They import the cork bark from Spain, mostly.

Below is the back side.

COOLEST of all! Check out this huge dragon with ball! It's well over a foot tall and so detailed! Looks just line bronze, doesn't it?

Above and below are close-up pictures of the much smaller dragons with ball.

 Below, the massive and so cool dragon in it's new home on the right side of the stereo rack.

Finally, here is the den as is now. Note the matching pair of wooden CD racks. They match the chair and table. The center channel speaker is a much newer Polk Audio unit. Good thing I found it, because when I was looking at the old one, I discovered the woofer was jammed forward!

As to the last part of the post's title, "more speakers!", I came across three sets of small speakers, one set, not photographed, were made by Roland, famous for their studio monitors. They are "STEREO MICRO MONITOR MA-8" speakers and are made for computers. They are the largest one's I've ever had and since I have a really good soundcard, they sound fantastic!

The one's below were both at the same thrift store. I carry wires and a cassette tape to test electronics and confirmed that all the drivers worked. 

The top one is made by Philips and is part of a high-end mini stereo/DVD player. Reviewers were not impressed by the sound. They are not efficient and thus need lots of power. Hooked to my 100 watts-per-channel setup in here, they sound great. They are my first encounter with ribbon tweeters. 

The bottom one is made by Onkyo and they are the first ones I've had that are mirror-imaged. That means that the tweeter/front port mirror each other. The one above is the left. The right one has the tweeter on the left and the port on the right. Again, played in here, they sound great. As you can see, they do not have the cheap spring terminals. No, they have proper 3/4" spaced three-way binding/banana terminals. Mark of good speakers.

I moved the handmade oak speakers into this room, (the office where I'm typing) and at first had the DCM Timeframe speakers as the rear ones for the SACD surround sound set. I'd sold the ones that were there. Then I realized it was a waste of their abilities in such a minor role. So, I moved them up front and made them the "B" speakers for the stereo kit. 

As I was only using the Infinity small speakers as bookend, and they are designed to wall-mount, I freed them and mounted them as you can see on the back wall. Now they perform the rear-surround duties for the SACD kit.

That's it for now. Oh, after much struggling, I ironed out the Capri XR2's weird brake problem. Now aside from new Brembo discs, it has new calipers, another new right front hose and a new master cylinder. What a job that was!

LASTLY, both of those sets of speakers have gone on to their new homes thanks to ebay!

Thanks for looking!

Scott