hasselblad Tue, 29 Aug 2000 Volume 1 : Number 972 In this issue: RE: Good travel bag Re: Good travel bag Re: Hasselblad USA Attitude ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 09:32:00 -0400 From: "Paolo Pignatelli" To: Subject: RE: Good travel bag Message-ID: <000201c00f62$072f0eb0$0100a8c0@paolopent> The thief probably thought that the belt was a money belt. Paolo Paolo Pignatelli -----Original Message----- From: jim_brick2@am.exch.agilent.com [mailto:jim_brick2@am.exch.agilent.com] Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 10:40 AM To: hasselblad@kelvin.net Subject: Re: Good travel bag >alison@airpen.demon.co.uk writes > ><< Of course, maybe camera > thieves specialize in knowing what good camera bags look like... > >> InfinityDT@aol.com wrote: > >Most thieves really want cash, jewelry, passports etc. and even a nondescript >bag is a risk for the traveller since the presumption is that it may contain >one or more of the above. The fact is, if you take simple precautions (my >shoulder bags also have waist belts and I don't wear my cameras off one >shoulder like a cool photojournalist, but rather around my neck like a geeky >tourist, and I take my bag with me everywhere and if I take it off in a >restaurant I snap the belt and strap around a chair or my own ankle) you will >probably be passed over for an easier mark. The exception is strong-arm or >armed robbery, which is unlikely unless you're in specific areas and you're >either there in spite of being cognizant of the risk, or else you didn't do >your homework. My friend Paul Wood, while photographing in Cuba, had a backpack slung over one shoulder and a small waist-belt pack on. A thief rushed him (he saw him coming but didn't know what was going on) and in the process of ripping the waist-belt pack off of him, knocked him to the ground. Paul managed to keep the camera in his hand from hitting the ground. The thief did not grab the easily accessible backpack, but ran off with the waist pack. The waist pack contained band aids, chap stick, a map, and a few other nondescript items. The backpack contained all of his cameras (Nikon and Leica - he was shooting with a Leica at the time), his passport, money, and everything else of value. The thief obviously assumed that the waist-belt pack was where the important items were held. And he obviously wasn't interested in cameras. Jim ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Hasselblad Users Group Listserv is a public service of Absolute Internet, Inc., which is not responsible for its content. This mailing list is in no way affiliated with Victor Hasselblad AB, it's subsidiaries, or affiliates. To change your subscription status, go to: http://mail.kelvin.net/guest/RemoteListSummary/Hasselblad Digest archives are stored at http://www.kelvin.net/hasselblad/hassy.htm Searchable archives can be found at http://www.listquest.com/arts/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 19:22:21 +0800 From: Peter Walker To: Subject: Re: Good travel bag Message-ID: I do not know that they are planning to discontinue Trim Trekkers - I doubt if they would. But I do know that, after trying several others, it happens to be the best backpack bag for me. So, the second one is sitting in my cupboard, waiting for the day that my first one starts to show its age. Regards Peter Email: peter@peterwalker.com URL: http://www.peterwalker.com > > The Trim Trekker is a great bag, I have one I used for the short while I was > toying around with a 6x9 technical field camera. With the backpack straps > stowed away you can attach a shoulder strap and carry it that way. If it's > wet out you can set it on your shoes rather than on the wet ground, and have > access through the top. It is also possible to reach back and access the > drawer while wearing it as a backpack. Nowadays I use the Mini-Trekker so > the Trim-Trekker has been sitting in the closet. If they discontinue them > I'll sell it to the highest bidder for a King's ransom ; > ) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 16:42:25 -0700 From: Mattei To: hasselblad@kelvin.net Subject: Re: Hasselblad USA Attitude Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.20000828164225.007a8a50@popped.cts.com> Hi, all: If we ever want to ponder the pathology of a fine company's eventual demise we need look no further than events like the one I just experienced. Among my five Hasselblads I have a wonderful 2000FC/M from 1984. It's always been a great little box camera and I am in the process of adapting a 200mm Imagon for some really cool portraits. Over the past couple of months I have noticed an increased loosening/wobbliness to the wind lever assembly. Finally, in the middle of some panoramic sequences, the shutter wind sequence began to fail. I found that the lever assembly was too loose to fully advance the gear train without my having to apply light pressure to the closed crank arm. This worked alright but would have to be remedied for further work. Apparently, the knob would have to be tightened. I reckon it's a 5-10 minute job, tops. I was comforted in the knowledge that we have a capable Authorized Hasselblad Repair Station right here in San Diego...or so I thought.... I decided to take in the camera and the counter person took it back for twenty minutes while the repair tech examined the camera. Earlier, I had asked to speak to the tech but was informed that that was not possible (the mind leaps to imagine some dank sweatshop with techs hunched over camera ganglia while the chief repair wizard zaps them with an old Photogenic capacitor bank lead for idling). So how best to inform the tech of my problem? The counter person (who seemed to know more about sanding her fingernails than how to remove a lens cap) would show him. Great. Upon her return, I was informed that the camera would have to go to Hasselblad New Jersey. SAY WHAT??? In the same breath she informed me that, "We're the Authorized Hasselblad Repair Station", and, "We no longer work on that model". In truth, perhaps, the tech simply couldn't work on it because he did not know how (now THAT'S a scary thought). This is an older camera so it is not a warranty go/no-go situation. Neither does it seem that there is anything broken or abused and in need of replacement. So why, in Victor's name, wouldn't they just keep the camera for a couple of days and figure it out? I mean, it's a loose knob -- not what I'd call a total system failure. I frequent alot of camera shops here in Southern California...more than I really should. I've seen an overwhelming shift on the part of working pro's -- especially wedding specialists-- to the Contax system. The shift is, in most all cases, away from Hasselblad. I'm certain that autofocus is the big lever; however, the hubris displayed by my Hassy repair center might also have something to do with it. Upon returning home I phoned another venerable repair center in San Diego. I was pleasantly greeted by a repair tech who chuckled that he'd be glad to look at the camera, perhaps keeping it a day or two, and assess what is wrong. If parts are needed then he'll order from Hasselblad. And so it goes... We've seen the discussions in this forum vis grey/USA purchasing, exhorbitant Hasselblad USA repair/parts prices, etc. I'm pretty well stuck with Hasselblads...all-in-all they are damn fine machines. But leaving Hasselblad USA and their "Authorized Repair Stations" out of the purchasing/repair equation makes strong economic sense to me. Peter Mattei San Diego ------------------------------ End of hasselblad V1 #972 ************************* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Hasselblad Users Group Listserv is a public service of Absolute Internet, Inc., which is not responsible for its content. This mailing list is in no way affiliated with Victor Hasselblad AB, it's subsidiaries, or affiliates. To change your subscription status, go to: http://mail.kelvin.net/guest/RemoteListSummary/Hasselblad Digest archives are stored at http://www.kelvin.net/hasselblad/hassy.htm Searchable archives can be found at http://www.listquest.com/arts/index.html