Floccinaucinihilipilification (Blog Notes for the Week)

This week I gave myself tennis elbow flinging the tennis ball for Butters. No kidding.

But I had a better week this week. We had two great guest posts, both of which "came in over the transom"—old-timey newsroom-speak meaning, roughly, "they just showed up." The first was a converted comment by Chris May about start-up speed and wake-up speed in cameras (my computer is very hard to get out of bed, too). That one hit a chord with y'all. Many of you, we learned, share Chris's vestigial tic of nervously half-pressing the shutter button to keep the camera awake.

The other guest post, by JG (he doesn't like to use his full name on the Internet), converted from an email he sent me, was quirkier, about cobbling together a Sony A7R and a Toyo view camera to make a digital view camera ("Frankencamera!," from Wednesday). For most people I suspect that's a "why bother" project, but it does point out one very important factor about photography—namely, that fun is where you find it. JG possesses a certain mechanical genius—he's also done strange and wonderful things to Porsches—and it's something he really wanted to do. Whatever has "energy" for you is a great project, in my book.

You might be amused to learn that he has made extensive modifications in Frankencamera since the post was published, including replacing the front standard from one from a 2x3" camera.

Apart from that, we linked to a Flickr video series about finding objects that resemble "faces" out in the world; were astonished by Getty Images' gall and greed; and nattered over the Nikon D500 ("Any Love for the D500?") and 105mm ƒ/1.4 ("Two Pounds of Prime")...mainly because I got my head turned (again) by the idea of having a do-everything Nikon, which is a regular, once-every-few-years occurrence in my life. (Some people get bouts of Leica lust, or are just afflicted by grass-is-greener-over-in-that-other-brand syndrome.) And then there was the "Big Words" post, in which Yr. Hmbl. Host went so far off the topic of the post (Gail Buckland's Who Shot Sports and the show it illustrates) that ya kinda had to wonder what the connection was. (I was critiquing a review of the show, ostensibly. Or the writing in the review. Let's just say I sometimes try a little too hard to shoehorn disparate subjects into photo-oriented posts and leave it at that, shall we?) At least we got to see the first sports photograph, which I personally thought was cool to know about. I have to add that I spent a lot of time in my youth trying to like Hill and Adamson's work and never quit got there, but that's just me.

We wrapped up with a few thoughts about click-bait (which I really need to do more of), incorporating some thoughts about Nikon DX lenses. Maybe this could be dubbed "Nikon Week" at TOP.

Oh, and no "Open Mike" this week. I wrote one, but the Editor (also me) rejected it. Hey, it happens.

Which reminds me: "floccinaucinihilipilification" means to esteem something as valueless...like the valueless word floccinaucinihilipilification, which is virtually never used except as an example of a big word.

The Patreon page looks pretty purposeful, but it was
the only picture I had that fit.

I also started a Patreon campaign, at the suggestion of several readers, and it's going great so far. (Thanks to everyone, by the way.)

Maybe it will pay for a picture or two, because the site was too gray this week (another old publishing term, meaning too much text [gray matter], not enough pictures. Ever wondered why there are cartoons in the New Yorker? To break up the gray matter).

Finally, there were three posts I meant to write but didn't. (Oh, wait—four.) Maybe I can get to them next week. And I need to find a new home for "Open Mike." Maybe "hump day" (Wednesday)?

See you on Monday. Hope you have a pleasant, calm, unruffled, tranquil, unbusy, well-composed weekend—that's what I have planned.

Mike
(Thanks to Jim Vine)

Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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[Stuart Dootson]

I'll recommend something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/KONG-SqueakAir-Ball-Rope-Medium/dp/B002GJXSQ6/ as an antidote to the tennis elbow - keeps our border collies well exercised, anyway!

[Chuck Albertson]

Get one of those plastic flingers for chucking the ball to Butters, and save yourself going through Tommy John surgery. Those things also work for slugs - peer-reviewed research says that if you toss them more than 13 meters, they won't find their way back.

[Richard Parkin]

Chuckit launchers make dog ball throwing effortless https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_7?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=chuckit&sprefix=Chuckit%2Caps%2C240 but you probably knew that. My Patterdale makes her own amusement (aka looking for furry varmints to kill) so I don't usually have to bother with a ball.

[I have three sizes of Chuckits. And, amusingly, Butters will ignore rabbits in favor of focusing his attention on the ball--even when the rabbit is 8 feet away from him (it has happened). --Mike]

[David Zivic]

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[Patrick Perez]

"I have three sizes of Chuckits. And, amusingly, Butters will ignore rabbits in favor of focusing his attention on the ball--even when the rabbit is 8 feet away from him (it has happened). "

Dogs. Amirite?

Patrick

[Mark Walker]

My children never believed me that floccinaucinihilipilification, was a real word, I could say it, but couldn't (quite) spell it. Thank you.

[JG]

Although I suspect that only a few of your readers will be interested in any of this, I have even further revised my "Frankencamera" since my last email to you.

As seen below, after some modifications, I am now using the rear standard from a Toyo 23G as the front standard -- it shares the same basic design, but is smaller (about 3/4 scale) and nearly a pound lighter than the Toyo 45G version -- and also swapped the Toyo 45G rear standard for an intermediate standard, which is quite a bit smaller and lighter as well.

I have also purchased a used A7R body, so by the end of next week, I should be using this camera for real photography and not just test shots around the house. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait! 8^)

[JG]

In my opinion, Porsches and photography go together surprisingly well. I regularly photograph out of the back of my "German Suburban":

[Robert Harshman]

Mike, the thing that stops your Nikon DX fixation is a old outdated need for Nikon lenses to go with that. In the past 3-4 years what you may have missed is that Sigma, Tokina, even Samyang and Tamron have been producing amazing lenses for DX at great price points. These lenses only lack one thing, the Nikon name, but the image quality is many times actually better and so much cheaper. While the glass will not hold value like a official Nikon lens, you can get much better value as you use it. Third party lenses for both FX and DX are now well worth consideration based on quality and value. I'm a Nikon body guy, have a lot of Nikon lenses too, but the last lenses I have purchased have not been Nikon, but Sigma and Tamron.

[Hi Robert, I just looked at all the available DX primes from independent makers and it isn't much. A few mainstream focal lengths (not the ones I would want) and a sparse motley of fisheyes, macros, and manual-focus options. --Mike]

[Steve Jacob]

In contrast to floccinaucinihilipilification, antidisestablishmentarianism (1 letter less) actually does have a specific meaning that was once quite relevant.

It was a conservative position adopted in England in the 19th century to oppose a liberal proposal to withdraw state funding and special status from the Church of England.

It may not have many uses out of its historical context, but within that context it is very hard to find an alternative...

[Marten Collins]

"floccinaucinihilipilification" was, I think, the longest pure word in the English language though I do seem to remember an "f" was used rather a "p" and, living up to the true value of the word my comments are probably rather pointless - but fun to the pedant!

[MikeR]

I learned a long time ago that tennis elbow very often is caused by weaknesses in wrist and hand muscles. If you know a physical therapist or have similar resources, learning a few simple exercises may help avoid reoccurring problems.

[Roger Bradbury]

While I'm not too interested in having a digital tilt/shift set up, JG's post did get me off my backside and looking again at my two stalled film camera projects. One, joining bits from two cameras to make one, needs more thought.

The second one involves modifying a Brownie Six-20 camera to use 400 ISO roll film, 120 size. I think I've found a way to get 120 spools to run smoothly and not jamb up; the camera is designed for the smaller diameter 620 spools. The camera was made to use around 50 ISO film, so the single shutter speed will be made faster. There will be ND filters.

I could go on in more detail, but really I should go and do it rather than just talk about it.

[Dave Karp]

Open Mike post must have been about pool. :-)

[Geoffrey Heard]

Um, Mike, um "hump day". Ah, has, ah, some possible meanings referring to your personal life. And someone else's. Might not be the best term to use to describe a day you go off topic. Might conjure up some images images in the minds of the great unwashed (i.e. us!) of just how far off topic you are going! Undesirable images. Too much (or not enough) information images. LOL.

Enjoying TOP very much after only recently discovering it.

Love the long words.

Cheers, Geoff