All,
I have been involved in some offline mail with Giles regarding Uniloc and Benbo
tripods. I thought I
had a couple of Uniloc brochures which I could send to him as he reckons he
can't get them out in the
wilds of Ireland. The brochure has been kicking around in my study for months
and typically, now that
I wanted it I couldn't find it. Anyway I told Giles I would go into Leeds on
the Saturday and pick up
a brochure for him.
I work in a remote spot and I don't get into the big cities much these days, so
I never get to check
out the camera shops etc. However, I duly set off to Leeds last Saturday
afternoon as I'd promised
Giles and managed to get a parking spot right outside Jessops' shop window.
These are a big camera
chain store here in the UK. Before entering the shop I was lured to the used
equipment window which
was all lit up as the darkness drew in at about 16:45. I looked straight to the
shelf where they used
to keep the secondhand OM gear, and I'd bought plenty from here in the past,
but I wasn't expecting
what I saw.
Sitting on the shelf were the usual OM1's, 2's 10's and 2SP's and a few 135mm
and 50mm but there was
also a selection of macro gear that someone had obviously dumped recently,
definately someone bailing
out because there was an 80mm and 65-116 tube, but I've got one of these, and a
38mm f/2.8 macro lens!
I'd never even seen one in the flesh before. It was marked on the ticket as 'A
rare item' (I'll say)
and had a price tag of £345 UK Pounds. I couldn't afford this gem. Sitting
right next to this was a
pair of T28 macro flashes on a shoe ring for £149. Again I've never seen these
before. Anyway, I
didn't need these. I have 4 T32s, a T20 and whole selection of cords and macro
brackets. I decided I
could pass them by. My mouth went dry, I took a deep breath and went into the
shop.
A young girl assistant came over to serve me. I looked nervously over my
shoulder to the car out side
where my wife was waiting. I asked for some slide mounts to stall for time
while my brain raced to do
some calculations. She brought a box of 100 slide mounts, I sent her back for
another three to stall
some more. I only want a Uniloc brochure for Giles I kept telling myself! The
slide mounts were piling
up on the counter. 'Anything else?' she asked with a smile. My mouth was dry
and my heart racing, my
brain's saying no but in my heart..... I asked for the Uniloc brochure. She
sent someone else for it.
I stared at her breasts to try and distract myself, but it was no good. 'Can I
have a look at the T28s
?' I blurted out. 'Sure' she says and saunters off to get them. 'It can't do
any harm to look' I keep
telling myself. Can it? I again peer over my shoulder, time's ebbing the wife's
bound to suspect. Then
she appears, carrying the T28 by the bit that attaches to the T10 control pack,
between thumb and
forefinger as if its a pair of soiled underwear. I quickly rescue them from her
and now I have them in
my grasp. She calls another guy over as she says she doesn't know anything
about these, but this guy
would answer any questions. There's only one question in my mind, but I keep
telling myself I have the
4 T32s etc and I've even had a front cover shot using this set up. I don't need
the T28s.
Then I start thinking about the price - £149. I know David Brown will have
bought his for half that
price somewhere over the net. I'm trying to think what the going rate is; my
palms are sweaty. 'Is
this your best price?' I ask, looking over my shoulder. The guy thinks for a
while. '£129' he says. I
pause, he must think I'm not sure, so he says '£120 then but that's it'. I get
out the credit card and
slap it on the counter. No turning back now, the deal's been done.
I came out of the shop with Giles' brochure, a set of T28s, ND filters for the
flashes, a spare macro
shoe ring , 400 slide mounts and some explaing to do to the wife! 'But really
dear, I've needed these
for ages..........'
My name is John and I am a Zuikoholic.
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