Monthly Archives: January 2014
© Sam Garcia 2013
Today is a very special day in the photography industry, a legend is retiring! Bill Pekala is at the CES Show in Las Vegas at the Nikon area, please go by and shake his hand and say thanks my friend! Bill Pekala joined Nikon almost 40 years ago, and very soon became the head of NPS, (Nikon Professional Services). Bill set the standard for the entire industry on how to build and maintain a professional support organization. Thousands and thousands of photographers have benefited from the division of Nikon that Bill built almost from the ground up! NPS was in it’s fledgling stages when Bill took over. He assembled a team that became the envy of the industry, with such hires as Scott Frier (for ten years the chief underwater still photographer for Jacques Cousteau on the Calypso!), Fred Sisson, (Award winning photojournalist and legendary Nikon school instructor), Scott Andrews, (the most celebrated rocket photographer in NASA history), Mark Kettenhofen, (two times Military Photographer of the Year), Sam Garcia, (legendary speaker, teacher and photographer in New York), Ron Tanawaki, (one of the leading forensic photography experts in America), and the list goes on! He also had legendary shooters and teachers like Stanley Menscher, and Bob Caruthers to lean on. But then, he also hired me, so nobody’s perfect!
Bill was a gifted Nikon School instructor and very talented photographer in his own right, but that is not why I will be sad for the thousands of NPS members that he is retiring after the CES show. Though capable young talent stands in the wings, to take the helm, there will never be another Bill Pekala. Bill ran NPS in such a way that the thousands of NPS members could count on him and the departments assistance. The extraordinary things that have been done to keep the pros shooting would be a thousand blog entries! My memories of working with Bill are different, he was my boss, but still my friend. My relationship with Bill went all the way back to his earliest days at Nikon. We met at a Nikon school where he was teaching, and it was his, and Fred Sisson’s inspiration that led me into a lifetime of photography. Over those early years Bill and I became friends, and he did countless things to help me as I progressed through those early learning years.
Bill has been a superb asset to many shooters, but a real friend to me. It was a great pleasure to spend the last 11 years of full time employment in the world of photography, working with him at Nikon. Bill opened the door to many, many friendships in the industry and especially at Nikon that might otherwise not been available to me. Bill made my photographic life infinitely better because of his many kindnesses, and the sharing of his vast expereince.
This week the industry looses a giant, and a whole new adventure starts for one of the best friends I’ve ever had, I wish you all the best Bill, you deserve it, you’ve earned it!!!
All Hail to the Chief!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
P.S. Thanks to my friend Sam Garcia for sharing his great portrait of Bill for my blog entry. It was Bill’s exposing me to artists like Sam that has made my photographic life all the richer!
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This entry was posted on Monday, January 6th, 2014 at 5:35 pm
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I was cleaning some old drawers in my office and found a big stack of very old Nikon brochures and literature. In the stack was an old catalog from Norman’s Camera in Battle Creek, Michigan. This was a dealer I bought some early bodies and lenses from and I had called them and gotten the prices on various items which are hand written above in the catalog. The catalog is from 1970, the year I got seriously into photography!!! Above the Nikon Photomic FTN Black goes for $244.97. That was the D4 of that day, in today’s dollars, (calculated on 3% inflation per year for 44 years), that would be approx. $568.33, today’s D4 sells fro $5,995.!!!! My grandfather bought me a $5,000. car when I graduated from college in 1968, that same car today would sell for around $35,000. a 7 fold increase. If the Nikon price had risen 7 fold it would have been, $1,714.19! Sure would love to go back to these prices!!!!!!!
Here are some price comparisons on lenses from 1970 vs today:
20mm f 3.5 back then $189.97 today’s 20mm f 2.8 AIS manual focus $674.
24mm f 2.8 then $139.97 today’s 24mm f 2.8 AIS manual focus $529.
28mm f 3.5 then $124.51 today’s 28mm f 2.8 AIS Manual Focus $499.
35mm f 2.8 then $87. Today 35mm f 2 AF $329.95 (Manual must be bought used)
Interestingly lens prices have not escalated as much as bodies for AF lenses, manual focus glass has increased more in keeping with bodies. I have started to use my old Nikkor manual focus glass occasionally with the D700 body, a great combination. When the D800 was released I took it and four manual focus lenses (24mm f 2.8, 55mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8, 105mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8 and the old classic 80-200 f 4.5 Nikkor zoom.) I wanted to prove to myself that they were still viable lenses even on the super high res D800, below are some of the shots representing each lens. The D700 is less demanding and these lenses look fantastic on that body.
I’ve since acquired a very rare, very hard to find, (John Gompf located it for me), 25-50 f4 AIS manual focus zoom. This lens is really strange, it is not one of the legendary sharp lenses from Nikon, it is very sharp, but not in a category with the four lenses above, but it has essentially no Chromatic Aberrations!!! The result is a look and color quality that no other Nikkor can match! It’s a two ring zoom which for the kind of work I do is wonderful. While I use the Fuji X System 95% of the time, it is still a thrill to shoot this combo of manual focus glass. I own a bunch more and my all time favorite long lens is the 400mm f 3.5 AIS, which I enjoy a lot!
Modern autofocus lenses can’t have firm focusing rings because they have to be turned by tinny motors to autofocus and the torque required for the little motors would be too much. Most modern motors would burn up trying to turn my manual focus lens, focusing rings. It is that wonderful tactile feeling that makes these old lenses such a joy to use. I usually use this gear when I can work close to the car. Of course for sports and action shooters AF is a must, but for travel, landscape and Americana these old manual focus lenses are great.
The big bonus to manual focus glass is the great pricing! These prices are from KEH, a used gear dealer, based in Atlanta, I really trust. You can buy the following in Excellent + or Like New condition for the following prices:
24mm f 2.8 AIS $205
55mm Micro Nikkor F 2.8 AIS $150.
105mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8 AIS $339.
80-200 f 4 AIS $94.
( this was the updated version of the old f 4.5 version which can often be found for around $50.!!! The f 4.5 lenses are hard to find in Excellent shape though. I own both and find them both razor sharp!! F4 takes 62mm filters, the f 4.5 takes 52mm). For their asking price they are screaming bargains!
If you enjoy this kind of subject matter, consider joining Jack Graham and I in Acadia, in October of this year! Check full details at www.jackgrahamphoto.com
By-the-way my first serious camera was the Nikkormat FTN above, in chrome! Wow, this has been, and continues to be a great ride, thanks for coming along on my sentimental journey!!!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
http://www.keh.com
If you enjoy these kinds of old gear articles and posts, please let me know! Happy to occasionally do more!
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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 4th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
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Wow what a year, 2013! I can’t wait to get this one started! I am once again so blessed to be able to take part in so many events and workshops! I will be doing a bunch of His Light Workshops, several wonderful workshops with Jack Graham, and doing some other photo events. From time to time some of my friends ask how they can know where I will be running workshops and speaking, so here is my full 2014 Schedule as of today. You can get more information on His Light on the His Light Blog above, at www.jackgrahamphoto.com and I’ve enclosed the links for most of the other events!
January 25-26 Speaking at Wilderness Wildlife Week, Pigeon Forge, TN
http://www.mypigeonforge.com/events/wilderness-wildlife-week/
February 6-9 Speaking at Photo Pro Expo, Covington, KY
http://photoproexpo.com Use the code: PPE BF14 and save 10%
All attendees get the Full NIK Filters Suite absolutely free!!!!
February 22- March 1st Shooting and Relaxing in St Croix, US Virgin Islands with my Bride!
March 12-16 His Light Workshop at Old Car City, White, GA
March 26-30 His Light Workshop featuring Bill Pekala, and Jim Begley, Moab UT.
April 7-11 Speaking at Photoshop World, Atlanta, GA
http://photoshopworld.com/?gclid=CKvJ7J7G4LsCFcZZ7Aod8X4ARg
April 12-20 Tour of Ireland, His Light with Scott Diussa, West Coast of Ireland
April 30-May 4th Speaking and teaching at The Florida Bird Festival St. Augustine FL
http://floridasbirdingandphotofest.com
June 12-15 Columbia Gorge Workshop with Jack Graham
www.jackgrahamphoto.com
June 19-22 Palouse Workshop with Jack Graham
www.jackgrahamphoto.com
July 30 – August 3rd Nashville Ricky Skaggs His Light Workshop Nashville, TN
August 13-17 Close-Up Workshop in The Great Smoky Mountains
September 2-5 Speaking at Photoshop World Las Vegas, Nevada
September 23-28 Badlands/South Dakota His Light Workshop, Wall S.D. and Spearfish S.D.
October 15-19 Brown County Indiana His Light Fall Workshop, with Jim Haverstock
Brown County State Park, Nashville, IN
October 21-26 Acadia National Park with Jack Graham
www.jackgrahamphoto.com
October 29 – November 1 Great Smoky Mountains Fall Workshop
November 9-12 Nelson Ghost Town with Jack Graham Boulder, Nevada (near Las Vegas)
www.jackgrahamphoto.com
I sure hope you will get out to some location this year and say Hi! I really enjoy hearing from you guys and it’s extra nice to get to know you face to face! God has so richly blessed me to get to do some of the wonderful things I’m privileged to do, all Glory and Credit goes to Him! My prayer for you is a wonderful, safe, blessed, and fun New Year!!!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
Photo Note: One of my favorites from 2013, Zabriskie’s Point, Death Valley N.P. Fuji X100s, ISO 3200.
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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 at 9:57 pm
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