Any quirks of taste...?

[CMur12]

I always enjoy your portraits, Chris.

That scanner doesn't look like the common type in home use. Does it scan medium format also?

- Murray

[Bargepole]

Three scans from that film made it to publication. They are in the Shutterbug forum.

Chris

Grain. GRAIN! All those future generations who won't know grain, poor things.

Nice DoF. What was the lens? Looks pre-computer-design-era.

[drmoss_ca]

Yes, it has masks for several MF sizes. It is close to a drum scanner in that it bends the negative in its flexible mask around two wheels under the edges of the mask. The scanning is done at the apex of the curve in a line perpendicular to the direction of curvature. This will be as flat as can be.

Imacon was bought by Hasselblad and the scanners are now sold under that name as the X1 and X5. Mine is the same model that is now sold as the X1, and I was lucky to find it secondhand at half price.

I also have the now discontinued Nikon LS-9000ED scanner which also takes 120 film as well as 35mm. It's a bit slower than the Imacon, a lot noisier to use, and emphasises grain slightly. Flatbed scanners with filmstrip holders just can't compare with dedicated film scanners, but if you use medium format the Hasselblad is the only game in town nowadays. There are still some 35mm only scanners around, but the high-end ones (Nikon, Konica-Minolta) are gone. I do have a K-M 5400 and a couple of Pacific Image 35mm scanners. Best to have backups these days!

Chris

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

What? Am I the only one to apply talcum to a freshly shaven face?

[harper]

I love to wash my face before shaving with Hermes Equipage soap ... no longer made ... and probably has not been for 20 years; It is not an especially great soap other than it does the job quite effectively but the smell is of Paris so I get a trip to Paris almost every morning. I now have 28 bars which will last a long time but I doubt I will.

[Steve-o]

Still using an "estate-sale" find bottle of Yardley Black Label. I really don't use any other AS/EdC/TW. Finally getting to the point where I need to consider what will replace it...

[PT]

Interesting topic! I wish I had something interesting to add to it. Maybe I need to search Ebay and add some quirk to my day.

[LouisIII]

I realised, looking at some of my sotd posts, how conventional all of my favourite bits of kits are:

<snip>

We have one member (whom I can only surmise is a wizard) who applies vaseline to his dry skin and shaves away, another who uses a brush big enough to lather a large land mammal.

What, if any, products do you use that seem out of favour, or generally not very well known?

I'm the guy who actually uses the enormous Plisson brush every day. You got a problem with that?

Buzz

I'd like to own one those 20+ size Plissons one day (or maybe just a Chubby 3 or 30mm+ Shavemac), but unless I can get involved in white collar crime or something it seems unlikely.

[M6Classic]

I'm the guy who actually uses the enormous Plisson brush every day. You got a problem with that?

Buzz

I'd like to own one those 20+ size Plissons one day (or maybe just a Chubby 3 or 30mm+ Shavemac), but unless I can get involved in white collar crime or something it seems unlikely.

They are indeed expensive. Mind you, I average one brush every thirty-five years, so they may actually be cost effective. Alas, the giant Plissons are no longer made, except with an ivory handle for US$8 jillion. There is also a #24 in horn, I think, but I hate horn handles and the one I saw didn't really have very special hair. If you can find a vintage 1970-1980 HMW in plexiglass expect to pay something north of $800. A Chubby 3 is a relative bargain and is my 17 year-old son's weapon of choice!

Buzz