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As I have aged, I have to get up and use the bathroom more at night, so I end up putting extra lubricating gel in a couple of times. That seems to have reduced occurrences. Also (and this is not necessarily good) when I do get one, it does not hurt nearly as much as when I was younger even though my sight could be wiped out in the injured eye. I fear I have some nerve damage. Not much to do about it, though. Overall, I’d say much better than 10 years ago.

@@mike.thomas oh how you treat it in your younger age?any operation?or any bandage contact lens?

@@bijayaghosh2312 I only had a couple of BCL treatments, and those were not more than 3-4 years ago (I’ve had the malady for decades). They were effective (one for 4 weeks and one for 2), and I do wonder if their use had a lasting effect on my eyes. Last eye exam, my ophthalmologist said he could not even tell I had RCE as an issue (still hasn’t prevented me from having occurrences prior to the visit). All that said, I do think that applying fresh gel a couple extra times per night is the primary thing keeping me from having as many RCEs these days.

Thank RUclips and music publishers for killing the sound in some regions because it contains a minute or two of commercially released music. You know they wouldn’t want you to maybe discover something new and possibly buy the recording 🤷🏻‍♂️.

I doubt it. The grip slightly changed for the A7II.

No, I think I failed to mention that. It was never an issue for me because I always kept bodies and lenses cocked. Still, it’s a good pointer!

Thanks for your comment :-)

Yeah, arguably too high for the conditions. On the flip side you’ll see lots of experts here on YT suggesting it’s not worthwhile adjusting pressures on an ADV bike when switching surfaces. Anyway, yeah, they were at road pressures.

You’re not wrong, but the majority of people who come to view this video are not going to have a focal-plane body. The majority of all Hasselblad owners, ever, are not going to have a focal plane body. They represent a niche of a niche these days (in my opinion). I only got into them myself later in my Hasselblad ownership, at which point I did a do series of videos about them (and did mention the fragility of the shutter 👍).

@@mike.thomas thanks, yes, being on the Autism spectrum, I am aware of their rarity, but I did include it, as for instance the 'Hasselblad Expert' RUclips channel has one, and videos with it often, esp. today (ruclips.net/video/Izwih2SZiaQ/видео.html); I often comment on his channel to, esp. as he has a few beginners handling his gear, using his HASSY PB, so the more we (as a user community) get these oddities and quirks out there, it informs people, and prevents damage to these 'Gems' so others can use them, and experience the same joy that we do, with Analogue photography.

I love hearing that. Thanks for taking the time to comment! Happy shooting 👍

Yeah, good point ;-)

Thanks! I’m embarrassed to say I knew that “some” bikes/drives have a walk mode, but never even checked mine. Made for a good workout pushing 50lbs around 😅.

I love hearing that. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

😂

In this case I returned to the seller.

Hey, I should have included that in my description, a? Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/s9w2zSvuaGM/видео.htmlsi=RRtvfNVVek7Bxgc8 It really truly is about as simple as he says. For me the major issue was just getting over the fear of having both wheels in the air, even if it's only a few inches.

@@mike.thomas Right on! Thanks for the link and for sharing your experience, looking forward to your next progress video. :)

Gotta start somewhere, and this was a really good day, IMO 🎉

Nice!

Yeah, it’s a worthy location. I’ve ridden it 3-4 times, I think. If you look at my motorcycle playlist you can see I’ve been there on my DRZ400 a couple of times, too. That first (south) segment of Six Mile Creek is the most fun, IMO. Joe’s Branch Road is good too, but has some deeper gravel in spots (at least when I’ve been there), and I don’t consider that aspect particularly fun. Six Mile Creek out to Lockport is pretty boring, and often has fresh gravel. You can see more in the DRZ400 videos.

Aww, thanks! I appreciate it :-)

The Horseman was the first LF camera I tried. The others came later. I probably should have just started with the Arca Swiss, but sometimes we take a curvy path to the finish. Interestingly, I still have the Horseman as a “just in case I get back into it” option.

Yeah, I wouldn’t either - it was just a fun experiment. I bet those clones sound great!

Nice! Definitely a notch up from my build, and I dig my build so you are golden 👊.

I am toying with a wheel upgrade, BTW. I have a Spank 950 build and a We Are One Faction build sitting in a cart at customwheelbuilder.com. Need to decide which way to go.

@@mike.thomas what build did you get and do you know what your bike weighs?

@@fattie2550 I got the SRAM “NGX” build. I am pretty agnostic between Shimano and SRAM, but my other two bikes have SRAM brakes and I preferred to keep that the same. I did the “weigh yourself holding the bike” trick, and came up with 25.5lbs (I think?). Pretty sure I already had the pedals (PNW composites) on, too. Oh, I eventually swapped the saddle out for an Ergon SMC Core, and the bars for Ibis carbon.

@@mike.thomas That’s the company where I bought my wheels from. I have the NOX Teocalli with DT Swiss 240 hubs with 54T ratchet. Did you just buy the Ibis frame and build yours? I bought the complete bike from Ibis and using my carbons wheels instead of there heavy 933 alloys.

Yes, this park is really great with good variety, but nothing truly difficult: mostly green XC trails, of both tight and open varieties, with a couple of blue berm/jump flow trails. Great place to have close by. I am a returning MTBer after 20+ years away from it, so it has been a good place to progress. I’m over 60, so I don’t expect to ever do huge drops or jumps. Anyway, I can somewhat relate to your situation. When I started MTB around Y2k I moved from a fully rigid to a FS (Cannondale SuperV). When I got back in recently, I started with a Santa Cruz Heckler then added a Fezzari Signal Peak, so continuing with the FS theme. I rode a friend’s Santa Cruz Chameleon and that got me interested in a hardtail, esp given the nature of our trails. I will say that every time I start on the DV9 I am reminded pretty quickly that I’m not on a FS. But by the end of the ride I’ve forgotten and the only thing I remember is the good time I just had. I recently went out on the Fezzari and had a really bad day (there is a video here). I think it was just a down day for me, not the bike itself, but 🤷🏻‍♂️. Regarding getting your back beat up, what I found is my LEGS get beat up. I stand a LOT more on the DV9. That’s not a bad thing, IMO, but I definitely felt it big time after the first couple of rides. My back has been OK, or at least no worse than usual. This ride with Chuck was a killer because I was working to keep up with him (because he’s super fit), but also constantly standing and sitting, whereas he could just pedal over most of the small stuff. Still, I love the DV9. It’s very immediate and involving to ride. I did swap the saddle out for an Ergon SMC Core, which has a bit of “suspension” built in (like a layer of running shoe cushion, and not too clunky-looking or heavy). That did make a difference in chatter when pedaling while seated, though it is no replacement for FS of course. I also swapped to Ibis carbon bars recently, but that was just for fun and they were on sale (and they have the cool screw-in extensions to change width in a heartbeat). I think I feel a difference there, too, but that has nothing to do with hardtail vs FS. I’m toying with trying some Spank Vibrocore wheels, though I’m alternately considering compliant carbon fiber wheels and a lighter cassette to lighten the bike even more. Trade-offs 😆. I haven’t bothered much with upgrades on my other bikes, so the fact I’m putting extra $$ into this bike that should indicate I see a future with it 👍. OK, finally: FWIW regarding size I would have guessed you’d take a M. I’m just under 6’ tall and the size L DV9 seems just right. I toyed for a moment with going XL since I’m on the borderline on Ibis’ chart, but there is a pretty huge size jump into XL. The best thing to do, IMO is make a geo table of bikes you’ve felt really good on and compare to the geo of the M vs L DV9. I did that, and the L is right in line with my Fezzari, and close enough to the Heckler, which are both L. I consider the fit to be perfect.

Hey Mike! Great reply and thank you for it as well as the info!! That’s awesome you got back on and I hope I’m still mashing pedals in my 60’s and beyond. I’m 55 so I’m getting close!! lol. Yeas so I had a bunch of years I was way into mtb, jumping off all kinds of stuff (thanks to seeing the Movie Kranked!) and got into some DH racing as well. I road ride and got hit my a car back in the mid / late 2000’s. Sold all my Freeride and DH bikes but one day after a visit to San Fran and seeing all the bikes.., I got back in and it’s been a train wreck since (I now have 11 bikes, the Ibis would make 12…, mind you, a few are older ones I never sold after buying a new “replacement “. ). I have a buddy I sometimes ride with that went back to HT but he’s much younger and not the knee, shoulder and back issues I have. I think that sounds like a plan on the checking measurements on current bikes. I have 2 FS I switch back n forth on.., an Evil Following (about 7 ya old) and a YT Izzo (about 4 yrs old). I did reach out to Ibis and gave all my details and they recommended the M for sure, given trails here in SE Pa (bout an hr north of Philly) being more technical and tight n twisty vs bomber trails like out west. However, the bike place I reached out to is saying L (N1 Bikes). Guy there says he is my age and same height and he is telling me M would be too cramped and L is def the way to go. Based on the size chart from Ibis I’m should be on a L, M cutoff is like 5’7” so I’m not sure what way to go. Haha. Where did you get ur Ibis from? Just curious, maybe they have a diff opinion. I will def do some comparison on the geo/size charts of my YT to the DV9 as well. Thanks again and keep mashing the pedals and posting videos!! Great to see some rides more like mine (and not 25’ gap jumps and 10’ drops 😂. That shit is def impressive but the only way I’m launching off something like that is by a big mistake in reading the trail and I’m pretty sure it won’t end well. Haha).

@@scottmcsloy9554 Well, I’m no fitting expert, but looking at the chart there are definitely some advantages to the M vs the L, IMO. Much lower stand over, shorter wheelbase (arguably good on your trails, from the sound of it), lower weight. I guess the important thing is the reach and how it compares to your other bikes. I was also on the borderline between sizes, but as mentioned, the XL is just gobs larger than the L and larger than either of my other bikes in all the relevant dimensions. I picked up my DV9 (“NGX” build) from Jenson, and the transaction was flawless except for a badly bent front rotor (packing/shipping damage). I picked up a replacement at an LBS and Jenson cheerfully and quickly reimbursed me for the expense. N+1 bikes is actually arguably local to me (1hr+ drive). I never really considered going there - a 1+ hour drive to look at a bike, which they may not even have had in stock, was just not a thing for me. I’m also pretty introverted/analytical and just prefer to do research, buy, and live with my decision (I also consulted with Steve from Hardtail Party on the selection). I’ll throw out a wild guess that you talked to Will at N+1, who I know has a DV9. He’s pretty active in the MTB community around here and is an Ibis ambassador. Back to sizing, I think anatomy comes into play in these borderline situations. If Will is your height, but has a long upper body, maybe the L fits best. I must admit that’s where a local shop is invaluable, provided they have multiple sizes of the bike you’re interested in that you can ride. I’ve probably owned 20+ bikes in my life (also mostly a roadie), but never a dozen at once 🤣. I have five ATM: the three MTBs and a couple of road bikes (older, beautiful lugged steel Colnago and Serotta, with the latter converted to single-speed). I’ve only ridden the Colnago once in probably 10 years, and the Serotta has gone longer without love. Hard to let go of them, though. Good luck in the search. Def just do a geo comparison and see where that lands you. Let me know how you go…

W00t!

Hey, congratulations! I always wanted to try shooting MF on my F-Field, but never got around to it. You’ll definitely want to shoot 4x5 in order to get the most out of the F-Field, IMO. IIRC the leather bag bellows covers pretty short (I shot 75mm on it easily, and it should go shorter) to just long-ish, like maybe 300mm (I shot a max of 250mm). Best way to know is some Google research. The leather bag bellows is the must-have bellows because it’s so versatile. I think there’s a non-pleated one in case you ever want to go ultra-short (?) If you decide to get into the LF thing, contact me if you’re interested in lenses. I only have my Horseman 45FA left, and have a number of lenses that are incompatible with it, including my much loved Schneider Super-Symmar 120mm.

@@mike.thomasThe shop that sold me the A-S F-line 6x9 field view camera (with the folding monorail which rocks) had on hand three pre-owned Nikon 4x5 lenses (Nikkor-SW 75 mm f/4.5, Nikkor-W 150 mm f/5.6, and a convertible Nikkor-T ED 360 mm f/8 (+ the 500 mm f/11 rear element). I just received lens boards for the latter two and will put the gear through its paces over the next several weeks. I’m currently thinking that I might want at least a “fast” 90 mm and sub-75 mm lens to cover focal lengths for the 6x9 back. When I get a 4x5 rear standard, I’ll definitely need a few additional lenses. The camera also came with the non-pleated bag bellows and a short Arca-Swiss dovetail that accepts the monorail (I don’t use it, as I have an Arca-Swiss Core 75 tripod head). I might get an Arca-Swiss C1 cube soon for this camera and leave the Core 75 for my small cameras. I could even see getting a used Phase One digital camera to use with this camera (the new ones are far too expensive for me). The IQ3 100 monochrome looks interesting. My camera’s tilt actions are from the base, not on axis. Has that been much of a limitation for you?

@@johnkasianowicz6536 Well, sounds like you’re off to a pretty good start! Base vs on-axis tilt was never a problem. Just pay attention to what is on the ground glass. I’m not sure what loupe you are using, but I learned that a good one (I ended up with a Schneider) is a really good investment.

@@mike.thomas Thanks for the tip. I’ll know more after an upcoming road trip if photography with a view camera is for me (I’m quite sure it will be) and whether going larger than 6x9 is in the cards too.

My A-S 6x9 F-line filed view camera is on a 30:cm folding monorail and has the Normal 6x9 bellows. Not surprisingly, the Nikon 360 mm f/8 lens barely comes to focus at infinity. To properly this lens, I’ll need to purchase a longer 6x9 bellows, an extension bracket, and an extension monorail.

I hear audio from my device. Music publishers have weird rules for different countries, and RUclips apparently removes audio when disallow by the publishers 😢. From what country are you watching?

@@mike.thomas Washington USA, I tried several times on different devices 🤷🤷🤷. Seemed worth mentioning ..)

@@greenman7yyy Very, very strange. Your name seemed American enough. What are you watching on? I’ll try on my iPad now, and report back.

OK, yeah, it’s working on both my iPhone and iPad, BUT - not on my Android-based TV. Licensing may be even weirder than we know 🤷🏻‍♂️.

@@mike.thomas I, unfortunately use 3 phones, it happened on all of them. It is peculiar as I had just watched a different video if yours without issue: Motorola Edge 2020 Motorola G Play 2021 Motorola Z force²

It’s a beauty and a speedy platform. Thanks for the help selecting it!

Yeah, I rediscovered it walking the area the other day and decided it needed to be ridden. It’s a nice ride. I think only rode about 2/3 of it. There’s definitely more. I hope the dam work and other stuff doesn’t obliterate it, but I’m not holding out much hope.

It really is!

You can get, say, an aftermarket Linhof Technika-compatible adapter board that just stays in place, and then use Technika boards on your lenses. It’s actually shown in this video. I think I got it off eBay. That’s really the best way to go, IMO, esp if you already use Technika boards.

Watch the last couple of minutes of this very video where I cover the topic ;-)

Ok

Sorry to hear about your struggle, and I can relate for sure. Definitely antihistamines can dry you out, and moisture sure does seem to help with RCE. Can relate as well about having no clue what is in store on a given night, though about as often I could look back on the prior day and theorize that I'd not had enough water for the situation. To allude to a different exchange we've had, I have found as I get older and can't make it through the night without getting up to urinate, that my eye issues have reduced quite a bit, because I always refresh my treatment at that time (currently the Theoloz drops and gel). I have almost completely stopped using any drops that contain preservatives. I don't know if that is part of the fix for me, or just happenstance. It's very difficult to be scientific with a population of one ;-) I hope you can find a regimen that works for you. To some degree I think everyone has to find their own way through it. If you have not already, I urge you to join the RCE Facebook group, which is a great place to commiserate and also to get treatment/palliative ideas.

As luck would have it I woke up with a minor RCE today. It’s an annoyance, with minor affect on my vision, but still. Yesterday I was on the phone for a long time with various parties, and somehow forgot to drink *any* water for most of the day 🙄. I’m 99% certain that hydration has an effect, at least for me, and here I am with an RCE. My theory is that once you reach a “low water mark”, then even if you try to “catch up” later in the day, you are still screwed. Or at least I am 😖.

@@mike.thomas I've started astaxanthin which many say helps eye dryness. I bought a couple glass bottles with caps and I fill those up in the morming amd keep them on my desk. Hope your eye is just an annoyance and nothing more since that night. I wear an eye patch often to rest the vulnerable eye. Have 2 appointments coming up and hope something like a contact lens bandage gives me a chance to sleep normally (and heal). All the best!

@@horriblefridge Good luck. My bandage contact lens experience was very good the couple of times I used one.