It's Open!

Finally!
They've been working on it for months now and today they held an official ceremony.
Huh?
The bicycle track!
No, not like a velodrome, but a dedicated lane for bicycles on a major road that goes through Honolulu:

Folk gathered at the park up the street from me to do some bicycle stuff and see the Mayor and ride the track.
There were also some bicycle related booths and things:

Of course they had to bless it.
The track I mean:

Here they come!

There they go!

I got to meet up and visit with some bicycle folks I worked with on that cyclovia thing and I talked to some other folks about starting up a bicycle club at school.
Again.
Maybe this time we get it going.
I got a call from Hincapie Sportsware the other day, they got my number from USA Cycling and they said they were willing to help out anyway they can.
Maybe that will bring some kids together.
Anyways, I rode around a bit, not on the track but at the beach and now I gotta go watch some basketball.
Get some lunch too.
Mostly get some lunch.
Full report on the track later.

Do I Really Need Another Camera? or Monday Final

I' ve decide that I don't need all these cameras.
When I got into this, I said I wasn't collecting and I would use all the cameras I have or they would have to go.
So, off they go.
Hopefully.
I'm trying to lighten my load by five or six cameras, but it's been hard.
For one thing, cameras like this keep coming along:

Contax II.
I tried not to, really I did, but when the seller lowered the price by fifty bucks the temptation was just too much!
Well.
What's done is done.
Might as well go out and take some pictures.
The Contax II was first made in 1936 and the serial number on the my lens dates to 1937.
You can read more about the camera here.
It's a lot older than my Nikon even though they look similar:

The Contax has wider rangefinder windows for more accurate focusing and it's a bit larger.
You can even swap out lenses, although only the short focal lengths like the 50s.
The Contax though has that stupid Zeiss viewfinder:

Looking through it is like perpetually squinting so the view is about a stop or so dimmer than nekkid eyeballs.
Advancing the film also feels like you're crushing rocks or grinding pepper.
Or something.
The film transport needed sorting out so I haven't been able to get a whole roll through it.
Here's the test  shots:

The pictures look pretty good but in my opinion nothing real special.
The real test comes when the sun goes down.
Then again with that viewfinder I'm not sure it's a good idea.
The Contax is a pretty iconic camera, much more so than my Nikon S2.
I'll probably be keeping it, you know, for grins and giggles; my main rangefinder will still be my Nikon.
This is just about the last stop in rangefinderland, only the L word is left.
Oh and that Nikon SP.
Oh and that Kodak Medalist.
Maybe.