Cavatina by Nicanor Abelardo

Joseph Esmilla, violinist

Rudolf Golez, pianist

Dad's camera...

...acquired in Tokyo in 1963 while on a concert tour of Asia. 

Featured in Manila Camera Style - thanks Johann!

My parents were expecting their first brat...

...me.

The camera originally came with a tripod, self timer and light meter. Apparently this little brat destroyed the light meter which eventually got lost.. 

Family picture ca. '68

 ca. '79 

Dad taught me the basics of photography on his Penta J with the aid of a Sunny 16 guide found in film boxes.

More pictures taken by my dad

My parents on their 50th Anniversary, December '08

Leica M6 + Summicron 35/2-1
Acros 100/Diafine

Dog chases the Mini...

Dog chases Mini

Olympus E-P1 + Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 LTM

November 2009 Hi-Fi Show

Mono minimalist

Cast of characters

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5
HP5+/Diafine

Lin - classic speaker guru par excellance and Rofiel - mono aficonado

Rofiel found this Jensen M10 field coil 13" driver (OEM WE TA4151 - more info) stashed in an ancient garage 120 kms. away from Manila

I revived the tube rectified  power supply with fresh Sprague ATOM capacitors. Since original replacement cones are unavailable, we took it to Lin for restoration.

The result of Lin's...

...painstaking labor.

To augment the top end, we added a phenolic diaphragm'ed Jensen RP103 alnico horn tweeter through a simple DIY crossover

Rofiel designed a Klangfilm inspired open baffle using phenolic plywood with piano hinged wings to maximize bass yet convenient transport.

Mono front end: Rek O Kut B12H 

Tonearms: Velvet Touch viscous damped + GE RPX LP stylus (right), 

Argonne 10" viscous damped + GE VRII LP stylus (center back)

Pickering 190 + GE RPX 78 stylus (left)

JEL Mono preamp

with variable EQ

JEL mono amps

SE2A3dx or SE410dx

Lin inspecting the installation of the Jensen M10

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5
HP5+/Diafine

...gazing on ancillaries 

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5
HP5+/Diafine

Bessa R + W-Komura 36/1.8
TX400/Difaine

Friends and Visitors

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5

TX400/Diafine

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5

HP5+/Diafine

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5

HP5+/Diafine

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5
HP5+/Diafine

Bessa R + CV Nokton 50/1.5
HP5+/Diafine

Bessa R + W-Komura 36/1.8

HP5+/Diafine

Me and the Bessa R...

...shooting film!

Thanks to Keith, Francis and Arnold for the digital captures!

See you at the next NHFS!

Mini 1000

Work in progress....

Canon P + Serenar 35/2.8
APX100/Diafine

No hub caps, out on a test drive after steering rack and swivel joints were replaced

Bessa R + W-Komura 36/1.8
Fuji Acros 100/Diafine

Bessa R + Canon Serenar 50/1.8
APX100/Diafine

My objective is to remain faithful to the original design and keep it as classic as possible!  

Bessa R + uncoated Summar 50/2
APX100/Diafine 

...one of my favorite lens test subjects ;)

W-Komura f1.8, 36mm LTM

Manufactured by Sankyo Kohki Japan which ceased operations in the early 80s. This particular lens was supposedly made only for one year, 1963. If there are other users of this lens out there please say hello.

 First shot as soon as I got out of this antique shop

Leica II
Foma 100/Diafine

LRT II, Manila '08

Leica II
APX100/Diafine

Shanghai

Bessa R
PX125/Diafine

Shanghai

Bessa R
PX125/Diafine

Shanghai

Bessa R
PX125/Diafine

More W-Komura 36/1.8 pics

Bogen B60/Lenco L70

Bogen B60/Lenco L70 idler turntable with a viscous damped tonearm playing Stan Getz

Retro cool tonearms and cartridges

November 2008 Hi-Fi Show

 Upon instructions from our boss, my first audio gig in Manila

 was to exhibit projects seen but never heard by the local audience. In particular - mono playback and Lenco idler drive turntables.

My wing man setup2 and BenC, a local DIY enthusiast added a twist on open baffle material...

...Philippine Tanguile wood planks, readily available for wood flooring, affordable, more rigid than plywood and even better acoustical properties.

Lenco L75 + Ortofon AS212, Garrard 301 and Thorens TD124II + FR64fx, 

MC step-up transformers: Altec 4722, Ortofon SPU-T1 and Tamura TKS83

JELdx preamp and SE300Bdx (driving 755C/OB)

Grease bearing Garrard 301 in laminated birch-ply plinth, Ortofon 309/SPU GME for stereo LPs...

...flanked at the back by the Philippine debut of a viscous damped Velvet Touch tonearm with cartridge slides loaded with a GE RPX and Denon DL102 for mono LPs.

Philippine premiere of Bogen/Lenco L70 doing alternate duty as mono front end

JEL mono preamp driving JEL SE2A3dx mono amp

Stereo speakers: setup2's Altec 755C/OB augmented by EV T35 tweeters

Mono speaker at center (not a subwoofer;) - Altec 605B/OB 

Wood finishing of OBs, courtesy of our friend Joey of Harana Audio (see below)

The SETUP gang

...and thanks for helping me unload and unpack...

...he he he

Pics from our Harana Audio friends

Thanks to Wiredstate.com members for your pictures!