Finally here.

Taking no more than 20 minutes to walk that man about town, Bertram the Border Terrier, it figured that UPS called as the pup was out raising the leg, and the depressing little note stuck to the door said they would try delivering the D700 next Monday, signature required. The same for a delayed gift for our boy’s birthday. A call to UPS established that a visit to their warehouse between 9:00 and 9:15pm in South SF would get the packages in my hot little hands and though I turned up a few minutes early, I was quite unprepared for what followed.

First, the UPS facility is simply enormous, rows of warehouses full of trucks and boxes. Second, there was a long line of idling cars on a rainy night, all apparently waiting for the gate to open for late night pick-ups. Straight out of film noir. I got in pretty much at the back of the line and, boy, what is wrong with people? Here I am on Cloud Nine, delighted to be getting our boy’s gift and my toy, and I’m at the back of a line of the most miserable cross section of humanity on earth. I try to make conversation but it’s useless. Except for me no one wants to be here. Well, at least the charming ladies at the counter are pleasant and I leave assuring them that America is indeed a great nation.

UPS line at 9:15pm, South SF.

I get home, tuck the boy in bed, place the pup on the bed, and pop the box. Seconds later I have the 85mm f/1.8D on the body, one of the two batteries has a solid charge and I’m in there changing the defaults and Copyright data. The first impression is one of solidity, it’s not light, the fit in the hand is good, the rear LCD bright and the finder a pleasure to use. The 0.72x magnification (same as on a Leica M2) is just right. The previous owner has left the shutter on high speed sequential and I startle myself when first releasing the shutter with the machine gun result. My misionary work with the manual the last two days pays off and it’s not too hard to figure most things out. Best of all, the two batteries provided both show ‘new’ status, attesting to the light use the body enjoyed with it’s first owner. And yes, it’s a USA import, as the box testifies.

I contemplate installing the Upstrap but it’s late, the strap will fit a dozen ways with only one of those right, so I call it a day. This Nikon D700 computer can wait another day.

More anon.

Modeling fee? Outrageous.