The photographic world is mocking me today

[Dansk]

I got my first non-point and shoot camera this past winter, an Olympus E-P1 that I've been very, very impressed with so far. It does everything I wanted a camera to do and it does it extravagantly well, with one exception: I've been sorely disappointed with the kit zoom that came with it. In light of that, I began a search for a sharper picture, a significantly wider aperture and far less distortion than what I was getting from my 14-42.

That search led me to eventually click the Buy It Now button on a Pana/Leica D Summilux 25mm on ebay last Friday, a lens that seemed to fulfill every requirement I had for it. (I was especially intrigued by reports that it was at its sharpest wide open; since nice low f stops were my primary goal, that was like music to my ears.)

Anyways, thanks to remarkably quick shipping from Japan to Korea, where I live and work as an English teacher, the lens arrived on Tuesday. I held it in my hands and admired its heft and solid craftsmanship and spent a good deal of time drooling over it. The thing is, I need an adapter to make it work with my E-P1. Conveniently enough, I found one for sale online here in Korea for only $50, far and away the cheapest price I've found. Unfortunately, the South Korean government is utterly determined to make sure that foreigners are as inconvenienced as possible while in their country. (Just try getting a cellphone here. I dare you.) I'm not allowed to sign up for the website to buy it myself because it won't accept my national ID number, so I have to get co-workers to buy things for me.

The problem is, my co-workers are not nearly as excited about my hunk of Leica glass as I am, and the one I asked to buy it for me didn't get around to doing it until AFTER my lens arrived.

I was already pulling my hair out and trying my best to stay polite, but I was reassuring myself by saying that it would arrive today, Friday, and I'd be able to make a trip up to a very beautiful nearby temple this weekend to test out my new lens on a candlelit golden Buddha statue inside a very dark cave; a shot I tried to get before but was unable to because of the limitations of my zoom lens.

Today arrived and I've been sitting around all day tapping my fingers. 3:00 went by, then 4:00. 6:00. 8:00.

Finally I asked my co-worker, as meekly as possible, if she knew when the adapter was supposed to arrive. She looked it up online and told me it would get here Monday.

#$*%!!!

Then I found a bit of news on dpreview: Cosina just announced that they're releasing an f0.95 prime lens this October, and it's going to be designed specifically for Micro Four Thirds, no adapters necessary!!

Sigh.

I realize this will all be better on Monday, but it's going to be a looooooong weekend while I sit and stare at my Leica some more.

At least it's pretty.

[Donald]

The joys (?) of the hobby we pursue.

You can console yourself, Kevin, with the knowledge that you're mastering the discipline of deferred gratification. And then go and kick the wall!

[rick55]

Definitely not mocking, Kevin. I'll bet everyone here has a similar story: maybe not the added frustration of having to order via a coworker, but deciding to bite the bullet for the thing we really want, and discovering that either we didn't know there was an additional necessary piece, or that the necessary piece was delayed somehow. Or just the time lag until it arrives. We definitely feel your pain. As Donald suggests, a wall to kick should part of every photographer's kit.

Cheers,
Rick

[Dansk]

Now there's an idea! A kicking wall will most definitely be my next purchase, thanks for the suggestion guys!

[Dansk]

Still no adapter... *grumble*

[Dansk]

Tuesday now and no adapter yet. My hands are tied as I can't even call the seller to find out where it is.

Where's my kicking wall gotten to...?

[carregwen]

Where's my kicking wall gotten to...?

[Dansk]

I'll be making use of your kicking wall again today, Rob. I finally coerced my co-worker into contacting the seller, and it turns out he shipped the adapter yesterday, i.e. one full week after I bought it.

It should be here Friday. If I'm extremely lucky, it might show up tomorrow.

[Donald]

We're all getting ready for the party when the announcement of arrival is made.

[Dansk]

Friday and it's still not here.

This is the point where if I lived in Canada I would be making a very angry phone call. Instead I just get to sit and wait while another weekend goes by.