jo_dad

Anyone with experience of the Alpa synthetic soft touch grips? What are they like? Are they like hard rubber thats a little springy or is it more like a solid material with a rubber coating or something else all together? How about weight, are they heavier than the wood grips? What about durability? Obviously no one is rolling the grips on asphalt but what do you think/suspect about their the durability relative to the wood?

Are the 2s and 3s that much lighter? I figured a stronger tripod would also be more stable etc etc but a stronger tripod is usually a bog tripod that you're not going to want to carry around all the time. Im not sure.

Hi Guys, I’ve got a question for you. I know this isn’t a tripod forum or sub forum but I suppose because of the type of cameras that this sub forum represents this is probably the best place to ask. I’m meeting someone on Wednesday to look at a secondhand Gitzo GT4552ts and maybe buy it. What do you suggest I check when I inspect it? Any problems associated with this tripod? Anything I should look out for etc.? Also, do you guys have any experience with this model? Any words against it? I would be using it with my SWA and also my Bronica SQAI. The reason I thought this tripod would work is because although its strong, it folds small and it’s not too heavy all things considered. I’m 5’10” so I think with a head, it’ll be a decent height for me. It also comes with a center column. Also, the gent is asking for USD 510. If it’s in good shape, do we think this is a good deal? I know I often ask this last question but in this case there aren’t any sold items to check on eBay so I have no idea.

Hi everyone, Anyone have experience of the Schneider 58/5.6 XL on a technical camera in 6x8 for example?

thanks Joe

Cheers Dustin

Hey all, I want to shoot some HP5 at 160 but on the massive dev chart i can only find HC110 times for ISO 100 (pulled 2 stops) and 200 (Pulled 1 stop). at 160 its pulled 1 and 1/3 stops. Anyone know how i calculate the dev times?

I will be visiting Munich for work from this evening (07/05) until Sunday evening (12/05). I was hoping you could tell me if there are any good secondhand and classic camera shops in the city. I know that there is the Leica shop in Munich - i will definitely be visiting that shop, but are there any other cool camera shops? I like 35mm and MF - actually, everything in Analog, I am not interested in digital. I would really appreciate any suggestions. Actually, anywhere to get film at a good price would be nice

I read somewhere a few years that the way to tell how worn and more specifically, how used a Hassy is, is by looking at the back of the body where the film back attaches. Specifically at the ridges on the body that couple with the grooves on the film back. The more times the film back has been removed and put back onto the body the more of the black paint on the ridge on the camera body wears off to show the silver underneath. This seems obvious if you assume that a film back is being removed and replaced every time film is used up and replaced with new film. Also, obviously there are variations with how gentle people are with their equipment and an aggressive/non-gentle user would cause more paint wear with less removals and replacements than a gentle user would with more removals/replacements of the back. I guess the average owner doesn't just remove the film backs and put them back on for no reason. I don't know, maybe they do but i guess the average owner of a relatively expensive Hassy doesn't just play around wit the camera like this. I also assume the average owner/user is relatively gentle when performing this operation that they don't slam the backs on. So the question is this: How easy does this paint wear off? And, in the case of the bottom three examples ( two with worn off paint and one that looks like none of the paint has worn off) how much more have the two with the worn ridges been used relative to the one without wear.

This makes me happy :) Thanks for the comments guys!

Thanks C Watson. Hoping someone has actually tried it.

Do we have a definitive answer to the question: Will everything work fine if I use a 120 insert with 120 film in a 220 back on my Bronica SQ-AI? I found a lot of posts with people talking about the possibilities and the technicalities but no answer for sure. Has anyone done this and does it work? That is the question,

Lol I wouldnt use the camera with a DB, just film Not interested in it for P&S shooting either. Many have said that the rollei 35 should be used as a P&S, just setting to f8/11, setting focus to 3m or something and just shooting away. I didn't use the Rollei35 like that . I actually played around with the focus and aperture a lot. Would probably be the same way with an SWC...

Yes this is something that is very appealing about the SWC and actually a reason i didn't consider a Hasselblad 500/1000/2000 etc type camera (with the big mirror slap - like a Hassy/Bronica/Mamiya's 67/Pentax67) and instead went with the rolleiflex. It seems so far that on the Bronica that 1/60 is ok on the negs. Where it is a little difficult is having to flip up the mirror prior to triggering the shutter and risking changing the composition slightly. Also, the weight makes it a little bit difficult being super still, maybe as i train at the gym a little more, things will improve ;) but still... This was also one thing that was a con for the 40 Distagon and a pro for the SWC. Apparently the Voigtlander angle finder (as difficult as it is to source) allows slightly more accurate framing. To be honest, im not sure why since, i imagined paralax issues would be the same on any external VF. Do you know if the angle finder is indeed a bit better for framing? The lack of accurate focusing i think wont bother me as much as the inaccurate framing, compliments of my time with the Rollei 35... Still, all in all, i must say, i am very glad that i made my original post here about the SWC alternatives because, like I've said, this wide 6x6 format is super cool and very enjoyable to shoot. So, thank you Orsetto and thank you to those others that wrote to me on my other post :)