Keep Shooting your RZ/RB... The Difference Shows.

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Hi Guys-<br /> Doing my best to promote our favored format and camera, I'm happy to say I just learned one of my RZ-shot film images won first place in Wyoming Wildlife's 2010 Photo Contest, the Scenic/Pictorial category. Unfortunately when they mentioned the credits at the bottom of the image it appears I made the image on Velvia with a Mamiya R267... oh well. Baby steps, right?</p>

<p>Anyway, if you're interested in seeing the image and reading the long, rambling story of its creation, <a href="http://www.outdoorphotoblog.com">you can do by clicking here</a>. It was interesting to me... there were 369 photographers submitting 2,390 images. The only two non-digital images I saw in the finalists were mine and a gentleman by the name of Don Zippert who made his image with a Nikon F100 on Velvia as well - it's quite beautiful (<em>there may have been others but they were not noted as either film or digital</em>).</p>

<p>This saddened me a bit. Then I read this in the contest summary: "<em>A note to photographers working in the digital mode: Photoshop is a powerful tool that makes it possible to adjust many attributes of a digital image. Like any powerful tool, it can be used to create beautiful things... or destroy them. Some of the images we saw this year suffered from color that was too intense, sharpening that was overdone, or contrast that was enhanced until the image was surreal. Go gently with Photoshop.</em>" -<em>Wyoming Wildlife</em></p>

<p>All that to say, keep on keepin' on with your RZ/RB. In many instances, the results stand out from the rest of the digital pack. Not that we didn't know that already ;-).<br /> Kind regards, John B. Crane</p>

[paul ron]

<p>Beautiful work and a great camera will always stands out in a crowd.</p>

<p> </p>

[michaelchristensen]

<p>Beautiful picture .. enjoyed your blog too. You're doing some important work which transcends photography. </p>

[andre_noble5]

<p>I agree John. I photographed 3 rolls using the RB this weekend, using 90KL and 150 SF lenses on 6x7 and 6x4.5 backs. On Way to A&I right now to drop off films.</p>

[william_carnahan]

<p>John, Great photograph. Enjoyed your website/gallery/scriptures. If I may ask a question, for I am returning to my RB for landscape shots. You mentioned you use the Cokin P system. Do you get vignetting from the holder with your RZ if using a 50mm lens? Thanks.</p>

[frank_major]

<p>Awesome images John - to Him be all the glory!</p>

<p>Yea - i'm in (w/my RB67 Pro-S) too! I shot up two rolls of Ektar last week on the Lake Michigan shoreline and am eagerly/pensively waiting for them from developing.</p>

<p>I'm nervous b/c i replaced the light seals and don't know how good of a job i did (or did NOT do) so 2 rolls is a bit of a gamble. It was the first time i shot w/my Pro-S and 65mm Sekor C lens so i'm pretty stoked.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Hi William, Thanks very much. At the moment I don't shoot anything wider than the 65L-A on the RZ. I know it's not exactly apples to apples but if it's indeed true that the 50mm is the 35mm equivalent of 24mm I expect it'll be close. I don't get vignetting on my D3S with the 17-35mm at 24mm, nor on my F6 - but it starts very soon after, like 23/22mm. If so, I'm ready to move to X-Pro. It just hasn't been necessary quite yet and there's a pretty big cost increase over the P-series stuff.<br>

At first I was longing for the 50mm ULD, but after getting the 250APO I'm having a blast getting tighter again. I'm hoping to add it sometime this year.<br>

Hope that's of some value and thanks again.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Cool Frank. Thanks very much.<br>

Please do post when you get your rolls back. Was it difficult to replace the seals? I just picked up a RZ Pro (not II) 120 back and it seems the foam's a little chewed up toward the left. I just ran my first few rolls through it (with some of the same pensiveness) and they were fine. But at some point I'll probably need to do the same thing.<br>

Also, FWIW to the RZ Pro/Pro II guys, there are some subtle differences between the Pro and Pro II 120 backs. I picked up a coupe used ones from Adorama and they sent 1 Pro by mistake. At first I was going to send it back but decided I'd give it a try. There was a different feel to the Pro 120 vs the Pro II 120 that I actually liked better than the Pro II. It felt, somehow, better machined. Like there were a few metal parts replaced with plastic on the Pro II and somehow you felt it when you advanced the film. Aside from that the only noteable difference is the seals, and the vertical-oriented counter window (which I don't care about).<br>

Sorry to change the subject... ;-). Talk about your seals triggered the thought. Good luck with your rolls and thanks for your comments.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Thanks Paul, Michael and Andre. I appreciate it very much. Here's to a freezer-full of film for us all.</p>

[rob_piontek]

<p>Congratulations and nice job!</p>

[david_smith35]

<p>Nice image John - reminds me of Shiprock in New Mexico. Shame the image is so small.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Thanks David. I really enjoyed clicking through your images. We've traveled much of the same earth. Keep up the great work.</p>

<p>Kind regards,<br>

John B. Crane</p>