andre_napier

I am shooting pro for some 25 years using every single kind of lighting

available to a photographer. In all this years I experimented with most

systems from almost all manufactures. I feel right home with all strobes from

Broncolor, Profoto, Elinchrom all the way to Lowell. I currently have a studio

equiped with 4 Broncolor Graffit systems and all light modifiers. I also have

full line of K5600 Joker Pars for HMI lighting. The point that every body is

missing in this disscussion is that HMI producces diffrent lighting mostly due

to the exposure time factor. With the same principle that picture taken outside

with available lighting at 1sec exposure looks diffrent than in 1/4000 sec even

when taken with the same aparture and both properly exposed. There is a

diffrent quality to light at longer exposure time than is with action freeze

strobes. Of course it is a metter of taste and artistic concept and the choice is

always yours. HMI lighting for photographic average size studio is normally

consisting of units not larger that 1200w which would require an exposure of

an average of 1/8 sec at ISO 100 at f22 which is forever comparing to stobes.

I for one love the look I get from HMI and I am using it everywhere I can. If I did

not see the diffrent results I would never use it as I do not need to impress

anybody anymore. For any one who feels that they can match HMI with

strobes please tell me how much light would you need to lit a large set for 18

wheeler truck advertisment with even soft light shooting with 8x10 film ISO 50

at F45( as required by AD ) that I shot last week. My guess is about 20 -

6000W/S heads.

I own db20P Rollei combo with Schneider's 40mm, 50mm, 80mm 2.0, 180mm

and Zeiss 110mm. I also have V series P25 converted for Rollei. My studio

partner uses Leaf Aptus and we both have 1dsMKII for fast moving projects. I

shoot commercial fashion and editorial work for European market. There is no

better system than Rollei / P20 . Anybody interseted in downloading a file

email me and I fill be happy to share.

AndreNapier.com

There is none.

The estimated cost of production for one for July 2005 was $175,000.

However there are some excellent DB available to fit your Hassy - with

PhaseOne and Leaf being the leaders. The crop factor is very easy to

overcome and the results far exceeds any Canon products. Stay away from

Imacon as all pros are moving away from this product.

www.AndreNapier.com

DEL!!!!

I had my back aligned and fine tuned by Rollei USA. I currently use the db20P

and still see no sharp shoots on auto focus. I tried both Bettie and Maxwell

focussing glass with no improvement at all. It is just imposible to get the shot

sharp. I also have the newest software installed in my lenses. I think the

problem lies in the mirror which is two way mirror since the SF sensor is right

behind it. Unfortunatelly the mirror can not be replaced. I was told by Rollei

that replacing the mirror would be as costly as getting the new body. If you

have any news let me know. I am dying to make it work with Rollei.

Some time has past. I went through 2 full camera sets and total of 6 AF lenses

of two types ( 80mm and 180mm ) I can't get the AF to produce satisfying

results. I am a proffesional photographer with 25 years of experience.

Besides all manual cameras I used H1, Contax 645, and AFd. The 6008Af is a

great camera when used manually, but the AF is as bad as it posibly could be.

Images shot at 1/500 at f11 in full day light or in the studio with Bron lights are

all soft at 60% of a time. They look OK on screen as long as you do not check

100% view on the Eye. Pitty!

I just bought a brand new 6008AF system with Schneider PQS 80m/2.8.

On the first inspection the lens makes squickig metalic noice when focus

manually. On the test shoots in the studio with lights and shutter at 1/500 :

- at 4 feet from model focus attempted on the eye 2.8 and 4.0 - the pictures

are very soft

- at 8 feet the whole eye is out of focus

- at 15 ' the whole face is out of focus.

At f8-11 is a bit better but still not crisp.

I tried both 3 point AF and spot as well as single and continues AF.

Please tell me about your system sharpness.

I am shooting connected to H20.

I shoot proffessionally both digital and film. At the digital end I use Hasselblad

H1 with Sinar 54M 22Mp and in film Astia on mostly RZ proII body. Sinar back

is a multiplatform back allowing the use of the back with diffrent bodies. I have

done test on both Rz and H1 with film and digital. The diffrences are huge

esthetically and the results are nowhere to be closed to each other. Which

one you preffer is simply a matter of taste. Both offer high end quality which

can eassily be process to a photo quality poster size. Thouse of us who still

remember the sound of vinyl on turn table needed time to accept the

cleanness of today's music CD's. It is the same with photo digital. I always

remember my friend who was a DJ claiming in early 80's that CD are just for

new bands and that real artist will only record on Vinyl. Well if you are an artst

in 2005 you can choose your medium but if you are pro photographer than

you have to go digital because the number of commercial clients and art

directors that will work with film and polaroid proofs is drasticly shrinking

every day .

PS There is a huge gap in image quality as compare between digital from MF

digital back vs Canon's newest products but this is yet another topic .

My 30 years as Pro with all kind of cameras and just one logical conclusion -

RZ67. Undesrtuctable , Battery or not, cheap, easy in use , cheap lenses and

quality that beats everything else. Remeber , Pro's are choosing it not just

because is heavy and cheap. Trust me .

For all practicall resons your 40mm will feel very similar to 60mm lens, but it

will still draw as 40mm lens and not as 60mm.

It feel off balance hand held but it is workable. It does not feel as bad as the

zoom lens which is total disaster in my opinion. Auto focus is not a problem in

normal lighting conditions. All h1 lenses are super sharp and 210mm is not

an exeptions.

Derek

645H is not bad. There is some noise problem , overheating and lots of

disconnecting of firewire if you shoot to computer. I used it for one year and

moved on.The quality is better than 1ds but not comparable to even H101

from Phase One. The best option quality and price wise for your H1 is Sinar

54m - Almost full frame 22MP. with the unbeatable price of $14,999. I use all

digital backs due to my work arrangements with other photographers in our

studio. We also own the P25 and Imacon. Kodak pictures come very flat in

comparison to high end pro backs but this can be corrected in PS. If you can

get 645H around $5000 you are doing OK but these are much harder to get

than 645M or 645C and tend to be pricier because of it. I have seen one on

Ebay for $9000 and it definitelly is not worth the money. H101 can be

purchase new for $10.9K. Good luck.

William.

For the past few months I am using Sinar 54M digital back with all of my

cameras since this is multi platform back . Previously I use Phase One H20

with Rz/503cw. The quality of the pictures from Sinar back exceeds thouse

from a MF scan. I used to scan my work on $25,000 Eversmart scanner. I had

1ds mark II for 3 weeks and hated the results. You can not compare them to

MF digital back. Some people do not see the diffrence, yet to some people

pixel is a pixel. Sinar back is only $15K for 22mp and with ISO 25 I printed

posters 40x60 and they look as good as from 8x10 chromes. I am as obsesed

with quality as any of you can be. Digital is here to stay.

I used all three of them on daily basis ( h1, afd and Contax ). They are all

good cameras but non of them is perfect. It all depands on your application.

If you want to record the reality than Contax is your camera of choice. The

lenses are superbly sharp and unforgiving. I use Contax 645 for male portraits

. H1 is very fast and with its 1/800 sec. flash synchro is the pro choice for

exterior shots with strobes. The lenses however are very expansive and a bit

too harsh. I have the 35, 50, 80, and 150 and do not really love any of them.

Mamiya has very soft lenses that are greatly applied in female fashion and

portreture. I has been said long time ago that Zeiss records reality while

Sekor creates it. I had been professionaly shooting for 30 years making a

great living by doing what I love to do. If I can give you one advice it would be

to get a camera and make pictures. Some of my best images that I display in

galeries are made with 1970 Pentacon 6 ( current ebay price - $200 )

Remember each of this cameras is as great as you are.

If budget is limited and quality important that get Rz67 - you will love your

results.

If you want to see my work go to www.MissObiektywu.com

To Garry!

Your porfolio says you like fashion work, see mine at

www.MissObiektywu.com

Great points and very articulat explanation. I agree with you. Flash is great

tool in lots of applications. The technology is outstanding. The color

temperature stability perfect with most packs. The ability to dim uncomparable

with anything else. The price well worth every penny. I wish to have 6 stops

control insted of 6 diffrent heads. I wish for my heads to weight 2 lbs. versus

35 lbs. I wish my light were cold as flash. It is all true. For most people flash is

absolutly the way to go. It is very eassy to master and produces good results.

You see I am the person who carries my Sinar P2 8x10 outdoors because I

believe it to be a notch better and ten fold less confortable. For that notch I will

go a long way.

By no means do I thing that still life is inferior to people photography. I respect

every field. I love photography and any form and shape. I am one of the few

who is blessed to be paid for something they would do for free anyways.

Lots of respect for you and your work

Andre Napier.

Garry

I agree, more people like conviniets versus versatility of use. They rather do

not miss any picture with their auto everything camera, than take one great

one with big manual, heavy and ackword camera. More people eat

hamburgers in Mc Donald than in my restaurant next door but by no means

does it make the big mac a bettter meat. Most poeople just settle down in life

with easy solutions and quick fix. Majority opinion rules and in this

democtratic process you got more votes so you won.

Thanks got majority of people do not control art, we will only leave some

inkjets prints for the next generation.

I am done here. Unless you can make a point of what is the better quality of

flash versus HMI and than I consider. Great talk.

To Garry

I also drive the newest BMW 7 every day because it is a wonderfull car that

performs. You are missing a point here. I do not use continues lighting

because it is vintage, I use it because I find out performed my Grafit packs.

Same way I find canon 1ds a cool thing to have , extremally convinient but I

do not use professionally because the image quality does not compare to my

Mamiya Rz. I made the point clear that in my opinion strobes are for freeze

action photography and as such are limited. Does not matter what you know

about lighting, you can not pass that point. HMI alows me to shoot as fast as

1/4000sek with my M645 camera or as slow as I choose to capture the

motion. If you are Ok with having all your studio work as a freeze action

photography than the strobes are great for you. If you want to move forward

past your limitation than I am happy to let you know that there are other

options. You may have to sell your BMW and buy a T Bird to afford nice HMI

set but than in the long run you may make an anual 7 figure from

photography.

Generally I have no time to enjoy the forum, same way like real carpenters do

not discuss their saws on internet, but I am down with cold at home and this is

all the fun I get today.

I will try to simplify the answear to the original question. As some of you may

already know our Sun is a continues light sourse and we manage to get some

great shots under this light. Yes sometimes it is to bright and make you

squint your eyes, yes sometimes it is to hot and make you sweat, but also

there are days when our eyes feel just perfect on that slightly ovrecast day

when the light is about 5500K with the intensity of F8 at 1/125sec. With

continues lighting and lots of knowledge you can get this condition in the

studio everytime , day and night. When you may argue that you can get the

same with flash/strobes but it hardly the case. Flash/strobe duration of light is

so quick that all action is frozen. Contrary popular believe strobe are great for

product photography because this is a liveless matter with no motion to

capture. People are best photograph when they are in they natural state and

this is alive. Did you ever photograph a flying bird with a flash? Did you like

it?. Strobes are very convinient and have a great place in studio photography.

Every Kmart is using one and have no problem to sell their portraits. Pictures

look frozen and stage but I guess it is Ok. Unless your intention is to freeze

the auction of a moving model you are always getting a better mood

photography with a continues lighting. I own both. I have 2 Broncolor Grafit

packs, Octabank and all modifiers , but mostly relie on HMI ligting 1200/575/

400/200/ and 2x24W. My studio is 45x30 and 12' hight,

Who else uses HMI - well try Sante D'Orazio.