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scott_k.

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Posts posted by scott_k.

    Ok, I've narrowed my choices for a first MF camera down to these and I need advise...

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    Look at Kowa, They are superb cameras, with extremely sharp lenses and rugged bodies that are very high quality. I really can't say enough good things for them!!! They are leaf shuttered and really smooth. They were introducerd to compete with Hassy's in the late 1960's, an ceased production in the late 70's. You should be able to get a Super 66 with 85mm lens on ebay for $300 or less.... a bargain!

     

    -Scott

    Recommend B+W film

    in Black & White Practice

    Posted

    If you know nothing about B+W stuff, you might be better off with a chromogenic black and white film (one that can be done in c-41 chemistry) Kodak has a couple, they have always worked well for meWhen Printed they have a sepia sort of tone(but it depends upon the lab) It also does not have b+w grain, it uses std dye cloud c-41 technology. So that could be a plus.

     

    Other B+W

     

    TMX(TMax 100) is good, fine grained, but finnicky when developing it. I get decent results with HC110(although I lose some shadow detail). I want to try a dif develper, but i really like oneshot)

     

    TMY (Tmax 400) is an O.K. film, nothing special Try TX instead. TMY will look particularly horrid if developed in d-76 1:1 and printed on ilford mg.

     

    TX (Tri-x) has become my new favorite, it has all sorts of exposure latitude... it will get everything. Which is great if you left your meter in the car and are just guessing or have a real high contrast situation. Granier than most others, but still a nice tonal range, It can pick up the brightest snow and some pretty deep shadows. It looks good in most developers.

    kowa super 66 handheld

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    I can usually get 1/30 or 1/15 with my Kowa Super 66. THe mirror slap on kowas, while loud, is nothing compared to that on my bronica sq-a. I have heard that this is because the kowa has some sort of air piston thing going on to stop mirror slap shock(I think i read that in a '60s modern photography).

     

    The Kowa is a great camera, I like it better than my bronica for a lot of reasons. The ONLY thing the bronica has on it is weight.

     

    -Scott

    Kiev TTL prism mod. for Kowa 6

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    I personally think the Kowa screen is very bright and works just great on my Super 66. Although I do use the one with microsprims in the middle.

     

    As far as fitting a Kiev prism to the Kowa, I really do not think that it would be possible. I toyed with the idea for a while, but i think the base of the Kiev prisms are too long in the back to fit well with Kowas. I ended up purchasing a couple of Kowa prisms, nonmetered and I HATED them. The prisms were fine and well made etc, but i just did not like using a prism with my Kowa, i much prefer WLF with eye close to magnifer. I owned both a Kowa 45deg and Kowa 90deg prisms, and I don't think they magnified enough. I did use a Kowa metered Chimney exposure finder and liked it alot. Later, I got rid of it becasue it added too much bulk to the camera.

     

    I am perfectly happy with the WLF and using a light meter.

     

    -Scott

    Hypo Clear Question??

    in Black & White Practice

    Posted

    I recently saw a post below that said that hypo clear should be

    discarded after one use. That sounds absurd to me. The package for

    HC gives no specific directions for HC use with film. So, what is

    the proper way to store and use it??

     

    I mix my hypo clear with 1.25 gallons of water. And keep it stored

    in a container. I use the solution after an inital 30sec wash with

    water. I use a clear containter, so i just leave it in the HC until

    the pink stain on the film is gone. I then return the HC to its

    container.

     

    I usually replace the HC after about 30 or 40 rolls, not because it

    stops working, but just because I fell like it should be replaced.

    But I wonder how long it will work for, the package does say that the

    1.25 gallons is good for 150-200 8x10 negatives (or the same # of

    rolls). But it goes onto say that it should be discarded after 24

    hours in an open tray.

     

    The system I have is working, but i wonder if i should just wait

    until I have done 150 rolls to replace the stuff. These chemicals

    don't seem like they would loose the ability to neutralize the fixer

    no matter how long you kept them.

     

    -Scott

    New to MF, what's the next step up from the Lubitel 2

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    If you want a high quality system for realatively little $$$, try Kowa. Kowa is a well known optics company that produced a line of MF cameras in the 70's. They are really well built and the lenses are SHARP!!

     

    Kowa made 3 models the Six, Six MM, and super 66. The 6 is basic, the mm has multiple exposure and mirror lockup, and the super 66 has interchangeable backs and multiple exposure. I have owned all of them, but have kept the Super 66 even though it is heavier than the other two. I have found nothing to complain about with the Kowas. All take the same lens mount(kowa) the lenses use leaf shutters. You can get an six outfit(camera, WLF, 85mm lens) on ebay for less than $280 or so, a super 66 is a tad more expensive.

     

    -Scott

    In search of Cheap MF processing

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    Hello, I just recently got into MF and am looking for a cheap(hey i'm

    in college) place to get some e-6 and c-41 work done. I ran across a

    place that could do 8x8 proofs from c41 for really cheap(mail order,

    but i lost the link, they also would do 220 slides for 7 or 8 bucks.

    I really need to find a cheap place to do this and any help would be

    appreicated! Thanks.

     

    Scott

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