tmorgan

Clinton,

Clarifications:

If I use auto focus, I was getting a soft image.

To investigate, I put some large type text down on a table top, at various distances from

the camera, to give me targets that are easy to judge for sharpness.

-Using spot auto focus, I find that items which are about 6" *behind* the indicated auto

focus point are sharp; items *at* the auto focus distance are soft.

-If I turn off auto focus and use my Mark-I eyeballs, the point I am focusing on is sharp.

-These symptoms only occur for the 24mm f2.8 lens; other lenses appear sharp at the

auto focus point, as you'd expect.

Thanks for thinking about this. I am trying to figure out whether I need to complain about

the lens, the body, or the combination.

...Tom M

Hi, anybody recognize this one?

I just did a shoot using a 24 2.8 with a 7D body in tighter quarters than usual.

I noticed that the images were very soft, so I did a bunch of test shots with the 7D body

and this lens and a few others I had.

The 24 2.8 *and only* the 24 2.8 seems to back focus by about 6 inches for shots out to

six feet or so.

I can manual focus the thing fine.

-So, what does this sound like? The body? The lens? The body with this lens?

-What's it like to deal with KM on this sort of thing (I've never had occasion to talk to them

about anything).

Thanks.

...Tom M

Chuck,

<br>

From the <a href="http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/eprise/main/kmpi/content/cam/

cam_product_pages/Maxxum_7D?mDetail=Specifications">Minolta web site</a>

down at the bottom of that page the adapter part number is given as SD-CF1.

The <a href="http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/eprise/main/kmpi/content/cam/

cam_Product_Pages/SD_CF1">SD-CF1 product page is</a> also available on the Minolta

site.

<p>B&H list the part for US$ 69.95.

<br>

<br>

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp ...Tom M

The easiest setup that I've found with the parts I have here is to use the camera with a

flash (either the builtin or the flash gun) with a Metz equipped with an SCA3083 (remote

trigger) adapter as the remote flash.

<br>

The SCA3083 knows about pre-flashes, if you set it correctly.

<br>

I set the Metz to auto and to the aperture I am using and set the on camera flash to -1 or

-2 stops down

<br>

This is pretty close to what was going on with a film 7 and it's wireless ratio flash mode,

certainly good enough for my party pictures. The differences are:

<ul>

<li>remembering to keep the apertures on the flash and the camera in agreement

<br>

<li>the metering is being done by what the flash sees, not the camera

<br>

<br>

</ul>

<br>

I really like Matt's idea of a ND filter and gaffer tape; that should replicate the mode

exactly. I don't have enough parts to try the idea.

<br>

Thanks to everyone for the information and advice.

<br>

...Tom M

Matt,

Got it, that makes sense (and it's too bad). Thanks for the explanation.

Jim,

I am trying things like you suggest; I only have one Minolta flash to play with, though.

I do have a Metz unit and a slave controller.

For those who are interested in such, the film 7 SCA adapter *does not* work with the 7D.

Even the wireless mode is different enough to prevent the Metz from working as a wireless

slave.

So far, one simple flash thing doesn't work all that well:

-You can use one of those simple slave flash thingees and fiddle with the slave and on

camera settings to get a nice proportion. The settings have to be fiddled with as you

move around the room.

(Remember, the goal here was 'party pictures', not great quality lighting control).

A thing that does seem to work okay is to:

-Crank up the ISO on the 7D and turn on all the lights in the room, then use slow sync

flash to fill in the room illumination. The auto white balance does pretty good, but the two

sources do have very different color temperatures.

I will continue fiddling :-)

...Tom M

Larry,

Right, that is what I am asking/commenting on.

The 7 on camera flash absolutely lights the subject, as well as signaling to the remote

flash.

This makes it really easy to light a room (for the 'party pictures'). You can move around in

a reasonable area, and get bright area illumination from the remote flash, and a little bit of

light from the on camera flash to fill things in.

It's easy and works great.

The 7D absolutely *does not*. When you set it to 'wireless', it just signals the remote to

flash. No light comes from the on camera flash in this case.

If I figure out something easy to do, I will post it here.

...Tom M

Very good article on this subject, thanks for the referral.

After looking at the techniques outlined and reading and poking at the 7D, it looks like the

only technique that should work is the 'put the fill flash at twice the distance from the

subject' method. (I don't have a second flash unit to try it to be sure).

...Tom M

The Maxxum 7 had a neat feature for setting up a 2 to 1 lighting ratio between an off

camera flash, and the built in flash. This was handy for 'party pictures'.

The Maxxum 7D references manual says, and some test shots confirm, that when you put

the 7D into wireless flash mode, the on camera flash is used *only* for control of the

remote flash, not for providing any illumination of the subject.

<br>

==

<br>

Has anyone worked out an easy to setup scheme, for getting a nice ratio of external flash

to on camera flash for the 7D?

<p>

Thanks.

<p>

...Tom M

Hi.

I just did the "replace a release capacitor, get a working Minolta X-9" repair.

Worked like a charm, but for the fact that the two Phillip's head screws at the far ends of

the base plate seem to have been tightened with air tools; it took an amazing amount of

torque to back them out.

Any ideas about this -- are they fastened with adhesives or in some way other than merely

screwed in ?

Thanks for any info.

...Tom M

-Brooklyn Promenade (for sky line and bridge shots). It's one stop from downtown

Manhattan on 2,3,4,5 M or R lines. One of a handful of places where you can see the sky

line. Once there, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan.

I was wondering what experience people have with wide angle converters for Olympus

C series digital cameras.

I've tried the Olympus B-28 converter, and it has noticeable barrel distortion.

Has anyone had good experience with this, or other compatible wide angle converters?

...Tom M

Rex,

I can't make a comparison, but I have used the Gitzo 1128 model for about a

year, carrying it on extended backpacking trips. The tripod was used to

support a Fuji 645zi, a small 35mm and a digital camera.

It has been easy to handle with gloved hands in unlikely locations.

The low weight , short packing length and stiffness of the legs are great.

There is no sign of wear.

There hasn't been a hint of trouble, but there is something unnerving about

having the camera atop such a light platform. I do hang things from the center

column and in general keep a close watch for things like wind gusts,

unfortunate slope angles and so on.

An odd thing about these low weight tripods is that the *head* becomes a

significant fraction of the total weight. A low weight head would be a Good

Thing for back packing.

...Tom M