greg_pratt1

I posted this answer in Rec.photo.darkroom

 

You can just use a film leader. Shove it in after the click and keep

shoving. When suitably shoved, with your 11th and 12th fingers keep winding

the spool whilst feeding yet more film in. Eventually it will all bog up

after about 6" or so then gently pull out all your dextrally pre shoved

film. Friction will pull out the wanted leader usually at first try. My

problem is hearing the click!

 

For spiral loading I have always cupped the cassette in my hand and bashed

the nipple end hard onto the counter. That pops the other end off pretty

smartly. Don't play with it though, frustration can set in if it doesn't

pop off by the second try. It will if you put your mind to it.

I don't understand Ebay too well but what's the gain on a last minute call? Surely if you pay a slice above the 2nd highest bidder you could offer what ever and get it at 2nd highest bid +. I know I'm missing something here but I don't know what.

I used to have the M6 battery cover come loose till I found that my finger tips were pushing (screwing) it undone when changing lenses. It's now firmly tightened down and have no problems. Bit hard to get undone though.

35 and 75, The 35 will offer passable group and interior framing with the advantage of zone (is that what it's called?) focusing. A portrait is a portrait and a good one sells so get tight and use a 75. The 75 will just pass for distant small group half shots. The 90 may limit your oppertunities. Do you use a tripod? The 90 could get shaky, the 75 is long enough when on the run. The 50 cron is a good lens and if I only took one it would be a toss up between it and the 35. Watch for flare on the 35. -- Good luck.

If you ever get the chance try lighting from the short side. It might surprise you. Otherwise an interesting shot.

Ditto. Quite subjective but I feel It's the wrong subject composition for such high contrast.

There are some who say that currantly you get about a 2 stop usefull range between bomb and block. Hence the need for accurate exposure. Labs and wed photogs will all concour that tran latitude exceeds dig, for the time being anyway.

Sorry - Quick retraction. I was thinking of CPE-2. -- How dumb!

?? You got an Expert drum to fit a CPA-2 ? Please explain.

Again supporting Doremus' responce may I suggest that one wears well shaken (outside) thin shirt or such. Don't wear a wool shirt or jumper. I reckon wool invents dust just by the movement. And yes move, walk *s_l_o_w_l_y*. And watch any heaters in your chosen loading room, hot air rises taking up the dust with it in the curculating air. Ditto fans. After your preclean and preperation go and have a cup of tea or something giving time for the dust to settle. You should just about be able to get to a state of near dust free.

Keep an eye out to see if there is a shutter mounted on the lens. Sinar have an optional DB behind the lens shutter. Often shutterless lenses are used with these. I notice that this point is not always highlighted on some lens adverts. The lenses are the same, just with out a shutter. Shutterless lenses are cheaper but at the same time harder to resell if need be.

I have not done much with this fashion of photography but what I have done worked well. Using a standard lens and moving the camera 15 degrees per shot allows one to but up prints in very nearly perfect alighnment. I used 16x20's and 24 shots formed a circle. Suitably mounted and hung one is able to stand in the middle and see the view as it is in the real. A lot of mucking around I know but its good for PR type promotions.

Increible! A chap blows $(0)000's on stuff and then seeks seemingly ordinary results? Why a Leica anyway? hand held oppertunity shots? 35 1.4 offers some depth of focus that allows pre focus setting. The 50 cron offers the quall that satisfies. The 75 1.4 is a good (low light) portrait lens. If one seeks ordinary there are handy cardboard things out there. The Holga slant is not lost on me. Am I out of ballance? For as I see it, the Leica potential is for excellance rather than mundane. Why else blow valuable capital on stuff if not to exceed the more economic competition.

Each to their own I guess.

I have to agree with Paul. One of the blessings of a mechanical camera is it's simplisity. The plethora of many focal length lenses only encourages one to carry too much. Is that the company agenda? The comment on three lenses i feel to be relevant as less is often more and it encourages one to work harder at composing. Albeit that MF allows one to compromise more on framing

 

I started as a tot with a box B. Soon graduating to Pop's cast offs. Embarised to say but a Roliflex when He went the Leica way. Always being taught to respect stuff, especialy mechanical stuff, a love of mechanical excellence developed. Does this overrided picture making? Yes / No. I never appreciated the quall of my youthfull attempts till long way down the track, well browned off with common fair and common lab treatment.

 

A move to Leica prompted as much by desperation as anything due to ordinary results from mass market fare, surprised and satisfied the desision. In the end you get what you pay for. So as much as I appreciate quallity workmanship the seeking of the elusive frame the one that melts the heart so to speak seems so much more in my grasp now.

 

So the two go together for me. As much as an artist may be content with what ever, to me the satisfaction of opperating qual equip. brings it's own rewards. Bit like the Trip and the car. One can seek the best of either but best of both tends to feed off each other bringing it's own reward. -- Greg

Hi Tom. -- The thumb knobs are indeed used as described but you might

find that a pencil although fine in an emergency will not grip as

well as getting yourself some 6mm hex rod. You may wish to purchase

original parts but for something so simple for the same money you can

get a whole 3 Mtr length of 6mm hex and cut your required lengths.

You will find yourself using a few differnt lengths, both front and

back. While you are on your spending spree you will find a second

bellows (bag prefered) quite handy to use as a ground glass shield

for focusing. I don't use a dark cloth. While you are at it you will

need to get some plastic corners that clip to the extra bellows you

are using as a viewing aid or as a compendium lens shade which grip

and slide along the mentioned hex rods. Your ever so eager Sinar

retailer will eagerly explain and soon have you drooling over all the

stuff he would like you to buy.

 

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The threaded socket that no one's mentioned is for mounting the meter

part of sinar's probe set up. I dont use that either. Handy but

costly, bit like a second woman.

 

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The red dots indicate you have the standard 12" rail. Why the dots?

Why indeed. I think it's a case of the apprentice finding a can of

red dots some where and having nowhere else to put them figured the

rail to be a mighty fine place! By the way you will want some extra

rails in due time. They come in 6" 12" 18" lengths. Handy not only

for using long and very long lenses but you can use any old standard

to hold the front of your extended bellows lens shade.

 

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The Sinar you are now a proud owner of you'll find to be a mighty

fine piece of equipment. Just about all the parts are backward

compatable so don't hesitate to grab any usefull stuff you come

across regardles of age. There are as many opinions as there are

people but I'm more than glad I went the Sinar way. -- Good luck.

Otherwise known as petrolium jelly on the English side of the world.

Also used to lube certain dust prone pulley parts on crop dusters.

Unlike a lot of petrolium based lubricants does not cause corrosion.

More uses than you can poke a stick at, ah hum. -- Greg

Hi Sal, An esky ( as in eskimo from old advertising )is a generic

term for a chilly bin to hold pic nic food etc. but in the Ausi

context usually cold beer. -- Cheers!

I've just got onto this thread about the carts. They sure look good

with their big wheels, well at least the images of their other models

do anyway. In Australia there isn't much along these lines,

certainly not with the big wheels. What we do have, along with golf

carts, are a variety of joggers baby pushers. Usually they have

three (small 9") wheels. (unfortunatly) I find this idea works well.

The gear lays flat in your own Lowpro bag, suspended by a flexable

base hung by rubber straps in leu of baby. This effectivly dampens

out the viabrations mentioned. The upside is the three wheels, it

won't fall when you let go so it's just push with out lift. It is

much easier to leaver the thing over obstructions. They also have

brakes! great down steep tracks. But more importantly, when

traveling, folk are more used to seeing a baby pusher and will

readilly accept the folded frame knowing what it is. - Without a

fight. Less incline to draw attention in the city either. Oh well

thats my penny's worth.

 

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Should any one be interesed, do look out for one thats not built with

plastic bits! I've managed to find one built like a push bike. Oh

yes skip the swiveling front wheel, no help there.

 

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And there is nothing wrong with my heart or back. I'm just plain

plum lazy and with this jigger there is no constraints as to what to

take. Esky, lunch, grog and we're off. -- Cheers.

 

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Oh yes the camera.

A conference can only have an up side. A sort of unification of

kind. This can only lend weight to assorted agencies like Kodak etc.

as some sort of unified body. Opinions would be sort by them of

trends etc.

On another note the good folk who tend to respond to this and other

links on LF tend in the main to be amateur and art orientated. Don't

forget the huge (although not as huge as it used to be) group of

professional and commersial users of sheet film. Digital or no

digital, sheet film is still used by quite a number of these studios

and in copious quantities.

In the end I envisage that we will have fewer choises but inproved

quality of what is manufactured. I feel the body of LF equipment

manufacturers will and indeed do have casting votes on a lot of what

goes on.

So go for the conference and as suggested write letters. Not so much

bitching but be positive. Evey one likes a pat on the back, big

business is no exception and remember it's not Kodak or Fuji etc.

it's an individual who makes a decision then forwards a pre ordained

outcome to the board. It's his back you want to target. -- Greg.

i've always noticed, when looking through a 35mm camera, that my eyes

have quite different senses of balance. -- chris jordan August 03,

2001.

I have noticed the same thing. I thought it was me, for I hate 35mm.

Not for it's mechanical perfection but my problems with viewing. My

right eye seems to cast the subject to the left a tad. In the studio

this shift amounted to 1/2 inch on 5x7 print. The left seemed to be

consistently better although not as sharp. Oh well, back to the

ground glass.

Hi Headless,

 

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Great Idea. I have been using the 4" bowl in a video tripod for ages.

For all types of camera from 35mm to 4x5. Absolutly no problems.

Faster and lighter. Just like a ball head to use with out the

possibility of the outfit falling over. Much shorter to carry and

stow. No knobs to catch on stuff and cars. Downside? Needs a fitting

I have developed to enable 90o format shange for 35mm. Not your

problem with sheet film or square format either for that matter. I

also sugest the use of a quick release. I use the hex plate for its

simplicity.

 

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Good luck if you are still looking.

Will this question ever really be answered? I just love large formats

but shear costs apart from other considerations tend to draw me to a

hault. In the studio I find that 35mm seems to work to 1620 An F4

(always manual) with (I suspect) soft 35-105 Nikon outfit performs to

a point with people. No sharp edges. But the limitations are

noticeable on things like eye lashes etc on glamour where the face

fills the format. out doors where there may be a group of say 5 or

more loosly filled allowing for some background to suround the

subject, one would find that 1114/16 would pull you up. Of course

good glass etc certainly helps. Using PJ100 film (colour). Thats my

experience anyway. We/I use 120 if there is an anticipated sale of

wall portraits etc. Oh yes by the way its a bit harder to mask a 35

neg to correct for slopy framing than it is for 120

 

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Old timer.