hyperfocal
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Posts posted by hyperfocal
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No clip marks on a Jobo. Some digital workers may even clone out clip marks for you. What gets aggravating is when the clip marks encroach on the image area.
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So if one does determine how far off the speeds are, how are these variances converted to F-stop adjustments? Say my 1/8th (0.125) tests as 0.171. How much do I adjust the F-stop? Any formulas for this? I tried to post this as a new question but it didn't work.
THX in advance.
H
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I have a DLC and love it. The lack of zero detents is an issue if you're not careful. Even after the standards are aligned, they can go out of wack when the camera gets jostled around in the front seat of my stuck on a rough road. Ratehr than trust the witness marks, I cary a plastic CD music case, sans CD, and use this to square up the standards. I suppose that once your witness marks are on the money (shift positions zeroed out)that they to can be relied on.
The big deal about the Canham is that it's relatively light, it has a lot of bellows extention, and the bellows are very flexible, eliminating the need for a bag bellows in most cases. The camera is rugged. Mine took a direct hit onto rocks after it fell off the head and suffered no serious damage. The ability to move the standars anywhere on the rail is a real plus with wide lenses, and you don't have to do this silly bed drop routine like on other cameras.
One thing to be aware of is that the back, at least on mine, has stiff springs, so you'll want to use care inserting the holders, using reverse pressure on the rear standard to counteract the tendency for the back to move. This really is a minor issue as I've shot numerous shots without chnaging the movements or focus and they are always identical.
Another mixed blessing with the DLC is the cut out corners on the ground glass. They are great for checking your coverage, but sometimes interfer with composition if you need to see your image corners. Solve the problem by panning side to side.
In the final analysis, all the cameras do basically the same thing. You just need to find one you can become one with, a camera that you're not constantly fighting.
Best of luck.
H
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Question - What's a figure model? Different than a supermodel (which you won't find around Cap. Reef) I suppose; I don't shoot people.
I've toyed with the use of models in Utah (assuming I could ever get any lined up, including friends). Many of the really special places need some figure in the photo to provide a sense of scale. Have them wear the right colors and the shots would really jump.
Where and what in Capital Reef, just curious.
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My comment aside, you�ve got some really nice work Tuan. I can understand why you want a meaningful venue for it. It�s a shame that so much of the park photography getting published isn�t half as good as yours, ditto the psoters hanging in the visitor centers.
I think you do raise a good general point about what to do with all the pictures we�ve taken. I suspect that most of us don�t get much beyond a print or two hanging on the walls or given to friend, maybe a �hope somebody finds it� website. Too bad there�s not a regular venue for photographers to show their work, say like rotating exhibits at libraries, colleges, or even shopping malls. Kind of like open talent night at the local bar.
So much junk does get to the forefront, while the good stuff stays under wraps.
It�s too bad all the Gallery owners/exhibitors of photography can�t make a little room for the unknown artists. The so-called supporters of photography seem to shun new talent and strive to eliminate the democracy of popular demand (juried competitions, etc. instead of a good representation of what�s out there, the same people published over, and over, and over. So I guess ultimately you end up doing it please yourself.
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Be careful on recommending National Park status for threatened land. Although most conservationalists seem to think park status is the ultimate protection (and proof of an groups clout), in many cases is it not the optimum situation. Once park status is given to an area, the crowds develop, the vistor services may be expanded to accomodate even the RV crowd, the regulations and ranger control ensues, and a places loses much of it's "unknown gem" appeal. (Everything E. Abbey wrote about industrial tourism in Desert Solitare is still all too true 35 years later) Thus I think wilderness designation is a much better option in most cases.
It seems a shame most people have so little curiosity that they need the government's stamp park designation before they deem an area worthy of visiting ... or photographing. Lots of great places are uncrowded and just as stunning as the national parks, I'd like to see them kept that way.
I think the point made about concentrating effort on other threatened places is quite valid. All this fixation on the parks, and the resulting images send a message that all is well with America's wildlands, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. While development rolls on, we keep seeing the same worn out images of the Grand Canyon, the Tetons, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. What about the other places?????
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I got my Bessler MX-II with an older Zone VI cold light head up and
running. The cold light head had two cords coming out of the lamp
housing. I played around and found that by plugging one of them into
the �enlarger� plug socket of my graylab timer, the timer and lamp
worked. The other cord coming from the head didn�t work with the
timer when plugged in to the �enlarger� socket; but the lamp did come
on when I switched the timer on �focus,� albiet with a dimmer light
than with the other arrangement.
My questions are: 1) What is the purpose of two cords coming out of
the cold light head lamp housing? Is one for some Zone VI voltage
compensting contraption? 2) What is the �start� plug in socket on
the timer for? The safelight?
THX in advance for any insight.
H
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I have a CPA-2. You are correct about the differences between the CPA-2 and CPP2. You won�t have any trouble keeping the temp at 68/75, but the 40C for E-6 is a bit more difficult. The cold water intake doesn�t seem worth paying extra for, as the tap water is often above 68 degrees. A bag of ice works fine.
One thing to be aware of is that in the CPA-2, there appears to be no link between the temp dial setting and the actual water bath temp. I dial in the temp I want, then watch the thermometer and adjust accordingly. One thing I�ve noticed, especially in the winter when my house is cold, is that placing the drum on the unit will lower the water temp. I have to adjust the temp dial and let the temp equilibrate. This is especially true of E-6. Normally on E-6 (which is much more temp sensitive than B&W, IMHO) I measure the chemistry temp in the bottle before dumping it in the drum.
Another issue with both models is that the top water bath temp may be different, by a bit, than the water at the bottom of where the bottles are seated. A body with a CPP2 noted his chemistry temp was a bit different than what his digital thermometer readout showed. Not really an issue if you�re aware of it, the big deal with the JOBO is consistency and being able to walk away and drink a beer while it does the work.
You will need a lift to do it right.
H
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Sorry to have offended people. We are all more or less free to shoot what we want (at least for now) and it real boils down to preferences and objectives, rather than any moral high ground. I�m just expressing my preferences and disbelief at how many make it a goal to photograph what�s been shot a million times before (and no it hasn�t all been done before). But like Sheryl Crow sang, �If it makes you happy, then it can�t be that bad.� But remember this, if you want to be taken seriously by people who know photography, you must do more than copycat photography of famous places, unless of course you are going to do a lot better than Gnass, Clifton, Ulrich, Muench, et.al. Perhaps it�s a bit different with photographing �unknown� places, like ones I see on your web pages, which some of you have done a wonderful job of, since these places haven�t been �done,� at least not as far as the photo world is concerned. This is what I was getting at.
�Photographs are recordings of light... and while it may be the same Half Dome, the light that John records will never have been recorded before and will never be recorded again. Whether that light makes a memorable, unique or exciting result is the challenge John seeks.�
Then why add to, and fight, the crowds at Yosemite? Sounds like the presence of Half Dome is more important than what� s between the photographers ears, or the light itself, eh? Sorry I could�t resist:):)
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I agree with Richard. I can understand helping each other out with technical advice, but some of the questions on location and times indicate that people want to be spoon fed, want things handed to them. It's like people don't want to pay their dues and find things on their own. They don't want to drive and hike to places unknown them looking for something to shoot (and often not finding what they want), to spend the time to get to know an aeaa. Instead they want to jet in, be told what and where to shoot take the shot, then blast off to the next place. It appears they don't have the curiosity or vision to do anything beyond copying what's already been done.
Photography isn't about pretty places, it's about vision. If you can't take good photos 5 miles from home, what makes you think ever more "exotic" or big name places will improve your results? This Yosemite thing has turned into a pilgrimage for many it would seem. I'd submit that on the way to this over-crowded, over-photographed disneyland, one will be passing by numerous places every bit as good for making photographs. I mean does the world really need one more picture of Half Dome? The answer is yes, if like Ezra Pound said, you can "Make it new." But why not make new, new?
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You would do well to check out Laser Light, Bill Nordstrom's outfit. One thing I hate about labs is that you usually can't talk to the person doing the work. This is not the case with Bill. You get to talk to him and communicate your needs ... and not get charged extra for it. I think it was Cylapso who said in a brochure that the print time would include consultation time, as if they are doing you a favor for talking to you!
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Wasting my tiume reading this forum? Sometime I wonder ... but I have met some indispensible folks here.
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So does it really do the trick for eliminating the dust? Here in Colorado it's dry and dusty beyond belief. Even after I clean my bathroom (with window blacked out)thoroughly and run the shower to get the humidity up, I still get dust on my negs, which almost always appear in the sky area, just like Murphy would want.
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I shot some and developed it in PF's ABC pyro, 7 minutes at 70 degrees F, dillution 1.5:3:100. I shot a three sheets, one at 64 ISO, one at 80, and one at 100. The film seems to stain OK, but should probably be rated at 50 ISO, as the stuff I got was a bit thin. It seems to be a bit finer grained than FP4, but enough enough so to warrant the expense (unless you need quickloads, which Badger can get, and don't want to shoot T-max 100). I suspect it is not much different than T-max 100 in the grain department. Not sure I see a "need" for this film ...
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One possible reason to get the 5x7 is that it has more bellows draw, I think 24". If you like the long lenses, this could be the ticket. Surely the MQC is more stable at 20" of extention then the DLC. Mike K. can verify this. I've seen the results from his 4x5 back and they're on the money. Not sure how much movement potential you lose with the short lenses due to the longer belows being compressed, as compared to the Canham DLC.
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Several of us use the 3010 drum on JOBO CPA-2/CCP-2 processors and have had nothing but great results. Never ruined one sheet of film due to the drum. They use very little chemistry, say 250ML - 600ML for ten sheets. Maybe on the super dillute stuff you may need more. Very easy to load too. On the down side, it is important to align the drum cap on straight, and unfortunately there are no marks for this, it's a friction fit. If you don't have it on straight, it will wobble and make this nerve wracking squeal (but the film still comes out OK). I put the lid on part way, turn the lights on, then eyeball it's position as I press it down firm, ensuring the thing is on straight.
I can't imagine doing only 4 sheets at a time if you shoot a lot of film. Go for the 3010!
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Ellis is right on the money, you won't go wrong with the DLC. A lot depends on how much $$ you want to spend, how much you hike in, and the lenses yo might need, and how committed you are to the format. If you will use the LF gear only occasionally, you may want to get a less expensive camera. However, if you fall in love with LF, you don't want to spend $$ on a camera you will quickly outgrow. Some of the wood fields are good, ditto the Linhof 45S.
What lenses to get depends on what/how yo shoot. What 35mm and MF lenses do you use most. Start here, Just about everybody has a 210mm, and then something in the 90-135mm range.
Ideally you could hook up with somebody and try the stuff out before you take the plunge. I bet there are some LF guys on this forum who would be glad to spend some time showing you their gear. It really helps to see the gear in situ.
Where do you live?
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I think in relative terms, the best medium format lenses are have better resolution than the best LF lenses, but not by a huge number of MMs/inch. I used to shoot a Pentax 6x7 and found the lenses to be very sharp, better than even the center section of my best LF lenses. I think the Hassie and Mamiya users will tell you the same thing, e.g., focus both at the optimum aperature for resolution, take the shot, then measure resolving power for the center of each image. The LF lenses are good, but not quite up to the MF ones, IMHO.
However, if you shoot MF for landscapes, you will quickly find that the best lenses are quickly compromised because they can't be aligned to adjust the focus plane for to maximize sharpness( increase apparent depth of field). Take the best 80mm Ziess Planar and use it for a shot where you need 5' to infinity in focus, and you'll wind up soft somewhere (assuming no flex body). LF solves this problem, more than making up for slighly less lens resolution.
*** Yet you need to consider the focal length of LF lens needed on a 6x7 roll film back to give you the angle of view you need. Not sure about this, but I suspect that to get a LF equvilent of a 90mm 6x7 lense when using a 6x7 back, you'll need something different than a 90mm on your LF camera. Perhaps somebody can give us a list of what 4x5 focal lenses used with a 6x7 back would correspond to in MF lens terms. I've always wonderd about this ...
I would think that it all depends on whether or not you need the tilts or not. If you don't and just want to save wieght/cost on film, you may be better off shooting MF gear, assuming you have access to it.
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What�s with all the endless rehashing of AA and his work? Can�t we let Mr. Adams rest in peace and move on, maybe even focus on our own photography instead of indulging in this adolescent hero worship? Sure he was good and contributed much to the photo community, but he wasn�t the only one. Who wants to walk in the shadow of another? Why be a wanna-be? Sure we don�t have the smog-free skies and silver rich film to work with, but don�t you guys and gals think you have the potential of creating equally expressive work?
I get really tired of this trend to interpret history as the story of the big name people of fame, fortune, and power, as if the common man, the �little people� didn�t matter. Adams would have been nothing were it not for the thousands of people shooting LF commercially who gave a reason to keep producing film. Ditto the values of the common man who has been increasingly besieged by industrial and urban blight.
There is some truth to the loving the wilderness to death line in the article. Adams deliberately promoted Yosemite (and the N. Parks) supposedly to further preservation. However, he should have been wise enough to understand that N. Park popularity has been a disaster for wilderness preservation. Adams apparently didn�t realize that he lived in a hedonistic, consumer society that would always push for high impact recreational exploitation and development of the parks. Everything E. Abbey wrote on industrial tourism in Desert Solitaire 35 years ago is still 100% true today. I think this is the danger of �place� photography, pix of icon scenery. Good imagery shouldn�t always depend on competently capturing pretty places know to the public, but this is what seems to pass for creativity these days, judging by what gets published and the fixation many have on shooting in the national parks.
Great point about the easterners and their reactions. They can have NYC for all I care; let them fester in their smug urban catastrophe, just keep the mentality east of Kansas. Unfortunately the Eastern seaboard, California, and Texas run the country, so it seems like before long L.A. will come to us all. But for now, I plan on documenting as much of what remains of the west Adams photographed so well.
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What happens next? You mean experiencng the drama of loading film, going throught the complexity of composing a shot, and then seeing those pretty images on the ground glass, isn't enough? Man it's the process, not the results that count.
Seriously, what happens next is you put it in the boxes as mentioned, take it to the lab, say your prayers, then pick it up a day or so later. Then you realize that your exposures aren't quite on so you buy a new meter, or test the old one. You buy more film and spend more $$ on processing until you decide that B&W offers far more options than chrome film (who wants to shoot only 2 hours a day when the light matches the film's narrow lattitude?). Next comes darkroom equipment so you can process your own film, maybe a JOBO, an enlarger outfit, trays, tanks, print washers. Then you decide you need a "better" camera and some new glass ... thank God for home equity loans! Did I mention 120 roll film holders, Polaroid holders, Quick load holders, one of those slick Linhof automatic sheet film loaders?
Color or B&W, it's a long journey with lots of ups and downs, but worth every minute (and penny) of it! Especially when you start getting "keepers" and see what that big piece of film will do for you. Then there's always joy of knowing that you're playing with "the big boys" and that each sheet of film represents tremendous potential for creative expression. Wait until you get curious onlookers stopping to watch, secretly wishing they could do what you're doing; or even better is when another LF shooter stops to chat when he sees you set, and you'll do the same. See some guy on the side of the road with an 8x10, will you stop? Heck yes!
KNOCK 'EM DEAD! Welcome to the fold!
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With Global warming and all, it seems that here in the west the
weather is becoming increasingly unsettled, which means it is far
more windy than it used to be (anybody else have this suspicion?).
In Colorado the wind blow 10-30+ MPH all day, 4 days out of 5.
So I'm thinking the solution is to shoot HP5 at 800. If
photojournalists do this, why can't us LF guys do it? Does anyone
have recommendations on a developer/time which could be used to
maximize push film speed without terrible grain? I've run HP5 in
ID=11 1:1 and could bump the speed up to 600, but not 800 without
losing shadow detail. I might try it with no dillution. Normally I
will be doing this for shots where the light is low to beging with,
as in cloudy conditions, so I don't mind the increase in contrast.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
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DOn't know if my post took ... a short answer is yes, with wide lenses you will frequently use as much front rise as you can get. Especially with buildings and trees. An image circle of 200mm isn't going to cut it! I have a 72XL and have never run out of coverage and the bellows is my limiting factor more than lens coverage. I have a Nikon 135 with 200mm of coverage at F22. I'm constantly running out of coverage with this lens, which has about the same coverage as most 75MM lenses. Also look at John Fielders and Munech's wide shots, often you will see the trees on the horizon off kelter, probably because they are using 75mm lens lacking the coverage to get the movements they need without using rear tilt.
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I have a neighbor who is a retired cop. He said that most theives
are in and out in less than half an hour. In other words, they don't
spend a lot of time on the actual crime, especially on residential
areas.
<p>
One thing I try to do is make sure my gear is well hidden. If they
can't find it, they can't steal it. Of course, sometimes it's hidden
so well I can't even find it. Having all the gear readily visable,
neatly packed and ready to go makes it easier for theives. I'm
trying to make some storage places with false fronts, hidden
comparments, etc. I remember a Shaft movie (or was it Dirty Harry?)
where he keeps a piece in the freezer.
<p>
A gun safe may be a good idea too. Garage storage, with the gear
buried under a mountain of low value junk, which we all probably
have, is another option. Who keeps valuables in the garage under a
pile of old newspapers and garden tools?
<p>
Just my take ...
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Some additional info. I have been running ABC pyro in a 3010 drum at
7 minutes FP4, so the time is already relatively short. HP5 runs 9
minutes in twice the concentration of soup (1:2:50) and does have
significantly more stain than the FP4.
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I called B&S and got the formula, which has citric acid in solution
A, instead of the EDTA stuff PF brand has. They really couldn't tell
me too much about the differences between the two companies
formulas. So I guess the citric acid must be added only to prevent
early developer exhaustion (just like the EDTA).
<p>
H
future of lf photography.....in competition with digital
in Large Format
Posted