iangillett

<p>I apologise for not replying sooner. I had hoped that, by now, someone with greater expertise and experience with the Tilt-Shift Adapter than I have would have replied to you. I have just got my own adapter out and photographed it (see attached images). As you already know, the Tilt mechanism works by loosening the knob on the scale and turning the large knob on the front of the adapter to get the amount of shift you require. The Shift mechanism works in a similar style, you need to loosen the knob on the scale and then turn the longer knob on the top of the adapter to get the amount of shift you require. Both of the mechanisms on my adapter work smoothly. Comparing your, closer, images (I only used a compact camera to take the attached images) with my adapter: the second picture is identical with my adapter; the only difference I see in the first image is that my adapter has a small plate covering the bottom of the screw mechanism. Your photographs have been taken so close to the mechanisms that I cannot tell if you have the longer knob for the shift adjustment - please see my images.<br> I was very fortunate to pick up my adapter for a bargain price complete with the 75mm short-barrel lens - I don't think the dealer knew what he was selling (but seemed happy with the price I paid!). I have since added the 180mm short-barrel lens, which I got 'new' from Japan. It was so new that when I got it I thought it was broken as the shutter was not cocked. I am somewhat ashamed to say that I am yet to use the adapter or either of the lenses as I now am mostly digital. Nevertheless I seem to have become something of a collector and have an extensive amount of RZ equipment.<br> I hope the above comments are of use and look forward to hearing how you get on with your Tilt-Shift Adapter.</p><div></div>

<p>If you are concerned about possible damage to tripod legs try positioning them alongside your built-in handle mechanism in your checked-in case.</p>

<p>Please have consideration for your fellow opera goers many of whom, like you, will have travelled a long way with great expectations. Imagine how you would feel if, as a non-photographer, you were sitting next to someone who was fidgeting around with a large camera and lens on a monopod and firing an intrusive shutter at inappropriate moments, it is bad enough when you have to put up with coughing (I went to a performance of <em>Winterreise</em> by Ian Bostridge at the Barbican in London a while ago and the coughing in between the individual songs made me think I was visiting a tuberculosis ward). A further distraction is the display of the taken image on the camera screen. Even more annoying - to me - is seeing people watching the entire opera on the back of their phones/ tablets!<br> Having vented my spleen I must go on to say how I took photographs - without even disturbing my family sitting next to me - when we went to the open-air opera in Taormina. I took along my Panasonic GX7 - which has a silent electronic shutter - together with the Panasonic 35-100 f2.8 lens (which I had bought at the airport on the way out - I had been unable to pick one up beforehand). This set-up is very discreet and I have also used it to photograph - with permission - a cello/ piano duet during a performance and both performers and audience were oblivious of me. I got some really good images of the operas in Taormina (<em>I Pagliacci</em> and <em>Caverlia Rusticana</em> - very appropriate for Sicily) and I particularly liked the one attached showing Pagliacci with his 'unfaithful' wife, her lover, the one who spilled the beans and the clown.<br> I very much envy you going to the opera in Verona, my wife and i have only been to Verona once and it was just after the opera season had finished so we only saw the staging being taken down when we visited the arena.<br> Best Wishes</p><div></div>

<p>I agree with Dieter, you are not going to get a "small" or "compact" flash to do HSS. The higher the shutter speed you want to sync with the lower the output of the flash, so you need power. The obvious flash to go for is the Leica SF58 which was designed to provide HSS with the R9 (and the Leica M 240 or the S). I'm not sure what you would consider as "small/ compact" but the SF58 is roughly the same size as the standard flashes for Canon/ Nikon.</p>

<p>How have you scanned the image? The sides look sharp but it is the centre which is soft. Maybe it is the way your film has been scanned? Another thing to check would be the distance indicated on the lens when focussed; if this matches up with the actual distance then it may be your focussing screen is slightly out of alignment.</p>

<p>The shutter on the RZ is not electronic (like the 'silent' shutters on micro 4/3rds equipment) but electronically-timed. You will certainly notice the 'oomph' from the operation of the mirror when you fire the shutter. I have a variety of medium format cameras with an extensive RZ collection (which I don't use as much as I should) and a recently-purchased Pentax 67ii with four lenses - and a wooden handle! The ergonomics of both cameras are quite different and it really depends on what you want to use them for. If the portraits you are intending to take are in 'portrait' format then you will be better off with the RZ because the revolving back means the camera will be more stable either on a tripod or handheld - avoiding the need to turn the camera on its side. you may find yourself limited by the extension of the bellows if you are using a telephoto lens as longer focal lengths need greater bellows extension. In the past I have used the 'half' extension tube with a 150mm lens when shooting head portraits so avoid hitting the limit of the bellows or having too much extension with the No 1 tube.</p>

<p>I may be wrong (I expect I am) but do these photographs show the 'negative' part of the Polaroid and hence are underexposed - as I would imagine from 1/30s at f2.8 in a "quite dark room"?</p>

<p>I think it depends what you mean by "a full compliment", we need a bit more information in order to advise you sensibly. I keep most of my RZ kit in a large LowePro Roller (RZ, 50mm, 65mm, 75mm shift, 90mm, 127mm, 140mm 150mm, 180mm and 210mm APO, with extension tubes and spare backs), this is easy to wheel along - but not lift! - and can be set at an angle when shooting so that the lenses are readily accessible. But I also have an RZ with 110mm, "Polaroid" back and AE prism in a LowePro shoulder back (Nova 5) for when I want to walk around with the RZ. Other lenses (37mm, 100-200mm, and 350mm APO) are kept in a Pelican case unless I am using them. Sad to say that in these days of digital (I use mostly Canon) the medium format is not being used as much as I would like, but the drop in price of RZ equipment has meant that I have been able to build up a very large collection for a lot less than I would have paid 'back in the day'.</p>

<p>Barry - I apologise for not replying sooner. I thought I had sent a reply but could not then see it in this exchange. I use an Epson Perfection V750 Pro scanner. i am pleased with the results I get from this scanner (I use it for 35mm, 120 and 4x5) although I do not use the scanned files for printing - to be fair I haven't tried to. The images look good on my computer screen and TV.<br> Best Wishes</p>

<p>"But the 6x7 lenses appear to be generally slower than corresponding 6x4.5 lenses. Thus, with 6x4.5 one could use lower ASA film."<br> While this is true, how often are you likely to be shooting wide open? Most of the time you will be stopping down to at lest f8 or f11, at which point the maximum aperture doesn't come into account.<br> I have Mamiya 67 cameras (RZ and 7ii) as well as a Pentax 67ii, although I don't use them as much as I should. I've just (flat-bed) scanned a film I shot with the 7ii and a 43mm lens and I am really pleased with the results.</p><div></div>

<p>I forgot to mention that the ThinkTank has a specific pocket for an iPad (mine is an iPad mini) as well as pockets at the front for filters and a notebook (the real ones - with paper). Another feature I particularly liked was the option to have 'sound silencers' on the Velcro strips. The cover can be fastened with a clip and/ or using Velcro; but for the occasions when you might be in a church or museum and want to avoid attracting attention you can cover the Velcro with these silencing strips - when you are out and about you can use the Velcro normally and hence hear if anyone is trying to open your bag. Finally the dividers can be easily removed if you want to go for a softer messenger bag or need to flatten the bag to put inside your hold baggage.</p>

<p>Have you considered the ThinkTank Citywalker 20? I bought one to take on a trip to India recently and used it to accommodate my Canon 5D Mk iii with 24-70 f2.8 attached and with my 16-35 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 in the slots either side. It also took my 580 flash and an exposure meter. This was a comfortable (if somewhat heavy) combination and was relatively compact. I had wanted to take a shoulder bag rather than one that might be considered as a 'rucksack' in case there were restrictions on what I could take in to various monuments - I'd previously not been allowed to take my LowePro Slingshot into St Marks Cathedral in Venice or Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna.<br> Since coming back I've used the same bag to accommodate my 503CW along with a compact digital camera (Leica 109). I'm looking forward to going out on trips with this bag and the 503CW either with my 150 f4 or my 903SWC depending on where I am going.<br> Best Wishes with your decision.</p>

<p>Ethan - the standard finder provides a magnified view of the <em>whole</em> frame as you put the camera up to your eye when focussing.<br> George - you will not need to change your focussing screen. I have the standard screen in my camera and use both the split-image and the microprism areas when focussing depending on subject matter (as well as checking the ground glass outer area). I also have both 45- and 90-degree PME finders. I started with the 45-degree prism and found that comfortable to work with although you will get a slightly higher viewpoint with the 90-degree prism, particularly if handholding. However, I do recommend that you try out how the camera feels in the hand if you are using it hand held as it may be a little awkward fitting your hands around the camera and operating the shutter release. The 45-degree prism is more comfortable to use when you have the power winder attached, although this does make the camera quite large and heavy! I have an early digital back (CFV 16) and that can only be used with the 45-degree prism. The newest back (the CFV 50) can also be used with the 90-degree prism as Hasselblad have modified the attachment mechanism.<br> Both of my prisms are PMEs and I do use the metering function. I assume that you are aware there is no electronic connection between the camera and the prism and you will need to set the open aperture of your lens (e.g. f2.8, f3.5) and the film speed on your prism manually, and will have to transfer the meter reading to the camera before shooting. The PME meters also have an incident light function which can be used either on camera or as if you were using a separate meter.<br> Good luck with your decision.</p>

<p>I have a ThinkTank Glass Limo for my 500mm f4 and a Glass Taxi for my 300mm f2.8. Both cases accommodate the lens with camera attached (hood reversed). The cases are well padded and the back straps very comfortable.</p>

<p>Why are you considering the Bronica SQ? Do you want to use a wide range of lenses or do macro work? As others have already said you will only get a 6x6 image on the 'Polaroid'. If you want to shoot full frame then I would recommend the Polaroid 600SE. This gives you full coverage and you have a (limited) choice of lenses - I have the 75mm and 105mm. If you need a through-the-lens view you can also get a focussing screen. The camera is big but it will give you the biggest 'Polaroid' experience without going up to 10x8 - which would be horrendously expensive!</p>

Most polarisers have a mark on them which you can point towards the sun for maximum effect. You can check this first by looking through the filter and noting the position of the mark and then simply attach the filter to the lens with the same orientation.

<p>"...it is not up to the standards demanded by client" - what are they after? Do they know what they want?<br> If you do go down the Hasselblad route I expect you would need to get one of the newer digital Hasselblads or at least one of the higher megapixel backs for the V series. The new Canon 5D 50-megapixel cameras will give you a high pixel count and you will be able to shoot with flash - the highest sync on the camera is 1/250 but your flash will be firing at 1/2000 - you do not need to match the sync speed with the flash speed. So long as you keep the modelling light low enough you will not get any ghost imaging. In any case you should remember that the V series lenses only go up to 1/500 second.</p>

<p>It might be worth contacting Downtown Darkroom who are based next to Silverprint near Elephant & Castle in London. Silverprint are a specialist photographic retailer and took over Downtown Darkroom ten years ago. I have found the retailer very helpful but I have not used the film processors. Silverprint stock Rollei infra-red so I would expect their associated processors are familiar with the handling that is required.<br> Silverprint's website is: www.silverprint.co.uk<br> Downtown Darkroom's website is: downtowndarkroom.co.uk<br> Let us know how you get on.</p>

<p>I am on my third 70-200 f2.8L (I started with the non-IS, then upgraded to the IS (which I had to get serviced twice and ultimately wore out) and now have the Mk II) having used them heavily over the years for sporting events, catwalk fashion and classical music concerts. I certainly appreciate the extra stop as I need to freeze movement while not wanting to go too high with the ISO. I bought my daughter the f4L IS and she really liked the lighter weight and got great images when travelling.<br> There are times when you need the wider aperture. The attached image was taken this weekend at a concert in the Colston Hall, Bristol, UK given by the Main Orchestra of the National Childern's Orchestras of Great Britain - all the children are under 14! - performing with Bristol Choral Society with Rhiannon Llewelyn (soprano) and conducted by Howard Williams. I have tried to portray the whole concert in one photo.<br> As stated in another reply the wider aperture makes it quicker to focus, but if you don't need the speed or low-light capability then the f4L IS is a great lens.</p><div></div>

<p>I had a Panasonic GF1 converted to infra-red by Advanced Camera Services here in the UK. I went for the 720nm option to retain a small amount of colour. The advantage of having an electronic sensor camera converted is that you can see the 'infra-red' image on the screen before you take the photo - with an 'ordinary' digital SLR you are still seeing the image in natural colour until you view the image taken on the screen. The disadvantage of an electronic sensor is that you don't get the colour image. So it depends on how you want to work.<br> When I enquired about getting my camera converted I was told "You will be able to use it for motor-racing". I was very surprised but the light level is indeed sufficient for this, often in daylight the exposure is shorter than for normal photography. The disadvantage I have found with action photography on all my micro four-thirds cameras is the temporary loss of live image while the photograph is captured and displayed. If I wanted to do more action-based photography then I would probably get an SLR converted. Make sure that they adjust the focus position as infra-red focusses at a different poison to normal daylight. You should also check out whether your lenses will have infra-red 'hot spots'. Check out this website for further information on this and other aspects of infra-red photography www.kolarivision.com/index.html <br> I have had great fun with my venture into infra-red and am looking forward to doing more in the summer months. Mad dogs and Englishmen can certainly venture out into the midday sun! I was intrigued when taking photographs in a local cemetery that there seemed to be more 'light' in the shadows under the trees. The white foliage also adds a spooky feel. I also tried it for some catwalk fashion and was fascinated by many black items no longer being black, depending on the fabric used. One wedding photographer used infra-red as a Unique Selling Point for a while.<br> My current favourite 'IR' shot is one that I took on the water bus from Venice back to the airport. We were passing Cemetery Island (don't panic - I don't have an obsession with cemeteries!) and there was some light cloud - which is emphasised by infra-red. in the attached photo I have swapped the red and blue channels - turning the red on the Red Channel down to 0% and the blue up to 100% and then turning the blue on the Blue Channel down to 0% and the red up to 100%. I hope you like it.</p><div></div>

<p>The 200 f2.8 has become a bit of an overlooked lens now that the 70-200 Mk ii has such good performance at the long end and most people want a zoom. It's one of the cheapest 'L' lenses. The FD version used to be my favourite lens when I had a T90.</p>

<p>I don't have a GX680 but looking at the back I assume it would take the Fujifilm FP100C film packs with 10 sheets per pack - the same style as similar backs I use for my Hasselblad V Series and Mamiya RZ67s (as well as my Polaroid 600SE which gives me a full image on the sheet). I believe that only colour 100 ISO film is now available. Fujifilm used to produce 100 ISO black-and-white film and a 3200 (Yes! 3200!) ISO black-and-white film that you may still be able to pick up. </p>

<p>Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.<br> What are the images that you have got with your CLA'd camera like?</p>

<p>I'm very happy with mine. I tried an M8 when they first came out but didn't like the idea of a crop sensor - my favourite lens is the 35 Summilux and I would only have got f2 if I had bought a 28mm to compensate. You can enter the lens data manually; which is OK if you don't change lenses often (and forget). I have looked into getting my lenses coded but it is quite costly to get them done by Leica and they are away for quite a while.<br> Here's an image from the Red Arrows display at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year.</p><div></div>