david_gardner2

John,<br>

 

When a manufacturer lists an item as "buffered," they're saying that they're adding an alkaline agent to counteract the effects of acids naturally occuring in their product. In theory, the alkalines and the acids will balance out. The problem is that over time the acids can reassert themselves. I'm assuming that the "unbuffered" stuff is just the same, except that the acids aren't mitigated in any way.<p>

 

Assuming that you're looking for long term storage, you want to find materials that are rated as "conservation grade." "Acid free" is pretty much meaningless nowadays, because of the buffering scenario. I think that "Acid free - lignum free" is the same as "conservation grade," but I'm not 100% certain of this. Someone else may be able to give a more complete answer to that question.

I just looked at a pic of the 7D grip, and while the pic wasn't very clear it appears that the structure that extends into the battery comparment is shaped differently than my VC-600. My best guess is that it wouldn't fit.

Many thanks.

Does anyone have a copy of the Scala reciprocity failure chart that

they could share?

Mark -

My mistake. I misread and thought you were asking about the 4990 instead of the 4490.

I have a 4990, and I use it to proof before I send materials out for pro printing. In general, I'd rate it very highly. Initially I had a lot of problems with it, which I think can be traced back to the fact that I also have an HP scanner that I use for non-photo items, and I think they were fighting for control. <p>

 

The only other issue I've had is that it will not auto crop large format; I think this is a memory issue. I don't shoot medium format, and it does great on 35mm.

1) Check out the web page from nps.gov.<br>

2) For hiking trails, look at Hiking Trails of the Smokies. It's a comprehensive guide to all the trails in the park with extensive descriptions of what you'll see on each. <br>

3) There is a good web site that lists waterfalls in the park with pictures of most of them, but I can't recall the URL. I'd suggest searching on "Smokies waterfalls."<br>

4) Recommendations depends on what you want to photograph. Like several others here, I'm partial to Cades Cove for landscapes and wildlife. Commit a day in you plan to go.<br>

5) There are several similar questions on this site you can search on, including one from just a few days ago.

<i>And that rant is what is usually known as a "petulant, childlike" outburst.</i><p>

 

Nothing petulant or childlike about it. I'm telling you quite calmly that you're a cowardly ignorant bitch. <p>

 

<i>I worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company as a tool maker.<br>

I was/am Airborne (1/503rd Infantry)<br>

we professional photographers <p>

</i>

No doubt. I'm sure you were also a fireman and the Indian Chief in the Village People. Next, you're going to be an astronaut. A word of advice: don't claim to be a police officer. That's illegal.<p>

 

Here's my best guess as to the truth:<p>

 

<i>I worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company as a tool maker</i><br>

 

I've worked with skilled tradesmen including tool makers, pipefitter and machinist. I got the term "jitter" from a machinist. <br>

Likely Scenario: You worked for Boeing as a janitor for some length of time, sweeping up after the tool makers.<p>

 

<i>I was/am Airborne (1/503rd Infantry)</i><br>

 

Currently I work with Special Forces; the gentlemen I have met are intelligent, insightful and thoughtful, i.e., all the things that you are not.<br>

Likely Scenario: You were stationed on some base where Airborne soldiers were. You, on the other hand, worked with the quartermaster, handing out skivvies and socks. You've never been close to combat, and the sight of blood makes you woozy.<p>

 

<i>we professional photographers </i><br>

 

All the professional photographers I know care far more about the image than the equipment with which it was made.<br>

Likely Scenario: You entered a photo contest in a local weekly and hit 3rd place. You're inordinately proud of this.

I second the vote for Cades Cove. Lots of photogenic spots, both natural and man-made. <p>

 

A few miles past the Sugarland Visitors Center is a trail to Laurel Falls. It's about a mile, uphill all the way, and worth it, even if you have to snowshoe.<p>

 

Generally for thsoe staying on the TN side I would suggest Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. I think it's closed for the season, however.

I've used them for printing but not for processing. Their printing services were, by and large, pretty good, especially for the price that I paid. The only issue was one very difficult print (out of a total of half a dozen or so), and I'm not certain that anyone could do well with that original image.

<i>no one reading this believes you </i><p>

 

See, this is what I meant by "internet whiney bitch." Like everything else, you misinterpreted it, whether purposefully or out of stupidity I'll probably never know. It didn't mean that you're on the internet and bitching. It meant that you're a bitch on the internet, the type who would freely say things from the safety of a thousand miles distance that I'm sure he knows would earn him an ass-whipping in person.<p>

 

There is at least one person reading this who duplicated exactly what I'm talking about. There is at least one person without the intelligence to comprehend what I'm taking about. The majority, I'm sure, couldn't care less.<p>

 

I have made no claims about any monopods in New York. I have made claims about each and every Manfrotto monopod in the store I visited, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. When you care (or dare, if you plan to bring that mouth) to come down here, I'll take you up on your bet.

<i>"Manfortto" (BOGEN) had never, ever, not in my years at least, been described as producing product with "poor engineering".</i><p>

 

Now it has. <p>

 

<i>While you may have a faulty product, which you should return, that does not, should not transpose to Manfrotto products being poorly eguineered.</i><p>

 

If you had been paying attention, you would know that a) I haven't purchased one, and b) we're talking about 15 monopods spread across 3 models, and not "a faulty product." We're apparently talking about a faulty design principle.<p>

 

<i>But your purely negative (and anecdoatal) experience with your Manfrotto product needed to be rebuffed, if not refuted: "Manfrotto" is to Monpods what "BMW" is to automobiles.</i><p>

 

First, your positive experience (or fear of having people realize that you've purchased and defended an inferior product; I can't tell which) is just as anecdotal. <p>

 

Second, the fact that you're internalizing my questions about the brand into a need to defend the brand speaks worlds about your mental health. <p>

 

Third, I just finished a 15 year stint working for the auto industry. I can tell you without doubt that if a new BMW owner closed his door and felt anything but a satisfying "thunk" he'd bring it back to the dealer for repair or replacement, and not console himself with the fact he owned a BMW. BMW owners, unlike some Manfrotto owners, are not shy about speaking up when they discover a problem.<p>

 

<i>You cast an undeserved aspersion on a product which has stood the test of time and use. </i><p>

 

I cast no aspersions on anything. I asked questions based on my experience with more than a dozen examples. I couldn't care less if Manfrotto is the Rolls Royce of monopods. I want the legs to open and close smoothly.<p>

 

<i>But I'm assured by my own experience with the Bogen-Manfrotto line, a Manfrotto "lemon" stands head and shoulders above many other lesser product's best.</i><p>

 

I'm sure you have much more experience with Manfrotto than do I, which is why you might be able to clue me in as to why their legs jitter when they're being opened and closed. Note, by the way, that another poster upstream had the same issue. He doesn't think it's a problem, and I'm glad for him. I do.<p>

 

Tell me, Ed, do you work for Manfrotto? Have stock in Manfrotto? Does Manfrotto supply you with "demos"? I would like to know why you have this unreasoning terror of admitting that Manfrotto could (GASP!!!) make an error. Even BMW has recalls.<p>

DN - did not try Gitzos; the dealer didn't have any. I did look at some Sliks and didn't see the same problem.

 

Ed - I'm not describing a personal preference. I'm describing poor engineering. A piece of rebar, a two by four, and an old car axle would support a lot of weight; that doesn't make them good monopod designs.

 

Frankly this is the second "internet whiney bitch" kind of response I've had on photo.net, in a fairly short time span. Is the site starting to attract more of this type, or do they just flock to me?

What are you going to shoot with the camera? That will determine the lens(es) that you need. After you decide that, "best" is a relative decision, balancing considerations of at least cost and quality, and sometimes other factors such as weight.

Ed -

Good advice. I haven't actually purchased one yet. What concerns me is that there were several examples, among different models, which all exhibited the same behavior. If it was one model I'd say it might have been a bad batch. But several models? Damage during shipping? Poor handling on the part of the shop owner? Dunno.

Agreed with everyone re: the Angulon. When I first got into LF, I got an 90mm Angulon because it was cheap. Not only was there no room mor camera movements, but even the corners of non-movement shots were often soft. I bought a Super Angulon (90/8.0) the next year and haven't had any problems since.

Thanks for all the responses:

 

Trent and Gary: It's not the stability that I'm worried about per se. I don't feel like it's going to collapse. I feel like it's cheap. It it was $20 I'd probably just suck it up, but for $100+ I want something that feels more finely engineered. Better than I think I'd get from K-Mart.

 

Ed: All of them, during the last two inches of travel (or first two inches when collapsing) would chatter. It almost felt like there were some thin film of gum on the leg. It would catch, rattle, let go, catch, rattle, let go...every two or three millimeters.

 

George: Thanks for the heads up. It's not a sound but a feel. It feels like the legs didn't fit properly. If it was 1 or 2 I would have ignored it, but it was every one of about 15 or so that I tested.

I went looking for a monopod over lunch today. I saw a couple of

Manfrottos that looked interesting. On each of them (5-8 each of 3

different models) the lower leg had a bad case of jittering for the

last couple of inches of travel on both opening and closing. Is this

a common problem with Manfrottos?

 

As always, thanks in advance.

Use the "Filter" menu and the "Sketch" sub menu, and then experiment with the different types, using "Undo" to back out of the ones you don't like.

I swear by liner socks. Before I found these my feet were perpetually cold and wet. Liners combined with a good oversock keep them much, much drier (not completely, but the difference is asoutnding), and hence warmer.<br>

I haven't tried liner gloves yet, but I will in the future.

Thanks for the info about Soligor.

 

Adorama has no interest in anything except selling me a new meter. They won't check into getting me the part, nor will they tell me who makes them. Since all I need is a battery cover, I'm somewhat reticent to shell out for a whole new meter. I understand their position (there's little profit to be made in selling me a small piece of plastic), but I would have hoped that they'd take the long view and make me a happy customer for future purchases.

I have a spot meter with the same housing as the current Adorama SP-

I and SP-II. I'm trying to replace the battery cover. I've heard

that these are/were made by Soligor, but neither Adorama nor Soligor

has shown any interest in selling me a cover; Soligor has claimed

that they no longer manufacture them, although Adorama still has

them for sale. Anybody have any ideas? Is Adorama actually buying

them from another manufacturer now?

I just ordered and received a package of 4x5 Polaroid film (sorry, I

don't have the type info with me). I had used 4x5 Polaroid one time

previously, but didn't take note of the type number then either.

 

What I got has a bunch of small plasic vials; what I had before was

just like packet film, with no vials of anything required. What is

it that I have managed to purchase, and how does it work? Is this

the "coater" film that I've read about?

 

Thanks in advance.

I'm going to assume that Dan's just trying to be funny.

 

I've read accounts of 50mm ultra-wide lenses used on large format cameras, so I know that they exist. A friend came across this lens and gave it to me, thinking it to be one of those. I don't think it is, but I want to verify what it is and isn't before I decide what to do with it.

Thanks again to all the responders.

 

Let me rephrase and elaborate a little. I have a lens that I suspect is a medium format lens. In any event, I can't find it listed on any large format lens info spec sheets. (FWIW, in case anyone knows anything about it, it's a Schneider 5cm.) So what I'm really after, before I start to worry about a zone of sharpness (which I agree is an important consideration) is "Does it even have an image circle capable of covering a 4x5 negative?"

 

Given that, is my test sufficient? Realizing that there will be issues with where I place my penlight in terms of angle and distance, this should still give me a good rough notion, no?