blueisland

I picked one up the other day from UK ebay, brand new, packaged, with guarantee, not grey

area, with 1g memory for ?180. I think that about $320

Hi I'm just after some general opinions on what people would go for....?

I'm about to shell out some cash but can't decide between the two. I'm not really a techi person. I like

manual shooting, wide open fstops and to be in control of a nice and simple camera. I still shoot with a

nikon fm2/f3 and a box of primes! but need something I can keep in my pocket.

Any opinions?

I'm going to buy a secondhand F3. I have used the FM2n with a set of

primes for sometime but would like the option of viewfinders that the

f3 gives.

Any tips, things to look out for in trying to find the best one apart

from the obvious wear & tear. ??

Thanks.

Hi. Wondering if people could offer a little help. I'm a nikon user

so I know nothing about the Canon cameras. However my Da picked up a

Canon A1 recently and needs some lenses for it. I was given the task

of buying them for him.

I need to know if there are any FD lenses that are not compatible? I

was looking at a 28mm & a 50mm. One or two I saw advertised

stated "this is an oem lens" what does this stand for?

Also there seem to be a lot of tokina 35-70mm zooms around, does

anyone have an opinion on quality of these?

Hi. Can someone clarify regarding the nikon a12 amber filter.

For colour this reduces colour temp ... yes?

For B&W it will have a similar effect to a yellow filter? (more or

less contrast?)

Many thanks in advance

There's so many issues/ideas that can be discussed around these photos. However a quick point....

I think the context of the photo should never be overlooked....

Any war is disgusting and hideous things always happen; is it not just another way in which one group can dehumanise another group in order to allow themselves to kill?

What interests me is that these photos "emerged" at the time they did.

Before this war started it was considered in most countries to be illegal, immoral and to be waged purely to dictate the share price/control of oil. As the war has progressed it has become more and more unpopular and the hypocracy & lies of our leaders has become expossed to the majority via journalism & films such as Farenheight 911. Could the timing of these photos be intended to shift a "moral blame" away from those in control and onto the common soldier?

Look how quickly these politicians have condemed the soldiers actions... Is there any discussion about the morality of raising Falluja to the ground? Of using cluster boms, of using Napalm; of attacking a country for nothing but financial gain?

So are the photographs nothing more than another tool of propaganda by the western governments to distract the real issues, and that is the war itself?

Just a thought....

the question is do you like it?

if yes, keep doing it and variations upon it, if not ditch it and try something else.

Do you/ should you care what others think?

There is no correct lens for a headshot. (how can there be?)

A headshot is simply that. a shot of someones head.

in my experience as an amateur photographer but someone who works in tv/film industry it is something most actors get all worked up about. (understandbly)

In terms of composition the bottom edge should be somewhere between the middle of the chest and the lower neck and the top edge around the forehead or an inch or two over the head. It depends on the face your photographing.

I've done headshots with a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm & 135mm

If you look through a casting directory (go to your libary) you will see a range of ways that people present themselves. You have to ask the actor what they want. Some go for an almost "glamour" look and are very made up/ obviously lit, which may suit those going for more fashion/commercial jobs. Others want a natural look, maybe for more stage or drama orientated work, so ask the actor themself rather than you imposing....

Personally What I (as a director) want is a photo that looks like the person that is going to walk through the door of the casting suite. Shots that are soft focus, dramatically lit etc put me off and generally the actors don't get called... but thats just me....

Ok. Heres my 10 bobs worth.

I'm from the north

Cumbria/Lake District. For dramatic landscapes (forget about the Peak District)it can't be beaten. get up and out on the mountains with your camera.

yes the light can be poor in Jan/Feb, but remember britain is an island so weather changes fast, you can have those long grey days but also dark cloud underlit by the sun, great mornings and sunsets especially around the coast.

The worst light is probably around Manchester as it is built in a basin next to the Pennine Mountains (good for cloth making)

Personally I think Liverpool has really good photographic potential.

You mentioned York. Its very "nice" and full of tourists with cameras. Depends what you like shooting....

Some of the smaller Lancashire towns are interesting, lots of hills and stonework. But without a doubt to an outsider the North west has a fair share of bleakness about it.

1. Isn't it common knowledge that theres little point putting a cheap filter on a decent lens?

2. Personally: I mostly shoot Black and white on a fm2 or F3. 60-70% of the time I will have a filter on.

Usually a yellow or an orange.

Most of my filters are nikon. Seems obvious when shooting on a nikon camera with nikon primes...

Other filters either B&W or Leica. Hoya as spares.

Of course they can be "art" & hung on wall. In fact there have been exhibitions in the Tate Modern (london) of just that. Wether they are good/meaningful/interesting etc is a matter of opinion - like any art.

Art is art when it is called art... not to sound vague but for example. I see a tin can on the ground, its just a tin can. i pick it up and nail it to a wall and call it art, and it becomes art, its meaning changes from a tin can to a representation, an idea, an asthestic object etc etc.

Hello All. I was after any advice/tips/opinions on shooting (and

improving) portraits with DIY lighting kit.

Ok so here is what I've tried so far.

Shooting B&W film

Using household lights of 250W - 500w

Using a couple of old reflectors and some Gels to cut down

the "hardness" of the bulbs.

Generally shooting wide open btwn 1.4 & 2.0 depending on lens.

The photos I've shot so far have been "ok" but need to improve (I

know there are other factors apart from the lights...)

How much difference is there between the make/types of bulb with B&W?

I have tried this with 3 different methods. Briefly.

A: As in horrible family photo above (sorry) with a fill in flash.

B: Get your subject to stay very still and not blink using a long exposure (see my photo "chris on Balcony" )

C: Double exposure. Shoot background first (lock-off on tripod) then put in subject and use minimum ammount of flash as possible. This can be a bit hap hazard but you can get some quite funky results.

Can someone post a link where to download the canon eos 300 manual

from or perhaps email me a scan/copy of their own.

Many thanks for your time.

Anyone who has to ask a question about what kit to take into a warzone really shouldn't go, and probably won't. I suspect this is a flight of fancy... have you been reading Don Mcullin recently?

But just in case you are...

a little secret... it really doesn't matter what kit you take, its the attitude and approach you take the is important.

Anthony, as above I haven't been to those exact places but a couple of years ago I made a documentary film in Pakistani Kasmir, Afghanistan, Northern Iran and Tajikistan. This was shot on Digi video, I used a medium format camera to do B&W stills to incorporate into the film and also took an old Praktica as back up.

Generally we didn't have any problems apart from one or two with the Taliban. I think the general rules of being in another country apply really, be polite, don't be intrusive, respect peoples lives and privacy, try and learn a few phrases of the local dialect.

I found people amazingly friendly and hospitable, especailly in Kasmir and Afghanistan (to the point where I felt ashamed of how countries in the west deal with strangers or "guests" as they are refered to) and often gained great insight into the lives of people simply by taking the time to accept a cup of tea and perservere with langauge problems.

Generally I think the people of these countries also respond better to someone who comes across as serious, quiet and graceful as the more jovial or louder expressions that are common to us are often interpretted as "foolishness".

Not wishing to provoke anything here, BUT, would I be making a wild guess in presuming you posters are Americans???

Or am I just missing the joke?...is this humour?

Hi. I'm trying to find an online (downloadable) manual for the SBC

lightmeter. I checked previous threads and the Bogen site was

recommended however they only seem to cover the newer lightmeters.

Can anyone direct me or possibly scan one and email it to me?

Ta.

When I started photography as a kid I had a Praktica (I know its German) for several years, then went through Minolta, Pentax and ended up with a nikon set-up which I still use today.

Several years ago I went back to the Praktica as a second camera due to my work taking me to often far flung and remote spots in the world and not wanting to take my beloved nikon with me; I bought a 35mm carl zeiss and a Russian Jupiter 85mm. Those two lenses combined on a MTL5 are a fantastic set-up. I have the nikon F1.8 85mm and ok it isn't as good but its not far off. The camera and lens are really robust and have survived trips through the sahara, rainforest of the far east, and the freezing cold of the Hindu Kush Mountains of Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

I generally shoot B&W and print them myself. The 85mm has excellent contrast, good sharpness and no problems at the top and bottom ends of its range. My only (very slight) fault with it is its weird aperture ring that takes a little time getting used to and can be a little frustrating when you need to "grab" shots.

God bless the Russians.

Craig you've got a fair bit of money to spend but even so you should use it wisely.

You don't mention what cameras you've used in the past or what sort of photography experience you have.

You mention the F5. It is of course a great camera but do you really need it? Are you just getting this because its top of the range?

Are you going to do your own prints? If not then spending so much on an F5 is a waste of money.

You mention getting into freelance photography. This doesn't require a fantastic camera it requires a good eye, a good immagination and hard work.

You mention you have never used an SLR - to be honest I think getting even any of the the pro F range is too much for you. Why not get something very basic and spend a couple of hundred dollars and learn how to use it, then when you feel you have a good grounding then spend the rest of your money.

Buying an all manual camera will force you to learn the fundamentals of photography and in the long run teach you how to take far better photos.

I spent 7 years (as a teenager) shooting with a Praktica and a 35mm lens. (this would cost you about $30) I'd recommend it to any beginners.

You want to get to the point when you are shooting good photos - you will do this faster with something that forces you to learn the basics than with something that offers endless different modes and possibilities.

And finally I have to mention that I've seen too many people wandering round with top of the range cameras trying to look like pros and getting results that I could get with a point and shoot.

One step at a time.