gerry297

Has anyone heard anything about a release date yet? I've heard that the 7D is being touted as the competition to the new canon 20D not the rebel 300D or the Nikon D70 like most of us thought. Hence the high initial price.

Retreiving data from the maxxum 7 will give me shutter speed displays

that look like 1"3 or "4. I'm pretty sure the 1"3 represents 1.3

seconds it's the "4 that has me a little confused. 1/4 of a second

exposure does not have the " symbol could it possibly mean 4/10 of a

sec. If anyone is familiar with the above, please help.

I'm traveling to Maine the begining of August and was wondering if

anyone knew of a first class lab that does E-6 processing in the

Bangor area? Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Let not your heart be troubled. Developing an eye for composition is about 80% of the battle. If you have already developed that skill, the rest will come with practice. I recently heard an interview with Jay Maisel who said he didn't give a crap about the quality of the picture as long as he got the shot. He said if you spend alot of time trying to control the quality of the shot, most times you will miss it. Remember we have our dear friend photoshop where alot of our mistakes can be corrected. You can't put detail in picture that is not there or focus an out of focus shot, but many other technical problems can be addressed. One thing that I learned after years of shooting is that when you absolutely cannot afford to miss the shot...bracket, bracket, bracket and use a tripod whenever possible. Doing landscapes as in Arches N.P. you have a little more freedom with respect to time in setting up the shot. As far as problems with the equipment i.e. dust, hairs etc. It is best to try and assess those issues prior to leaving for an important trip. Shoot a test roll, it's alot cheaper than the cost of the trip + lost shots. Go back and take a closer look at your "disappointing" pictures and determine if it is in fact technical issues not compositional ones. If you are proficient with PS, make an attempt to correct the technical problems. Don't get discouraged, just remember that every disaster experienced with a photoshoot is a valuable lesson learned. We have all been in this place at one time or another. You have increased your knowledge base in the photographic realm. Keep shooting.

Does anyone know of the model # of the lens hood for the Rokkor MD

20mm f2.8 lens? Thanks in advance.

 

Gerry Mann

If you ask 10 people the same question, you will get 10 different answers. Brand names i.e. Nikon, Canon, Minolta etc invoke an almost spiritual reaction with avid photographers. The bottom line is this: You need to determine what type of photography you will be doing. This will help you to answer the question...what features in a camera will be most helpful to accomplish that goal. The cameras you metioned are all overloaded with capabilites and features that may overwhelm you. We have to remember that a camera is a box that holds film, the prioity should be placed on the optics. All the above brands have outstanding optics as well as mediocre. Again, the type of photography you spend the most time doing will dictate exactly what type of lenses you will need. I have always subscribed to the kiss priciple, keep it simple stupid. I bought a maxxum 7 after using a completely manual 35 for 30+ years, I was completely lost trying to use a camera that thinks for you instead of you thinking for the camera. I have had it for 2 years now and I am just now getting to use it to it's full potential. If I were you I'd start out with a fully manual 35. You can get them very inexpensively on * (* a certain auction website), or you can go to KEH camera on the web (great used stuff for great prices). If you still are sold on a brand new "automatic" w manual capabilities camera you should start out with a very basic camera so you can learn the basics. Buying a very expensive high end camera will probably intimidate and frustrate you, it may even make you give up altogether. Thinking about all these advanced features is putting the cart before the horse. 1)Learn the basics.

2)When you feel comfortable with your knowledge and capabilities, then move into something more advanced (at this point at least you will understand why you may or may not need any or all of those advanced features).

3)Don't let people sell you on a name brand! Only you will know what camera you will feel comfortable with. Go to a camera store and handle all the cameras you are considering, maybe even rent them or try them out to see if you are comfortable with each one.

Models to consider in each brand catagory:

Nikon: FM10 fully manual, N55 very basic auto with maual capabilities.

Canon: EOS Rebel GII very basic auto with maual capabilities.

Minolta: Maxxum 4 or 5, Maxxum 70 updated version of the maxxum 5 or and older SRT series fully manual...loads of them on Xbay.

Pentax: K1000 fully manual and choice of photo students worldwide, ZX-50 very basic auto with maual capabilities.

1) Make sure you have a cable release.

2) A tripod is absolutely necessary.

3) Better off with a prime wide angle if you have one.

4) Velvia seems to be the film of choice for this spot.

5) Bring a large dose of patience. People will just walk through your pictures, so if you need to take medication to stay calm...do it.

6) Some of the tour companies have what is called a photo tour which allows you to stay 4 hours instead of 2. It's worth the extra few bucks. Try these guys: Antelope Canyon Tours, 22 S Lake Powell Blvd Page AZ 86040 (928) 645-9102. I think this is the one I used. They have large 4 wheel drive p/u's with monster tires. They will let you stay for the 4 hours I mentioned.

7) Most of the newer cameras (high end) are capable of making long exposures utilizing a built in timer. Make sure this is the case or bring a stop watch.

8) Bracket, bracket, bracket. Start out with a 30 sec. exposure @ f16 then 60 sec., 120 sec. etc. There is a great little camera shop & lab in town that does E-6 processing, they do a pretty decent job. Get them developed, this way you can double check your work prior to departing Page. This bracket timing is only a guideline. It worked great for me.

Here is the story about my first trip to the canyons:

This was my first trip to Antelope Canyon. I got into Page late the night before my jaunt to the site. Did not have a cable release for my somewhat new Maxxum 7. So I had to revert to my trusty 28 year old SRT 101 with a 28mm f2.8 lense. The night before the shoot my digital watch died! The day of the shoot I scrambled around town to find a mechanical cable release. So the only hurdle to jump now was how to time each exposure. I had to revert to the old method of 1..1 thousand, 2..1 thousand and so on. I bracketed starting at 15 sec. @ f 16, then 30 sec, 60 sec up to 1.5 minutes with each location. I took approx. 50 shots in the canyon that day. I was left feeling as though I had played a marathon game of hide and seek. Have a great trip and good luck. Here are links to a couple of the shots from that trip.

http://www.photo.net/photo/1208973

http://www.photo.net/photo/1210756

Why not post a link to the ad (photograph) so we can all see who the thiefs are. If there is not a link to the picture, perhaps you can download it to photo.net, after all it is your picture.

Try this, it works and it's safe. Tiger cloth, an Anti-Static, Lint-Free Microfiber Cloth that's soft enough for cleaning film, lenses, displays, viewfinders and plastics. see link below. Use Isopropyl Alcohol 99.9% pure. This is not easy stuff to find. Everybody carries Isopropyl Alcohol but not the "pure" stuff. Try the Chemistry Store toll free 888-816-4441.

 

http://www.kinetronics.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.100.exe/online-store/scstore/tiger.html?L+scstore+sfdg0244ffa261a2+1113485308

Go 7 and don't look back. All around better camera, way more features and the tank-like build quality of the 9 is usually not needed unless you plan on treking through the Amazon, the Sahara or the Arctic Circle. Even when the D7 comes onto the ballfield, I will still continue to shoot alot of film, at least until they pry my cold dead hands from around it. Good luck.

Although I agree with Ed that the Lee filter holder system is excellent, a Cokin P holder is more than adequate (especially for the financially challenged). The Filter connection at this link below has a great starter package which includes:

"one Hitech Gradual, we recommend the ND 0.6 2 stops or your choice of ND gradual 107mm long,1 Cokin P Holder with and a Cokin Filter Booklet. 1 Cokin P series adapter ring in the size you need. from 49mm to 82mm.

Cost: $55.54 US

P.S. Hitech filters are very good.

 

http://www.2filter.com/prices/htpackages.html

I bought a used MD 20/2.8 a few months back in mint condition, but

cannot find a lens hood for it. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Jun,

This is a question that took an incredible journey to answer. Give "Color Reflections" at 400 Green Street a try. They have been doing consistant work for me for a couple of years, plus you won't have to mortgage the farm to cover your bills. They are slightly higher than the 1 hour houses, but I believe that the old adage is true..."you do get what you pay for". Good luck and let us all know how you make out.

Does anyone have experience with these two films. I am trying to

determine how they differ from each other other than the higher price

for the Delta 400.

I submitted the exact question a few months ago and received some good suggestions. It was through trial and error that I happened upon the best and only method that actually worked. Remove the film and roll it in reverse (opposite the curl) place it back in the can for about 5 weeks. This should take care of your problem. I use film handling gloves so as not to get prints or oil from my hands on them.

Has anyone used both lenses (Minolta 24-105, Tamron 24-135) and made

an assesment as to which is the better lens / value? Any help would be

appreciated.

I have been storing film (uncut) in the original film containers

(rolled up tightly) to save space until I could properly file and

store them in archival pages. Well I've finally gotten around to it.

I've tried to hang the film with 8 - 10 clothes pins attached to add

enough weight to help straighten out the film. I've left the film

hanging for about a week, still not straight enough. Has anyone dealt

with this particular problem that might have a solution for the film

with the "cow lick". Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Has anyone had difficulty or problems with this combination. It seems

that there might be a communication problem between the flash and the

lens. I get a high % of under-exposed shots even though I'm taking

shots in exact conditions, distance and subject matter...some will

come out perfect and others will be under by up to 2 stops. I use the

aperture priority mode predominatly. Minolta seems to think that the

processing chip in the lens might have a glitch and that I should

contact Tamron. Subject to camera distance is not the issue because

most of my distance shots are ok it seems to be the up close to 10'

away shots that cause the most grief. Any help might be appreciated.

Jan,

I loved your rebuttal to the offended parties for you multiple postings. I realize that this is a day late and a dollar short, however I was wondering what you ended up going with. Did you purchase the 9 or other? I own a 7 and although it doesn't make coffee for me, it pretty much can do everything else and than some. Good luck.

P.S. I own a Minolta G series 300mm f/2.8 optics are exceptional, Build quality is outstanding.

 

Gerry Mann

Has anyone purchased or used this new Minolta scanner? I am looking

for a relatively inexpensive high quality scanner for my 35 mm

slides. Any comments would be appreciated.

I am preparing to shoot a wedding for a friend next week. I purchased

a 5600HS flash system to use with my maxxum 7. The manual is extremely

vague so I am seeking some assistance by someone familiar with this

flash and camera combo. It's fairly simple to set up the basic

parameters, however the book does not discuss flash fill, the function

of the power level settings i.e. 1/1, 1/2 etc. I can only assume that

the flash fill must be accomplished using the flash compensation dial

on the camera or is there another method. I will presumably be

shooting outdoor portraits and would like to use the flash as a fill

that looks natural. I would also like to keep the lighting from

appearing too harsh on the indoor shots. Would a diffuser such as as

sto-fen omni bounce help? I am going to be shooting Fuji NPS 160. Any

help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I recently purchased a Mamiya metered prism for a M645. I was told

that if worked perfectly. Upon installing it on my M645 body I got no

response. I checked the battery, it was fine. Is there someway I can

check the integrity of the circuit. I am trying to determine if the

problem is in the camera body or in the prism itself. Thanks for any

assistance.

 

Gerry Mann

Does anyone know of the difference between the older Minolta APO

teleconverters and the new "II" designation. I would like to use it

with a newer "G" APO 300mm f/2.8 Minolta lense. and am hesitant to

buy a used older version without knowing all the compatability

issues.