ken_lo

<p>Thanks for all the valuable inputs. DV is now off my option list and it will be Bryce and Zion if I do decide to spend the two extra days for photography.</p>

<p>Ken</p>

<p>Thanks again for all the inputs. I'll look into my options and decide in the next couple of days!<br>

Ken</p>

<p>Thanks everyone for the great feedbacks. I guess Zion and Bryce will be the better choice.</p>

<p>One quick question, for hotels/motels around the parks, do I really need to make advance bookings, or can I just show up and get decent rates? I suppose I can't finalize my accommodation plans until I get there and see what photo opportunities there are at different locations. It would be so much easier if I don't need to make hotel reservations prior to my departure. I really don't need anything fancy, and as long as they are clean and tidy I will be fine.</p>

<p>Ken</p>

<p>Well, if Zion is the better choice for this part of the year, then any advice based on the four questions I had posted above?</p>

<p>I guess Death Valley was my first choice given its fame and overwhelming popularity, but since I will be on my own I can be flexible and go to Zion instead. While I'll be doing some more research on Zion before I decide, can anyone identify a few famous spots for sunrise/sunset shots?</p>

<p>Some of you may have noticed a while back I did post an inquiry about Yosemite, which was my original plan after my US business trip in early June. But now I am more constrained on time, and subsequently I have now decided to stay close near Las Vegas where I am attending a show. Death Valley is my natural choice, and I would like to get some feedbacks from fellow forum participants.</p>

<p>My plans are as follows. I will leave Las Vegas early afternoon around 3pm on the first day, drive over and settle in at a closeby hotel/motel near Death Valley. And then I will spend two full days shooting photographs, and probably drive back to the Las Vegas airport and check in late at a hotel on the third day, and then fly out in the morning of the fourth day. While this will be my first time visiting Death Valley, I understand early June is not exactly the most popular season as temperature can easily get over 120. But any suggestions on helping me to plan this will be greatly appreciated. I do, however, have some specific questions which would serve as a good starting point for discussion. Thanks in advance for everyone's feedbacks.</p>

 

<ol>

<li>Since I will be coming in from the east, which hotel should I stay at for the two nights? I realize not a lot of nearby hotels will be open at this part of the year, so this might get a little tricky here.</li>

<li>Should I consider relocating to a different hotel on the second night as shooting both sunrise and sunset shots are on the top of my priority list? And if so, what other hotels at what locations would you suggest? </li>

<li>For the two days, I will have in total two dawns and two dusks. Which locations should I focus on at these four magic hours? The only things that I am really interested in shooting are the racetrack and the sand dunes. </li>

<li>And where else should I plan on going the rest of the two days in between early morning and late afternoon?</li>

</ol>

<p>I understand two days is not a lot, but this is unfortunately all I can afford on this trip. Also, I am not planning to rent a AWD if at all possible because of cost, and I would also like to keep hiking to a minimum due to the high temperature during the day. While my constraints will make this a very limited photoshooting experience, I would still like to get the most out of it. I did order a few books on Amazon, and as soon as I have gathered some useful inputs from here, I will indulge myself into preparing for this trip by reading as much material as I can find.</p>

<p>Thanks, and wish me luck...</p>

<p>Ken</p>

<p>Brett, I live in HK, but I try my best to at least take a week or so off to shoot somewhere in China. Contact me once you arrive, and we can definitely plan something together.</p>

<p>Brett, I did go to Xinjiang a few years ago, but unfortunately I followed a guided tour not specifically catered for photography. I had found numerous unbelievable scenic spots but lighting and timing were not right... I think every season has its own magic. The only season which I would totally avoid is winter as it can get 30 below easily.</p>

<p>Personally I love taking landscape pictures, but not quite as enthused about people. Anyway, I may possibly return back to northern Xinjiang where a beautiful national park is located early September this year for foliage. If you are interested in joining me feel free to drop me a note.</p>

<p>Thanks for everyone's advise. As for photography, I shoot medium format, and am planning to bring a 38mm, 50mm, 110mm, and a 1.4x teleconverter. I also have a 250mm telephoto but am not sure if the extra weight is worth it. Anyone can contribute about the lens selection? I also have the Xpan with three lenses for panoramic shots. Do you think I should bring those as well?</p>

<p>Ken</p>

<p>I am so excited as I am planning to spend a week at Yosemite taking pictures in early June, and would like to hear opinions from photographers who have done this in the past.</p>

<p>The first thing that I need is to secure a decent hotel room somewhere close to the park. With the bad economy I really don't want to spend too much money on accommodation, preferably no more than $120 per night. My other criteria are close proximity to the park, free internet access, complimentary parking, and clean rooms. I have done a search on priceline, and there are a lot of hotels showing up. While looking at the map the Yosemite Natinoal Park seems to be really big, and many of the hotels are scattered all over the place, and I just don't know how to pick. Many of them are around 30-50 miles from the Village, but I'm not so sure how close they are from the actual scenic spots. In fact, I will be shooting majority of the time early dusks and dawns, and I will probably spend mid-days back at the hotel resting. That's why finding the right hotel is very important.</p>

<p>I will also be ordering some books from Amazon to help me get familiarized with the area, but I'd prefer to secure a hotel booking first. Actually, are there some books that you can recommend me in guiding me through the park with an emphasis on photography in mind?</p>

<p>One more question, do you think spending say two days shooting the nearby Mono Lake is worthwhile, given that I only have a week in total? I really would like to get the best out of this experience, and any comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>

<p>Ken</p>

<p>If you can drop off most of your cameras at your apartment before heading out to shoot, then I fully agree that you should bring everything with you. There are so many great places in China that you will have the chance to discover in the next year that you will never regret carrying all these equipments with you.</p>

<p>You metnioned about this trip "on the road". Try to settle down first, and then visit these wonderful places one at a time. They all shine at different seasons, and you won't be disappointed if you take your time. A year is long and with some planning, you can have some very rewarding experiences.</p>

<p>One more thing, don't forget Xinjiang, a huge province with some very diverse cultures and ethnic groups. Sceneries are also amazing there. I would probably rank Xinjiang the #1 place to visit in China if you love photography.</p>

<p>Definitely 24-70 and 70-300. There should be plenty of culture to shoot in Mongolia and a telephoto lens is very useful. Ultra-wide, on the other hand, can be skipped as 24mm on your standard zoom should be more than sufficient. Good luck and enjoy!</p>

<p>I would also like to clarify a comment I made earlier in regards to post processing softwares. I am very familiar with Capture One, Aperture and CS2 as I have used all these extensively. What I meant about getting myself familiarized with post processing softwares was with the Hasselblad proprietary raw conversion softwares, i.e. Flexcolor and Phocus. These I have no prior experience with, but I believe I have the basic understanding of an efficient digital workflow.</p>

<p>Jerry, I appreciate your feedbacks, but I'm going alone, and not with my family. I have done similar photoshooting excursions before, but just in China. I think I know what to expect, and at the end the experience would be much more rewarding TO ME if I were to do this on my own. I am planning to get a few photography guides for Yosemite and study them thoroughly prior to my trip.</p>

<p>Hiring an assistant is indeed an option, and probably something I would consider more seriously if I haven't had much success in the first few days...</p>

<p>By the way, I have one more question on the Lee RF75 filter system. I have left a post in the "Filter, Bags, Tripods and Accessories" section, but haven't heard back in the last few days.</p>

<p>Here's the link: http://www.photo.net/filters-bags-tripods-accessories-forum/00SyS1</p>

<p>If anyone has any information that can be shared with me, please feel free to drop in a note. Thanks.</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Ken</p>

<p>Again, a lot of great advice... Thank you.</p>

<p>A slight change of plans has developed today! I managed to buy a used Hasselblad Ixpress 132C digital back, a 22MP back for both my 205TCC and 903SWC. I am so excited! With this, I probably won't bring any other system except for a film back for backup. Thanks to Philip for all the info on various films, many of which I haven't used before. I greatly appreciate all the help I have received, and in the next two months, I'll have to get myself familiarized with the new DB, and the softwares for post processing.</p>

<p>Yeah!!!</p>

<p>Oskar, I did pack everything in a backpack and tried it out today. It's not as bad as I thought, and I think it's going to be fine. Don't get me wrong as it will never be easy lugging so much equipment, but personally I think it's worth it. I don't get this kind of serious photoshooting opportunities a lot, and I want to make sure this becomes a memorable experience!</p>

<p>I am planning to get the Lee RF75 filter set for my beloved Xpan, but would like to raise a few questions to current users or anyone with the knowledge before I decide to invest so heavily on this system.</p>

<p>Specifically, since I already use the designated center filters on both the 30mm and 45mm lenses, how would that work with the adapter rings? By the way, do we need special adapter rings for the RF75 system, or are they just regular Lee adapter rings? My concern is that once the center filters are mounted, I don't believe there is any thread for the Lee adapter rings to fit on. Am I right here?</p>

<p>I am also interested to learn if anyone has calibrated the holder markings with the various Xpan lenses. I have read that one can assign a "marking" to a specific fraction of the composition. As expected, I am planning to use some ND grads on my Xpan, and knowing precisely where 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3, for example, of the height lie would help when adjusting the filter positions. I hope what I am trying to say here makes sense...</p>

<p>Finally, does anyone know if significant vignetting would appear if I were to mount both the Lee CPL and a ND grad via the RF75 filter holder onto the Xpan 30mm lens with the center filter on at the same time?</p>

<p>I realize the RF75 system is very new, and perhaps not a lot have experienced using it. It does sound like a convenient tool for rangefinders, despite its very expensive price. I will very likely buy it as it should work equally well on my Leica M8 as well. Thanks in advance for those who is going to contribute and help me out here.</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Ken</p>

<p>There has really been a lot of excellent feedbacks, and I am wholeheartedly grateful for all your insights. In conclusion, I have decided to stay away from borrowing the ZD, and shoot film instead. The M8 and Xpan will come along, and although some have expressed concerns about the weight that I will have to carry, in the worst scenarios I will just leave some of the gears back in the car. I think that's a much better decision than regretting once I get there and without the equipment I need.</p>

<p>I hope that this will turn out to be rewarding, as I don't get very many photoshooting opportunities. It's been a few years since I last shot film, and I can't wait to get back into shooting some beautiful slides!</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Ken</p>

<p>Thanks for everyone's comments. I feel much more comfortable now shooting with film and not missing out on the opportunity to go with the ZD. To bring both the 205TCC and ZD is probably the best option, but I do want to have my Xpan and an M8 handy for panoramic format and maybe some street photography respectively.</p>

<p>I do appreciate all the medium format digital users' comments, who have undoubtedly reinforced my belief in slides, and yes, I will probably have to stick to Velvia as finding the Fortia SP is going to be difficult. Maybe I should also try Kodak E100VS... For Velvia 50, I usually set the ISO to 40 as increasing the exposure by 1/3 stop, in my opinion, produces better exposed images. Any suggestions for E100VS?</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Ken</p>

 

I live in Hong Kong, and an opportunity like paying a visit to Yosemite doesn't come easily. But now I do have a

business trip to Las Vegas in June, and I am planning to spend a few days taking pictures in Yosemite afterwards.

This is going to be a very exciting opportunity for me, as with a family with two small kids, it is always hard to find

the time for such an excursion.

 

Initially my plans are to bring my Hasselblad 205TCC with a few primes, my 903SWC, an Xpan and a M8 for digital

backup. For film, I will either shoot Velvia 50 or Fortia SP 50... Actually I am still trying to get some Fortia films

from a local guy. But yesterday after talking to a friend, he said that he is willing to lend me his Mamiya ZD (not the

ZD back, but the actual ZD dslr) plus a few lenses for this trip. I have never shot with a medium format digital

camera before, although I have heard how superior they are when compared to the best full frame dslr's...

 

A few years ago I went to Jiuzhaigou, a beautiful national park in western China. I shot with my 1Ds mk2 at the

time, and I had made quite a few 24x36 prints which are still hanging up on the walls of my office. Resolution wise I

think the 1Ds mk2 files were quite good, but for some reasons the pictures still look very "digital", and not three

dimensional and with a smooth tonal gradation like slides had given me over the years. In short, I am not very

satisfied. And that's precisely why I had decided against the 1Ds mk2 on this trip. In fact, I figure that even

upgrading to either the 5D mk2 or 1Ds mk3 wouldn't make that much of a difference.

 

I feel comfortable with the 205TCC shooting slides, as the slides always look great under a loupe. However, I had

never drum scanned my 6x6 slides and made prints out of them before. This time around, I know making prints is

going to be a priority. Now with the option to bring a ZD, I am now stuck with a great dilemma. From what I have

been told, although the ZD only has 22mp, its files should be much better than any 135 full frame dslr's because of

the superior size of the CCD. Everyone who shoots digital medium format says that digital medium format can

easily surpass scanned 6x6 slides, and it will produce the 3D look that I have always longed for in digital.

 

I am not sure what to do, and who to believe. I realize that all my options are great, and either way I probably won't

go wrong. But since there are so many experienced photographers and experts available here, I am hopeful that I

can gain some meaningful insights here. Thanks in advance for all your valuable inputs.

 

Regards,

Ken

<p>Stuart, you made an interesting point. Yes, the FE lenses aren't that expensive any more and it probably doesn't make any sense to spend so much money on the UV filters alone. However, I like using CPL filters a lot, especially for shots with a pond/lake/sea in them. I probably can live without the UV's, but not CPL's. And because of the outrageous costs of new ones, I am thinking of getting an step-up adapter so that I can use my 95mm Contax CPL filter.</p>

<p>Kris, thanks for your info, but as said, I probably don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on filters anymore. And for my 50/2.8, I already have the metal hood with my lens.</p>

<p>Today I tried to put my 95mm over the 93mm hood, and as expected there is very limitde space between the two... The hood is already quite thick so I would be concerned if that attachment of an additional step-up ring would only create vignetting unless I apply a 105mm or bigger filter on top.</p>

<p>I guess another option is to mount a step-up ring directly over the 86mm lens thread. That will probably work, but then I will lose the function of the hood. I guess I can't get the best of both worlds unless I invest into new 93mm filters.</p>

<p>I have recently purchased a 200 series system, among which there is a FE 50mm f/2.8 lens. With the adapter/hood, the required filter size will be 93mm. As this will cost a fortune, I am wondering if it is going to work if I were to purchase or custom make a step up ring from 93mm to 95mm as I do have both 95mm UV and CPL filters from my old Contax 645 days.</p>

<p>I have read people stepping up from 93mm to 105mm but since I already have the 95mm filters, I am hopeful that my proposition will work and can save me some money. Has anyone had any similar experience?</p>

<p>Also, I would like to know if the hoods for FE 110, 150 and 250 are identical. I have both the 110 and 250 lenses and am considering to buy just one hood to fit both. Thanks in advance for all your inputs.</p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Ken</p>

It's an individual I'm buying it from, and I did ask and was rejected. I am still thinking about it, and you are right. His Schneider center filter is not exactly the hottest item in the market, and I have all the time I want to do my research before committing.

 

I was hopeful that somebody had used this combination in the past and perhaps can share his/her experience but unfortunately it doesn't seem so.

Ilkka, I live in Hong Kong and it is not a common practice that we can return an item if it doesn't work. I have been looking

for a center filter for awhile and I haven't been able to locate one anywhere. Every single one I found had to be purchased

together with the Xpan that was being sold. Besides, I am quite sure it would cost more than double even if I found a used

Xpan center filter somewhere.

 

I guess I will give it a shot if the seller is willing to lower the price some more. And thanks to all who have contributed to

help.