aristotelis_grammatikakis

The H1 was made only for digital.

That's why they adopted the 6x4.5 format, to match the more or less 4x4 digital sensors and to have the lenses manufacted as close to that format as possible. Film magazines for the H1 were developed only as a step from film to digital. The company considers the H1 as an upgrade from the V system which pretty soon will be discontinued alltogether. They haven't said anything ofcourse about the latter part but they have stated on several occusions the former part. This is a new Hasselblad company that comes out from all the changes that have happened. The V system represents the old thinking. The new thinking is digital and all automatic.

I go with what is available here in Greece. <BR>

So far I have looked at Elinchrom, Bowens, Hensel and Balcar because that's what represented in this country.

Guys, I looked and looked and studied carefully the Hensel and Elinchrom systems from the websites and leaflets that I got and apart from liking better the design of the Hensels, I can't see where atleast numerically they are superior to Elinchrom.<BR>

Comparing the Hensel Expert Pro lights to the Elinchrom Style RX, I find the latter a bit more powerfull (500W vs 600W), faster recycling times (Hensel 500: 2.2sec, Elinchrom 600: 1.0sec) and a tad lighter too (Hensel 500:2.87kg, Elinchrom 600: 2.6kg). The Hensel have a built in radio control system but the Elinchrom can be upgraded to one and can also be computer controlled (both features are useless to me).<BR>

So, where do Hensel win? Construction quallity?

I came back from Martinique a week ago but it took me some time to rest, develop 19 Kodak TriX 320 films and print some fiftyfive prints. Oh, yes, also prepare the article that is going in the newspaper. Good thing we are doing a special large edition for Easter so I will have pleanty of space to put the photos up.<P>

I loved the place. Coming from an another island, the experience was not mighty different and I've been to the Caribbean before so I was more or less prepared to suntan and enjoy the waters!<BR>

Unfortunately our schedule was full and we had little time there so I got only an appettiser to the full Martinican experience.<BR>

Some notes:<P>

- Not a problem carrying and working with the Hasselblad handheld.<BR>

- Good thing I got pleanty of film. I only shot the TriX and not the FP4+ I had with me. If I had a second back it would have been different.<BR>

- It was a challenge shooting dark skinned people which I had no previous experience of. First time my subject -was- the shadow and I was extra careful to get detail there. That also meant that the background would be grossly overexposed because of the strong light and that it would requite some darkroom magic to balance things. Also, when making prints I had hard time deciding how dark to print a face!<BR>

- The people had all ranges of reaction to me from brotherly intimacy and enjoyment of posing to sheer hostillity just seing me with a camera. I was advised early to ask before and I did ask everyone I took photos of.<BR>

- The language was a problem. Unfortunately my elementary school french helped me little. Be certain you know some basic french before you visit otherwise you might even have trouble getting around french airports.<BR>

- I found a driver who seemed to know half the people in the island and was happy to provide all sorts of information. I asked him to take me to a three hour drive to take photos of people and he also acted as a translator. Without him I wouldn't have taken all the nice photos I did.<BR>

- I am never flying with Air France again and setting my foot on Charles de Gaul airport even again (bad experiences).<BR>

Simone Maria, I use a Hasselblad 501CM with just a 80mm lens to do exactly what you describe (portraits, reportage, etc). It is lightweight and easy to carry, has the strength to travel with me and the lenses are of the highest quallity.

Thank you once more Andre.<BR>

I may bring a couple rolls of color but I really focus in BW.<BR>

I have been to the Caribbean before (Puerto Rico) and I agree with you about the amazing colors.<BR>

How about english? I assume that because of french english speakers would be rare, possibly only confined to the hotels and touristic attractions.<BR>

I will be travelling from Greece, so euros is the currency of choice anyway.

Merci beaucoup Andre!

My french is basic (took classes in elementary school) but I hope it will not be a problem with the interraction with the locals that I am more interested in taking photos of. I will be shooting BW film (HP5+ in 135, Trix&FP4+ in 120) and hopefully also make use of my voice recorder outside the conferance. They will be probably show us around in herds but I plan to escape to experience the place as much I can on my own.

I will be attending an EU conferance as a journalist at the island of

Martinique in the Caribbean. I know very little about it apart from

being french territory, occupied mostly by africans and the common

language is french.<BR>

I am not sure if I will be in the capital of Port de France or

elsewhere but I will have free time and would like to take photographs

of mostly the people and their surroundings in BW (not really

interested in the postcard style).<BR>

I will be probably carrying both my Nikon F90X with a zoom lens for

the typical shots for the paper and my Hassy with 80mm lens for my own

work.<BR>

I will also be bringing a voice recorder for interviews and such.

<P>

Does anyone have any information that can help?

I regulary use my Hasselblad 501CM with 80mm lens for street shots. I am quite comfortable with it, like the WL finder, the square format is great for quick composition and have had no trouble with the mirror. I just need to learn to change film quicker as for the moment I only have one back. A couple more backs and it would be great street shooter. I have posted somewhere a thread about "Handholding a Hasselblad" and have some photos from a parade from the same thread on APUG.org.

I am building a portrait studio and I recently visited Athens to see

what the stores have. I have settled on two lighting brands , but I am

not sure which one to finally choose.<P>

I am between the Bowens' Esprit Digital DX series and the Elinchrom

Style RX series, allcstrobes. They are both very simular but the

Elinchrom are slighly more powerful (just slightly, e.g. 500W vs

600W), slightly faster (a couple 1/10s of second) but they are quite

smaller and lighter (a difference of a whole kilo). The Bowens seem

more sturdy, the are immediately available in all sizes and they use

an IR remote whereas the others have a cable one.

<P>

Anyone that has experience with those lights can help me choose?

I have yet to see a digital shot that does not have ungly skin tones. Models look like plastic store front dolls. Just because of that the quallity has dropped tremendously even on the highest budget fashion magazine, let alone the smaller ones.

I have been cooling off D-76 rapidly in the freeser and fridge without any trouble since I started using it a year ago.

Efke is now renamed to Adox and fotoimpex in Germany is carrying their full line of films and papers.

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In Boston you can try Campus Camera in Kenmore Square, their affiliates ColorTek (If I have the name correctly) in Newbury street and a BW lab that I can't remember the name of, in Newbury street as well.<P>

a.

Is there a way to mathematically calculate a base time for a

film+iso+dev+dillution combo if you have a known time in different

dillution or iso? For example, I have the time for Ilford FP4+ at

64iso with Rodinal 1-100 which I have succesfully developed in 19

minutes at 21C. How can I find the times for other dillutions such as

1-50 or 1-25? Or another example would be the Agfa APX 100 which I

want to rate at 50iso yet the only times I have are for 100iso.<BR>

The reason I ask is that I lack a densitometer to precicely test

developed negatives which because of slow iso and long exposure I

wouldn't be able to judge by eye correctly.<P>

a.

I wrote mini reviews on magazines I have laid my hands on and posted it some time ago on APUG:<BR>

http://www.apug.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9280

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I have started a thread on APUG some time ago on the very subject:<BR>

http://www.apug.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9788

Apart from the difference of viewing with the Waist Level Finder (which I love) and the slower focus, I find absolutely no hidrance working in the street with my 501CM/80Plannar compared to my 35mm cameras.

When the subject is static, I use slow film and tripod.

When the subject moves, I use fast film and handheld.

Simple.

On the street I even keep a constant EV and focus, only fine focusing if I have the luxury.

I have posted an earlier experience on using the Hassy handheld.

When I first got my Hasselblad 501cm I refrained from shooting film because at the time I didn't have a handheld meter and wanted to do it right the first time. So for a month I run around the house trying to adjust to the reversed image in the waist finder and clicked the shutter like a machine gunner. Not only I loved the sound so much (compared to the other 35 SLRs I've used) but was happy to "play" it for the others too! "Looks nice eh? Wait 'till you hear the sound!"

Must be the huge mirror too not just the rear curtin.

<P>

a.

I am quite surprised that after looking at Hassi-foto, the prices of Hasselblad stuff in the EU are a lot higher than in the US, not even counting the exchange rate!

I write just to mention that I am deeply offended as a serious photographer and honest man. I am just not Ansel Adams neither am I rich. I work as a journalist for my daily bread and this particular project does not really pay. I will get a month what you people get in a day. In any case, I should not explain myself to any miserable idiots.

I think it was a mistake to post here.<BR>

I apologise for wasting bandwidth.

I am very lucky that I will be involved in a huge project by the

University of Crete and the local Museum of Nature to collect

information regarding the fauna of the Peloponnese (south mainland

Greece). It is a place of extremes, from high mountains to sandy

beaches and lots inbetween. The project involves scientists, computer

engineers and all kinds of different teams from data collecting to map

and database making. They will also release books and guides.

I will be shooting mostly landscapes, a subject I am not very

experienced with but confindent I will succeed.

The main reason I am involved apart from the exhitement of the whole

project (that is set to last a couple years), is that the EU is

financing it, including the purchase of equipment and that gives me

the opportunity to make a Hasselblad system that would take me years

with my current paycheck.<P>

 

I will be taking my 501CM with 80mm Plannar lens and Manfrotto 055B

Tripod with the three arms head.<BR>

The equipment I think of purchasing are (and keeping for myself

later):<BR>

- 50mm Distagon lens.<BR>

- 180mm Sonnar lens.<BR>

- Individual shades (I thought that the pro shade is too must hassle).<BR>

- Spotmeter. Probably the Gossen Starlite.<BR>

- A second A12 back.<BR>

- PolaPlus back.<BR>

- 16mm extension tube (for portraits with the 180). <BR>

- Lowepro Nature Trekker AW II.<P>

 

They will probably want color, so I'll use Fuji Velvia 50 and Ilford

Pan F+ for my personal BW shots.<P>

 

Any comments?<P>

a.