kris_francis

<p>How long should a camera last?</p>

<p>If I beat the hell out of it: 1 year or less.<br>

Film camera: 50-75 years minimum.<br>

Digital camera: 18 months.</p>

<p>It has been my experience that if you can't affort it at <a href="http://www.keh.com">www.keh.com</a>, B&H, or Adorama, you can't affort it. (There are several others - this advise is not a slight against them).<br>

Be wary of sellers who offer the latest Nikon/Cannon/whatever equipment at a tenth of the cost... this is an obvious indication of a scam.<br>

Kris</p>

<p>All:<br>

I am thinking about upgrading from Windows XP to a new system with Windows 7 - but the only driver available for the Konica Minolta 5400 II seems to be for XP.<br>

Question - will the XP driver dor this scanner work under Windows 7 (in some compatability mode), or am I screwed? (same question posed by Alexander Karasev on 13 Feb 09, but he is running a Vista OS).<br>

Many thanks in advance. Kris</p>

<p>Kay:<br>

Just my opinion: As you are building your business, keep rate the same. Inquiries mean nothing, getting paid is what counts.<br>

Once the business is established, do what my lawyer does: When business is brisk, rase rates a bit. Keep raising rates until business is at a rate you feel comfortable with. Likewise, lower rates a bit when business is slow. Keep lowering rates until business picks up.<br>

Kris </p>

Ross:

Consider the logistics of charging batteries against film supply/return. AA batteries are available in almost every store along the way. I still stick with film, for a variety of reasons. Good luck, and keep us posted on your adventure. Kris.

Can the Fuji S700/S5700 use memory cards (either SD or xD) greater than 2 GB?

The instruction manual specifically states a 2 GB limit... is anyone using memory

greater that 2 GB?

Thanks in advance,

Kris Francis

Bob:

I have backpacked in the High Sierra, usually Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Parks, typically for 14 days without resupply. I usually carry a Pentax 67, Nikon F100, and a small tripod. A few suggestions:

Travel light. You don't need a lot of the stuff you think you might use. Pare away at weight... Google lightweight backpacking for ideas. Ask yourself the following question: "Do I really need this", and if the answer is yes, pare away at the weight. Make one object do the work of two.

Simplify. Too much equipment just complicates life, including camera gear. Travel smart. Simplify.

There are some excellent light weight sleeping bags (less than 2 kilos) and lightweight tents. Consider a tarp or bivy bag to reduce weight. Throw some money at the problem!

Consider resupply on a longer trip. Typicall resupply points are the Muir Trail Ranch, Vermillion Valley Resort, Red's Meadows, or the town of Independence. Google for more information. Keep asking questions.

Consider paying a (horse/mule) packer. They can haul you and your goods to a point and drop you off, or meet you wit a resupply.

Also, don't start off with a 14 day pack trip as your first experience in the Sierra. Start with shorter trips, and work up. The goal here is to keep the suffering to a minimum (remember, this IS a vacation!).

See ya on the trails,

Kris

Kevin:

I took a quick look at your web site and was very impresed.

Each of your choices have pluses and minuses. How each camera feels in your hands is the key... what works for you will not work for me. The only way is to make a choice is to do the research and handle as many cameras as possible.

Without getting into the digital/film choice, how big do you want to make engargments? Do you use a tripod _all_ the time? How much weight do you want to carry? Do you backpack for weeks at a time, away from electrical power? Is a zoom lens important? How much cash do you have - the cost of the Hasselblad digital is significant.

That reminds me of two quotes... I beleive Ansel Adams was asked what kind of camera to buy, to which re responded "The biggest one you can cary." Another individual was asked to describe what it takes to be a wildlife photographer, to which he replied "A gold Visa card.".

Will:

I asked the same question several years ago and bought a Pentax 67 II kit. What I learned (the hard way) was was the weight of the camera (I go on two week backpack trips), and the necessity for a tripod to produce sharp negatives. (I've since learned that _any_ camera needs a tripod to deliver sharp negatives.)

Each of the MF camera systems you mentioned has pluses and minuses. The best way to attack the problem is to consider the following issues:

1) How does this feel in my hands? One really needs to touch and feel before buying. Some love rangefinders, others can't stand 'em. There is no right and wrong, only what works for you.

2) How does this system match my style? Do I want a built-in light meter? Will I always use a tripod? Does the weight/size match my style? Will I need the mother-of-all tripods to tame this beast?

3) Availibility/Price. Surf the web to get a feel for how much is out there, and at what cost. I still like the Rollei SL66, but there is so darned little out there...

This forum is a great resource, but remember opinions are like body parts... every has at least one. If I were to ask a question such as 'What's the best spot light meter', I would get a dozzen or more replies, and find out that every model has people who hate and love them. So in the end, what did I get for asking? Perhaps asking a more directed question, such as 'What has been your experience with the Foobar Model 1234 spot digital light meter?'.

Good luck,

Kris

Asim:

I own a Pentax 67 II, and the images it gives are very sharp. However, this camera _really_ needs a tripod. The combination of the P67 with a tripod is not light weight.

See the following post:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KNnS

and my response.

John:

Thanks for your answer. That's what I ment to say when I wrote 'I figured out the math.' I was intrested in computing the latitude of a given film from the film characteristics plot supplied by the manufacture.

Fuji technical data shows the film characteristic curve for a given film as a

plot with the X axis labled "Density" and the Y axis labled "Exposure [log H

(lux-seconds)]. Please explain the following:

a) The relationship between exposure and EV values. For example, let's say a

given film shows a usable exposure range of -2.5 to +0.5. How many F stops is

this?

b) Any good references (on-line, or books) that could explain this better?

Thanks,

Kris

Dave:

Best Sierra photo ops? My recommendation is to spend time anywhere in Kings/Sequoia National Park. The photo opportunities will occur when they occur... you just gotta spend time there.

Be sure to wake up before dawn, be active around sunset, and hope for bad weather - these all help for a good picture.

My experience with a Pentax 67 II hand held with iso 100 film the results are disappointing, when examined under a 20x loupe. With iso 400 the results are acceptable, but grain becomes an issue.

When using a tripod (and locking up the mirror) with iso 25 film the results tack-sharp.

I hope this helps.

I would recommend the "AE Pentaprism Finder 67 II", if you don't have (or want to use) a light meter. Very accurate.

Based on my use, I find the P67 must be used with a tripod every time. I have compared hand-held shots and tripod shots, and have been disapointed in most of the hand-held shots. This equipment can produce some beautiful results, but ya gotta work for it.