dennis_oconnor2

Outstanding... That a self portrait, Lex?

 

denny

I am not a fan of push processing film... All you get is chalk and soot... Shoot and develop at 3200 and adjust the contrast with the paper grade..

 

Stick with the class materials for the duration of the class for class assignments... Nothing ticks off an instructor more than students who feel that they set the syllabus...

 

Now, having said that there is absolutely nothing preventing you from shooting some self assigned street shots with Tri-X, or portraits with APX100 / FP4+ and souping them in school's D76 <the gold standard for b&w, btw>.. Those prints should blow away some of the students compared to 3200 speed - specially, if the prints are shot with the Bronica...

 

denny

OK guys... Thanks for the comments... The lens just came an hour ago from Cameta Camera... It was $179 and listed as a Bargain lens... I dunno, about Cameta's classification system... Yes, the paint on the barrel does not have that mirror shine because it has been handled, but there are no dents or scratches... The focus is smooth... The f stops click nicely... The ears are not bent... The glass looks good, in fact pristine, not even cleaning sleeks... The viewfinder shows the darkening when compared to the afd f:2.8, which is expected... The jury is out until I shoot a couple of rolls, but so far, 'I are a happy camper'....

 

denny

D76 is the gold standars, however I would urge that you look at one of the improved formulations, that stabilizes the pH changes with time, especially stored in a partial bottle

 

I noted the comment about XTOL having a cult following... I'm not a cult member, but I think it would be an excellent alternative developer to live in a partially full bottle for periods of time... It has tonality that is different than D-76... TMX looks good in xtol, at least in my tests, as does all the medium speed films I tried it on...

 

denny

Just ordered one of these on impulse as the price was low enough...

I will initially use it on an F5 (yes, I understand it is a mf lens)

Any thoughts on having done this versus a 1.4 convertor on my 80-200

afd f2.8... The big afd lens gives outstanding images... A

convertor will cost me some image quality... Ignoring issues of

convenience, will the image quality of this older fixed tele exceed

the zoom plus tc? Opinions....

 

 

denny

Pat can usually be found by perusing the rec.photo.darkroom

There is a famous 'high speed' version of a developer where the only change was they added non iodized table salt...

Troop and Anchell talk about his in their book...

 

denny

I like it... An interesting break from the usual "pleasant" portrait... I do agree with the fuzzy hands being distracting... They need to be burned down a stop, or so, to be less distracting...

I am currently using Gainer's ascorbate formulas from the Unblinking Eye article... I did have a failure to develop early on which was not the end of the world as these were film/developer tests shot of a table top, so replacing the roll with identical shots was as easy as pulling the next identical roll out of the drawer... However, I started doing clip tests before developing since then, and have not had a failure - proof that I failed to add something when mixing that time, and not the fault of ascorbate...

 

 

I suggest that you take your FX-50 and do a simple clip test... I keep an opened roll in a drawer with a pair of scissors so I can snip a sliver and toss it into the freshly mixed developer whilst I am getting other things set up (bright lights on)... When I have all the containers filled, the bath up to temperature, etc., I fish the sliver out and toss it in the rapid fixer... A minute later if the sliver is black, it is good to go...

 

 

denny

A new Kiev is a crap shoot... A used Kiev is a double crap shoot.. If it has problems they can be solved, but it will take, time and money... How much of a gambler are you?

 

 

denny

I agree with the advice to get the polaroid back and you can initially shoot type 55 which gives you a positive and a negative... You get instant feedback on composition, etc., and can reshoot if needed, and you have a negative to print later... Be aware that the ASA for a good negative gives you a poor instant print, but the instant print is just a tool, not the hang on the wall enlargements that you will make eventually... This is lots cheaper than a digital back for getting started...

 

 

denny

You already have an enlarger that will handle MF... With $700- $900 as a working budget, LF is out of the question at this point in time because you need another enlarger, lenses, film holders, developing hangers, tanks, etc......

 

 

Any decent MF will move you along... Skip the Hassy at this point in time because she is like dating a supermodel... You can afford the first date but keeping up with her life style is going to break you...

 

6x6 or 6x7 is where you want to be (can a 23 do 6x7? dunno), as opposed to 645... Anyway, you need to be in a Bronica SQ, RB, or a Rollei 3.5, Pentax 67 (if the enlarger can hack it), or <my choice> Mamiya C220 and a lens assortment and you will be under $700 plus have 3 times the focusing range for getting close to the erotic parts, leaving money for pyro, etc...

 

 

have fun ... denny

Everyone has their druthers... You already have a MF system that can be built upon... I would buy a good light meter, Sekonic L-358 comes to mind, that can do both flash and strobe for whatever format you are shooting and forget going to a different MF system, and buying a digital camera to use as a polaroid, etc...

 

The nice thing about the Mamiya tlr system, is that you can afford to add lenses and bodies as you go along.. I generally keep three bodies loaded with different films (color coded tape on body)... Then depending upon what i intend to shoot at that time, I grab the appropriate body and lenses, and go for it... ymmv

 

 

denny

I always cringe when I see a beginner ask for advice, because he is bound to be drowned by a flood of answers telling him to use everything from brand Z, to make his own glass plates and develop them in urine from Himalayan Yaks///

 

G... The Ilford site is a source of credible, and tested information... Stick with their recommendations for starters... FP4 and HP5 developed in Id11 is perfect for a beginner...

 

 

denny

The ISS is a shirt sleeve environment, not the surface of the moon... Why would the D1 need modification?

 

 

denny

Leaving the film exposed to air 50 seconds out of every minute is more likely to cause fog and streaking than compensation...

Take a look at the No Words Bugs just above this topic and look at Arnab's 60mm Micro Nikkor shot...

Jeez, I get to play the heavy here... OK, picture me looking like Charles Bronson <sigh>...

 

 

Auto focus is not a dead nuts deal, it is a 'zone focus' algorithm where once the contrast comparison says the focus is somewhere within the zone, it's good enough and stops the lens focus travel... One of the camera sites <I believe it is Monaghan's> did a LPPM comparison with auto focus versus eye focus <same lens/body> and found a nearly 50% decrease in the LPPM of the negative with auto focus versus manual focus...

 

Now the real question is, is the auto focus of this camera close enough for me? If you shoot portraits will it focus on the eye or the ear, or maybe the edge of the collar? big difference on the print...

Only you can answer that question... I would urge that you rent the camera for a day, including the 6X magnification chimney, and do your own comparison tests...

 

 

denny - hmmm, maybe a trench coat and a sardonic stare and I can be a star?

Get a magnifying glass and compare a print with the 'tracking' to it's respective negative... If it is not on the negative, then it is in the printing process... If it is present on the negative then it is in the camera / developing process.. Until you narrow it down it is going to be difficult to discuss...

 

 

denny

Having just recently finished a large series of film and developer tests I found APX100 to really shine in Xtol 1:2 and D76 1:1...

denny

Back to the mirror... Cleaning a mirror is not rocket science, just good astronomy... Do a google on 'amateur telescope makers' <ATM>... Newtonian telescopes are the most commonly built scopes and have a first surface mirror that needs to be cleaned at least annually... Every site aimed at the really green, beginner ATM will have a detailed set of instructions on how to clean a first surface mirror without sleeking <scratching it>... Not difficult at all, just don't 'touch' the mirror surface with anything but a stream of liquid or compressed air... Buzz me if you have questions on that part of it - on Rollies I know nothing, I shoot Mamiya TLRs...

 

BTW, shoot a roll of color transparency - try Velvia 50 - and mount them on a piece of plastic and hang in front of a window... You will get more oohs and ahhs from that than anything else you will ever do...

 

Cheers ... Denny

Which new tri-X , 320 or 400, are we discussing?

 

Inquiring minds and all that...

Don't listen to Chris... He is trying to lure you to the dark side... He is an agent of Beelzebub...

 

Close your eyes... Listen only to me... TriX-D76.. Keep repeating it to yourself... You are getting sleeepy... TriX-D76... sleeeeepeeeee

 

And in about 6 months you will be an old darkroom hand in here swapping developer formulas <from the darkside> with impunity...

 

denny

No, likely he works for their PR firm, not directly for Oly...

 

Yes, digital is coming along, but not that far yet...

Yes Mikael, you are old and grubby... Don't dump on the guy...