nicholas_bellamy

"I wouldn't use iPhoto/Aperture books for weddings."

Why not ?

I own a PowerMac G5 dual 2 GHz with 2.256 MB ram.

Can somebody who has used the iPhoto book buying option, please advise how the user-friendliness,

and prices of books compare with that of the Aperture book buying option.

Basically, I have PS7 and am thinking about upgrading to CS2. Alternatively, it would not be too much

more cash to just go Aperture instead, and having seen that Aperture also has the book option which

iPhoto also has, only slightly more user controlled (you can zoom in / reposition photos within the

frame area etc.), I feel that Aperture may be a better buy for me than upgrade to CS2.

Presumably, Aperture also has the preset format books like iPhoto does, i.e. Contemporary / Modern

etc.? and the AUTOFLOW option ? and the choice of coloured covers ? Can you drag an album from

iPhoto directly into Aperture and then AUTOFLOW to form the book ?

Thanks - NB.

I had always thought that the FEL focus, lock and recompose underexposure problem

existed only with the early ETTL digital bodies (i.e. non-ETTL-II bodies). I have recently

added an EOS 3 to my line-up and read recently somebody griping about the FEL problem

on the EOS 3.

Does the FEL over expose problem exist on film as well as digital ?

I could'nt see too much on the subject on photonotes, is there a good place to explain

problem and solution if it does affect my EOS 3

Thank you... Nicholas.

Mamiya RZ67 Pro with a 110mm sekor and three ready loaded 120 backs with Metz 60 Cl

-4 for groups / formal portraits and Eos film cameras for everything else and backing up

the mamiya shots "just in case".

That makes me a dinosaur, but I do not have square eyes ;) And yes, my shoulders do

ache when I got to bed.

Remember me asking about this lens and whether it was an L series ? Anyone interested

why ? Reason being is that one just went on ebay with an EOS 1 body and a power booster

for, wait for it, 280 UK pounds.

Regretably the auction finished whilst I was in a meeting and had no time to surf. Ho

Humm.

Somebody just sold one with an EOS1 and power booster in good condition on ebay for

250 pounds. Regteably I did not have enough time to bid, I noticed the red ring round the

end of the lens when surfing last week.

A catholic priest once told me that it is easier to seek forgiveness than to request

permission.

Thank you Nadine. You have slowed my heartbeat and stress levels down again. Perhaps

shooting a wedding and trying to sell / buy a new house, mixed in with working a 9-5 job

are'nt the best things to do all in 1 week ?

Again - thank you, and thanks for your input earlier in the week on the 45-cl4. I now own

a decent flashgun to fill in those nasty shadows with my Mamiya RZ67.

TTFN - NB.

When you put a 45cl-4 in auto-T mode and fire via the test button straight at a flashmeter

dome in NON-C mode, how accurate do you guys find the 45cl-4 is ?

I set f4 at ISO160 and fire from about 3 metres and get f4 on the flashmeter. I set f11 on

the flash and get about f5.6 +9 (so about f8) on the meter. Move further away at f4 and I

get a lower reading on the meter.

Compared with my TTL stuff to check the meter - I set Av mode and select an apreture of

f8 and get about f8 on the meter from 3 metres. GO lower f and the meter reading goes

lower, higher f and the meter reading increases although going lower and higher from f8,

the readings from the meter seem to be more wayward than they are at f8.

I�m worried that something is not functioning properly - maybe the meter ? Alternatively,

are these tests only good practice in a perfectly empty room with walls that reflect a

normal amount of light ?

One last question. In manual mode I get approx F16, f11 and f8 on the meter from 3

metres away for the M, M1/2 and M1/4 settings. What happens when I want a depth of

eidl achievable only through f1.8 ? Do I have to put some kind of diffuser on the front of

the flash gun ?

I need a flash to go with my Mamiya RZ67 Pro (series 1).

Preferably will also work with my Canon EOS 5's if required, through the SCA adaptor and

as a remotely triggered second flash via a wireless sender in the EOS 5's synch socket (with

540 EZ on the hotshoe as primary).

I have found a decent Metz 45CL-4 which I could purchase saturday morning and play

with all weekend.

If used as a second gun, I have been told that to prevent confusing the OTF sensor in the

EOS 5's, and the light sensor in the 45 CL4 you need to set both the hotshoe gun and the

second gun on manual.

I have a Minolta IVF flashmeter which could come in handy here to make sure flashes are

set right on the money when in manual mode.

So, when pressing the test button on the 45CL-4 in manual mode, does the output vary

true to the manual aperture selected ?

Neil, your shots are truly amazing and refreshingly original. Wow !

Just to get things straight, you meter the scene in matrix mode and set

overexposure to 1/3 stop. Then using two guns in TTL mode, 1 as master and 1 as

wireless slave, (presumably this can be replicated with an off-shoe adator and distributor)

set the flash compensation to - 2/3.

What ISO do you normally need to select ? And what aperture and shutter speed does that

normally allow you ?

Thank you.

The pro who shot our wedding nailed a top table shot, and without asking him directly, I

am trying to guess how he set the shot up on the day.

The table was one long line where the first person on the table was approx 16 foot from

the last. The neighbouring tables restricted access to a diagonal view only and the

furthest away you could stand directly opposite the table is approx. 8 foot away.

Guessing he used ISO 100 film in a film body. Guessing he got 1/2 sec at f5.6 ambient

from the high ceiling chandeliers / natural light through a side window.

Imagine you have 24mm, 50mm, 85mm and 135mm primes and a 24-70 zoom, a 540 EZ

(or equivalent) and a tripod.

To crop the shot perfectly, say you have to stand directly opposite the first person 6 foot

away, and the focal point is the second or third person along who would be say 7 foot

away.

I would use the tripod, set f11 at 1 second, TTL on the flashgun (no diffuser) with an off

camera flash cord and put the flash gun about 2 foot higher than the camera, and tell

everyone to keep still for at least 2 seconds AFTER the flash has gone off.

Any advances ?

The Paul Weller shot right at the end does it for me. BTW - Do flickr crop the images

unwantedly, or did Andy Rosen really crop Paul Weller's shoes off - I apologise if he did it

on purpose for artistic licence and I come across as a party pooper.

My mac uses a pioneer DVD burners which will ONLY accept -R or -RW DVD's. Presumably

you have the same issue with your machine, i.e. your burner will only burn onto - (minus)

format and not - (minus) and + (plus) format.

I did'nt think you could get dual format burners, but maybe I am wrong.

It just gets better... it's even got a synch socket ! Man I am going to have some major fun

with this

camera. My dear old grandad will be smiling in his box, I can see him grinning in the back

of my mind. Hey - Maybe I can get some prints done in time for Christmas for my

grandmother.

I must ask my mum to try and find those prints he did of Lincoln cathedral.

I also discovered a clockwork timer unit last night. I feel like a kid at Christmas again.

Thank you everyone who has helped me, I really appreciate you all taking time to give me

advice. Thanks - NB.

What ! It uses normal 120 rollfilm ? SO I can get a roll of my fave Velvia 50 in 120 format

and it drops straight in ?

Man it will get some serious use if that's the case - 6x9 trannies here I come.

My mum gave me my grandad's old camera at the weekend.

It's a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 Blacktop still within it's the brown leather carry case. I know

it's not worth much, but apart from a few blobs of black paint missing, it's in mint

condition and as a family heirloom, it's worth more to me than my battery of EOS 5's,

prime lenses and speedlites.

The coolest thing about this camera is that my Dad's 2nd cousin gave me a photo a few

months ago of my Dad aged about 3 (that makes the photo circa 1948), with my grandad,

grandmother and great grandmother at the seaside and my grandad has the camera in its

brown leather case around his neck.

So my question... I notice that the camera shoots 6x9 format which is really cool as I do

not have a medium format kit yet. I think I've worked out how to operate the unit, but can

someone tell me how far my eye should be from the pop up viewfinder when I compose

the shot.

I have a lightmeter so I'm going to try and get hold of some roll film for it - anybody know

where I can get some ?

Regards

NB

Sorry if this has been asked 1,000 times before.

I will need medium format gear before too long. I shoot mostly weddings in 35mm, but

may also soon venture into commercial / brochure publishing stuff (mainly fashion and

property

brochures) in future.

I went on a studio lighting course a while ago, and learned why Mamiya 67's can be better

than blads if you want all round coverage with one system provided you're not bothered

about being resticted to a tripod, however I need to consider that I may need to display

digital images immediately for approval at fashion / publishing gigs.

So, I know that you can hire digibacks for RZ67 pro II, but is the same true of RB67 / RB67

pro / RZ67 / RZ67 pro 'original' versions. And what is the difference between pro and

std... is it the fine focus knob, or is there something else ?

Thank you. NB.

Phone up photofusion in Brixton. Two of their club members did an exhibition on exactly

this theme for Ministry of Sound. The prints that they are (possibly still) exhibiting are

as you say "different" and excellent.

They'll possibly let you view for free - dunno - I saw them when I attended their studio

lighting course.

Sorry, is it just me who believes that a bride and groom, with all the other stress and

organisational titter tatter they have to consider, should not have to also worry about the

fact that the photographer has some small print in his contract which states he must be

fed and watered ? I cannot believe that a bride is having to worry about this.

After all, you are being paid to do the job. You're a photographer, not Elton John on tour

in Singapore paying 1,000 dollars a night in the Raffles Hotel.

It's simple - if you're a photog then get some drinks, sandwiches, or pasta or whatever

and leave it in a cool bag in your car, or ask cook nicely to leave in the kitchen fridge if it

is too hot in your car. When B+G+guests sit down to eat, you make your excuses and sit

out of everybody's way. If it's central London or NY City so you use public transport,

hence taking food is inpractical then go to the local deli.

If you get invited to eat with them (without you including it in your contract) then accept

graciously, otherwise do the above.

What's next - "the photog has the right not to turn up it if rains or if it's a little cold and

the B+G did'nt bring a spare sweater, also he must have access to the swimming pool on

the honeymoon and if single must be setup with one of the bridesmaids.

Back to my answer for the bride - if I were you... I'd read the contract and unless it

specifically mentions dietary requirements, favourite wine, personal preference of single

Malt 20 year old scotch whisky, only having red M+M's in the sweet bowl on the piano in

the bar, I would'nt worry about it - his / her problem, not yours... You're a bride on your

day, not a chef at Buckingham Palace.

What hacks me off more is people spending shed loads of cash on a decent replica, and

then being too tight to spend a few hundred squid on a wooden rim replica steering

wheel.

Gavin - one thing concerning exposure which you should also consider when using this

forum, is negative web exposure. If you google Gavin Tomkins Photographer, you get

your Kyotee link number 1, then number 2 is this thread, within which :

1. You have called somebody criticising you, quote "a tw@t". 2. You have derogatory

comments aimed at you by 'pros', who have (albeit unfairly) suggested you are little more

than a member

of Joe Public with a DSLR. 3. You have also publically confirmed that you went to a quote

"useless college", consequently you regularly have problems obtaining correct exposures

with wedding photographs.

For your own benefit, please think twice about what you post on here. Unfair I know, but

sh1t hapens.

Out of interest, 1) Do the majority of your overexposed shots incude the bride in her

dress in bright sunlight ? 2) Do you have an incident lightmeter ?

The advice above about checking the needle pointer in the screen is good, although I like

to keep the thumbwheel 'ON' so I can underexpose the backdrop in Av mode quickly

whenever required, without affecting the flash exposure.