kent_demas1

Interesting idea with the black and white point set to 0. I am trying to scan Superia 200 as

we speak and I will give that a shot.

Thanks for the tip!

Kent

Just a quick suggestion. I like the new header but the logo for photo.net is pixelated. This

is happening on more than 1 monitor. You might rework the graphic.

Kent

I have an M7 which I cannot say enough good things about. It's been a terrific addition to

my working kit. I highly recommend it.

If that ZI was in Black, which I have seen a picture of, I'd be tempted :) I am honestly

looking forward to handling one to see how well screwed together it is.

John,

Thanks for the note. I actually popped in an order for that item a few weeks ago but, as is commen with Adorama, they are not actually in stock.

Thanks for the link though!

Kent

Eliot,

You are correct, Nikon has announced a new SP. It comes with a 35mm lens and cloth

curtains (many SPs had titanium curtains way back when). It is absurdly nice looking but it

also is $7000.

Here's a link to a picture if interested (run through Google Translator):

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nikon-

image.com%2Fjpn%2Fproducts%2Fcamera%2Ffilm%2Frange%2Fsp%2Findex.htm&langpair=j

a%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

One of these days if I hit the lotto:))

Kent

Brandt,

I actually have a Black Nikon S3-2000 with the Olympic 50 lens. It's really beautifully made

and the Nikon rangefinders are quite good for actual usage. In reality, however, the

ergonomics of the camera are not up to a M7, which I also own, and a modern M series

would be my choice for actual usage on a daily basis.

That said, the S3 is built at least as well as any of my Ms and feels like a tank. It feels very

much like an early Nikon F, if you've handled one, being as they were designed

simultaneously and share parts. It's a great camera, which takes great pictures, but I think

the M is probably the more reasonable solution.

Kent

ps- One area Leica has an advantage is service if you have a problem. When I called Nikon

for a new manual for the S3-2000 they told me they never even heard of the camera!

Better yet, when they asked around the department, nobody had heard of it! Sooooo... if it

was your only camera you might be waiting a looooooong time for Nikon support on that

baby :)

Still looking! If anyone has any tips I'd appreciate the help!

Take care,

Kent

Claude,

I have both a Leica M7 and a G2 and both are terrific, in different ways. Zeiss and Leica

glass have a different look and it's a matter of the right tool for the right subject. The

slides on Kodak 100GX provide a real "punch" from the G2 while I prefer my M for

portraits and B&W.

I like 'em both :)

Kent

Russ,

Best of luck to you! I wish I could be there but I am visiting Long Beach a month too late

(for the Grand Prix).

Kent

I was wondering if anyone knows where I may be able to pick up some

spare Contax N Digital battery packs? I have been hunting around with

no luck.

Thanks for any help you might be able to send my way.

Kent

All,

I actually had to call ToCad today to check on an NX repair I had sent to Kyocera a few weeks back. They were extremely nice and actually answered the phone! I think they will be nice to work with and will provide more responsive feedback then we all came to expect from Kyocera.

Thanks for the ToCad contact info Russ, it came in handy!

Kent

Johnson,

I own a GR21 and it's a fantastic camera. It is extremely compact and with the magnesium body it's a tough cookie. The lens is terrific, though it does vignette a bit wide open to about f5.6.

The flash is pretty weak so I wouldn't get one if that is critical. Other than that it is a fantastic travel camera. If you can find one I am sure you'll enjoy it!

Kent

I have a Coolscan 5000 and both Nikon Scan and Vuescan. Can anyone

pass along some tips on scanning Superia 200? I have had very little

luck getting good results from this film from a scanning perspective.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Kent

I'd say the grand champion would probably be the S3 rangefinder (less complicated viewfinder than the SP). For real world shooting a F2 and FM2 are hard to beat :)

Kent

I actually own Leica products (an M7 and M5) and two Nikon rangefinders (the S3 2000

and an S2) so I have a bit of a perspective on the issue.

The MP would be the correct choice if you are a heavy shooter and are depending on

quality service and support. Nikon USA literally did not even know what I was talking about

a few months back when I needed aan additional manual for the S3 2000! I am sure

getting one serviced is no different.

The MP also offers a built in meter which is, lets face it, kind of nice in this day and age.

Required, no, but nice none the less. Build quality is superb and the choice of lenses has

been built up over more than 50 years of continuous production.

The Nikon SP is, as mentioned above, a S3 with a different viewfinder. This isn't a sudden

cost cutting scheme but an exact replica of what was done with the original Sp and S3. The

Sp was the S3 with a better finder, no less, no more. The S4 was yet another varient, being

the same as the S4 but lacking a self timer.

The new Nikons are built beautifully. I can't say enough about the build quality. They

certainly rival the build of any camera I have owned, including the Leicas. The viewfinder,

though very sophisticated with automatic paralax correction (I do wish Leica would swipe

their methodology on that), is not as bright or easy to focus as the Leicas. It is great to

have a 1:1 image, but the straight albada type makes it a bit tricky under some

circumstances.

Voigtlander made some nice new lenses for the "S" family nikons, though they were

discontinued in the last month or so. Old lenses are very well built with very hard coatings

but can get pricey.

So....... in summary :) If you really want to "use" the camera as a daily shooter, I'd go for

the MP. If you can have a second camera, just for the joy of it, I'd get a SP. Either way you

have a terrific setup!

Kent

I am very happy with Portfolio, it's very well designed and really simplifies the digital

workflow. I do have one problem that I just can't seem to fix.

Many basic EXIF parameters are automatically imported, like aperture and speed. Others,

like "lens" or "white balance", are not working for me. I have set up new meta types for

them and also created new fields, all to no avail.

Any ideas? I have accessed the following page to help disect the slightly odd D70 EXIF

formatting:

http://home.arcor.de/ahuggel/exiv2/tags-nikon.html

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks,

Kent

Cliff... Congratulations on getting the ST. It's a terrific camera. In regards to your questions above:

1) Yup, that is how the initial film advance works.

2) I will have to look that up myself!

3) My ST does "click" but I think that you're just experiencing some normal variation in mount production. I own many Nikons and most of the mounts vary in their attachment "feel" a bit.

4) That is probably a sign of a well used switch. My switch actually is much firmer than the switch on my new Aria. As a matter of fact, I was a bit alarmed by my Aria switch as it felt quite "cheap" to me.

Anyway, enjoy your new camera!

Kent

Trevor... I have the most recent version and have used the version you recently purchased.

I think you will be thrilled with your new lens, they really are the standard for 50's.

Happy shooting!

Kent

I'd have to go with a Black M7 with a 35mm ASPH Summicron. I have found the 35 to pretty much be my "normal" lens at this point.

The 35mm APSH 'Lux looks pretty nice, though I have never used it.

I own an ST and it's been fantastic. The ceramic pressure plate, "light up" dials and overall quality make it a pleasure to use. Also... it takes AAA batteries which is kind of nice.

That said the RX has a MUCH quieter shutter. Both are terrific cameras.

Enjoy whatever you decide on!

Kent

Does anyone know of any new bulbs that are available for the old Nikon

BC-5? If so, where might they be found?

I thought I'd try some "retro flash" with my old Nikon SP but it

appears that these bulbs are difficult or impossible to find. Old ones

are, evidently, prone to bursting and can cause injury.

Besides J&C does anyone know of another US retailer for Maco Cube 400

(35mm)? I have spent some time searching to no avail.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Kent