vrankin

<p>I had an 18-70 on my D70, and an 18-105 on my D5000. I liked the build quality of the 18-70 better, and preferred the reach of the 18-105. But its complex horizon distortions were frustrating. Both suffered from vignetting wide open at the extremes. Lately I see more positive posting about the 18-140. I'm currently using the combination of a 18-55 VR II and 55-200 VR.</p>

<p>Back in film days I had that exact lens on two different bodies and made 11 X 14 prints from it. It was considered a good lens for its price ($149.00, new). One of those prints is still hanging in our son's family room, fifteen years later. </p>

<p>Love your cave photos, Panayotis!</p>

<p>While on my way to a lighthouse photo session last Saturday afternoon, I walked through a number of wedding parties and their photographers. This group's main photographer is out of sight in front of them, but I caught the second photographer shooting from the left side. The fun of the moment seemed to call for sepia B&W. (Larger view in my <a href="/photo/17888232">gallery</a>)</p><div></div>

<p>It seems you have the potential to do very good work with your current equipment and connections with this community. Are there photo meets or clubs in your area? Or perhaps a mentor pro or semi-pro? Perhaps you have the financial resources to do a photo tour or weekend workshop. Over the years I've grown most in my imaging when interacting with others who shared in the interest of making good images even better.</p>

<p>A fall color scene from our back yard, yesterday. </p><div></div>

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<p>I hope Alan's related software issue will also be resolved.</p>

<p>Great start this morning. Tony and Ikka, brilliant! I was visiting a historic pioneer village display in Wisconsin, and happened onto three train station carts parked among the trees. I popped the setting into Vivid Picture Control, emphasizing reds, greens and yellows.</p><div></div>

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<p>This is a great start. I loved film. I had my grief, and now I feel better. Besides, how many full time professional photographers have said that digital technology is superior? All of the few whom I've read!</p>

<p>You most likely got an item that had been previously owned.</p>

<p>Peter: Are you familiar with <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=fritz+henle+photography&biw=1831&bih=905&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ni0wVKemLcSxyASJxoGgAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ">Fritz Henle's work?</a></p>

<p>That's a ten four. Over and out.</p>

<p>Thanks, for baling me out, Stephen and Craig. You're right.</p>

<p>Edward: It's not the photographers with whom I took issue. Who would do that? It's the way Leica uses their hard won photos as a chic statement for promoting a label. Certainly other photographers made equally compelling photos with all manner of brands. Leica's marketing is not subtle. If you're among the few who really understand, you already own the label. If not, it's time to get on board with the world's great photographers and shoot with a Leica. Really?</p>

<p>A couple of thoughts: are you certain the lab actually push processed your film? Second, there may be some confusion about exposure readings and settings. f/22 is actually stopped all the way down, meaning less exposure, not "wide open" as your post stated. Wide open would be f/2.8, at the other end of the settings. To attempt solving the exposure mystery, your orange filter subtracts probably 1.5 or 2.0 stops and should be factored in to the calculations. A "Sunny Sixteen" rule of exposure is to set the reciprocal of your ISO, at f/16. At f/22 an ISO 1600 full sunlit setting would be 1/3,200th second. Factor in your orange filter, and it would be between 1/1,600 and 1/800th sec. If the light was "sunny with clouds", that would require another stop of increase, from "sunny sixteen" conditions, or around 1/500th sec. @ f/22. If you exposed at 1/250th sec., f/22 you should have actually seen one stop of overexposure (greater, not less developed silver density) in your negatives pushed to ISO 1,600. So something is amiss. I suspect the lab didn't give you the push processing, and that would explain the thin negatives returned to you.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the link. Wonderful, historic photos. Don't know that I could part with the money to own their products. Leica ranks among few world brands in its way of marketing elitism.</p>

<p>How will a restart ever sustain profitability? Most of the world has gone digital without a look back.</p>

<p>John Harper, your Autumn Reflections shot is beautiful! My contribution this week is from a walk in a local park yesterday. The colors will be at peak here in S.E. Wisconsin, this weekend.</p><div></div>

<p>+1 What Don said, and also encouragement to try out this lens where it will really shine: interior shots slightly stopped down, and landscapes in the f/8- f/11 range, emphasizing relationships between near and far objects.</p>

<p>Usually, zoo lions have totally ignored me. This young male really engaged. For a few moments I felt intensely glad for the thick protective window between us. The image is from our point and shoot camera, which did pretty well. Moderate adjustments were made in iPhoto.</p><div></div>