claude_sapp

<p>I really do not think you will see any difference in image quality when using film lenses on a digital SLR, but that is not to say that optics can not be optimized for digital sensors. Schneider has some good reading here:<br>

http://www.schneideroptics.com/ecommerce/CatalogSubCategoryDisplay.aspx?CID=172<br>

The argument is probably much more applicable (if at all) to large format lenses. Schneider's argument is basically that their digital large format lenses are optimized for a smaller image area than traditional LF sizes, eg 4x5 and larger film areas. This however seems not as applicable to the argument based around SLR cameras since the digital sensor is much closer in size or identical in size to the area of a 35mm frame.<br>

Can lenses be 'optimized' for digital sensors? Probably. Will it ever matter to most of us? Never.</p>

Well, to start, Badger is a great company to work with. As for the Shen Hao, it is a great camera to use. It was the first

LF camera I bought. I have since sold it, but really had no complaints, it is great for the price. The 4x5 I use now is a

Zone VI, and I prefer it over the Shen Hao because I like longer lenses. The Badger package is nice, the lens is great,

but I agree with the other post, you may like something longer for portraits. There are so many inexpensive used 210mm

lenses out there for sale, you might pick up the camera and look for a longer lens elsewhere. Or if you want to buy new

from Badger, I bet you could ask Badger to put together a kit with a longer lens, they are very helpful. Another good

place that would assemble a great kit is Midwest Photo Exchange.

 

Another response mentioned the 3x rule to compare 35mm and LF lenses, and I agree, that will get you in the ballpark. I

personally like wider lenses in 35, and longer lenses in 4x5. Probably because 35mm film is a wider format than 4x5, and

the LF film is a bit more sqaure than 35. The formats just look different to me given "equivalent" focal lengths.

The significant difference between the SB-600 and SB-800 is commander mode. Neither the D60 nor the SB-600 has

commander mode. That is why I bought an SB-800 for my D60; the SB-800 gives the D60 user commander mode.

This is a superb 4x5 lens. It was my first LF lens, and even though I now own dozens of LF lenses, this one still gets used

often. Downside is that it does not offer much coverage (plenty adequate for landscape though), but the real beauty is that

it is so small and compact it folds up into many camera bodies. As for sharpness, you would be hard pressed to find better.

I think my 150 Apo-Sironar S is sharper, but it is bigger and costs more too.

Another vote for the Eneloop batteries. I just stocked up at CircuitCity, they were on closeout and I got blister packs of AA

and AAA for as little as $3 for 4 batteries. A good review of Eneloop batteries is here: http://www.stefanv.com/electronics/sanyo_eneloop.html

Thanks for all the helpful answers. Now the manual is making more sense to me. Coming from the large format world,

there really is no such thing as sync speeds, slow synch, rear crutain, etc. My old Metz flash in manual mode will sync

with all my large format lenses at all speeds. I have had to learn all the terminology related to focal plane shutters to

make sense of the flash settings on the D60. This thread helps.

 

Some good info above. Slow setting seems to be what I was looking for, and it is available in P or A. I do not think the

D60 has adjustable defaults like the D2H has. Such a setting is what I assumed would be buried in the settings

somewhere, but it seems not to be part of the D60 feature set. That is OK, there are workarounds as mentioned in this

thread.

 

AUTO and P mode seem almost useless to me. I am feeling most comfortable with M mode using my Pentax

spotmeter, and then A mode seems pretty useful letting the camera meter decide a few things for me.

 

I ordered an SB-800 to learn more about flash. It has many more buttons and features than my old Metz, which only has

an on off switch that is stuck in the on position, so really it has no buttons! I am sure the SB-800 will lead to more

questions...

I have read the manual. Many times. Perhaps it was not clear in the manual, and that is why I am asking here.

 

"Slow" as the chosen flash mode in A or P mode is the answer.

 

My large format gear does not have a slow sync setting, so I have a learning curve with my first digital camera.

I have a D60, and am wondering about the flash sync on the camera. I understand the fastest sync is 1/200, but I am wondering if sync

slower than 1/60 is possible? It seems sync slower than 1/60 is only possible in M and S mode; in P, A, and AUTO sync seems to be

limited to between 1/60 and 1/200.

 

The reason I ask is because, for example, in P mode if I lift the flash to use indoors the shutter is set to 1/60, the aperture to the largest

possible given the focal length chosen on the zoom, and vari-program does not change settings as I turn the dial. Similar happens in A

mode, though I can change the aperture while the shutter stays at 1/60. In both examples the camera says I will grossly underexpose, yet

if I take a photo the exposure seems to be spot on.

 

Is the camera just trying to protect me from taking a blurry image by limiting my slowest shutter speed to 1/60? If so, I wish it would not.

The only setting related to adjusting slow shutter speeds I could find in the menu system was related to auto ISO, nothing to do with flash

sync.

 

Perhaps the answer is just to use M or S mode when I want to shoot slower than 1/60 with flash.

My fiancee is an historic preservationist, and often works in the rural south, mainly Georgia. Part of this work is photo documentation of every sort of subject, including views of the landscape, and photographs of both public and private buildings. I have been in the field with her often, and find two things will help me (the photographer) get the shot I want. First, we always check in with the local police department before shooting anything. They have NEVER given us any grief, and if a person actually calls, which has happened to me a few times, all the police are going to say is, "yeah, we know". Second, we always check with the landowner if available. Only once has the owner refused permission to photograph. Sometimes they follow me to see what I am photographing, and once someone actually followed me with a video camera to record me. I felt so Ansel, a superstar in action! The only situation that came close to altercation was in rural Alabama, photographing an old mill town for the state historical office. One guy came out of his house yelling at me, telling me I can not photograph his house. I just could not resist taking the LF action shot of the man yelling at me - indeed, a keeper. His wife laughed, but it only made him more mad. When he called the police on us, the police did nothing, since we had already spoken with them. Another thing is to heed the warning about thinking a road is public. Many roads are in fact private, even if not posted as such.

http://www.photofilter.com/ lists every size you can imagine

Another option is http://www.precisiondigitalnegatives.com/

 

The book has much information on alternative process printing (non-silver) but the theory and methods included are applicable to silver as well. It basically outlines a method to find your standard printing time (to get your deepest blacks), standard color density (density range of the digital negative using your inkset to give paper whites) and to develop a process adjustment curve for Photoshop. The whole calibration workflow reminds me of the BTZS testing I have done for a traditional darkroom. The book was worth the Photoshop tips alone for me, but I am a bit of a novice in the digital realm. Mark Nelson's writing style is clear and understandable, and the book also includes many illustrations. The book in pdf format, and the CD includes digital tools (stepwedges, spreadsheets) to help you calibrate your system.

 

Claude

I used them (14th St in Atlanta) once, and they did an OK job. Results aside, the price I paid would have more than paid for a complete setup in your apartment! It was REALLY expensive; make sure you price it. AM Photo in the Emory village and Showcase on Cheshire and LaVista are just as expensive from what I remember. I would recommend putting the money into some quality equipment and do it yourself. That's part of the fun, right?