bernard_korites

In my experience with galleries 50/50 is the norm with a quality gallery so 60/40 is generous. Small non-profit art societies may take 30%.

I get it from CVS. They're everywhere here in the US, don't know about the UK.

I have a Leica z2x and an Epson Stylus Epic. Slides from either one, when scanned with my Scan Dual IV, will produce much better results than anything from my Sony 717 6mp digital. The little Leica will produce slides as good as my Nikons with top lenses, when it's working, that is.

"Then you have Bill Gates absolutely working to screw you up"

 

If it wasn't for Bill Gates none of us would be here.

 

I have owned multiple variants of Apple and DOS/Windows machines over the years and have hassled with multiple crashes and hardware failures with Apple's.

 

Right now I am happily typing into a 6 year old IBM Aptiva running Windows 98 that cost me apx $500 at Best Buy and it has never crashed on me in spite of having attached to it an Epson 2200, Minolta Scan Dual IV, Epson flatbed, HP Laserjet printer, USB hub and a memory stick reader plus it's loaded with a screen full of software icons including Tex (a 3 hour download), PS, WinEdt......

I have the Scan Dual IV. Contrary to what is stated above, it has 16x multisampling and it has grain disolver.

I use Colorvision Colorplus ($100) on my 6 year old IBM crt. It seems to work.

Alex:

 

Please explain, what is it about that picture you find impressive?

"from B+H.....one roll of fuji velvia 100, one prepaid fuji mailer and the cheapest shipping option to the OPs location is $13.48. a savings from $17, but not half."

 

I usually have them throw in a few rolls of film and mailers whenever I'm ordering other stuff like printer supplies from BH. That way the shipping cost is essentially nil.

Why does it cost $17 a roll? Velvia can be had from BH for $4.50 or so and Fuji mailers for about $4.00. That should cut your film budget in half.

I went back to film a long time ago, for many of the reasons mentioned here, but also because of the safer and easier archivability of film.

Since you are shooting in "full sunlight", it sounds like the scene is bright and you are not adjusting exposure on something that is middle grey. Try exposing in the mid tone in the scene then open the exposure by 1 stop.

Depending on the type of light meter in your camera, a linear polarizer can interfere with BOTH autofocus AND metering.

 

The way to test this is to mount the linear polarizer on your camera and aim it at a non-polarized light source, like an incadescent light bulb. Then turn the polarizer. There should be no change in the exposure reading.

 

When I do this test with my FM10 and a linear polarizer there IS a change in exposure reading, meaning the polarizer is interfering with the metering. When I try the same test with my Sony 717 mounted on the same tripod, aimed at the same light source, with a circular polarizer, there is no change.

 

Apparently some exposure meters use a beam splitter which induces a linear polarization in the light before it hits the light sensor. A linear polarizer in front of the camera induces a second polarization which interferes with this. In effect, the light becomes double polarized.

 

However, the effect seems to be small. With my FM10 it is about 1/3 of a stop, at least in the test I described above. Safest course is to use a circular polarizer.

Allan-

 

That's good to hear and I hope it's true. I suspected there might be a new one coming since the Coolscan V is out of stock just about everywhere.

I prefer the 3 way for landscape work. Once I get it level about the roll axis, I can tilt it up and down to get the horizon where I want it. It's also better for studio work where precise alignment is often important. You can use a 3 way like a ball head, you just have two handles to tighten rather than one.

Scot-

 

I know many people who make their living restoring old cars, motorcycles and guns. They buy them cheap, paint them, fix them, then resell them for many times what they paid for them.

 

If you're about talking a truely rare antique, like a 16th century piece of furniture, I would agree with you but this, afterall, is just a used and abused camera.

If it bothers you to see it in its present condition, then I would repaint it. People restore old things all the time - guns, houses, cars, boats, motorcycles... In such cases the restoration usually adds value to the item. Why not restore an abused camera and bring it back to its original condition? After all, it's not a priceless antique, it's just a camera that has been abused.

If I had $50 burning a hole in my pocket I would buy a used 8008s on ebay rather than a used F3HP for $465. It's a better camera - viewfinders are about the same but with the 8008s you get an analog exposure meter, light in the viewfinder and other creature comforts.

<--strange states that required rebooting my Mac-->

 

I think that might be a MAC issue. I have been using the SDIV on a 6 year old IBM Aptiva with Windows 98 for two years and never had any system problems.

Tong:

I'm not familiar with either of those lenses. My 50/1.8 is an AIS manual focus that I bought from BH three or four years ago.

"--For that price, one can buy a dozen of 50/1.8 E lens. I doubt anyone could tell the difference under 13x19--"

 

I have both the 45/f2.8 and the 50/f1.8. I have tested the two side by side on a tripod, same roll of film, same camera, just swapping the two lenses back and forth.

 

I found, while resolution is about the same, the 45/f2.8 has much better color and contrast. I also prefer the 45's slightly wider view angle, especially for landscapes.

 

Regarding size, you really don't save much with the 45 over the 50, maybe an eight of an inch in length.

 

The 45/f2.8 mounted on a fm10 or fm2n makes the perfect poor man's Leica. Put in a roll of Astia and you have the perfect travel camera.

You are probably better off looking at books on evolutionary biology to understand why we like what we like. There is a sub set of architects who believe that evolution and the struggle for survival has imprinted or genes with certain likes and dislikes and this shows up in our preferences for certain types of art and architecture.

 

Whatever the theory, it can all be summed up in the statement "I like it." So photograph, sculpt, paint whatever pleases you.

 

By the way, you aren't the only engineer here; my background is in mechanical engineering. I suspect there are others of us hiding behind our keyboards.

I have never rented anything but I would suggest:

 

-Levine's in Boston

-Calumet in Cambridge

-Newton Camera in Newtonville

-Zeff's in Belmont

When you think about all the effort and time it takes to design and tool up fo a camera like that, it's hard to believe that somewhere along the line, some tester or engineer within Leica didn't notice the magenta cast and the need for a filter.

 

What I find disheartening is the fact that they released it to the public anyway, without a warning or, at the very least, a filter.

Has anyone tried a rear projection slide screen?

 

These are screens or coated acrylic panels where you place your slide projector

behind and view from the front. Apparently they can be used without turning the

lights down, sort of like a big slide viewer.

 

There seem to be several on the market. There's even a company called Goo

Systems that sells a coating that can be applied to transparent materials like

plexiglas.

 

Just wondering how they work out.

Sorry, can't help you with the camera shop. I was following your thread a few days ago where you were asking about the CM (I posted the mountain picture). Just wondering how you like the CM? Have you had a chance to use it yet?