mason_p

E-6 is almost the same everywhere because they all use the same chemicals. The main differences between labs are turn around, the types of mounts used, push/pull availability, dip and dunk or rollers, ect.

 

DON'T use the Fuji mailers. I recently sent them 2 rolls of film and on one roll they scratched the whole roll of film. Now I use Kodak. I take my film to my grocery store and they send it out to Kodak and I pick it up a week later so that I don't have to keep mailers stocked, which is a pain. Never had a bad experience with them. But, I'm new to photography and haven't done more than 100 rolls with them yet.

 

I will probably try the A&I mailers for push prossesing soon. Ive heard lots of good theing about them. They are a prolab in CA and they do D&D prossesing of E-6, K-14, C-41. The slide mailers cost 6 dollars at B&H and a dollar per stop for pushing/pulling.

Oh. I just posted on the other thread.

 

I'm no expert so I could be wrong about this but it seems like it could be the lens couplings or the meter. The lens should have a little tab on the aperture ring that sticks back toward the camera and rotates with the aperture ring. This tab should move a tab on the camera. The tab conected to the camera is atached to a ring (you can only see the ring with the lens removed) that rotates around the lens mount. Check to see if these tabs are there and if they move. If the tabs are broken off or something they meter probably works but it's not getting the f/stop information from the lens. If they are present then it is probably the meter or the readout or something inside the camera. Does the meter move at all when you point it at different places or change the film speed? That would indicate its not getting information from the lens.

 

One way or another take it to a camera repair place and have it looked at.

OK. I have a camera that works the same way so I hope I cand help.

 

"moving the f-stop ring does not seem to affect the light meter read out. When pointing at a fixed point and rotating the ring from 2 to 22 the light meter reading stays at one point and does not change."

 

Is the camera in auto mode or are you seting the shutter speed yourself? In manual mode where you set the shutter speed and the f/stop yourself there are two leds that light up the recomended shutter speed (solid) and the set shutter speed(blinking). In this mode as you change the f/stop the solid light should move and the blinking one should stay the same (assuming you have an MC or MD lens). In auto (aperture-priority) mode there is only a solid light and it should move if you move the f/stop (also assuming you have an MC or MD lens)

 

Which lens are you using? If it doesn't have the right couplings you would need to take stoped down meter readings and stop down before you take a picture.

 

"When I look through the lens from the front and try to move the f- stop ring I do not see anything happening inside. I can clearly see the f-stop curtains moving on my older camera, but not on X-370. This would suggest that the lens is damaged."

 

They should NOT move until you take a picture. When you press the shutter button the blades should close down and open back up vevy quickly. Which older camera are you talking about? It might not be auto diaphram.

One of the cheapest ways to get outstanding quality is slide film. I shoot elitechrome 100 for close to $8 altogether for a prossesed 36 exp. roll and get vastly supirior results to any c-41 film/developing combonation of the same cost. The advantage of slide film is that there isn't a printing prosses to screw up on which is where most minilabs are at fault. Any idiot can put film into a machine to develop it because its standardized. Prints need individual atention which is why a machine runing on autopilot dosen't always cut it. The other thing minilabs do is they crop your prints. Compare what you see on the negative to what you see on the print and you will see that the edges are cut off.

 

Prolabs are the alternative to minilabs but they're *expensive* for prints.

 

Slide film isn't for everyone though. If you need a film faster than ISO 100 you're probably better off with print film. If you shoot indoors a lot you need print film because the colors can be corected.

 

You should shoot a roll of kodochrome 64 to try it for yourself. Slides have a beauty in of themselves that can't be captured on a print. I tried one roll out of curiosity and became a convert. I still use print film when I need to but I haven't found a lab near me that has developing comperable to the results I get from my slides (no croping, good colors ect.).

HMMM...

 

Maybe we should be bashing Cannon instead of Kodak. It takes a lot of force to rip film (Kokak, Fuji, or Other) and it was your camera that pulled on the film like that so the fragility of the film wouldn't be an issue if your camera functioned properly.

$260 sounds a bit steep. Oh cnd. If it is truly PERFECT that might be a good deal. Maybe.

 

I've heard that the X-570/500 is somtimes better than the X-700 but I don't have experience with either.

 

Also look at the XD-11/7.

 

Look at http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/antony_hands/.

"If that's what photography is for him, then he may not need a digital camera. I don't quite understand what he's doing with slide film he seems not to be doing anything with, but that's his business. Clearly, his needs are not the same as most people who own cameras."

 

No. My needs are the same as every amatuer photographer.

 

Amatuers photograph for fun. This is the goal of their photography.

 

Many can't justify droping 1000s of dolars on a digital body when they can get results that are good enough or better for a lot cheaper from film.

 

I'm not saying digital dosen't have it's uses. It is (if not now it will become) better than film for the folowing people.

 

A: Pros especialy PJs. They need to shoot a ton and print a ton FAST. They also buy pro film at $9+/roll and get it developed at a prolab for $25+/roll. Digital is by far cheaper for them.

 

B: Anyone who shoots a TON.

 

C: Anyone who converts to digital anyway.

 

For me though (and I think I speak for many others) when I can get pictures that are just as good from a camera that sells for under $100 on ebay and prime lenses that compete with many new AF lenses but sell for under under $100 and many times under $50 on ebay. Even if you use EOS or Nikon AF you can get better quality for the money.

 

I use slides because that way I can get it developed at minilab prices without any lab techs messing with my image.

 

I do think I will end up going digital though but not now. If I wait anywere from 2 to 15 years I will get a better and cheaper DSLR.

 

I'm glad I didn't buy a bag phone 10 yars ago, aren't you.

I use a manual focus Minolta body and slide film and it is much more cost effective than digital for me. I buy gray market film in large lots (to save on shipping) from B+H for $2.50/roll and get it developed by Meijer for $5/roll. I use primes and get excellent sharpness. I shoot 2 to 4 rolls a month and don't realy want to shoot any more.

 

I photograph for fun and I have fulfulled my objective and have no reason to go digital right now.

 

By the time film becomes a niche product I will want to go digital because there will be full frame sensors or special lenses, better resolution than 35mm film and it will be cost effective to replace my body every so often (which I will need to do with all the plastic).

 

Until the bugs are worked out of digital and/or film becomes a niche product I won't switch.

 

I will neither go digital before the opportune time nor will I become a film wako pay a primium for it once it becomes conter-productive to my photographic goal (to have fun).

"If you get slide film, and have the slides mounted, beware: The

mounts normally cover up part of the frame also."

 

Slide mounts give you an image that measures approximately 23x34mm which is 91% of the 24x36mm transparancy. My camera shows 95% of the image so its very close. What kind of camera do you have, Pablo, and what percent of the image does it show?

"I will be shooting Kodak E100SW and E200 Ektachrome films"

 

Do you mean e100gx? Its the new version of e100sw.

 

Meter off of midltoned things with your meter set to the recomended E.I. Be carful, if what you meter is off midletone you end up with an incorectly exposed slide. Bracketing in 1/2 stops is a good idea.

 

I haven't tried e100gx yet, is it any good?

If you don't do a lot of low light stuff you should consider using slide film. I tried one roll and became a convert. I think my favorite film is elite chrome 100 (e100g in a different box). It's also frighteningly cheap for the quality. I can buy it for $2 a roll at B and H and get developed in the same chemicals as a prolab for $5.

 

If you need print film you could consider ofoto.com or snapfish.com. I will be sending a few rolls to ofoto to test them out. Ofoto develops and scans your film (1024x1536 pixels)and sends back the negs for $4. Then they post your photos online and you order prints of the good ones. The scans are fairly low-res so for enlargments bigger than 5x7 you will have to take the negs somwere else.

 

I've heard good things about the A&I mailers, $12 for 4x6 prints and $6 for slides but no expereince.

 

My $0.02 advice is, shoot a roll of slides or you'll always wonder...

Hey

 

I have been using primarily slides lately but I would like to shoot

some t400cn and be able to get good 8x10s and 4x6s with fairly

neutral tones without paying for a prolab, which I would like to do

but can't afford. I am considering an online lab like ofoto because I

can crop and decide if I want neutral of sepia tones before I get my

prints. Ofoto developing and shipping for a roll of film and 3 4x6s

costs 5 or 6 $s I think, which is about the cost of a minilab.

 

My questions are:

 

A: What resolution does ofoto scan at? Is it enough for an 8x10 that

doesn�t look weird and pixily? I couldn�t find this on they�re site.

 

B: How neutral are they�re tones? Are they better than the blues and

yellows from the Meijer lab?

 

C: I think I heard somewhere that most minilabs scan and print. If so

what resolution do they scan and print at? Are ofoto scans and prints

better of worse in terms of resolution?

 

D: How do other online labs compare to ofoto?

 

I *did* search the archives but didn�t find the info I needed so I

thought I�d ask you guys before I sent them a roll of film.

 

Thanks everyone.

The 100mm macro FOCUSES closer the standard 100mm. The focal length does not change (unless it uses floating elements which is a whole other kettle of fish). The zoom changes focal length as you zoom, not focus. The other difference between the standard and macro 100mm is that the standard is probably faster and lighter.