danny burk www.dannyburk.

I do exactly as you plan, i.e. have a set of 72mm filters and use step-up rings for smaller lens threads. One of these is a Rodenstock 150mm Sironar-S with 49mm thread. No problem getting a step-up ring to fit; I use rings in 72 to 49, 72 to 52, and 72 to 67.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy both B+W and Heliopan filters; both are very high quality. I do avoid Tiffen step-up rings. They're the easiest to find, but are aluminum and therefore have a tendency to stick. I use brass rings from B+W; well worth the extra expense.

Regards,

Thomas - you may have seen my website review of Fuji GX617 vs Linhof 617SIII; if not, you'll find some useful tips therein. I've also been using a Canham 5x7 with 617 back for close to 2 years; a totally different animal as you'd expect. I've not had an opportunity to see one of the new Horseman units.

If you're at all familiar with large format, you'd have a head start with the Canham setup; if not, there is considerable learning and research to be done. It's certainly the most flexible system and offers a lot in terms of focal lengths and movements (tilt and swing are, of course, unavailable on the rigid body cameras); on the other hand, setup for each shot is a longer, more involved process. What focal lengths do you tend to prefer with your Pentax? If you like wide lenses, for example, you'll probably prefer them in 617 as well. Personally I see the world with long lenses, and this applies to panoramic as well as standard formats. My website also contains a large selection of panoramic images, which will give you an idea of what can be obtained with lenses of various focal lengths.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Thanks, Dan, for mentioning my workshops.

I have another "Intro to LF" coming up in October in the Smokies, followed immediately by a 5-day "Fall Color in the Smokies" event. While the longer workshops are open to all formats, I get nearly all LF shooters.

If anyone has questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thanks.

Adonis - the GX680 is much faster, as you'd expect. Particularly if you want to shoot a variation or use a different lens; once you've got it set up, it only takes a few seconds to switch to another composition.

Nice as it is, I still prefer using 4x5 whenever possible. My 680 is mostly used for flowers; in the field its main use is when I need 400 speed transparency film, if it's very windy and I can't shield the 4x5 with an umbrella, if it's raining lightly (the 680 doesn't like water, but I can cover the whole setup with a shower curtain much easier than I can use 4x5 in rain), and on those rare occasions when I *must* set up faster than I can do with 4x5. The downsides are, obviously, smaller image, less flexibility with movements, and weight.

You're probably aware of my web page on the GX680III; if not, take a look. It's a fairly comprehensive review.

Regards,

Danny

When I had a Contax 645, I had a Maxwell screen and it was excellent; much brighter and easier to focus in low light. No compensation was needed for in-camera metering. I currently use his screens in my Fuji GX680III and in my large format cameras and always highly recommend them to my workshop participants.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

I no longer use a Contax 645, but my website includes quite a few images from the period when I had one: www.dannyburk.com. Go to "Galleries"; "Indiana" and various "Michigan" galleries have quite a few 645 images.

Great camera, BTW. I also include an extensive review in my "Reviews" section.

Regards,

Danny

Dustin - not NYC, but I offer a comprehensive "Introduction to LF" workshop several times each year, which is tailored to landscape photography. There's a session coming up in two weeks in the Smokies; see my website for details.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Yes, use the center. Since I don't know whether this is your first experience with a larger format camera, I'll point out that you'll want to stop down much farther than you'd typically do in 35mm format. Which lens are you using with the 617? If there is considerable distance from nearest to farthest subject elements in the scene you're photographing, you should probably be somewhere in the f/22-32 range, or even f/45 if necessary, depending on lens and focus spread.

See my website for a lot of info/comparison on Linhof 617SIII and Fuji GX617: http://www.dannyburk.com/linhof_617_s_iii.htm

Regards,

Danny

I hadn't heard about PLANET EARTH till now; it sounds sensational. Can't wait to see it! What's EARTH STORY? I don't see it available on DVD from Amazon UK.

I've become addicted to many of the BBC series, which as noted above, often aren't available on DVD in the US. All you need, however, is DVD player capable of playing in "region free" mode. These are easy to find; an excellent one is made by Oppo, and is available from Amazon for around $200. You can find virtually all of the Attenborough series from Amazon UK (or other UK retailers). For example, I've got SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, TRIALS OF LIFE, LIFE ON EARTH and even the latest LIFE IN THE UNDERGROWTH, none of which are available in the US.

I agree with Greg that WILD AFRICA, WILD S. AMERICA, and WILD AUSTRALIA are simply fantastic...the best series ever done on these regions. Doing a little poking around, it looks like a WILD ASIA series is also in the works. And yes indeed, NATURE has really gone downhill in the last few years. Pity; it used to be the best nature series going.

In addition to what Gary said...a card with a 6x9cm hole is both conveniently pocket-sized, and has the additional advantage that you can simply hold it from your eye at the same distance as the focal length of the lens that you'd like to use. For a 150mm lens, for example, hold the card 150mm (6") from your eye and you'll have approximately the same coverage.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

I researched the same question for my 2003 trip, and the best time was generally given as the third week in July. Once I'd arrived, it turned out that flowers were running a bit late that year and a week later would have had flower fields at their peak. Still, it was a productive trip, with both good/bad points, since my week in the park coincided with the same week as the forest fires of 2003 that eventually caused the park to be evacuated.

See my Glacier gallery for samples: http://www.dannyburk.com/glacier.htm

Regards,

Danny

David - There are a lot of fairly light 4x5 systems these days; depending on the distance you're interested in hiking, as well as the number of lenses and accessories that you want to carry, they can be lighter and more easily packable than a hefty MF system.

I shoot both LF and MF, but LF is always my preference for landscape use. I shoot 4x5 (and a small amount of 5x7), and have a Fuji GX680 as my MF outfit. Truth to tell, the latter is very bulky and heavy as MF systems go, but the 4x5 setup is much more user-friendly as far as "hikability" goes. LF is considerably slower to set up, of course; that goes with the territory, but IMO the benefits considerably outweigh the cost of setup time and cost-per-exposure.

The negative size is only half of the story. With LF, the huge benefit of movements can't be undervalued; those who haven't experienced them can't realize how important they are in maintaining a sharp image, especially when printed to large sizes. While certain compositions won't benefit from movements, these are few; I use tilt on at least 90% of my landscape work. The reason for my MF system being a GX680 is solely for its movement capability.

I'd avoid cameras in the Graphic line simply because they're very limited. A much better entry-level choice would be a Shen-Hao 4x5, which is full-featured, moderately priced, and surprisingly well built for the money. Check out Badger Graphic (www.badgergraphic.com) for Shen-Hao and a whole range of other LF goodies.

As far as scanning goes: from drum-scanned film, if you have an image where movement ability (or lack thereof) isn't making a big difference in overall image sharpness, 16x20 is about the break-even print size from 6x7 or 6x8 compared with 4x5. At 16x20, I can just barely begin to see the difference between MF and LF; mainly this is a difference in grain visibility rather than sharpness. At larger sizes, LF surpasses MF to an increasingly noticeable degree. That's not to say that you can't get a good print from MF larger than 16x20; far from it, but this is the point of departure from which you'll notice a real difference between the two sources.

If you have questions, feel free to email me.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Get the grid. It's very useful, and the lines are so thin that I don't think you'd find them distracting. (I also use a Maxwell screen.) A grid is also useful for landscape, i.e. horizon line and so forth.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Contact Bill Maxwell (Maxwell Precision Optics) and he can modify your existing screen so that it's about 1.5-2 stops brighter. His process really works; I had this done when I had my Contax 645 as well as for my present Fuji 680, and his "hi-lux" fresnel for large format is the best I've seen. You can get his contact info by a search on photo.net; I don't have it offhand, but I believe he's in Georgia.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Mark - The 680's great advantage over other MF models is in having view camera style movements, and of course the supersize neg is nice too. Answers to some of your questions...

Beware of accessory compatibility; many accessories are NOT compatible between I/II and III. Although III doesn't really do much that I/II can't do, I'd give preference to III if only because parts and accessories will be easier to find. Not having used the earlier models, I'm not terribly familiar with them, but they do use a dedicated battery that is likely to be hard to find; not the case with III.

As Jodi says, the backs are very nice. Note that those for I/II are dedicated to 120 *or* 220 exclusively, whereas those for III have swappable inserts that fit into just one type of back. They're easy to load after you've figured it out the first time.

The masks are sort of a pain; you need the proper mask plus matching mask for the v/f, and they can only be changed at the start of a roll. I just shoot fullframe and crop if needed.

I use a handheld meter for everything. I do have the AE finder, but use it merely for its prism feature. AE isn't available with mirror lockup (the latter of which is a MUST with such a huge mirror), and the area which it meters is none too precise: somewhere between CW and spot. You can download the exposure compensation chart on my site for closeup use.

No major difference between GX/GXM lenses; the newer line has a shutter counter, certainly no reason IMO to prefer them.

I'd get at least 2 backs; a cable release is a must. I consider a prism finder essential, rather than the w/l finder that comes with the basic camera; if you don't want to shoot everything from waist level or lower, you'll feel the same. I also consider the grid GG a must; you may or may not, depending on what you're doing with the camera.

Midwest (www.mpex.com) frequently has used 680 equipment available.

I'm surprised to see Jodi's comment about them breaking down frequently; they've been tanks in my experience.

What's your main use for the camera? If landscape, you may want to consider a 4x5 setup instead. It will be lighter, less expensive, have more extensive movements, greater lens/accessory choice, and of course the larger neg. Downside, it is much slower to set up and of course will have greater film cost per exposure.

Best regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Scott - don't trust the in-camera reading. It will constantly beep if you have a proper exposure on a dark subject, just to quote an example. I use a hand meter (Sekonic 608) for all my readings, just as I do for large format.

BTW, I have an extensive review of the GX680III, along with a helpful chart for close-up exposure compensation. See my website:

http://www.dannyburk.com/fuji_gx680iii.htm

Regards,

Danny

No, the older version only works with I and II versions of the GX680.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

I've had this combo for about 6 months, purchased mainly so that I can shoot 617 with longer lenses than my dedicated 617 bodies can use; of course the ability to use any of my LF lenses with movements is a great feature too. I've only toyed with shooting 5x7 per se, since I intend to continue shooting 4x5 most of the time when I don't want panoramic format.

A review for my site is in the works, but not ready yet. In a nutshell, I like the Canham combo although it's a bit quirky and fussy compared to my Ebony. It happily accepts all of my lenses from 72mm to 720mm (telephoto) with bellows to spare; it's possible that it might take something shorter than 72mm, but it would be extremely tight with virtually no room for movements. While it doesn't feel as solid as the Ebony, I have no complaint whatever re: sharp results. With both cameras, I carry an umbrella to shield the bellows in case of a breeze while using long lenses.

The only real complaint is that I detest the motorized film advance of the 617 back. It's a real pain to use properly, and is prone to incorrect film advance if loading/advancing directions aren't followed *exactly*. Plus it needs a 9v battery - another type to carry. I really wish it had a manual advance. Oh, the fresnel is great; made by Maxwell.

Best,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Glad you got your GX617, Bob - indeed it's a wonderful camera!

You might check with Midwest (www.mpex.com) and Robert White (www.robertwhite.co.uk); they often have 617 components.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Look here for loads of hard to find Fuji film in 8x10 (and 5x7):

http://www.unicircuits.com/shop/index.php?osCsid=69cde66137c41599618167c6b2242ecb&currency=USD&cPath=25&sort=2a&osCsid=69cde66137c41599618167c6b2242ecb

I was there for a few days nearly two weeks ago, and they were popping all over the park. The heaviest concentration was along the highway in Del Norte SP...most, naturally, in places with no safe spot to stand while photographing them!

If you're making a lengthy trip, you might ask the NPS re: current status, as I'm guessing that they'll be fairly well past prime by next week.

Regards,

Danny www.dannyburk.com

Jeff,

It's hard to go wrong in the U.P. It's at its most beautiful in fall, but there are a lot of attractions anytime. Lake Superior shore, many waterfalls, and much more. Minnesota's North Shore is also very beautiful and rugged.

There are a lot of images in my website galleries at www.dannyburk.com, if you'd like a sampling :)

Regards,

Danny

Gloria - Glad to see you getting out with the 4x5. Here are a few thoughts that may help you:

1) Were you in *strong* wind? That's a very bad combination with 4x5; a bellows camera and its longer exposure times mean that many LF photographers won't attempt to photograph in strong wind. If it's not so strong, you can use an umbrella to shield the camera during the exposure; I frequently do this when shooting with long lenses in a breeze. Of course, shielding the camera isn't going to solve the problem of moving foliage during a 2-second (often longer) exposure.

2) You can't focus or see? Are you using a fresnel? It can be a BIG help to even out the light and increase overall ground glass brightness. Are you using a wide angle lens (90mm or wider)? That will increase your difficulties, esp. if you're not using a fresnel. With wide lenses, are you aware that you need to move around the GG with the loupe, pointing its distant end at an angle toward the center of the GG as you try to see into the corners? That will help you see to focus much more easily. Without a fresnel, it can be even more difficult to compose with wide lenses because of their tendency to go dark in the corners. I hope you're using a normal lens rather than a wide, since wide lenses are a bad choice as a first lens for a new LF photographer.

3) Remember that LF has a steep learning curve compared to "do everything" cameras. They are VERY much worth the effort, so keep at it and don't give up! As I tell my students, LF is *different* but it doesn't have to be *difficult*. Be patient, and you'll gradually feel more comfortable, trust me. It won't happen overnight, or from just a couple of times in the field.

Best,

Danny www.dannyburk.com