ransomsix

ISO 200 on the Nikon bodies, if exposed right is not going to be noisy at all within a

reasonable print size. I've sold a bunch of photos for editorial and advertising use

(mostly sports) shot at ISO 200. Covers and two page spreads even. If it was film I'd

typically be shooting ISO 80 medium format, but with digital I'm usually at ISO 200.

Actually one of the ones that just got used was low ambient only and ISO 800. Looks

fine. Exposure and post processing are the most important factors, just like with film.

Clients are concerned about a quality image. I've never in my life been asked "what

ISO is this shot at?" If an image isn't going to look good, I wouldn't send it to them.

I've had a similar problem in the past. I used contact cement, and it never came off

again. That's basically what is under there anyway. Don't use rubber cement, it won't

hold. Super glue might work but it's a bit harsh and the vapors can lead to staining

around the area. Try contact cement and be neat about it. you might have to hold it

down with some tape or something while it cures.

Try the simple method first....it usually works. There's instructions in the manual

about how to use the shutter lock up to clean the sensor. Just use a blower from a

blower brush (don't use compressed air or a brush on the sensor) and use the little

blower to blow off the sensor. I usually hold my camera with the lens opening facing

down so the dust blows out and not around. It's worked for me so far, and that's

shooting in a lot of very dusty situations with it.

If it doesn't work you need to move to other steps. You can but sensor swabs and

dust pickers or send it to have cleaned, but sending it in would take forever. Try a

blower. It works 90% of the time. Then move on from there.

I use a D70 in my studio, and also ocassionally with a 45CT-1. For both options I just

got a hot-shoe to pc adapter, and it works beautifully. When I'm not using that, I just

pop it off. If you want TTL then obviously you'd get better performance from the

SB800, but if you're coming from medium format chances are you've not been using

TTL anyway. The auto modes on the metz are pretty accurate, and since it's digital,

you'll know immediately with or without a flash meter.

If you've got a sharp photo, and a good scan beyond that, 35mm will work just fine.

I've had covers printed from 35mm, even posters. The key is a sharp shot, but of

course even a soft 6x7 is not going to shine, but it's more of a blow up from 35mm.

As long as you've got a good loupe and they've got a production dept to handle and

make a proper drum scan, you'll be fine. Some prefer to drum scan from a good

custom print, others from neg, check with them, and give them a proof print anyway

to correct their scan from.

One nice thing about "T" that likely doesn't apply to you: some medium format

cameras like Bronica lines that have battery powered shutters make this a handy

feature. If I wanted to take a 10 minute exposure using "B" it would be draining the

battery that whole time, whereas "T" only uses battery power to open and close, the

remaining time there is no drain...great for really really long exposures!

Odd...same firmware version here on the D70 on my desk, but the buffer states "r04"

for Raw. To my knowledge it always states "r04". I suppose you could reset your

camera, and format the card and try again.

Is your battery charged??? Digital camera functions tend to get crazy when the

batteries are low.

Are you using Photoshop CS or a previous version? Earlier versions of photoshop

aren't going to open RAW files.

The D70 can handle it fine. It may not have the label of a "pro camera" but I shoot

professional, and often use a D70. I've shot magazine covers and spreads with it.

Don't let the price fool you, it's a great camera. I've never shot the kit lens, but as

long as you know how to use it you should be fine. That camera has great image

quality, and that's all that matters. You may want to consider at least a film camera as

a back up. Or another D70. Don't go into any kind of pressure situation that is a once

shot deal with one piece of equipment.

Giampiero had a point I left out.... if you're using a full-frame fisheye on your digital

body with a mag factor, you are still going to get some fisheye distortion, just not the

area of view. It's not as prominent since much of the distortion is on the edges, but if

you expect it to instantly become the same as your film cameras 24mm by

magnification, it's not going to replicate that.

You didn't really give a valid reason why she shouldn't or couldn't pull it off. I know

plenty of photographers who are self-taught. In fact some of the most respected in

the industry are. If she get's her prints made at a grocery store, and they're great

prints and people are happy with them, that's her perrogative. Personally, it's not

something I do, and I wouldn't recommend a grocery store as a pro lab, but it's not

necessarilly wrong. If I spend $80 on a custom print and it

sucks, it still sucks. If it was $1.50 and great, it's still great. Having not seen the

prints there is no way for us to judge.

Emulating another photographers work is

something a lot of photographers do in the beginning. Many Pros do it. Whether it's

morally right or

not is dependent on how you view it and how much is influenced and how much is

stolen. We've all been influenced in some way. How much you take as influence and

how much you copy is the key.

If she thinks she can do it, maybe she can. She could be in for a huge disaster,

but none of us have ever seen her work. If I was hiring someone, and they had

amazing work and little experience, versus someone who had 50 years experience

and mediocre work, I'd opt for the photographer with great work hands down.

Unfortunately a large percentage of people making a living at photography are great

business people, and not necessarilly the best image makers.

That also wasn't meant as a Nikon rant, that's the system I shoot. Just meant it as an

example to answer your question.

A film camera fisheye (the canon 15mm for instance) is going to give you roughly a

24 film equivalent. I'm not familiar with the 10-22, but the 10 likely is an ultra wide

and not a fisheye which is a big difference. For instance, Nikon for film cameras

makes a fisheye which is a 16mm, and an ultra wide which is 14mm. The ultra wide

14, has a 114 degree field of view and the 16mm fisheye has 180. It's a big

difference. if the 10 isn't a 10 fisheye, it's going to be an ultrawide. Not the same

thing. A fisheye will have a 180 degree field of view, if it's a fisheye you want, look

into it. Nikon actually has a 10.5 fisheye for digital to make up for the difference.

Perhaps canon will release one soon.

Without knowing any details, what about using PayPal (ebay's only payment service).

They can pay with credit card or bank info. It will cost you a very small fee, which

would be dependent on the amount, but a wire transfer would also cost money, and

likely more. You'd both have to sign up, but then you aren't giving out any of your

information unnecessarilly. There are a few different solutions such as wire transfers,

and the possibility of their bank drawing US funds checks, but you might get away

with Pay Pal.

First off, it makes a difference what size slides or negs you're looking at. The 8x and

5x are the magnification factors. An 8x blow up from a 35 neg will not be as large as

from a 4x5 neg.

For editorial stuff I use an 8x and a 4x most often, and occasionaly a 15x, but that is

just for checking sharpness and details. I use the 8x for 35mm stuff and it's full

frame for that. If it's tack sharp with an 8x, is good enough for a full page shot. The

4x I have gives me near full frame on my 6x6 medium format images, and with that

mag. factor it's about a page blow up again. If I want to go beyond that I check details

with an 8x. The 15x I use for details on 35mm that will be spreads or above for the

most part. If you're shooting 35mm I'd suggest a good 8x loupe. Don't skimp on a

loupe. When I worked as an editor at a magazine you could always tell the

contributors that weren't checking their work with proper loupes prior to submitting.

A good loupe will last you forever too. For the 8x I use a Peak. I'm not sure off hand

what my others are.

Are you using an on camera ring flash, as in the macro type??? I have seen

photographers use them, however typically when people refer to ring flash use in

fashion photography it is a much larger ring flash than the on camera type. It wraps

the subject in light. Since you're using digital, just experiment. I saw some close up

portraits shot with an on camera ring a while back somewhere. It seems as though if

you weren't super close, you could acheive better control with modifiers and strobes.

The larger ring flashes have a distinctive look.

Is yours doing that regularly? I have an IV that I've had for about four years. It has

done that maybe three or four times over that course, and I can't remember the last

time it happened. Perhaps try updating your driver? I don't think I've experienced that

problem with recent drivers. That may have fixed it for me. It was never a common

thing. It was a very rare occurance (knocking on wooden desktop).

As far as the differences in optical slaves most of it comes down to sensitivity. Of

course within the last three years digital optical slaves have been introduced, which

take preflash of digital cameras into account. Make sure you just get the standard

optical slaves. Wein models tend to be good, and there are several different price

points, the more expensive being more sensitive. If you're only going to use them in

low-light situations where the flashes are within a hundred feet or so, the cheap ones

will probably be fine. The more expensive ones will work farther away, and often will

sense another flash, even in bright sun.

On camera flash will not light up a background that's that far away, and vast like a

church. Suppose your subject is 8 feet from you, and your flash is set to expose

properly at f5.6 or f8. If your background is 30 feet beyond that it's not going to do

much of anyhing. If you set your flash to fill in that background from there you're

going to blow your subject out. That's why you open up the shutter. The flash

exposure is controlled by the apeture. With 400 speed film you should be able to pull

some detail out of the background without much problem. If you're using flash and a

slow shutter speed, the flash is going to stop your subjects movement, unless there's

a lot of it. Just be careful with camera movements unless you want dragged light

trails. The other solution is (if it's after the ceremony for formals) to light up the

background with slave flashes. I wouldn't do that during a ceremony though, as it

would be quite a distraction. I wouldn't ever suggest using any of the camera pre-set

modes for flash photography. Apeture priority works okay, but that would be the

extent of using any of those. Set up a good exposure, then set your flash to fill in for

your foreground.

If you're doing your first test I'd bracket a bit more than 1/3 stop. I'd probably go a

stop or stop and a half in either direction. Not always, but just for your first test, that

way you can really study what's going on, and what pulls out what details. You'll get a

better idea of what you're true film speed is. You might have to do this for different

films down the line, unless you're going to shoot the same one. Once you get an idea

of how the film reacts to a situation metering comes naturally. Don't adjust both

aperture and shutter speed, then you'll be balancing your exposure again. Adjust

either or. If you want a certain depth of field and you're on a tripod, adjust your

shutter speed. Or you can bracket aperture. I tend to bracket aperture because I

shoot flash a lot, and aperture makes the difference there. If it's ambient light either

one lets in light.

I'm not sure if you're shooting professionally or not, but if you are shooting

professionally and can provide some information to Nikon about your professional

work, you can sign up for Nikon's Pro service. You have to fill out an application, and

then if you need something repaired you have it back in 7 days, and if you need

loaners they arrange that. Unfortunately you'd have to prove you're a pro.

I agree that if you can find an authorized service center you're going to get good work

at a much better price. Nikon works on flat rates of how bad the damage is on

particular items. In their defense though, the times I've sent bodies in for major repair

I've received bodies back that were as good as when I bought them, with only the

cosmetic damage of years of use. Six weeks seems like a lot, but if it's an older lens it

seems logical that they might have to wait for the correct part. It's not a rare lens as

you said, but their are more modern versions of the same lens. The authorized repair

shops in more local areas often have more obscure older parts, as if something can't

be repaired, they'll hold onto it for parts down the line.

The batteries are contained within the film pack you put in the camera. It's self-

contained.

I've brought b&w infared through without a problem, however a problem could arise if

they want to handsearch all your film. I've actually had them open up film containers

before, and you don't want them to do that with infared.

The stylistic differences don't just apply to wedding photography. You can see

differences in design, fashion, publishing, etc. Going with the trends or working with

an individual style is a decision only you can make. Personally I think the photo you

posted is quite nice. To me pushing the envelope on style is pretty important.

In regards to Bill's answer, I couldn't disagree more. That is the complete opposite of

how my studio does business. If I wanted to spend my days developing strategies for

talking someone into something they don't want I'd get a job selling cars. For every

five people that like my work, there are five that hate it (at least). As far as I'm

concerned I have no interest trying to convince those people otherwise. It's like trying

to convince them that the red shirt they really love is horrible and they should infact

by the yellow shirt. If the work stands for it self, there is no sales pitch involved. Once

you get passed the technical aspects of a good exposure, photography -- weddings

included -- is as sytlistically subjective as painting. Even the bride and groom who

have no sense of photography's technical side will likely have a good sense of what

style they can appreciate. Many are more concerned about budget than style. So be it.