andykowalczyk

I have re-read that article a half dozen times, and I don't get that they say this tungsten film gives good daylight results.

 

 

I think there is a misunderstanding about the phrase:

"With a pallette much like that of its daylight-balanced siblings"

 

 

American Photo, July/August 2004, volume XV, issue4, page 84.

<p>I walked past the magazine rack in my local store and noticed that

both Time and Newsweek ran exactly the same picture of Ronald Reagan

in a cowboy hat. But the final colors were extremely different. Side

by side, one looks almost yellow and the other gave rosy red cheeks.

<p>

Just shows how much correct color rendition is still an art in the

hands of the print maker / photoshop operator!

<p>

<a

href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/archive/covers/0,16641,1101040614,00.html">

<img

src="http://i.timeinc.net/time/images/covers/1101040614cov_white.gif"

height=138 width=107> </a>

<a

href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=617800&TICK=NEWS&STORY=/www/story/06-06-2004/0002187917&EDATE=Jun+6,+2004"

>

<img src="http://thumbs.newscom.com/db/PRN/prnphotos/docs/039/026.thm"

height=128 width=96> </a>

One way you may be able to rescue the honor of the f/1.8. Compare its performance wide open to its performance at 2.8. If it holds up then it keeps its head held high!

I do this all the time at my local camera shop. I don't know if they do mailorder. <p><a href="http://www.f-d.com/e6.html"> Ferranti-Dege </a> in Harvard square, Cambridge, Mass.

<b>

<li>35mm - 36 exposures

<li>unmounted $7.59

<li>mounted $7.59

<li>CD-4 1024x1536 add $6.95

<li>CD-16 2048x3072 add $12.95

<b>

I have seen a couple of mentions for Carl Zeiss Jena lenses with

Minolta mounts. I have Googled for more information but have not had

any luck. Does anyone know if any one has compiled details about

these lenses? Or has some knowledge about them?

<a href="http://www.atip.org/public/atip.reports.91/fuzzy-ds.91.html">

JAPANESE ADVANCES IN FUZZY SYSTEMS AND CASE-BASED REASONING </a>

Daniel G. Schwartz

<blockquote>

Numerous commercial products using fuzzy technology are currently

available in Japan, and a few are now being marketed in the US and

Europe. Canon uses a fuzzy controller in the autofocus mechanism of its

new 8mm movie camera. Each of Matsushita, Hitachi,

Sanyo, and Sharp now have their own "fuzzy washing machine,"

</blockquote>

<b>Rokkor DiMAGE</b>

<p>

I have never heard either of these names spoken - so I can only guess

at the correct pronunciation.

<p>

I pronounce Rokkor as "Rocker". (sounds like a rock and roll maven).

<p>

DiMAGE throws me for a total loop. If I start with the American

English "image" then it sounds too much like "dim-wit" or "damage".

<p>

If I give it a French spin "dimm ahzh" then it reminds me of getting

my stomach pumped <a

href="http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?query=lavage&action=Search+OMD">"lavage".</a>

"Some fuji films like press 800 and NPH didn't do well at all on my local Kodak digital lab"

-- I assume a scanner uses 3 filters - I wonder if this negates the contribution of Fuji's "Fourth Layer" (RGB+Cyan)?

I was convinced to go the repair route for my X-570 after reading one of photo.net's regular columns, <a href="http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/index.html"> The Sunday Morning Photographer </a> by Mike Johnston.

<p>

The particular column was <a href="http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column18/"><em>Clean, Lube, Adjust</em></a>.

<p>

I am lucky to have a <a href="http://www.sanfordcamerarepair.com/"> reliable repair shop </a> a few miles from my home. The shop is factory authorized for Minolta and most of the top brands. He is willing to work on older equipment (if he has parts) which the factory won't back up.

<p>

So I get a quote for $113. I gulp. I start thinking to myself that this is starting to add up. I like the idea of staying with a 1970's technology, but if I am going to start spending real money I might as well get a new (with warranty) Nikon FM10 for just over $200.

<p>

But I bit hard and went with the repair. Many places will give a fixed price which includes CLA and any minor repairs (replace capacitors, broken little springs, etc.). If they can't fix it then no charge (or some nominal fee). Of course if you are talking damage to frame, or significant dirtiness, the price goes up (often with the advice not to bother).

<p>

I figure my number one cost in this hobby is film and processing. My number two cost is lenses. My number three cost is the camera body and maintenance. (If you really catch the disease then your number one cost is going places to take pictures.) Do I spend $100 to repair a camera whose history I know, or do I spend $100 at auction to buy a camera that might have the same or worse problems? All this made it palatable to pay for the repair.

<p>

Remember that you need to manually set the lens to its smallest f/stop (f/16?) if you want to use X-700 in P mode.

<p>

Look at <strong>3.1.2 Can I use MC lenses on an XD- or X- series camera?</strong> and <strong>3.1.3 Making an 'MD lug' mod</strong> at Chris Valentine's et al <a href="http://www.35mm.freeserve.co.uk/mug/mf-lenses.html"> Minolta MF FAQ <http://www.35mm.freeserve.co.uk/mug/mf-lenses.html>. </a>

<p>

My local camera repair facility <a href="http://www.sanfordcamerarepair.com/"> Sanford Camera Repair </a> in Arlington, Massachusetts, quoted me $50 (I assume shipping is extra) for that kind of service for a 50mm f/2.0 MD lens. Maybe a zoom is more.

 

<p>

Not that I recommend this next step. I wasn't about to spend another $50 on a $15 paperweight (I bought a MD Rokkor-X f/1.7 for $30 instead) -- so I decided to experiment. I soaked it in Coleman fuel (white gas / naphtha). The space between each lens group is not sealed - the solvent flowed into all the parts. I then drained it and let it dry for several days. There is some residue on the inner surfaces - sort of like the spots a dishwasher might leave on glassware - maybe I should put some JET-DRY or PHOTO-FLO Solution into the Coleman fuel :-)

<p>I have shot some film with it and I can't see any difference in drug-store prints. <p>

<center>

<a href="http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/chemistry/bwFilmProcessing/photoFloSolution.jhtml?id=0.1.16.14.30.14.7.48&lc=en"><img src="http://www.kodak.com/global/images/en/professional/products/chemistry/packShots/photoFloSol.jpg" align=center width=120 height=213 border=0> </a> </center>

<p>

You can read a discussion of deciphering Vivitar serial numbers to determine the Subcontracted Lens Maker of a particular lens at Stephen Gandy's CameraQuest website.

<p>

<a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/VivLensManuf.htm">Who made that Vivitar Lens?</a>

These are available from <A HREF="http://www.micro-tools.com/"> Micro-Tools </a> 800.359.2878 Vacaville, California, USA.

<p>

<table>

<tr valign="top">

<td align="center"><a href=

"http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/images/95311575.jpg" name="9531-1575-61">

<img src="http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/small/95311575.jpg"></a></td>

 

<td align="center" nowrap><b><a name=

"9531-1575-61" href="http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/parts.htm">9531-1575-61</a></b></td>

<td><b>Capacitor for Minolta X-700 C9 & C10</b><br>

When an X-700 has release problems, this is the

part that is more then likely needs replaced. Package of

10.</td>

<td align="right"><b>$4.75</b><a href=

"http://www.micro-tools.com/Merchant2/parts.htm">

><br>

Quantity<br>

Discounts<br>

Available</a></td>

</tr>

</table>

And another question. Do the 55mm filter size lenses have a larger "objective" lens than the 49mm? Or is it just a difference in the bezel?

Jedidiah: I see you are narrowing your choices down away from X-bodies, but let me add this for the archives.

<p>

In the X-570 etc, the shutter is held open with an electromagnet. If you are doing extremely long exposures (to get star circles) it represents a drain on the batteries. Those little bitty batteries don't last forever.

<p>

A work-around is to use the version of the Autowinder base that has an extension that goes into the battery compartment of the camera. This way you have 4 AA-cells keeping the shutter open. Certainly enough for an 8 hour exposure.

<p>

Called the Auto Winder GP in the <a href="http://www.rokkorfiles.com/X%20series%20accessories.html">ROKKOR Files.</a>

Don't listen to no Good Ole Boy NASCAR photographer. When was the last time he got sprayed with gravel - or even got within 30 meters of a moving car - let alone 1 or 2 meters. And if it rains, those roundy-round boys stop the darn race!! :) <BIG GRIN>

 

Pack light because you will be moving from vantage to vantage. Stay dry.

 

"Back in the Day" I used tungsten balanced Ektachrome 160 - those racks of SEV Marchal quartz halogen lights on the front of the cars sure can light up the woods. Shots around sunset (or sunrise) are really great. The "daylight" is warm enough that it doesn't wash out the picture in blue, and the contrast of the "white" light in front of the car makes an interesting contrast - especially if there is snow on the ground.

 

Most of my pictures were from inside the car when I was a course marshal. When I was navigator it was just too hectic.

 

Also there is a lot of chances for "people" shots. Prepping the cars before things start. Tension of crew members while waiting for scores to be posted. Precision of the course workers.

Wide angle.

See <a href="http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column18/index.html"> Clean, Lube and Adjust </a> by the Sunday Morning Photographer for some thoughts about the value of paying more on repairs than the camera brings on Ebay.

<p>

I just got a "free" X-570. I know that it has spent its entire life sitting on a shelf in a modern office bolted to the front of a computer imaging box - so it has never been exposed to temperature or humidity extremes and it is in fine physical shape. Yet the mirror and shutter release locked-up because of dried out lubricant. I spent $113 to get it fixed and I have had a ball playing with the camera. Lubricant dries out and capacitors eventually die - so you run this risk with any used camera - if you get the work done then you are comfortable that you have many years of use to look forward to.

<p>

I used <a href="http://www.sanfordcamerarepair.com/"> Sanford Camera Repair </a> in Arlington, Massachusetts, which is local for me, and I was very pleased.

<p>

This forum frequently mentions <a href="http://www.keh.com/repair/repair.cfm"> KEH Camera Brokers </a> in Atlanta, Georgia. Their online estimate is comparable.

 

<p>

Anyways, what's a hundred bucks when it is YOUR DAD'S EXCELLENT CAMERA??

I find Miguel's line of thinking very tempting. But I have read some reviews that suggest that negative scanners don't do a great job on "real" B/W negatives. John - have you run some Tri-X through your scanner? -and what is your impression?

<p>Many Ebay sellers will use "MD" to indicate that it will fit Minolta manual focus cameras (even though it is a third-party lens!)

<p>A partial chronological list of Minolta brand manual focus lenses:

<li>Minolta MD Rokkor (international market)

<li>Minolta MD Rokkor-X (USA market - green distance numbers)

<li>Minolta MD Celtic (economy lens - said to be same glass and design - but cheaper (no?) coatings)

<li>Minolta MD (designed for the X-700 - has "Minimum Aperture Lock")

 

<p>Good explanations are available on the Web at

<a href="http://www.rokkorfiles.com/"> The Rokkor Files [http://www.rokkorfiles.com/]. </a>

 

<p>If you are using your X-700 in full program mode then you have to remember to set the f-stop to its minimum (e.g. f/22). Say you leave it set at f/4 - then the camera's "brain" can only move the aperture to f/4 f/2.8 f/2 (or as wide as the lens allows) - If it is bright and sunny you may be out of luck. The latest MD lenses have a little slide lock that locks the aperture at f/22 (or whatever).

 

<p>Another consideration if you are getting multiple lenses is the size of the screw-on filter that the front of the lens accepts. Minolta lenses in this range tend to be 49mm or 55mm. If you are just going to get a skylight or haze filter for each lens and leave it bolted on then it doesn't matter. But if you get "into" the filter thing, then it is nice to be able to share them across lenses (in my case -with my son's Pentax).