paulh

<p>I'm assuming this is 120 film. If so, I prefer to despool the film first and remove the backing paper. If I'm loading onto push / outside-in reels like the plastic Jobo or Paterson reels, I fold over the tape at the end of the film, and feed that end into the reels. If I'm using a centre loading reel (like my Gepe ones), I peel off the tape. BTW, the centre loading Gepe reels are really fast and easy to load, wet or dry.</p>

<p>Keep the reels clean, using warm water, detergent and an old toothbrush, and you'll be fine whether using plastic or metal reels. Reels like the Jobo and Paterson need to be thoroughly dry before loading, while the centre loading ones aren't so fussy.</p>

<p>Hi</p>

<p>Nice results. Looking at the first picture, I was sure it was somewhere close by!<br>

I have the Super Fujica-6, which is the model with the coupled rangefinder. It's a very nice lens, with a nice combined viewfinder/rangefinder window. It feels quite a bit lighter than either my Certo Six or Iskra. I got mine complete with close-up attachment and lens hood (which I've never really used).</p>

<p><a title="img1073.jpg by mad2cv, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/3034498650_17fe6b6260_z.jpg?zz=1" alt="img1073.jpg" width="640" height="640" /></a></p>

<p>Decide which format you want first - 6x4.5, 6x6 6x7, 6x8, or 6x9, and think about how you want to use it. If you plan on handholding or walking around with the camera a lot, then you'll probably want to look at 6x4.5 or 6x6 (yes, there are exceptions - I can carry my 6x9 Fujica around without too much trouble). You may also want to consider whether you want an SLR style camera, rangefinder or TLR.</p>

<p>If you want square (like the Kiev), then a Bronica SQ-A or SQ-B is a good start, or look at something like a Mamiya C220/C330 TLR.</p>

<p>The best advice is just to be patient, and keep an eye on places like KEH. Your only other option would be to buy one that you know will need new bellows and a CLA, and factor that into your purchase price.</p>

<p>If you can cope with an older camera, the viewfinders on the Agfa Super Isolette and its FSU cousin the Iskra are not too bad. The lenses are pretty decent too. The viewfinders on the last of the Mamiya Six folders are reasonable too.</p>

<p><em>BTW, note too that with an iMac you will be limited to the Firewire 800 connections for adding additional hard drives for backup, and storage.</em><br>

No you're not - you can use USB2, Firewire 800 or Firewire 400 (with 800-400 adapter if necessary). What the iMac doesn't have is a eSATA connector. </p>

<p>Instead of MS Office, unless you have specific needs, Open Office (or Neo Office) are free, open source alternatives that may well fit the bill.</p>

<p>For your scanner, you can consider trying Vuescan if the native software doesn't work.</p>

<p>For Rodinal 1+100 and dev times / agitation as per the MDC, an EI of 100 for Acros, and around 250 for Neopan is a good starter.</p>

<p>Shooting a test roll beforehand would be a good idea.</p>

<p>Autopano Pro is very good, well worth the money and hassle. I'd regard it as one of the best stitching programs that I've tried. It can be used in a pretty much fully automated manner, just by pointing it at a directory full of images. It's also easy enough to use in manual mode</p>

<p>It is more than capable of stitching handheld panoramas of 75+ images shot on auto exposure. I've also tried it with over 250 individual images in a single panorama, this time shooting on a home-made panorama bracket. You can download a demo version to test out for yourself before committing any money.</p>

<p>Hugin, which is free, open-source software, is also very good, but does have a bit more of a learning curve. You can use it to correct vertical lines too, as well as "de-fish" images shot with fisheye lenses (which I've used when shooting with the 30mm Arsat on the Pentacon 6).</p>

<p>The following (handheld) shot is an example of stitching and correcting verticals:<br /> <a title="Art Deco Corner (21rs).jpg by mad2cv, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3645635075_41f32bc251.jpg" alt="Art Deco Corner (21rs).jpg" width="247" height="500" /></a></p>

<p>Of course, you can just use PS or similar to correct verticals as well.</p>

<p>Sorry Edward, I don't agree, unless you've bee drinking gallons of coffee each day.....</p>

<p>And yes, I have seen enough really sharp images to know differently. </p>

<p>There are quite a few, but apart from the Mamiya Six, they tend to be a bit scarce in the west. The camerapedia link above is a good place to start.</p>

<p>Many of the better ones are labelled Super Chrome or Super Six or some combination thereof.</p>

<p>The three Japanese folders that I have, or rather two folders and a "popper", are Mamiya Six, Super Fujica Six, and Weha Chrome Six. The latter is the "popper", with an extending lens tube like a Braun Gloria, a Super Ikonta style rotating wedge coupled RF, and no red window. Despite having no red window, there is no auto-film stop, you just have to line the number and arrow up on the film counter. Mine is currently having its shutter tended to.</p>

<p><em>"If you don't use a substantial tripod, there's little to be gained in image quality over a 35mm or DSLR camera." </em></p>

<p>I can't say I'd agree with this. I think you will notice quite a difference, regardless of whether you are shooting colour or black and white. You're talking about a substantially larger film area, so far less enlargement is required for a given output size. Plus you have some of the best lenses around.</p>

<p>Trying it out first is a good idea, especially if you've not used a RF before. Some people never get comfortable with it, some wouldn't shoot with anything else. Also, you may find that with the format change, you change your tastes in focal lengths.</p>

<p>I've successfully used <a href="http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec">PhotoRec</a> to recover friends corrupted memory cards. It's not a GUI, rather a TUI (menu driven) program.</p>

<p>It has succeeded where several other programs have failed.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I certainly could not agree - my 35GT was very sharp.</p>

<p>Either your focus is off, or possibly its the processing & printing that is the problem. You can eliminate or confirm that by shooting a roll of colour slide film.</p>

<p>Sounds like a Bronica 645RF or Mamiya 6 might meet (most of) your requirements.</p>

<p>Another option is to keep the current setup, and add something like a Fuji GA645i.</p>

<p>I recently bought one as well, and really like it. I will have to keep my eyes out for a 65mm, and possibly one of the longer lenses too. In spite of its size, I find it pretty easy to carry around, although nowhere near as easy as a 6x6 CRF folder!</p>

<p>I've run about three of four B+W films through it so far, and have a roll of Astia in it at the moment.</p>

<p>Fomapan 100:<br>

<a title="Renault Alpine A310 V6 by mad2cv, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4215678132_727bd6067b_o.jpg" alt="Renault Alpine A310 V6" width="950" height="642" /></a></p>

<p>Neopan 400:<br>

<a title="Wellington Railway Station by mad2cv, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/4161917079_62d868882d_o.jpg" alt="Wellington Railway Station" width="950" height="622" /></a></p>

<p>I have had this issue in the past printing from PS. Printing from iPhoto (when on the Mac) or through the HP software tools, or through IrfanView (on Windows) worked fine. <br>

In the end, what worked for me was to select the borderless paper option, ensuring that the "centre image" option is set in the PS print dialog box.</p>

<p>If you do want a Kiev, the Kiev / Arax 60 is another, possibly cheaper option. The cameras are simpler than the 88 series, which means less to go wrong. However you do lose the interchangeable film backs. If you do go for the 88, go for the 88CM, which uses the Pentacon 6 mount (like the Kiev 60).</p>

<p>In the end, it may well boil down to which format you prefer - square or not, and local market pricing & availability vagaries.</p>

<p>I'm so glad you're around, saving me from all the 35mm stuff on TradeMe !!</p>

<p>Gorgeous camera, and great results. I must pop over the hill some day.</p>

<p>Despite what some say, I find MF scans on my V700 to be superior to 35mm scans from a dedicated film scanner. It may not be as good as a Nikon 8000/9000, nor as good as a Minolta Scan Multi, but you can still get around 2400 dpi of useful information from it.</p>

<p>While you are still only doing 35mm, stick with the Nikon film scanner. When you get into medium format, and assuming you decide not to go larger, you can go with the V500 (or V600) for MF scans. If you want to give yourself the option of larger formats, by all means go with the V700. </p>

<p>As for V700 vs V750, there does not seem to be a great deal of technical difference, bar the additional software, target and fluid mount tray. You need to decide whether these are important to you. Head over to <a href="http://www.photo-i.co.uk">photo-i</a> for more info. In many markets, the V750 is not available.</p>

<p>The best flatbed scanner in that price rang is the V700/750, and offers pretty good value for money. </p>

<p>You can get some anti-reflective or anti-newton glass cut to fit in the existing Epson film holders, which will help keep curly film flat. Your best additional investment though is Bruce Fraser's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Image-Sharpening-Adobe-Photoshop/dp/0321449916">Real World Sharpening</a> book. Invest some time and effort in reading and understanding that, and you will get much better results.</p>

<p>Where you want to make a larger enlargement, or for that special shot, you can pay to get it scanned on a higher end scanner.</p>

<p>Typically, the V700 will mask grain rather than emphasise it.</p>

<p>Make sure you have the sharpening set to low or off when scanning, with dust removal and digital ICE off. Scan at 2400 dpi, 16 bit grayscale, with output set to original size and save as a TIFF. Then do all your cleaning, sharpening, etc in PS. If you upload to PN or other image hosting places, you should generally resize the image in Photoshop and save as a JPG before uploading.</p>

<p>Here's a Fomapan 100 image scanned on a V700:<br>

<img src="http://images.fotopic.net/11c0aq.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>And here's a 100% crop:</p>

<p><img src="http://images.fotopic.net/11c0at.jpg" alt="" /><br>

Any strangeness in the area below the hose clips is caused by the image hoster's compression routines.</p>

<p>Refix with the Ilford fixer.</p>

<p>I've never bothered with hardening fixers with Efke - just be careful while the emulsion is wet.</p>

<p>The small ones :-)</p>

<p>Really, you can pick out some of the tourist landmarks, and just drive on the small back roads, you'll find heaps. You'll probably come across the non-tourist places that way, many of which are just as gorgeous. Don't forget to head into the surrounding hills too.</p>