pete_biro

I have a Gowland all moves camera that has no zero-ing marks or

levels - i thought lining up lens and back could be done by eye but

ive obviously got unwanted shift going on. How do i accurately

centre-up my camera on both axes??

 

Pete Biro, Univ Calgary

Wow! So many answers. Ask yourself this: can you tell (appreciate) the difference between an 8x12 taken in 35mm vs 6x7 vs 4x5? How about at 16x20? Remember, larger formats WILL NOT OF THEMSELVES MAKE A BETTER PHOTOGRAPH. Larger formats also limit your depth of field which frustrated me with my pentax 67 and led me to a view camera and a 6x9 back. For me, i see an obvious difference between an 8x10 done in 35mm vs one done in 6x7, do you as well? Such differences will become much more obvious at larger enlargements. If such differences really matter to you, then the extra size/weight/'inconvenience' of larger formats is no longer such an issue then, is it?

 

My two cents worth, Pete Biro

Devin,

 

Consider a slightly larger format, 6x7. You'll lose some depth of field, but gain in quality. You'll see large diffs in quality, even at 8x10! Also, i echo the idea to get a waist level finder - seeing the image reversed at waist level dissociates you from the scene and you'll compose better. Also, composed on a 6x7 viewer allows you to see tremendous detail.

 

good luck,

 

Pete

Hi,

 

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Will the cambo reflex viewer (monocular) fit onto my standard back. It has indents into which my folding focus hood snaps in. Photos of the viewer and the calumet web site arent helping know for sure.

 

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Help?

How is the rodenstock/caltar 210mm f6.8? Is the newest version a good (cheaper, lighter) alternative to the f5.6 caltar ii n?

I'll probably use it mainly for 6x9.

thanks,

Pete

Hi all,

 

Any advice on where to go and see wildlife, flowers, scenery etc that

is good at this time of year (early - mid May)? I'll be in and around

Wenatchee, WA for about 10 days. General question, i know, but we

love to see and photograph all three! Any help would be appreciated.

 

thanks,

Pete, Univ Calgary

My Calumet C2N roll film holder is partially fogging some frames - i suspect based on tests that the dark slide lets in a bit of light cause if i take a series of shots with the holder in place, only the first is fogged and subsequent shots are fine. Is this a quirk of the holder, my particular holder or what? The dark slide has an inward notch on it and doesnt slide under the frame very much. Should the dark slide have a square end on it? (ie. is the dark slide an incorrect replacement?)

 

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Thanks all,

 

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Pete Biro, U. Calgary, Canada

Hi,

 

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Any experiences using the gowland pocket view as a backpack-able camera - specifically:

 

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1) How short a lens and still be able to tilt some? (Im planning to primarily use it for 6x9)

 

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2) As a newcomer to LF will i find it OK to learn with?

 

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I'll be using it for landscapes and perhaps macro here and there and plan on lenses that emulate 24 mm, 50 and 100mm in 35mm format.

 

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Thanks in advance, Pete

Ive pushed 100F to 320 (process at 400) and have been pleased with the results. When i compare 400F with 100F@320 there is more contrast in the latter. Graininess between the two seemed to be quite similar though - think about the cost though. 400F is pretty pricey when compared to 100F and if you dont get charged much (or at all) to push film you may wish to stick with 100F pushed.

 

Bottom line: given its cost, im not sure it worth the extra $$. Now, if you want to push beyond 400, then there's no question there.

As for individual lens quality/performance ... its all well discussed, just do some searching!

Warren - a cheaper and excellent alternative to 400F is to use 100F, shoot at 320 and request push 2 stops for developing. Find someplace that doesnt charge extra for pushing (like London Drugs here in canada). I think you'll find the results pretty similar to 400F without the cost.

Bob - i put the UV filter back in and did notice that it appeared to be coated. It had either a 'goldish' or purple colour coating on it (cant remember) but i am sure about the coating cause i spent a few minutes giving it a cleaning.

Ok, Ok. Time to dispense with sarcasm to and fro. Found that B&H only list a B&W 81A for 48mm - i hope this one does it.

 

Pete

Thanks Bob, i'll look into the Hoya. As for the front protective glass ... I removed that one even before I decided to remove the drop-in filter. Makes the lens lighter too!

Ive got a Canon 500 f4.5L and have chosen to remove the UV filter it

comes with thinking that the extra glass is unecessary and will

degrade images somewhat. Is it actually part of the optical

'formula' for this lens? I havent noticed any problems though.

Also, i need a 81A for this lens - any suggestions?

 

Pete, U Calgary

Specific question: has anyone experienced vignetting with the 45mm

lens on P67 using Cokin P holder with one (and perhaps two) singh ray

filters? I need to keep costs down and want one split ND filter and

an 81A ... which one, a 2 or 3 stop is most used in your experience?

 

Thanks,

 

Pete, U. Calgary

Readers: be aware of who's making the assessments. For instance, 'riduculously sharp wide open @400mm' comes from a sponsored photographer who would never give anything but glowing comments about Canon equipment. He would even say that stacking two 2x converters on one of Canon's 'amazing' IS supertelephotos yields sharp images.

 

My rule of thumb now, after experience with a 2x on Canon's 200f2.8L and 500f4.5L primes is use a 2x only if you must.

 

Pete, U. Calgary

Dave,

 

There are really only two choices (maybe three) these days: Velvia and Provia 100F. You'll love the velvia colours but may not like its high contrast whereas provia is better in high contrast conditions but less saturated. Sensia is also an option. Shoot both and choose later.

 

Pete, U.Calgary

Yes, ive searched the threads on S Utah. I will be going down for two

weeks next week and am interested in quieter locations for landscape

and wildlife (especially lizards) that might also provide for free

camping - this is not well discussed in the forum.

 

Im a student without too much $$ so help in this regard would be much

appreciated. Anyone want a ride down from Calgary and share gas?

 

Pete, Univ Calgary

Roger,

Two locations come to mind. 1) Nose Hill Park - very close to the University and 2) Inglewood Bird Sactuary. You can get to both using transit and both offer the opportunity to see birds, mammals and some spring flowers in June.

Get a tube - dont pay the extra for the Canon tubes ... get a set of Kenko tubes for the price of a single canon tube, they work just fine.

Lets clarify something - do people find undesireable (unacceptable) distortion even when the 35 is perfectly level? Of course it'll bend things a lot if tilted (20 and 24 mm in 35mm format bend things lots too if tilted too much but people dont discuss this as a problem)

Im getting a pentax 67 and want a wide angle for it - the decision is

between the 45 and the 35. What experience do people have with the

35 as a landscape lens both as is and also later cropping the images

to achieve a 'panoramic' proportion? And yes, i realize it distorts

considerably.

 

Help?

Will a 6x9 image taken with a 90mm lens take in a similar area as a

true panoramic 6x17? In other words, is the coverage the same and

simply the 'cropping' different - therefore, the 6x9 image could in

theory be enlarged and cropped to get the 'same', very long, image?

 

Thanks, Pete

Can i use my 540EZ (with or without a flash extender) effectively

for fill flash when mounted on the hot shoe of my A2E? Will the lens

hood cut off light and will red-eye be a problem?