ksporry

Yep, I know bokeh is very personal. Thought about it a lot and compared the options to what I normally shoot with on an SLR. Usually I shoot with a 135/2 which I just love to death! I also like the 100/2.8 macros on SLRs. Taking into consideration the crop for a 645 with a P30 back, the 150/3.2 comes closest. I heard the 120/4 is one of the best in sharpness and bokeh (latter again personal taste), that one would be my second choice, with the 150 being nr one for now.

Are you saying some of these lenses have s not so nice bokeh?

Hi guys, So, I got myself a hasselblad H1 with a p30 back and standard 80mm lens. Now I'm looking at getting a second lens for portraits and headshots. The prime contenders are the 100/2.2, the 120/4 macro, and the 150/3.2. With 35mm/full frame cameras I just lived the 100 and 135 primes, which would suggest the 120/4 or 150/3.2. However, the wise aperture of the 100/2.2 quite appeals to me :) I haven't found many comparisons (but I only just started looking), so if people could help point me in the right direction or maybe provide their own experiences, that'd be grand!

<p>Hey guys,<br> Am about to buy a secondhand digital MF back for a H1. planning to get a P30 as they got one for a decent price. However, since it's still a lot of money, and I don't want to buy a lemon, could someone tell me what specificalities I should pay attention to when I get a digital back?</p>

<p>thanks for the advice. I ended up going for an 18-35/3.5-4.5G lens, which is supposed to be superb. Tried it out briefly and does look to be amazingly sharp corner to corner :)<br> its true that digital has more latitud ethese days, especially the D810, but always better to fix things in camera as much as possible, to get the best out of it :)</p> <p>By the way, the filters are not only for this trip. I plan to use them with more landscape stuff. :)</p>

<p>was gonna use a polariser, ND Grad, and possibly a little stopper or big stopper (as Lee calls them), so I can use long exposure times to erase people and make water silky smooth.<br> I'm located in Shanghai so I'll also be using it for cityscapes and architecture work. For that reason I'm not keen on the Samyang 14/2.8, because that one, although razor sharp, has weird distortions (plus probably sample variations). I will definitely bring a medium zoom and telezoom with me.</p>

<p>Guys,<br> Am looking for some advice on choice of equipment.<br> I'm going to Guilin, taking pics of the river in the Karst mountain landscape there, as well as rice paddies.<br> I don't have a proper wide angle lens for landscape and currently my options would be the Nikon (I use a D810) 20/1.8G, or the 14-24/2.8G lenses.<br> First of all, the 20mm/1.8 is small, and pretty good from what I heard, but is less flexible (its a prime). Is it a good generic focal length for landscapes and cityscapes though?<br> I'll be getting a filter set for the relevant lens as well, which will be a Lee (resin) or Benro (glass) set. The 14-24 is one of the best wide angle zooms out there and I have yet to hear from any zoom (or prime) that is better for Nikon (I heard of the samyang 16/2.8, but that has weird distortions that cannot be corrected in PS). However, with the huge front element, the filter set would be a 150mm wide filter set, which is a bit more expensive than 100mm systems (especially CPL), and huge to carry around. The 20/1.8 would allow me to use a more manageable 100mm filter set, but is optically not as good as the 14-24, and is not as flexible.<br> Any suggetsions?</p>

<p>This post is mostly to help others with any compatibility issues they may experience with the Yongnuo YN-E3-RT transmitter, and the YN600EX-RT speedlight.<br> After some investigation I found the following that could be useful:<br> First I should state I have both the original Canon 600EX-RT and the Yongnuo variant. I used both in my testing. The firmware of the YN-E3-RT is 1.14, the firmware of the YN600EX-RT is 1.8.1.<br> The YN-E3-RT has a custom Function called "Legacy", which can be accessed by long-pressing the CFn button. The intend of this function is to allow the YN-E3-RT to be used for Non-Canon Cameras. I used this function to assess the different operation modes.<br> Note that in the test cases below, only Manual mode was tested, as this is primarily a test to assess compatibility with other, non-Canon, cameras.<br> Camera/ “Legacy”/ Canon 600EX-RT/ YN600EX-RT <br />D810/ Off/ Yes/ No<br />D810/ On/ Yes/ No<br />M8.2/ Off/ Yes/ No<br />M8.2/ On/ Yes/ No<br />R-D1u/ Off/ Yes/ No<br />R-D1u/ On/ Yes/ No<br />X-Pro1/ Off/ Yes/ No<br />X-Pro1/ On/ Yes/ No<br />E-PL5/ Off/ Yes/ No<br />E-PL5/ On/ Yes/ No<br />5D2/ Off/ Yes/ Yes<br />5D2/ On/ Yes/ No<br> During this test I also noticed that the YN600EX-RTs had a rather long power recycle time. The YN-E3-RT has an option for setting the speedlite power output when pressing the “Test” button. The function seems to work as required when working in ETTL mode for both the Canon 600EX-RT as well as the YN600EX-RT. However, the function does not seem to work for the Canon 600EX-RT nor for the YN600EX-RT when working in Manual mode. It appears that when in manual mode, this function is disabled, and the test button assumes the power setting set on the controller for the relevant speedlite. Since the transmitter requires the user to push the “Test” button each time settings are changed (applies to both the Canon and the Yongnuo speedlites), this could cause the batteries to drain unnecessarily. Also note that since it only works in ETTL, this means you can will only have this option available with Canon cameras when shooting in ETTL.<br> My conclusion is:<br />1) The “Legacy” Switch is not working at all. It does not have an effect when using the YN-EX-RT in conjunction with a Canon 600EX-RT. This is most likely an issue with the YN-E3-RT transmitter, and should be fairly easy to fix with a firmware update.<br> 2) When used with a non-Canon camera, the YN-E3-RT only triggers Canon 600EX-RT speedlites. It does NOT trigger the YN600EX-RT speedlites. I can't say if this is an issue with the YN-E3-RT or the YN600EX-RT. Since the Canon 600EX-RT works, most likely it is related to the YN600EX-RT. It's possible that the YN600 expects transmissions that include Canon communication protocol, which may be included when used with a Canon camera, but obviously not with non-canon cameras.<br> 3) The Test power option only works in ETTL, which means using a Canon Camera. In Manual mode the “Test” button will result in an output from the speedlites equivalent to the setting on the YN-E3-RT. This may be by design (I don't know how the ST-E3-RT from Canon works, it may do the same), and thinking about it this makes sense. In ETTL, you don't measure the output, but in manual you may want to use a lightmeter to measure the output, in which case the "Test" button should output exactly what you set.</p> <p>PS forgive the table formatting. This never works online and always screws up. the columns are separated by "/".</p>

<p>That's a very interesting point actually! So I guess that means if anyone would go for a body, it'd better be a H1, H2 or a H4/5X . I didn't know that, thanks!</p>

<p>Maybe, but the sensor is Sony, so I expect Ricoh to have the same issue as Hasselblad.</p> <p>If you consider cost: 1.7k US for a GX645AF/H1 (kit), versus 8k US for a pentax 645Z (kit), versus 10k for a CFV50 back (excludes a V-series camera kit), versus 15k for a H5D (kit). Interestingly the H5D body does not cost 5k US. I think the H5D body is actually called H5X (which allows film backs).<br> If a H5D body indeed costs 5k US, and allows film backs (which I doubt considering an H5X exists/was announced), that'd be VERY interesting considering its capabilities!</p>

<p>In general there are several options, all with pro's and cons.<br> This weekend I was looking around in the local camera market, and they have some interesting offers. For example, they had a H1 (actually a Fuji GX645AF, which never went beyond the H1 version) for 13000 RMB (about 1300 GBP), including a standard 80/2.0 and film clip. Which is a good deal as it was pretty much unscratched., very clean! They also were selling a couple of Contax AF 645's between 7k RMB (body + film clip) and 15k RMB (complete set).<br> Now, the H1's are very modular and in fact, you can get later parts without problems. a very well supported camera. The contax is phased out completely so spares will become difficult. The latter had battery issues as well apparently. The Contax lenses however are a steal compared to hasselblad lenses. Literally 50-20% of the hassleblad equivalent, and are amazing lenses being Zeiss and all that (not that the hasselblad lenses are bad).</p> <p>The problem comes when going digital. Getting a cheap hasselblad (as I said, I own a 500C already, which just needs a clean, lub, and some adjusting) isn't the biggest issue. Same for the Contax.<br> The problem is the price of a digital back for any of these, any back.... Even second hand the most pathetic backs still go for 20-40k RMB. Any decent back that is to compete with the 645Z, will vastly outprice the 645Z with 2 lenses easily. Lets not forget that that 645Z sensor is the same as the CFV-50 Hasselblad released at 50% higher price (I think 10k US for the 645Z versus 15k US for the CFV-50).<br> It this point the photographer that wants to go MF needs to make a decision to go either for the 645Z with probably inferior lenses (compared to the other brands mentioned), but an overall waaay more competitive price, and swallow the fact that the value of that camera will drop significantly in a few years' time. Or go for a much more expensive setup (e.g. Hasselblad), with the benefit that the camera and lenses will always be good enough and don't need bi-yearly upgrades, with a back that costs a fortune, but also keeps a decent resell value if an upgrade is required.</p> <p>Note, I would't mind spending 1 or 2k US for an old 16-22MP back for my 500C just to play and get a feel for it. My problem with that is that they are simply not available...</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses. I see some very interesting on opinions, and all seem to steer me away from the 645Z.so at least it's consistent :)<br> I should say, it's not the pixel count by for me. If I gave that impression I apologize. <br> I do have good glass for my d800e. I got the 35, 50 and 85 1.4 from sigma which are steliar. All are art series except the 85 of course. Got a standard 70-200 obviously, and a 135/2D. <br> I think I will follow up on the advice to get the Hasselblad restored. </p> <p>As a note, the 645Z sensor is twice as big as a 35mm frame, which should give a significantly better image.<br> I also indicated that the price is a huge hurdle and the biggest reason for me to question the decision. I simply don't have a good justification for spending the money, other than ergono Ics (I really like the ergonomics) , gear collection with a margical (and questionable) improvement in quality output. <br> So I'll focus on lighting and the hassy instead.</p> <p>Thanks guys, appreciate your candid advice!</p>

<p>Right, ok, I think that is a very fair statement, and thanks for pointing that out.</p> <p>So, in the past I've mostly done street and travel photography, and recently i've been getting into strobist stuff. Portraits, fashion, etc. I'm just beginning with that stuff, but i'd like to grow into that area, as I find it highly inspiring, and its a bit of a challenge still for me. I was planning to use it mostly for studio type photography, but with the DSLRs I've recently been doing on location shoots with friends who also have a big passion in photography. That stuff has been very unplanned and spontaneous, but I'd like to get more into envisioning shots, plan them out and then go ahead and shoot them.</p> <p>You mentioned the high res requirements of the high-end mags etc. It's an interesting point because those shots often need to be as hi-res as possible (i.e. DMF). So without any commercial intent, the need for hi-res would drop. Having said that I also know that the high resolution (and associated other image quality characteristics) is not the only thing that's different about MF compared to 35mm. From what I understood is that the look is actually a little different too (skipping the obvious square format versus 3x4 or 2x3 discussion for a moment). I don't know if that is just a matter of angle of view and DOF, or if there's something else to it (the first 2 can be matched on DSLR).</p> <p>I'm getting a lot of inspiration from the likes of Joe McNally and his Beijing fashion shots, Karl Taylor with similar fashion shots, and Peter Hurley with his view on head shots. The latter use mostly MF (though Karl occasionally uses DSLR), but Joe uses only DSLRs, which makes that decision all the harder.</p> <p>At some point I'd like to publish my own books/prints/etc, but I never expect myself to make actual money from it (besides, I love my day job too much for that as well).</p> <p>I'm not sure if that helps clarify my own situation?</p>

<p>Hi guys,<br> I need some advice. I am considering if I should buy that new Pentax 645Z MF camera or not.<br> Its a tough choice for me because:<br> a) I'm not a pro, I won't make any money out of it (at least not any time soon)<br> b) It's a lot of money for someone who's not a pro (though it's the cheapest DMF package around)<br> c) I already have several different camera systems: several rangefinders, Canon, Nikon (D800E), and an old beat up C500 Hassy (the latter needs some restoring). Adding another new system to the collection, well, I like collecting gear but it needs to make sense (and the rest so far has made sense, and didn't break the bank)<br> d) Considering I already have a D800E, I wonder to what extend the 645Z benefits me as a non-pro shooter<br> e) The 645Z has a flash sync of only 1/125. That one bothers me. Although I'd use the camera predominantly for studio work, I do want to be able to use it outside in high contrast/bright sunlight conditions, for which I may need a much higher sync speed. I heard about this being better with leaf shutter lenses, and although I know the hassy's have those with a flash sync speed of 1/500, I don't know to what extent I can match that with the pentax (for sure it won't reach the 1/8000 that Canon and Nikon boast with radio triggered speedlights...)</p> <p>Note, I did mention the hassy, and I am considering getting that restored, but right now I'm not too convinced that its a comparable solution. especially since the pentax will work so much faster with AF and digital files etc.</p> <p>So, any suggestions/comments/etc, will be much appreciated!</p>

<p>I know the 3M strips. I use them to hang up hooks for my photos. Are you guys suggesting mounting hooks upside down on my mounts, and run the fishing line through those? I guess it's possible, but not sure that's such a great solution.<br> I guess another solution is to get sticky product hangers. They're plastic rectangles, with a hole like you see on products that supposed to be hung on a metal arm in the store. Those rectangles have about 50% surface area that's sticky. I guess I could use those, stick them on the mount and run the fishing line through them.<br> e.g.:<br> http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/231263076850?lpid=82<br> http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/331058239795?lpid=82<br> http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/adhesive-display-hangers.html<br> Another possibility is using the strips to fix the mounted pics to the wall directly, but I'm concerned that upon removal they damage the mount.</p>

<p>Guys,<br> got a question about hanging up photos.<br> I got some large prints mounted on cardboard mounts (Ikea mounts, I like the texture and thickness of those), and I would like to hang those up on nylon strings (fishing line really). I don't want to frame them, as I liek the clean look of plain mounted pics.<br> As such, I wonder how I can fix the wires to teh mount. I don't want to stick the nylon wire through the cardboard directly as undoubtedly that will cause the cardboard to rip under the weight of the mount and photo once it is hung up. I hung one mounted pic by taping the wire to the mount board with paper tape (the type used for framing and mounting). It seems to hold, but it's quite a laborious process, and I'm not sure how fool proof it actually is.<br> Any suggestions?</p>

<p>Hi Guys,</p> <p>Not sure what the best place was for this post considering the mix MF and Digital...<br> I have an old c/m500 hasselblad camera, and I was thinking of going into Digital MF.<br> I am aware of the Phase One brand, and Leaf, and a friend of mine uses an old Kodak DCS Pro Back on a Mamiya, and produces great results with that.<br> First of all, from a practical standpoint, I won't be able to afford the latest/greatest Digital Backs, because they cost a mortgage. So although I am definitely interested in a discussion about their capabilities, My interest probably leans more towards cheaper/older/second hand Digital Backs.</p> <p>The rumour that I picked up was that MF DBs have a significantly higher dynamic and tonal range than 35mm Ful Frame sensors, like the 5Dmk2 (my current dSLR). Is that actually true? or probably I should ask, to what extend is that true? Would a Kodak DCS Pro Back perform better than a 5Dmk2 Sensor, or would I have to gte something like a P40 or P60 to see some improvements?</p> <p>I'd also be interested in hearing what other MF DBs are on the market and how they perform.</p>