alexander_gisoldi

<p>Another cat pic. Nikon D80 with 70-300 f5.6/8</p>

<p>I have a Nikon 85mm f1.8 and have had success using it for indoor chearleading competitions. As was said with a fixed focal length it is a challenge when considering that your zoom has to be your feet. So, one must think about access and where you can be and how you can move around. Sometimes I find that if the action is too close the 85 can be a bit too long on a crop sensor body as in the D80 I used to use. In that case as was also said a 50mm f1.8 is also a good and cheap choice to bring along too. The 85 is wonderful for portraits and will be great for indoor sports, just think about moving around to get in the right position and adding the 50mm if there's not enough room. A 70-200 F2.8 zoom by Canon or Sigma would be great too, but I don't know what your budget is so I'm not suggesting it.</p>

<p>I would also consider what your future shooting needs might be. Is low light shooting important to you? I have a D80 and it's not the greatest performer in low light. I have a 50mm f1.8 af and and an 85mm f1.8 af so I can get around certain situations. There's a new 35mm f1.8 afs which would work on a D40x and a new 50mm f1.4 af-s, but it's a bit pricey--about your whole budget. Your purchase will also depend on what Nikon lenses you might already have because the D40x will only autofocus with af-s lenses. In that respect a D80 would be better in terms of autofocusing with older Nikon af leneses. While you can manually focus with af or ai/ai-s lenses from my experience it's a challenge with the viewfinders in most Nikon dslrs unless we're talking higher end from the D200 up to the D3, but those are much more than $500.00. Definitely try a D80 and a D40x out with the different lenses and see what's best for you. Just a bit to think about.</p>

<p>If your budget is limitless and you don't mind the size or weight, then the new 24-70 f2.8. As others have said a 28-70 f2.8 if 28 mm is wide enough for you.</p>

<p>You definitely want a camera with higher ISO capabilities. I'm not that familiar with the 40D, but if it is good up to 3200 that's an improvement over the Rebel. A fast and long f2.8 zoom coupled with that better ISO capable body would also definitely improve things.</p>

<p>I just wanted to add that if you were considering the fast 2.8 zoom in order to shoot in low light that you might have to think about upgrading bodies. I know that was not in your budget so I'm not suggesting it. A D300 at $1700 would give you better higher ISO shots as would a $1,000 D90. Unfortunately, either of those plus a 2.8 zoom of any brand would be way over budget. I personally lost my mind and bought a D700 so I could shoot sports in low light and in gyms. I have to say I've never been happier and when I scrape together some cash I'll pick up a Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 or a 70-200 f2.8--I've lost it!</p>

<p>May I suggest renting an 80-200 f2.8 or 70-200 f2.8 Nikon zoom at a local camera shop for $25-$50 and trying it out for a night game on your D200? I have a feeling you'll be very disappointed with the results you'll get in low light. I have a D80 which has a similar sensor and is decent at ISO 800, but needs Noise removal. The D200 is not much better and you'll have to jack up the ISO to 1600 or more to get a fast enough shutter speed to capture movement even with a 2.8 lens. At higher ISO's of 1600 and upward I don't think you'll be too happy with the noise, but you may not have a problem with it. You might have to convert to black and white or get Noise Ninja. I tried it with my D80 and the 80-200 2.8 and the weak link was the camera. Good luck</p>

Thanks all for your answers. I want to pick up a 6x9 folder soon and just wanted to make sure I could use the scanner I have. Eventually I'd like to upgrade to a Coolscan 9000 to better scans negs from my other medium format cameras, but that's more of an investment now that I went digital. Thanks again.

 

Alex

Cliff and Patrick thanks for the responses. I've been looking around online and I believe I'll purchase a camera that has been CLA'D and/or repaired from one of the gentlemen recommended in this forum. I'm not all that handy and can't replace bellows if necessary or take apart glass elements and operate a sonic cleaner. So why pay $59.00 for a bargain grade camera that might not work and will most likely need a CLA? I'm looking into a Zeiss 6x9 folder with a novar lens. I don't want to spend the extra money right now for a tessar. Thanks again all for your help and advice.

 

Alex

Does anyone know if the film holder that came with the Epson 3170 accomodates 6x9 negatives full frame without

cropping anything off? The opening in the holder is 3 1/4 inches wide. I guess I'd need to know the width of 6x9

format. I've read 84mm. If that's the case it'll cut off 2mm or so. Not much I suppose.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Alex

Thanks all for your prompt responses. I really appreciate it.

I saw one online for sale, but with no picture or idea whether it's a 6x6 model or pocket model, I'll have to e-mail to verify exactly what format it is. I'd like to avoid having to cut down 120 film reels or search online for 127 film. It seems that with the description I read it could go either way: 6x6 (120) or 127 since I don't know about the film gate. I saw this camera and thought it would be a lightweight medium format travel addition to my digital so I could shoot some b/w. The format intrigued me, 4x6.5, and with a 75mm lens would be wide-ish and great for landscapes. Unless I'm miscalculating, but I have a Pentax 67 and this format would be shorter on the 6 side and almost as long on the 7 side. A 75mm on 67 would be about 38mm on 35 mm format. I'm sure the lens would not be ultrasharp or multi-coated, but it would have a look I'd like to explore, Once again, thanks to all of you for your help and information.

 

Alex

Could anyone tell me if the Zeiss Icarette 4x6.5cm with 75 4.5 tessar uses standard 120 roll film? I can't seem to

determine if it does or not. I read on one place online it uses 127 film. On another site it said that it uses 6x6 (120)

roll film and also 4X6.5 plates, Any information provided would be greatly appreciated, Thanks,

Thanks Nadine for the advice. I will overexpose by a stop when using the 2 flashes on auto-- I'll set the ISO to 200. Does that mean I also need to figure out the ambient light exposure even when using the better bounce card?

 

Just a question about the dragging the shutter and underexposing the ambient by at least 2 stops. Does that mean that I first meter for the background light--let's say the meter reads 1/30 @ f2.8 for 400 NC. Do I then set the aperture to f5.6 so that my exposure is 2 stops under ambient? I think that's what you mean. I think I've got it now... So any way I do it I should always set my ISO a stop lower and then get an ambient exposure and then underexpose 2 stops when using the better bounce card or any other diffuser? Please let me know if I'm getting it. I guess I'll have to bring another camera with a meter so I can meter for the ambient. I've got an unmetered prism on the Bronica.

 

Thank you so much for your help.

 

Alex

I will be taking some pictures at a friend's wedding tomorrow using a Bronica

ETRS with a 75mm 2.8 MC with the speed grip with hotshoe. These are just

candids, etc.--I'm not the official photographer--nor do I want to be because

I'm in the wedding. I have two backs and I plan to bring Portra 400 NC, BW

400CN, Portra 800 and Tri-x. I'm just hoping I'll have a chance to even shoot

off one roll of 15 shots being in the wedding, but I'll give it a try.

 

My question is about the Better Bounce Card which I made out of white craft

foam and have rubber-banded to a Vivitar 285HV and a Sunpak 383-- 2 cards were

made--one for each flash. From what I can gather and from experimentation with

my ETRS and a flash off to the right of the camera on the grip I will be using

the Vivitar 285 on red mode at f8 at 1/125 with the better bounce card on the

flash straight up for distance of around 5-12 feet or so. Am I in the ball

park?

 

Same setup with the Sunpak 383 on yellow mode at F8 at 1/125--expecting to

light up around 5-12 feet as well. Another ball park calculation?

 

I know Portra 400NC is forgiving of some over-exposure I'm just wondering if in

this range I will get good exposures of the bride and groom.

I'm unsure of lighting conditions in the reception hall so I'm hoping on auto

to get decent exposures. At a previous wedding I had bounced off of a high

ceiling with 285 and got very good results so that too might be an option--play

it by ear I guess. There are no expectations from the bride and groom.

 

I had thought of trying to balance ambient with flash, but I haven't got a

flash meter and probably won't have time for that anyway--I should just be

enjoying the wedding and leaving the camera at home--but I can't! It's

tricky playing with power levels on these two flashes without a flash meter--

just have to bracket. I was thinking of experimenting using 400 NC at 1/15 or

1/30 f4 and using the flash on 1/4 or 1/16 power and bracketing--just guessing

on ambient. Any ideas or is the question difficult to answer because of not

knowing the lighting conditions?

 

Any input from anyone who has used thyristor flashes with the better bounce

card on auto settings or on power levels would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Alex

If the negatives came out completely clear then I might have a suggestion because I bought a Bronica ETRS and one of my first rolls came out clear. The problem was that I had loaded the film in upside down and nothing came out. Just a thought. Dave showed you pics of light leaks so that should eliminate that problem if you have it. A sticky shutter not opening could also be the problem. Good luck.

Maintenance of a P67 should cost around $150 I would think-maybe a bit more or less. Maybe some one else on here knows a definite price. I had a Nikon F2 serviced 3 years ago for around $180--who knows maybe I got ripped off! Good luck with that leaf shutter Juan-- suerte!

http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/manual/67.pdf

 

Hope the manual helps. I bought the 165mm that isn't a leaf shutter lens. Here's and old thread that should help

 

no biggie - you just set the shutter speed on the body to 1/8 sec, cock the leaf shutter, adjust speed/aperture, focus and shoot like normal. here is a link to the manual for the 165mm leaf shutter lens that describes the procedure - http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/product/67_LS_165mm_f4_Lens.pdf

Would you happen to be using a LS--leaf shutter lens? I ask because it happened to me when shooting a test roll before buying my Pentax 67. The guy in the store put a 90mm LS lens on it, shot the roll and gave it to me to develop. Needless to say the negs came out blank--completely clear. The cause was a leaf shutter lens that was closed--and thought to be open and the camera shutter to be working. Just a thought--but I don't know if you're using a leaf shutter lens. There's a downloadable manual for the P67 at pentaximagingusa.com with the procedure for setting the camera shutter speeds for using a leaf shutter lens. Good luck

A question about the storage of parts A and B of Diafine: After mixing up

parts A an B can they be stored in a completely rinsed out gallon plastic

container that once contained liquid hand soap or Shout laundry detergent? I

only have one clean brown plastic chemical container and I want to use either

the empty Shout or soap container that is rinsed out. Will there be any

residual soap film or odor from the detergents that might be detrimental to the

Diafine? If so, I'll just pick up another new chemical container. I read on

here about using rinsed soda bottles, but I'd like to store the whole gallon of

either part A or B in the same container. Thanks in advance for any input on

my question.

 

Alex

They were giving away samples of of the new Portra 120 at the Kodak booth at the Photo Plus Expo at Jacob Javitts in New York City in November--2 rolls per person. I got 2 rolls--1 of 160 NC and one of 800 NC. My girlfriend got two rolls of the new Portra 400NC. Yesterday I went to B+H and all of the rolls of Portra 400NC that I got are all New--printed right on the wrapper. I had one of the free samples of the new 400 NC's processed and they've got the 400NC-2 markings on the negs.

Well the theory about a light leak in my bathroom or in my tank or in the new changing bag is a bust because I loaded another roll of 120 tonite in my bathroom and after processing it came out fog free. A little scratched on frames 9 and 10, but no fog. And I know my changing bag is light tight because after loading my tank in the bathroom I realized that I had forgotten to put the rubber gasket on the lip of the tank so I opened the tank in the changing bag and put it on--no fog. So the question remains... Is the PH of my sweat so acidic as to fog the last roll before this one? Just philosophizing and trying to rule out things.

Well, I processed the roll and there is indeed fog--lots of it. Frames 1,2,8,9 and 10 of a 6x7 roll. Severe crinklage--if that's a word on 9 and 10 and tons of black fog. So sweat and heat must indeed fog a roll. Only frames 3-7 came out unfogged. Now I wonder if the changing bag is not light tight or if my tank is the culprit. I know I'm responsible for crinkling up the film, but the fog? I've done many rolls of 35mm in the same bathroom in the same tank for much longer time in the dark than today and never got any fog so it's got to be the heat/sweat and/or light leaks in the tank or new changing bag. Thanks all.

I just picked up a changing bag yesterday. While at the store yesterday I had

no trouble loading my reel and tank. Today I tried again at home with a new

roll of 120 and struggled for an hour with no luck. It must have been hotter

than yesterday because my hands were totally sweaty and the film got mushy and

wet. After battling a bit longer I took out the roll in my darkkroom/bathroom

and loaded it on my reel in seconds flat with no problem--so much for a

changing bag. My question is whether the hour I spent sweating all over the

roll of 120 has affected it in anyway. Does the heat from the changing bag

and the moisture from the sweat detrimentally affect the roll--like fog it? I

sure hope not! Any input you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

in advance.

I'm just about to purchase a Stroboframe camera flip to use with a Bronica ETRS

and Nikon F2, however I can't figure out how I will be able to connect either

camera to the mounted flash which will be about 12 inches above the camera in

the bracket. I found a cable that came with the 285 and it appears to go into

the PC socket of the F2, but I can't figure out where it will go in the 285HV.

It's only 12 inches long so I can't imagine it's going to reach from the PC

socket of the F2 or the ETRS for that matter to the 285 in the Stroboframe

bracket about 10-12 inches above the camera. Am I missing a connection point on

the flash? Is it possible to stretch this one foot cable all the way to

wherever the mystery socket is on the mounted 285? Do I need another longer

cable? The only other one I saw was a 3 foot coiled one at BH. I guess that

would be the only answer for the cable. However, the socket to be found on the

285 escapes me. Do I need some other kind of adapter or plug to put into the

285 to be able to connect it to a camera via a pc connection? I'd really

appreciate any help as I'm at a total loss here. Thanks.

Gerry-- Thanks for the suggestion about the Stroboframe. I plan on getting a Camera flip with a shoe mount and cork base pad, as well as an anti-twist plate for the ETR because I have a Bronica ETRS. I also plan on using my Nikon F2 with this bracket, but I don't know if I need an anti-twist bracket for it, if there is one available or if it's necessary. The ETRS is rather large,and wide with the speed winder on it so I feel it would be advantageous to get the anti-twist plate. I looked up Wein peanuts and I'll pick one of them up as well. Thanks again.

 

Roy: Thanks for the reference to Strobist--lots of valuable info to look at and learn from.

 

Nadine: Thanks for all the suggestions. I now have a clue how to go about this whole thing. In terms of stands I plan on getting a Bogen 3333 9' light stand, and an Impact umbrella bracket with a swivel mount and flash shoe. A question about this Impact umbrella bracket flash shoe--Can I put the Vivitar 285HV directly in the shoe or will it fry against metal? I read somewhere in another forum that you had to cover the bottom of the flash shoe with electrical tape. In terms of flashes I'm going to aim for another 285HV used from KEH. As I mentioned earlier to Gerry I am going to buy a Stroboframe camera flip since I'm going to be using a Bronica ETRS and a Nikon F2 for the flash pics.

A question about the Stroboframe bracket: When connecting the 285 to the bracket how do I connect the flash to either camera? Do I need a special sync cord, or any sync cord at all? I bought the off camera cord for the 285 that takes the THyristor out of the flash and puts it in the hotshoe, but I don't think that would help. It would defeat the purpose of getting the flash straight above the camera. Am I wrong?

A question about Wein peanut slaves: Buy the standard one or the Ultra one which could be used further away and outside with ambient light? I'm tending towards the Ultra in case I want to use this set up outside. I know you said the Vivitar slave SL-2 takes a sync cord, but Does it also work without one? I'm unsure about it. Would the the vivitar slave make more sense when considering placement of the 285 in the IMpact bracket flash shoe and avoid direct contact with metal instead of using the Wein peanut? By the way I hope the Peanut comes with instructions because I can't figure out where to attach it!

Well I hope I haven't overlooked anything. I appreciate you taking the time to explain these things to me as I hope to experiment a little bit with flash lighting---now the next thing I'll need is a light/flash meter! I'll try trial and error for a while. It never ends with this hobby! Thanks again.