steve williams

Thanks for all the good advice, everyone. I learn a lot here.

Roland - Where can I find a new 501CM kit for just over $2000? The ones I've seen, such as at B&H, are over $3200 for the kit. The camera body by itself is over $1800.

Thanks,

Steve

I noticed the specs on the Hasselblad 501CM say it does not have a

self-timer. ??? Is there any type of remote release or something

that has a timer function?

(By the way, is $1850 a good price for a Hasselblad 501CM Kit in

mint condition? (510CM chrome body/Accu-mat screen, A12 back, 80mm

CFE lens, manual, but no box.)

Thanks,

Steve

Does anyone know if there is any company planning to make a digital

back for the F5?

Steve

I'm kinda thinking about selling my Mamyia M7 II and getting a

Hasselblad 501CM kit. (I haven't decided, yet.) I've read that some

of the Hasselblad wide angle lenses are a retrofocus design and are

not some of their better lenses.

Is this true? Which of their lenses are retrofocus?

Thanks,

Steve

Nope - no ground glass back. It's funny you mention Hasselblad. I've been thinking about one all weekend. I've been wondering if I should sell my Mamiya and get a Hasselblad 501CM kit.

Of course, I would lose the 6x7 format... I do have a couple of Fuji 6x9 rangefinders. Maybe a Hasselblad 6x6 and the Fuji would work instead of the 6x7... It's enough to drive a man to drink...

Steve

When shooting things, such as waterfalls, etc., what do you do about

all the mist? Will this hurt the camera and lens? As an amateur,

I've always babied my equipment, but I see lots of great photos in

books and on the web that HAD to have gotten the photographers

equipment wet, dusty/dirty, etc.

Does anything in the camera or lens corrode? Will the water get into

the lens mechanism and between the elements?

Thanks,

Steve

I thought the Nikon RAW plugin was not as good as the Adobe plugin? Does it create lower quality pictures?

Thanks,

Steve

Bruce,

Great shot. I looked at your other shots on the fujirangefinder site. Great pictures. I just got a GW690III and a GSW690III and I'm looking forward to trying them out.

Steve

I know how you can use a polarizer on an M7 II, but how would you

use an ND filter, since you cannot see how to line up the filter

gradation?

Thanks,

Steve

I have Photoshop 7 and a D70. What do ou do for an Adobe plugin?

(The RAW 2.1 update is for CS.)

Thanks,

Steve

What about RAW support in Phot0shop 7 for the D70? Will the RAW plugin on the CD work for that in 16 bit mode? Is there an updated RAW plugin for PS 7?

(I have PS CS to put on a new computer I have coming, but I have PS 7 on my laptop.)

Steve

I have a large three-way Bogen tripod head and I have an Arca-Swiss

B1 on the way, but would also like a lighter weight ball head as an

option on a lighter weight, short tripod. (It doesn't have to have a

QR plate.)

Are any of the smaller Bogen ball heads a good option? Any

particular models you would recommend?

Thanks,

Steve

I don't think I got them from kenrockwell.com (I don't remember.) Actually, I think I read them on this site somewhere, but could be wrong.

I may not have been clear. I was talking about bigger enlargements - above 8x10 (16x20, 20x24, etc.). When you look at 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, there's not going to be as much benefit for the larger formats.

If those are exaggerations, what are the actual numbers? (Does Ken Rockwell exaggerate, by the way? I don't know him at all. I've seen his web site a few times, though.)

Steve

Jason,

If you look at the figures I stated (if they are correct), how can DSLRs, with 4.1 - 6 MP equate to 35mm, which is along the lines of approx. 22MP??? Also, how can it be approaching MF, when MF is approx. 50MP???

Are my numbers off?

Steve

Thanks for all the answers and links. One thing that puzzles me, though. I keep reading people stating that digital is killing MF (or, that MF sales have been plumeting because of digital. What I don't understand is, the current state of digital does not equal the quality of MF images.

For instance, it takes approx. 22 megapixels to achieve 35mm quality. It takes approx 50 megapixels to achieve MF quality. It the photographers were using MF for increased film size and quality, why would they be leaving it in droves for digital, only to realize a smaller quality than 35mm? (And even MF digital backs start around $15k, so that's not an option for the average photographer.)

Am I missing something here? (Maybe I'm a little worried and paranoid, because I have a decent sized investment in MF gear and don't want to be left without film, etc...)

Thanks again,

Steve

Looking at various landscape photography books and web sites, I see

the photographers use a lot of medium format cameras - Pentax 6x4.5,

Pentax 67, Contax 6x4.5, Rollei 6x6, etc. I don't seem to see many

using the Hasselblad 501 6x6 type series.

I've never used one of these, but it seems it would be a good

choice, with it's ground glass viewfinder and Zeiss lenses.

Am I just missing this or is there a reason the Hasselblad is not as

popular for landscape photography?

Thanks,

Steve

Okay. So does f/8 in 35mm correlate to s smaller aperture in medium format? For instance, if f/8 in 35mm comperable to something like f/16, f/22, etc. in medium format?

Conversely, does f/8 in medium format correlate to a smaller aperture in 35mm, such as f/5.6 ro 3.5?

Thanks again,

Steve

Russ and Paolo,

I really like those pictures. Russ - that shot really seems to say a lot.

Paolo - what focal length is the first shot (in color) shot with? I like the angle.

Steve

I have a Fuji GA645zi and a Fuji GA645i 60mm f/4. I just received

them and have not used them yet. Is the lens on the GA645zi as

good/sharp as the lens on the older GA645i 60mm? I'm thinking about

sending the GA645i back, if the GA645zi is as good.

Thanks for any help,

Steve

Thanks for all the advice. It's a big help!

Steve

I have a question (maybe an ignorant one). If f/8 gives great depth of field and focus, what does increasingly smaller apertures do (f/16, 22, 32, 45, etc.)?

Thanks,

Steve

Thanks for the help. Today I was looking on the B&H website and saw the Bogen 303Plus. Is this a good panoramic head? It's supposed to be precise and has geared slides. Would this or the Arca-Swiss be better?

By the way, what is a good bubble level that fits on the hotshoe? Is this a good type of level?

Thanks again,

Steve

I'm looking for a good panorama head. I'll be using digital cameras,

as well as 35mm and medium format cameras and stitching the pictures

together on the computer.

Can anyone tell me what the best, most precise panorama heads are?

Thanks,

Steve

I already have a Fuji Ga645zi and a Fuji GA645i 60mm camera. I got

these for lighter weight travel cameras for landscape, people,

street, etc. Now I'm thinking about a Pentax 645NII for more

versatility. I wouldn't get rid of the Fujis - this would just be to

augment them.

I probably already know the answer to this, but what things will the

Pentax do that the Fujis won't? I know I can get longer and wider

focal length lenses and filters would be easier to use, but are

there some glaring advantages to the Pentax over the Fujis?

Is lens quality much different between the two?

Thanks for any help,

Steve

Thanks for all the help. If money were no object, I would just go with the Contax, but the price of the lenses - WOW. I'll probably go with the Pentax.

(The guy wasn't a salesman, actually. He is a buyer for higher end cameras for this dealer. Don't know his qualifications or anything - just what his position is.)

Thanks again,

Steve