sheldonnalos

<p>I always used the point at which the front standard centered up with the rear ground glass when the rear was all the way down. I think it was the fourth hash mark on the front standard.</p>

<p>I've owned the 70-200 f/2.8, f/2.8 IS, and now the f/2.8 IS II.</p> <p>The IS II lens is sharper, better contrast/color and has a better autofocus hit rate than either of the other two. It is a noticeable difference, IMHO. There's not a huge difference if you shoot a resolution chart from a tripod, but once you start shooting in the real world the differences become much more apparent. <br> <br />If you're looking at buying a used lens (what I would recommend), I think the improvements are well worth the $500 or so price difference. </p>

<p>Long exposure, longer the better. You'll probably need an ND filter, and will definitely need a sturdy tripod. 30 second exposures will start to look smooth, but you really want a couple minutes or more.</p>

<p>I shoot 8x10 Fomapan 100 and develop in Rodinal 1:50. It's a nice combo, and relatively affordable. I bought the film from Freestyle, marketed as their Arista EDU Ultra 100 film, but it's the same stuff as Fomapan 100.</p>

<p>Another +1 for Avenger gear. You really can't go wrong with anything in their lineup. That being said, you're not going to get a case, and lighweight and sturdy don't really go hand in hand.</p>

<p>There is no native Nikon lens that will accomplish this task on your D3100, at least not all by itself. There is no lens that is wide enough with a fast enough aperture, and the small(er) sensor size of your camera works against you.</p> <p>I would recommend using something like a 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.8 and shooting with something called the "Brenizer Method", also referred to as bokeh panoramas. It involves shooting multiple images and stitching in photoshop. It's not too hard, there are many tutorials out there.</p> <p> </p>

<p>The Misura is basically a 4x5 film camera. While it could be used with digital, I'd suggest looking into the Arca M-Line 2 system as a more appropriate choice for a technical camera from Arca Swiss for use with a digital back.</p>

<p>Just use the "Render using Lightroom" option and you'll be fine.</p>

<p>I'll echo Puppy Face's comments. Elan 7 or EOS 3 are both great choices. Elan 7 is small and compact and a good camera, EOS 3 is more of a larger pro-level camera with better AF and a big viewfinder. Both can be had relatively cheaply.</p>

<p>Yes, you want to use Content Aware scale and use a mask to protect the subject. That's probably your best bet. Here's a tutorial....</p> <p>

<p>You will need to upgrade LR or CS5 in order to edit the RAW files from the 5D III. While converting to DNG is an option, personally I wouldn't like the extra workflow step and having to store both DNG and RAW files or throw away original RAWs.</p> <p>I would suggest that you upgrade just Lightroom and continue using CS5. You won't be able to use ACR within Photoshop to edit your RAWs but you can do all the front end conversion in LR and then just do pixel pushing in Photoshop when needed. I don't think that you can update CS5 to use the latest Adobe Camera RAW, it needs to be CS6 or newer. </p> <p>As a side note, I think you'll find that there is a large improvement in image quality from Lightroom 2.7 to the current version, even on your old 5D II files. The RAW conversion engine has gotten much better and is well worth the upgrade.</p>

<p>Another +1 for getting a used Gitzo 1325. It's every bit as sturdy as the newer and more expensive 3 series Gitzo tripods. I used mine with everything from 35mm (up to a 600mm lens) to 4x5, with lots of long exposure photography.</p> <p>No experience with the Manfrotto, but I can bet that the Gitzo will be a lot better. You can likely get a used Gitzo 1325 for around $300-350. </p>

<p>I've always just left a bit of water in the tank or tray following the rinse, used an eyedropper to add a couple drops of concentrated Photoflo to the remaining rinse water, then stirred it up and let the film soak for about a minute. I'll usually move the film around or in and out a few times during the soaking process.</p>

<p>I think Canon minimum repair charge is just a shade over $200. The lens is worth maybe $175 on the used market based on Ebay completed sales. It's not an economically viable repair.</p> <p>Sell the lens on ebay "As Is" with full disclosure, start it at a dollar with no reserve. You'll get something decent for it, and you can cut your losses on the rest. </p>