gary_watson

<p>Old news. American buyers with money and patience already have them. Bad news. They ain't going to a bargain. Happy, though, that Fuji can afford the sense of whimsy the GF 670 embodies.</p>

<p>With respect, isn't this the model Fuji rolled out<strong> last</strong> year?</p>

<p>Jawdropping. Especially liked the Edward Hopper-esque night shots.</p>

<p>I've been through two clubs after long memberships and really don't miss much about them. There are several things that killed the mood in each case I'll list as things to avoid:</p>

<p>1)Gear fetishism. This is ruinous since affluence structures the club--"better" photographers own the most/newest/priciest gear and never tire of flaunting it. Pisses off newbies and breeds resentment among others. Way too much time is wasted on envy and gear fondling. Results in chronic a$$-sniffing of new members to determine if they're "worth knowing" based on what they own.</p>

<p>2)"Where's Dinner?" Too few members do too much for too many with no thanks. Only a handful of members contribute time, energy, equipment, or know-how to the membership who do nothing but filter-feed like coral polyps.My personal "worst" on this score was setting-up a large multi-light portrait shoot last year with a friend where ten other members trooped in late(missing transport+set-up duty), shot greedily, and left early(missing tear-down and clean-up), with no thanks and few images sent later to amateur models.</p>

<p>3)"I've Got 5 Minutes, Tell Me Everything You Know" Illiterates who join with no other goal than learning how to use a new camera, how to set-up basic lighting, or how to make money with the new camera. This type joins and does nothing but pester members for lengthy tutorials at every meeting, shoot, or outing.</p>

<p>4)Non-paying Members. Some people literally have to be thrown out who show up, expect full membership perks but avoid paying dues necessary for space/studio rentals.</p>

<p>5)Elders and Betters. This sort of snobbishness always pisses me off when it creates the very clannish/cliqueish BS many of us try to avoid, especially in non-work settings. Connected somewhat to #1, it leads to condescension and alienated younger and/or less affluent members.</p>

<p>Overall, try to keep things open, non-hierarchical, and fun.</p>

<p>Get the Manfrotto. Who'll fix your el cheapo Benro or supply parts if you need them? I use my 486RC2 for Mamiya 645, Bronica SQ-B, and Mamiya RB 67 Pro S kits with no issues.</p>

<p>That's a <em>very</em> elderly camera, whatever you were fed about "great working condition" notwithstanding. If you like 645, then look for a newer Mamiya model--a Super, Pro, or Pro TL. Kits(body, finder, back, lens)are usually a better deal but don't pass building up a camera from separate pieces--all you need is patience. There's also the Pentax 645 system--an all-in-one design that uses film inserts and separate lenses. It does include a metered finder and motor drive. Good ergonomics and fast, 35mm-like handling are big pluses. There's 6x6 and 6x7 formats, too, with loads of models inbetween. Look for the newest system camera you can afford, whatever the format.</p>

<p>I got a clean used Sekonic 558 for less than a used Canon G9 or G10. Why fiddle with so much gear and blow so much time to over-complicate an otherwise straightforward process? When do you schedule the time to actually get in some serious shooting?</p>

<p>You might look at a used Sekonic 508. They're widely available used and aren't outrageously pricey relative to the later 558, 608 and 758 models.</p>

<p>Perhaps more for the record than for Asim, Brown's in Mississauga IMHO runs a tighter E6 line than Silvano's--something they only added recently after years of C-41-only processing. Experience matters and Brown's has it with E6--Silvano's doesn't.<br>

http://www.brownsimaging.ca/</p>

<p>Thanks, Tim. Thought that was the case but simply wanted to check. Found one cheap but doubted it would fit my Neolithic RB prism finders.</p>

<p>Curious whether this later RB/RZ accessory will fit older RB prisms? Saw somewhere they required modification to accept the RB/RZ flip-up magnifier. Does anyone know? Thanks as usual for any guidance.</p>

<p>Why not "buy" a gray background by dropping a couple of stops of light on a white background?</p>

<p><em>Incident light meter is not good for three types of subjects: 1-backlit subjects, shooting against the sun</em></p>

<p>Make that 2, Ilkka.Why would a reflected light meter work better than an incident meter here?</p>

<blockquote>

<ul>

<li>In an unauthorized or restricted area</li>

<li>Loitering, staring or watching employees and passengers</li>

<li>Pacing, nervous or jumpy</li>

<li>Abandoning items and quickly departing</li>

<li>Acting in a disorderly manner or disturbing others</li>

<li><strong>Photographing equipment or secure areas</strong> </li>

<li>Carrying a weapon or appearing to have a weapon</li>

<li>Wearing clothing that is extremely inappropriate for the weather (e.g. heavy coat on a hot day)</li>

</ul>

</blockquote>

<blockquote>I'm taking bets on this appearing in the upcoming DSM-V. <br /></blockquote>

<p>They're thick on the ground with the 50/1.8E on the big auction site. I got a freakishly clean one+lens last year for $40 and like it for street shooting because it's small and innocuous. It is a minor classic simply for its size and features even if the big dog "classics" overshadow it. That said, I'd pass on this one and wait for another to wash up another day.</p>

<p>The spring attaches to the pivoting arm that stops down the lens. There's a small hook on this piece where one end of the spring attaches; the other attaches on the floor of the mirror box on the front right corner.</p>

<p>I'm not sure the spec difference between the two would meaningfully impact affect their utility as reflected light meters. As Akira said, a 1 degree spotmeter is maximal for reflected light readings. Sekonic 508 meters combine a 1-4 degree zoom spot+incident+flash metering. They're not a whole lot pricier used now than the 358 which needs an expensive accessory thingie to do spot metering.</p>

<p>Make sure to remove it from your tripod. Unscrew the lock lever and remove it. Does it have the little cone-shaped insert on the end of the threaded shaft? The aluminum bottom section of the head should fall away from the outer shell of the head. Make sure that the point of the threaded shaft fits into the only hole in the bottom section. Tightening the lever raises this section into contact with the bottom of the ball and creates increasing friction that eventually locks the ball against the top of the outer housing. If the pointy end of the shaft isn't in the hole, you won't be able to tighten anything. Try it.</p>

<p>Sorry, Edward, but this blinkered advice to stay in bed unless you commit wholly to over-engineered, overpriced plate/head systems isn't especially helpful here. Happy you enjoy them but 645 cameras like the Contax or Mamiya work well with the Manfrotto RC2 system simply because the bodies and lenses are compact and relatively light. The plates are affordable and stay on my cameras with no issues. They work for me and others with these cameras, square format cameras and even Mamiya RB/RZ cameras.</p>

<p>It's not the head that's the problem but rather the junction between the head/RC2 QR plate and a camera or lens. The surface area isn't exactly huge in either case. The most weight I've put on mine is an F3HP+MD4+80-200/f4 on an RC2 plate. No sag but it will twist slightly under pressure, otherwise stable given it's a monopod.</p>

<p>Up here, Nikon Canada simply checks the serial # to ID stock sold through authorized Canadian dealers. Assume Nikon USA does the same.</p>

<p>I must be shooting in a seismically hyper-stable area since Manfrotto legs, heads, and "inadequate" QR plates work nicely for me and produce consistently sharp pix with Manfrotto 645, Bronica Sq and Mamiya RB67 systems.<br>

A Manfrotto 055 and 488RC2 head would do the job, Nick.</p>

<p>Japan didn't have similar foreign manufacturing investment in the 1950s-60s, nor were they buying huge chunks of Western businesses. The Chinese company Geely just bought Volvo off Ford. That should give a hint about what's possible in the imaging business and it won't follow Japan's development path. Pattern matching doesn't always work, Bob.</p>

<p>China ranks something like 118th in per capita income. Assuming a digital "Seagull" would have to be quite inexpensive to float on the domestic market, there's always a chance of it especially if cheap high quality Chinese-made sensors flood the market.</p>

<p>As Lex suggested, Ilford XP2 Super(rated as low as ISO100) offers probably the highest quotient of IQ, availability and flexibility for printing/scanning. Fuji Reala and Kodak Portra 160NC or VC, Kodak Ektar 100, or plain old Fuji Superia 200 are workable C41 options. Experiment with your lab and see where it takes you?</p>