simon_platt1

Marc

As suggested in you last posted question

Go to Mamiya USA web site and download the instructions for the Mamiya Universal. This contains full instructions (including photographs)for the s-type film holders

Click on the tab for Customer Service,

Then Instruction manuals

Then Rangefinder

Then download the Universal file

This will answer all your problems

Simon

Marc

The switch changes the brightline frames in the viewfinder. One setting is for the 127mm lens and one is for the 150mm lens.

There was also a 75mm lens made which had its own viewfinder that mounted on top of the camera.

Simon

Marc

The original back is a polaroid one that takes a pack of film giving ten exposures.

Each image is actually smaller than 4x5 it is 3.25x4.25

They are fairly common on Eb..Y and are not particularly expensive.

What you have is much rarer and much more useful.

The adaptor you have is called an M adaptor and the roll film adaptor comes in a number of different versions, one gives only 6x9cm images whilst other types are switchable between 6x9 and 6x7.

You can find a manual for the camera and lenses on the Polaroid site and the backs and adaptor can be found in the Mamiya Universal manual which is on the Mamiya USA site.

You will also see adaptions of 4x5 polaroid holders to fit the 600SE although you need to be careful as some of these are not well made and suffer from focussing problems.

It is a great camera and well worth using, don't leave it on a shelf.

Try the shutters in the lenses at their slowest speed and if they seem sluggish then they may need a service

Anything else you need to know please ask

Simon

Tony

The answer lies in your definition of 'work'.

They do fit and they do give a reasonable image however the polaroid back does not have a proper pressure plate so you may find that there are problems with film flatness. Unfortunately you really do need a quickload holder to get the best out of the film.

If you go to http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/ you will see that they have done some test about cross compatibility of Kodak, Polaroid and Fuji and have come to the same conclusion.

Simon

Erik

Normally a slide show with fades and disssolves as you describe is done with two or more projectors. You then use a controller to fade the bulbs up and down and electrically advance to the next slide. This way you advance the slide in the projector that has the bulb fadded down. In order to do this you need a control unit and two suitably modified projectors. Only a few projectors allow you to fade the bulb up and dowm in this way.

Contact these people

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Content/Contact_us.html

And they should be able to talk you through everything that you need.

Simon

Avi

Sounds like the lens needs to be looked at.

You refer to being able to reset to default settings. Setting the FLE ring to the click stops should always give consistent results. If as you describe the results are different if you move the ring and then return to the original setting then something is loose inside and needs attention.

Simon

If you want to see what is going on reliably, get a film that you don't mind wasting (Maybe an out of date one?)and follow this procedue.

Load the film very carefully following all the instructions and wind on to frame one showing on the counter.

Then take the back off the camera and remove the dark slide, you should see the surface of the film. Now get a sharp soft lead pencil and mark around the inside of the frame on the surface of the film.

Put the darkslide back in and put the film back back onto the camera

Fire the shutter (remember you need to remove the darkslide before you can fire the shutter!!)

Wind the camera on and repeat the procedure.

Once you get to the end of the film wind it on as normal and then take it out of the camera.

Now unwind the film and you should have 12 evenly spaced penciled squares.

If not it needs a service

Simon

Don't buy it. The seller clearly does not know what he is talking about.

I have a Polaroid 100 and they definately do have the glass.

The glass is used to adjust the optical path length to the film. Without the glass images will be out of focus.

Find a copy of the 'Hasselblad compendium' and look through that for the various other polaroid holders.

Simon

Hi Ruben

If you want a gun with plenty of power then hunt for a Metz 60CT-4 hammerhead.

This delivers a huge amount of power and can easily give fill in flash for quite large groups.

Simon

Short answer No it is not worth the effort.

Go for a 100-300 APO it is in an entirely different class!!!

It performed extremely well in a Practical Photography test a number of years ago and was better than both Canon and Nikon and cost less.

Both the D and non D are the same optically.

Simon

Ektachrom 160 T is a slide film and it is made for use under Tungsten light, hence when you expose it with daylight it gives images with a blue colour bias.

Fuji NPL is totally different, it is a negative film created to give good colour balance with very long daylight exposures so does indeed need to be processed in the C-41 process.

I have not tried cross processing myself but have heard that you have to be careful as E-6 and C-41 use different solution tepmeratures so there is a risk of one kind of film melting if you put it into the other process.

For this reason you will often find that commercial labs are reluctant to accept films for cross processing in case they affect other films being normally processesd.

Perhaps somebody with some specfic cross processing experience could comment further.

If you look on the Kodak and Fuji web sites you will find plenty of information about what each type of film is intended for.

Simon

Hi there

If you are in the Uk get a copy of this weeks Amateur Photographer 17th Feb cover date.

Classic camera expert Ivor Matanle covers all the Mamiya 645 models

Chris

On the metering front you are much better getting yourself a handheld meter.

Most digital cameras have meters where the calibration is biased in order to accomodate the requirements of the sensor. Film has different characteristics so you will have to mentally adjust the reading each time you use it. If you have a handheld meter you can do tests with your camera and film and set any correction needed into the meter to automatically take it into account every time you use it.

In addition to this all camera meters are interactive in some way usually relying on processing algorithms to estimate the correct setting. This means that if your images turn out well then all is fine hoever if they turn out badly you have no idea why as you do not know how the metering was in error.

With a handheld meter you know precisely what you metered on and why and you can learn from it if it goes wrong.

Simon

Scott

Lots of interesting posts although no one has talked about the lens range comparison in detail

On the plus side for the 6008 there are some very fast lenses and the posibility of autofocus. With electronic control of the shutter speed for greater accurracy.

On the side of the Hasselblad there is the 100mm Planar, this is only available for Hasselblad. It is an absolute stunner you should try one if you can. In addition you have battery free operation and the shutters are still easily accurrate enough.

If you want motorised film transport and metering get a 503CW with a winder and you get great handling with the winder, you can use all your existing lenses, and you get to use the 100mmm Planar.

Simon

Jamison.

Use the above method with a film. What may appear to be a disadvantage ie apertures needing to be correct is actually an advantage.

Using this method both shutter speeds and apertures are checked and you know that the lens exposure is consistent.

There are two aspects that you need to check one is consistency i.e are all exposures approximately the same visually and the other is correct overall exposure.

You may well find that although the shutter is consistent it is giving perhaps half a stop more or half a stop less exposure than you would like. This is something that you have to find out with tests. It is also unlikely that the shutter can really achieve its marked top speed. So 1/500 is probably going to be 1/400 or maybe 1/350.

There really is no substitue for doing tests and making lots of notes.

Simon

John,

An interesting question as all answers are going to be based on guess work and wishful thinking depending on how much Hasselblad equipment the person owns.

I would suspect that prices are probably about as low as they will get as once digital backs are avilable used for sensible prices (there are occassional ones now but still quite rare)all the cameras and lenses will become more desirable. They are never going to get back to where they once were but that doesn't really mater as film will probably still be available for many years.

For anyone who doubts that film will be available you only have to look at LP records. 20 years ago we were told that CD's would completly replace records but that hasn't happened because CDs are good for convience and provide acceptable quality for the majority of people but ultimately records still give a better sound.

The only people who get caught out are those thinking of a Hasselblad as an investment, it's not, it is a tool.

You wouldn't buy a set of screwdrivers and keep them in a cabinet because they might be valuble in the future!!!

Don't forget the 28mm F2 that is a very sharp lens

Simon

HI

When launched in the UK I think it was about ?800, by 1990 when I got mine it was down to ?400

Lasre

Thanks for all the quick replies.

Ken

I will contact Hasselblad tomorrow to see what they say about the part.

Thanks for the offer. I will get back to you about it.

Simon

Dear All

This is a request for information and advice from David Odess and any one else

who has exprience of servicing

The cold shoe on my PME45 has become slightly bent so that I can no longer fit

a flash foot into it.

I would like to use the shoe to attach a pocket wizard so would like to

replace it.

If I get a replacement shoe from Hasselblad UK is replacing it as simple as;

Loosening off the screws, removing only two.

Turning the foot to one side around the remaining screw

Attaching the new shoe with one screw

Removing the last screw and old shoe

Turning the new shoe into the correct orientation

Inserting the other two screws.

I can see from a copy iof the service manual that the screws go into a plate.

By always leaving one screw in the plate should that avoid the need to

dismantle the prism?

Or should I give up on the idea of doing it myself and ask the service cenre

to do it?

Thanks

Gerard

I wouldn't hold your breath for one. The 28-70 is not a very useful range on a digital camera with a small sensor. IF Sony come out with a full frame sensor perhaps they will do something.

Minolta did make a prototype 28-70 SSM but did not bring it to market as they did not think it was worth it.

Sadly if the cost ofthe 70-200 SSM is anyhthing to go byy it will be cheaper to buy both a camera body and lens from either Canon or Nikon than it will to my the Sony/Minolta lens.

Simon

Greg

Once you have worked out what all the terms mean it is quite straightforward.

One point to bear in mind though is that the markings are based on quite old assumptions about what is acceptable sharpness. So many people have found that they are happier accepting the limits for one aperture setting wider. Ie if you are shooting at F16 then use the figures (from the published tables) or the markings for F11.

The Dynax 7 film camera has a function that will show you the calculated depth of field once the lens has focussed on the rear screen.

Simon

Scott,

The Stroboframe quick release system is good. They have a basic release clamp and plate to which you add an anti twist plate. This works well with a Dynax 7 sized camera.

Manfrotto/Bogen make a a hexagonal shaped quick release plate to a L shaped casting enable you to switch between vertical and Horizontal framing with the minimum of effort.This has a little adjustable stay to prevent the camera from drooping in the vertical format. I have always found this to work well and as well as a range of normal heads they also make a geared one to allow precise panoramas to be made.

If you go for a ball head don't buy a cheap one. You need one with a large ball and ideally teflon coated. I use a Manfrotto/Bogen one form the top of their range and find it works well. The cheap ones at the bottom of the range are not nearly as good.

Another thought might be to use a lens wiith a tripod mount on it. Here in the UK there is an engineering firm (SRB Luton) who can make a tripod mounting ring for any telephoto lens. Have a look at their web site.

Can I also suggest getting a hot shoe fitting spirit level as I am sure that Golden Gate bridge is not really going uphill.

Simon

Tim

You really need to handle them both. I use a mixture of CF and CFi lenses and the plus points for me of the CFi are Smooth focussing and flash cable lock, but in terms of overall feel and handling I prefer the rubber waffle style pattern of the CFs to the new ones.

The new shutter spring can be fitted into the Cf lenses when you have them serviced so that is not really an issue.

The altered internal baffling may be useful in very high contrast conditions but I cannot tell any difference doing high key shots.

The other changes are mechanical such as a revised front bayonet that does not mark as easily when a hood is put on and removed, and a revised rear bayonet that is all in one machined piece. Good for assembly in the factory but of no real effect when being used.

Indeed it may be a minus point as if the bayonet is danaged on a CF lens then at least the ring part could be changed wheras with the CFis you need a larger, probably more expensive part.

As for 150 or 180 both are easily sharp enough for most uses. Indeed with the 180 it may be too sharp for anything but the youngest of skins.

The 180 has stronger repuation so is more expensive 2nd hand than a 150. You will of course need a slightly longer working distance with the 180.

The maximum magnifications at minimum focussing distance are different so a short extension tube is sometimes required with the 150.

So If you are planning on shooting outdoors then go for the 180, otherwise if you will be in a studio or doing environmental style portratits where the working distnace is uncertain go for a 150 with a short tube.

With prices at the current level why not go for the 150 to get you started and then save for a 180 to go with it.

Also hiring for a weekend would be useful so you can try them out yourself

Simon

Hi

Try getting a Gary Fong lightsphere

Simon