andrew_brown3

Hi,

$250 seems a bit pricey! I just saw one site here in England with a few starting at about ?45 ($80?). That is the camera centre in Hailsham, Sussex.

Good Luck though with whatever you buy!

Andy.

Hi All,

First off- Happy Christmas to everyone out there, and if you don't care for Christmas than have a peaceful day anyway.

I have been using Paterson reels for nearly as long as the poster above (me for only 35 years!); I only use a couple of drops of washing up liquid in the open tank just before taking out the films to hang up and dry. I generally cut the corners off but they still get stuck occasionally , so I'll have a look out for some silicon type stuff. I would be concerned about that affecting the chemicals next time out. I think the secret is to not be too hot in the dark bag and for the reels to be completely dry.

Andy.

Hi Dave D,

The fact here is that you recognise some of your pictures may not be as 'good' as you want them to be; you are already seeing them as shapes rather than a picture of Aunt Doris sitting in the recliner after eating too much, although that may be a picture as well!It is after all the shapes in the image frame that we look at and make a decision as to whether we think something more than what we photographed is looking back out at us.I don't think a good eye can be learned except in the sense that practice makes perfect, and I do believe that people interested in photography have a desire to create images that mean more than just the silver halides on the paper.

Take these photographers as an example only- Lartigue, Atget, Ansel Adams and Cartier Bresson.

Ask yourself what you see in just these 4 and in each case it will be something different. Is the eye born or learnt?

If you try to copy an image of any of these it will probably not work in the same way as when you look at the images by the photographers themselves, and that is surely how it should be. Everyone has an eye and the secret is to release it!

I have been struggling to free mine for nearly 50 years!! And it is a struggle that is nowhere near over as I haven't taken a decent picture yet.

Candid shots are just that; you have to be surprised by them and the famous Doisneau shot was posed! I don't think you can go out looking for candids; you maybe will find serendipitous juxtapositions which are not quite the same thing to my way of thinking; in fact it's the timing that makes the candid,isn't it.

Photojournalist shots are what exactly? Weegee type arrivals as the body hits the pavement? Photographing the vicar bless the bride?

Let's face it- the types of photography you do which you think are no good are probably no good because really you don't want to do them, but maybe just feel that as a 'photographer' you should be doing everything.Atget never( as far as I know!) photographed weddings; he just did what he did to pay the bills and I hope and pray he found peace of mind doing so as his images are essential.

As are millions of others by photographers known and unknown. Whether they be good, bad or indifferent is largely irrelevant; the eye is searching and sometimes, maybe, it'll all come together in an image you think of as good.

Andy.

Hi,

Many responses here suggest a zoom lens as a first purchase. I would counsel against that as I think it makes it much harder to take a photo!! Forever fiddling with the zoom ring to frame the picture properly! I would say start with a standard lens of reasonable speed- say 50/f1.8 and explore with that. I think you will find a prime lens is optically a better bet as well.

Each of us struggles to find the best way to take the pictures we think we want and exploration of the optical world is the name of the game, but if you look at the pictures of Henri Cartier-Bresson they look like a standard lens job!

I am the world's most boring picture taker and I've spent lotsa money on short and long lenses and zooms (because I thought that was what I wanted!) and after 40 odd years still take 95% of my pics with a standard lens on whatever camera I am using at the time !!

Don't misunderstand me; I love to use other lenses but always come back to the standard lens.

Andy.

Hi there,

Meters I have and use are-

Gossen Pilot-small Selenium meter with slide across cover for reversed metering-maybe ﾣ3 No battery needed!

Weston Master- again Selenium and a great meter ﾣ10-ﾣ50 (needs Invercone to make complete )

Gossen Lunasix agreat battery meter

and

Gossen Lunasix3 which has accessories, such as an enlarging meter add-on- ﾣ10 -ﾣ20

 

 

Difficulties could arise now with the ending of availability of PX625 batteries, but there are loads of options to keep all these meters working for another 50 years and of course the ones that don't need batteries will just keep going!!

Andy.

I use FP4 35 mm only and even after20 odd years I still don't know if my pics have come out okay when I take the spool out of the tank!!

Think all you want and then go out and buy a 111c or f or g and you will live happily ever after. I think you can get more 'quality' through even an early Summitar than from any digital set-up. I'm a rank amatuer but old Leica lensed pictures make my heart sing. Now then, where did I put that old violin?