gene_e._mccluney

What is your mind made up to do? Which scanner did you get, or did you decide for or

against getting the Horseman?

McCluney Photo

While C-41 in the USA (in 35mm format) can be processed very cheaply by one-hour labs

in places like Wal-Mart and Walgreens, the quality of the final negatives often leaves much

to be desired, due to dried-on dirt, and careless handling by the clerk/operator. If you

want to do your own scanning of b/w, b/w-C-41, or C-41 color negs, you would be well

served to learn to develop the film yourself. It really is fun and satisfying.

McCluney Photo

When you shoot "close up" relatively speaking, with a rangefinder, or viewfinder camera,

you have the issue of the viewfinder showing you a slightly different angle of view than the

camera sees. This is minimized when shooting further away. Even though you may have a

camera with compensating frame lines, the fact that the viewfinder window is offset from

the taking lens can be the cause of your problem. Also, it doesn't matter if the lens

standard is twisted, as all lenses produce a circular image, which is cropped on the film to

a rectangle by the aperture in the camera. Twisting the lens, will not twist the image. The

only thing that matters is the camera body and the subject be level with each other.

I have the issue of getting level, square images all the time, even with my Leica's, as the

act of releasing the shutter can move the camera a slight bit. Easy to solve in Photoshop if

you scan your images, just rotate slightly.

McCluney Photo

I use the Imageprint RIP. If you are printing with a wide-guage printer on a production

basis, it is great. Drag and drop interface, resize, imageprint does the interpolation.

Beautiful prints. Need 100 8x10 of one image....no problem. I could go on and on.

I use Imageprint with an Epson 9600 Ultrachrome 44" wide roll printer.

If you are printing single images, one at a time, I see no compelling reason to have a rip.

McCluney Photo

My wife drives me crazy as she cannot tell the difference, and often watches widescreen

DVD's without adjusting the TV to accommodate them, thus they look squished up.

Your computer compatibility with a "wide screen" computer monitor may be dependent on

your video card settings. You cannot just "plug and play" a wide monitor in the place of

your standard dimension monitor, as the "aspect ratio" of the image will not be correct.

On my Macintosh computers the adjustments or settings are easy, but if you have a PC/

Windows computer then someone else will have to advise you on the adjustment

procedure.

McCluney Photo

Due to a lawsuit with Polaroid, Kodak was forced to cease manufacture of both the Kodak

instant cameras and films many many years ago. They were required to give refunds (of a

sort) to consumers who purchased these items. The formats and physical arrangements of

the film in the cassettes is totally different to any instant camera or film back available

today (or in the last two decades). The Fuji materials are designed to work with current

film backs, not amateur cameras that were discontinued almost 30 years ago. AFAIK there

is no source for film of any sort for these long discontinued amateur cameras.

McCluney Photo

The Nikon can produce a better scan (slightly) than the Microtek, but only if you purchase

the accessory glass filmstrip carrier. If you are comparing scans with the supplied

glassless film carriers of both scanners, then the Microtek will deliver better center to edge

sharpness. The Microtek is quite capable of producing professional quality scans. As I

always state though, scanning is a learned skill, and to get the maximum from any

scanner, you have to practice, practice, practice, and read, read, read.

McCluney Photo

To continue to use her Super Symmar, I would suggest acquiring a scanning back for her

4x5. While expensive, the mid-range ones cost about the same as a top-line Digital SLR,

and deliver quality in excess of what you can get with a digital back on Medium Format.

All the 4x5 movements can be used with a scanning back, which goes on the camera just

like a 4x5 sheet film holder. You remove it to focus and compose on your normal ground

glass. The only downside to a scanning back for still life type photography is that you

have to use constant light, you can't use strobes.

Of course another very good option is to continue to shoot 4x5 transparencies, or

negatives, and just do high resoltuion scans of the images. This is the lowest cost way to

get excellent digital files. A top-end flatbed scanner (that does film) can do a very good

job of scanning 4x5.

McCluney Photo

Since the design of the current Apple Cinema Displays match the case color and design of

all of the current Mac desktop computers, I doubt there will be "new" models soon. I

would expect the prices on the existing models to come down a bit more, though. What

do you think is wrong with the current models? They are at the top of their class, that is

to say, the top quality you can get in LCD monitors.

McCluney Photo

Why don't you contact Fuji USA thru http://www.fujifilmusa.com and find out who is a

stocking dealer? I am sure those vendors that don't stock it could order it for you. This is

probably going to be the way to the future, special orders.

I think the OP was wanting us to choose between the specific films he quoted in his post.

My thinking is that in situations where you are shooting low, available light, you often have

bright pools or points of light within the scene, such as a nighttime street scene, with

some stores having lit signs or light spilling out onto the sidewalk, etc. In situations like

this it would seem to me to need a lower contrast film (400NC) to avoid blocking

highlights when you hope for detail in lower lit portions of the scene. I assume you are

talking about Portra films?

McCluney Photo

The Nikon (in my opinion) produces a better scan. Maybe about 30% better. But....you

have to use the glass filmstrip carrier. The Microtek and the Nikon are about as easy to

use, the Nikon Nikonscan software seems more troublefree than the Microtek software,

but both offer good control over the scanner. Actually, both are good scanners.

McCluney Photo

I have found (with my Nikon 9000ed) running NikonScan, if I move the focus cursor, then

make changes the scanner rescans to provide the updated thumbnail, however if I make

changes before I change the focus cursor, then the redraws are instant. So..I just place the

focus cursor as the last change I make.

McCluney Photo

This issue of the time it takes to scan is a good topic. For me, scanning b/w negatives, or

color slides that I have processed myself (and still in filmstrip form, not mounted) I can

average about 24 scans in about 8 hours, and this includes the adjustments and dust

spotting in photoshop. I have the Super Coolscan 9000ed, but I am referring to scanning

35mm format film at the highest resolution. I scan and adjust and dust spot at a detail

level good enough for very large prints. I only want to scan a negative once. I can always

downsize later. The point I would like to make is the actual "scan time" the scanner takes

to produce the initial scan of a negative or transparency is only a part of the overall time it

takes to get a finished file suitable for printing. I think I am safe in saying that NO scanner

produces an ideal image, in and of itself, and you will be required to open the scan in

Photoshop and make adjustments to get exactly what you want. Your speed and skill in

using Photoshop will greatly affect the total time needed to produce a printable file.

McCluney Photo

Others have commented that it is more difficult to get good color balance from Kodak

color negatives on Fuji color paper, but Kodak color paper will work great for both Fuji and

Kodak color negatives. You don't state what brand of color negative film you are going to

print.

McCluney Photo

The Coolscan 9000 is the best scanner in its price range....if you also purchase the

accessory glass filmstrip carrier. This is the only way to get edge-to-edge sharpness on

your scans. The price for this scanner in the USA is slightly less than US$2000. The price

you quote is considerably higher as one Euro is worth slightly more than one US dollar.

There is only ONE other dedicated film scanner for medium format in this same, or similar

price range, the Microtek Artixscan 120tf. It is not qute as good as the Nikon. (I know, I

have both).

McCluney Photo

PLAIN HYPO is Sodium Thiosulphite, not sodium sulphate.

McCluney Photo

That Kodak pocekt camera, is that a "Vest Pocket" type folding camera? If so, it has a

bellows, and after 75 years it is gonna leak. You may have to patch it. For quick and dirty

repairs I use "photographers tape" which is a totally opaque black masking type tape.

Works great on bellows. Of course it will wear out in time, but you just put more on, if you

cannot eventually justify a new bellows.

McCluney Photo

I have a potential "fine art" type client that is leaning towards having me print reproductions of her

paintings on canvas. I see that Epson makes a canvas in rolls that I assume would work for this printer.

An Epson 9600 Ultrachrome. I am already digitizing her paintings with a Betterlight scanning back, so I

have plenty of image quality in my files.

Other than having a profile for the printer for the particular canvas I am going to use, are there any

other hints or tips to getting optimum results printing to canvas? I am using the Imageprint RIP for this

printer.

I assume the printers built-in automatic cutter would not "cut" canvas, and I would have to run it out

and cut it manually after printing? (I am talking about printing from rolls).

any hints, tips or advice would be appreciated. I think I could develop this side of my business.

McCluney Photo

The Calumet line of photoflash equipment is very rugged and professional. Designed for

day in and day out use. Light modifiers (reflectors, scoops, etc.) interchange between

models. I use the Calumet equipment..both Travelights and Studio strobes.

McCluney Photo

In 30 years of operation the only time I have had flash-tubes fail is when I dropped the

flash head. But perhaps I have been lucky. the modeling lights, however do fail, and some

brands of flash equipment use hard-to-get sizes and shapes.

McCluney Photo

I use strobe for film and for SLR format digital, and for my Scanning Back I use big 2kw

fresnels, and others. The heat build-up is quite noticable for the large tungsten lights.

However, I have never considered the added cost of electricity, and will not start now, as I

have structured my prices to cover these overhead expenses. It is common practice to

switch the lights off when taking breaks, lunch, etc., so it is not a continuous expense

unless you are shooting continuously. You need to factor in the replacement cost of the

bulbs into your overall pricing plan, as they do and will fail, although I have found that the

largest bulbs have an amazingly long life. They are quite costly to replace.

McCluney Photo

Kiev Camera in Atlanta is a very reliable vendor for former USSR optics. He regularly goes

to Ukraine and Russia and obtains brand new optics. He stands behind his sales, and

offers a good warranty. I have purchased a ton of cameras and lenses from him. The best

way to deal with him is to just telephone him. He is prompt and courteous. I have found

that personal contact with him usually results in lower prices than his ebay auction prices.

McCluney Photo

Most likely, rather than having a "camera" lens, you have a projection lens designed to be

used with theatrical motion picture projectors to project "wide screen" Cinemascope type

movies. These are quite common. These "spread" the picture out 2x. with no increase in

image height. The films have to be shot thru an anamorphic lens, then projected thru an

anamorphic lens. The projection lenses are far more common than the taking lenses, as

every movie theater has to have at least one for each projector. (Since the 1950's). Over

time, theatres close, and these lenses make their way out to scrap dealers and swap

meets. They don't have a lot of value on the used market place, as they cannot be adapted

to other purposes with much success.

McCluney Photo

The Contax SLR cameras are quite complex and sophisticated. It is best to leave repair to

the pros, and with that in mind, I am absolutely sure you can have most things repaired on

these cameras. Someone who has experience will no doubt post a reliable repair place for

you.