michael_riggs

DN, sounds like you might be on to a new brand of trail mix.

"The Sigma is recently discontinued? Still in the B&H catalog, albeit with the 'DG' symbology and a much higher price than I remember"

 

The DG is a digital only version and $1000 more expensive than the full frame version. Why, I don't know. Why does it cost more money to fill less frame area?

 

People worry about a lack of future compatability with certain lenses and certain cameras. If things change, well, I'll just have to depend on my 20 year old Pentax 645 that is in excellent condition.

I am looking at picking up a VERY nice telephoto lens for wildlife

work come summer time. I would be using the lens to photograph bears

in mountain and woodland environments. Right now it has come down to

either the Canon 500mm f/4.5 or the Sigma 500mm f/4.5 (non-dg

version). I have narrowed it down to these because of their

capabilities and price (can't afford 500mm f/4).

 

Canon: discontinued about a decade ago, top-notch construction and

overall quality. $3500 and up. 1 florite and 1 LD element.

 

Sigma: Recently discontinued so brand new ones available with long

warranty. $2500 and up. 2 UD elements.

 

Neither lens has IS/OS, both have received great reviews on various

photo forum sites citing build, optical, and autofocus quality.

Which lens would you recommend with price being an important factor.

 

IF YOU HAVE NOT USED A PARTICULAR LENS AND TALK TRASH ABOUT IT, I

WON'T CARE.

 

Thank you.

Just for fun and games I tried to put a Canon EF-S lens on an Elan7E and it would not fit at all. Digital ONLY I suppose. I smell planned obsolecense around the corner.

Is there such an animal as a 70mm film back for a Pentax 645? Maco

is coming out with a 400 ISO IR film in 70mm and I would love to

play with that.

Does anybody have experience filming laser light shows? I'm going to

the Black Hills shortly and there is a nightly laser show at Crazy

Horse monument, outdoor at night. What film speed/exposure should I

use? I'm using a Pentax 645 for this.

The manual 645 has mirror lock-up, which included taking the lens off and moving the mirror by hand.

OK, I ordered the flash and receivd over a month ago. The pt-2d adaptor module is on backorder, for an indeterminable amount of time. The internet shops I am a regular of don't even have the product listed. Is there a place to look for the module (besides Ebay) that is known for carrying oddball items? Please help, summer is dwindeling downard and I wish to capture the flowers in a nearby park before they die.

I sent my 645 in for repair a while back. For a few minor repairs and problem diagnostic it took nearly 2 months and $200. Take it to a pro shop, they will send it to the manufacturer, they look it over inside and out, send it back with the problems listed and the shop's repairman fixes what you authorize. Unless you know the repairman personally and he has some spare parts lying around.

Some pro shops where cases are sold also sell replacement foam kits. Try fabric or hobby stores, most sell foam that can be cut down and it's cheap. You think I could find a case for my Pentacon 500mm for under $50? Nope. That's where a Craftsman tool box and cheap foam came in. Careful though, try to make as few cuts as possible to minimize the amount of foam dust floating around inside the case.

I use a #25 red filter when shooting landscape shots. #8 yellow for outdoor shots once in a while, mostly for color IR film.

OK, this has given me some insight as to how others operate in this field. Most people use manual focus for serious macro work. I just think it's funny that all the new lenses have great AF as a major feature when it seems not alot of people use it.

 

The Pentax 645 is manual focus, not very fancy, but an inexpensive way into medium format with quality lenses.

Greetings fellow shutterbugs:

 

Does anybody know where I can get filters for a Pentacon 500mm f/5.6

lens? The front aperature size is listed as 118mm, and the threading

on the hood seems a bit wider. I am trying to find out if IR work

with this lens is remotely possible. Would a rear mounted filter

work? The lens is adapted to fit a Pentax 645. It came that way so I

don't know the designation of the adaptor.

I feel that film will be around as long as people demand it. However, since Kodak is going to end up with a total staff of about 10 people the rate they are laying off employees, I see their products going away in a few years. That will leave Fuji as the top dog, followed by Ilford, Agfa, Polaroid, and Maco. On that thought one thing concerns me, what will happen to IR film? Without Kodak, Maco would be the only IR film on the market, and it still has distribution issues in the US. Perhaps they would buy the color IR formula and keep it going. I hope.

I read through the ads and reviews for gear and all the new

equipment has super fast and super quiet autofocus. This is my

question. If you are doing 1:1 or bigger macro work, do you even

bother with autofocus? Outdoor Photographer has had articles for a

few Sigma macro lenses and they boast great AF capabilities. I'm

sure they work great when the subject is a foot to two away, but

when it's an inch or two from the front lens element, can AF handle

that? I do my macro work with a 120mm f/4 an a Pentax 645, so if AF

with macro works, I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks for the answers.

Correction on last post---ISO 400 minus 3 stops = ISO 50.

The only time I've exposed HIE according to instructions turned out worse than that. So I don't. I rate it at ISO 200, use a #25 red filter, set at f/8 and meter shutter TTL. Have filter on when metering/shooting. Tripod and cable release (highly) recommended. I suppose the reason for Kodak's low ISO recommendation is because that's how the math works out. A #25 red filter reduces the exposure by 3 stops. A 200 ISO film taken down 3 stops makes for IOS 50 exposure. Works on paper, not in reality. Sort of like Communism.

Camp Pendleton and Oceanside are not meant for tourists. TRUST ME! You need to take a bath after driving through "Oceanslime". And unless you're in the Marines, Camp Pendleton doesn't offer you much. When you go to southern California, you will see how dry it is and understand why they have so many bushfires. I prefere the forests of the northern area of the state.

 

MR

The fourth leg I believe referes to the Manfrotto 482 long lens support. It's an extention arm that connects to a tripod leg and camera body. This is more for when using a heavy lens that connects to the tripod. Works great with my medium format 500mm.

 

MR

Wow, I find it amazing how many people respond to a question without answering it.

 

B&W-To create a landscape that sets itself apart from most others I use Kodak HIE infrared film with a #25 red filter at ISO 200, f/8. Check the manual to see if your camera can handle IR film. I'm still testing the Macophot 820c IR film. Ilford's 125 speed film gets good results. With a frontlit landscape a yellow filter is the most I ever use to add contrast.

 

I have not used it yet, but Macophot makes a 25 speed B&W film if you're gutsy enough.

 

Color-Fuji Superia and NPH are good 400 speed film for woodland shots. I use a Heliopan circular polarizer and B+W 4 stop graduated neutral density filter when there is a lot of sunlight.

 

For a really good landscape shot I take the time to set up my Pentax 645, hoping that one day I can sell a bunch of large prints and make my work popular. Just as soon as the Cubs win the World Series.

 

MR

This might help. If the area you are in has had recent bear activity, DON'T GO JOGGING THROUGH IT!

 

MR

Peter:

 

From my experience with Velvia you don't really need a filter to darken the sky a lot. Since the ship will be in motion constantly because of the waves, I would use a ISO 100 film unless you are willing to take the effort to carry and setup a tripod. That's up to you. But make sure you don't forget the most important thing, ENJOY YOUR VACATION. I'm sure you wife will appreciate it.

You need to cover the film window when using HIE and MACO. Ilford SFX is an extended-red sensitivity film (not true IR) and can be handled in daylight.

 

For HIE I use a #25 red filter at ISO 200, F/8, Shutter meter TTL. Will test with R72 sometime soon.

For Maco I use a Hoya R72 filter and meter at ISO 12 & 25.

If using ar R72 filter meter with the filter off, then put filter on and adjust to IR marker on lens. External light meter would work well for this task to save time. Take several readings with handheld meter and camera to see how close their readings are.

 

Cool trick: if you hold the R72 filter close to your eye and give a few seconds to adjust, you can see through and get an idea of what the photo will look like.

 

Make sure the area shot has alot of sunlight on it.

 

Michael

Greetings, forum patrons:

 

I have a somewhat oddball questions. If a photograph is taken with

infrared film of an object with a reflective metalic surface, will

the reflected image be captured? During a recent trip to Chicago (go

Cubs!) I toured a few museums and parks with said type sculptures

(the famous Bean sculpture for instance) and pondered this question.

Take a photograph of any object with a reflective metal surface.

Will the result with IR film show the objects reflected, or just a

bright glare that is the reflected ir light. Anybody have an answer

for this?

 

Michael Riggs