susan_worsham

i have a prism on top of my mamiya 645, it says auto a-s, av and sp, on the other side it says

+3+2+1,0 -1,-2,-3, i don't know what any of these mean, but it's set on auto a-s and o , on

the other side.i got this mamiya pro on ebay 3 years ago, before that i used an old 1960s

mamiya 645 i bought at a trade show that had a prism, but none of this information on it.

I can't afford to change my prescription now, so i'll just shoot with my view camera till i can. i

only use glasses when i shoot , although i should probably use them all the time. i love the

view camera because i can focus a little easier, but i want the freedom to capture less set up

moments with my 645. by the way thank you for explaining the diopter.

wai leong lee, thank you, i always wear my glasses,but i think i need a new prescription. what

is a diopter? if i am shooting at f5.6 then stopping down would be? my models are always so

still and very patient while i try to focus, i'll usually try to focus on the eyes or lashes. i also

close one eye. do i need to compensate when stopping down? i use 400 speed film and go by

my light meter.

i just got two rolls of film back with my mamiya pro 645, all 24 pictures were beautiful, but all had very

soft focus. since i enlarge to 30 by 40 ,this matters. I have never used autofocus, but am thinking of a

trade in. the camera is supposed to be a tool, but because i have a slight stigmatism, i feel like it's

becoming a hindurance to my artform. really i want to be able to see my picture and know that it will

always be sharp. should i go digital or get a mamiya af, and how easy is autofocus to use? my first time

looking through my friends pro digital camera, i also had problems focusing.

thank you charles, do you have any suggestions on whether i might also try to get a wide

angle lens? i'll try what you suggested as well as going to the bookstore. i also shoot scenes

with alot of things in them, and i wonder if the wide angle would allow me to see more of the

scene?

thank you bill, the sad thing ,or good thing is i have been shooting for quite awhile, and

actually have a print taken with my camera in the silver eye center for photography's looking

glass exhibit. hopefully i can afford a tutorial,( hands on tutor) to take me to the next level. i

have always been scared of technical information,math, ecetera. i just think i need a basic

light set up to get comfortable with. i'm 37 now, and being a techniphobe isn't doing me any

good. my other camera is a mamiya 645 pro, but i like the view camera for the large

negatives. i don't want to buy a digital camera, just because it may be easier for me.i have

even done some assisting on shoots, but thats not the time to ask questions with a client

there.

i think another problem i have is i only use natural light, so i shoot alot in hotel rooms with

one large open window. i know natural light , but would like to start adding to it with artificial

light. but don't know where to begin. so i think some of my focusing problems come from

low light situations.

thank you all for your posts. this is my first time on this site. if i am focusing on my subject,

and want more of the background also in focus what kind of lens would i use? i guess to cut

to the chase what lenses for 4x5 are closeup lenses and which lenses enable you to get

landscapes or vistas? which lenses are wide angle allowing more of the scene, and which are

better for closeup? i am one of those fine art photographers, that is completely un technical,

but a long time ago when i took my first view camera class ,whatever lens i used enabled me

to get more of the scene.

jen bekman gallery in new york, has their hey hot shot photo contest 4 times a year. It is

probably the fastest way to get a gallery show in new york. i too was embarking on the same

mission, and called several galleries first. everyone said the same thing, to have a disc made

of your work.

i have recently been using a graflex, graphic view camera, with a fujinon.w 1:5.6 / 150 lens. I shoot

people and their surroundings, and use only available light. this is one of the two lenses that came with

the camera .i don't know much about lenses, but i am having trouble getting everything in focus. the

second lens is a much older kodak 7/7 203mm flash supermatic. i know this is a better lens, but can i use

it without flash? and do i put it on m or f ? my other question is with a view camera what lens should i use

to get everything in focus like a scene from a movie?