andrew booth

I had the LH grip (electric). I assume it was the electric one, as it had a lead from its trigger to the electical shutter release on the RZ.

 

I bought this, but then went on to sell it unused. I really didn't like it. Your hand ends up being a long way from the body (since the focus knob is in the way) and this means the body feels extremely heavy, and your hand gets tired holding it. It didn't produce any benefit in ergonomics either, since the grip is 'straight up' - and your hand is bent back on itself if you hold the camera low. Stopped me focussing with my left had too.

 

This is probably intended more for prism use (although the weight problem is even worse then). In the end, I would disagree with the previous poster - the RZ is actually quite usable handheld, in both hands - but not with the grip.

Definately not bo-kuh. Kay is not absolutely correct either.

 

Japanese syllables are consonant/vowel combinations (in the main). The syllables here are 'bo ke' each pronounced with equal weight and (short) length. 'Kay' is much closer than 'kuh', but far too long (especially if pronounced the US way). Think 'ke' as in 'kelp' (the seaweed).

It's <a href="http://www.nikonusers.org/bokeh.htm">Japanese for 'blur'</a>.

Of course you should rent them!!

 

Would you spend thousands of dollars on a car without giving it a test drive to see whether it suited you?

Why not hire one first?

If you're very close and the lens wide open it's possible that the flash isn't cutting off soon enough so you're getting overexposure.

 

Are you testing with polaroid? TTL works by measuring light reflecting back off the film during exposure - and your regular film will have a different reflectivity to polaroid, so the only valid testing is to take lots of test shots using your regular film.

 

Auto mode uses the thyristor - it's not the same as TTL, and you can use it without the SCA module. If you stick with Auto, you've just wasted the £150 the SCA module cost! TTL should give you better results, since it measures the actual light hitting the film.

 

You can still 'override' TTL to give you less flash - for instance if the SCA thinks you're using 400 film, but you actually have 100 film in the camera, the SCA will underexpose 2 stops for you (on the ETRSi does the SCA have a film speed dial on it, or does it get film speed from the back?).

 

'The Hasselblad Manual' actually has a table of film adjustments to dial in. Not all film has the same reflectivity, so you may have to settle on telling the SCA a slightly different film speed to that which your film is rated at. That's life - you have to test and settle on what you like, overexposure doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't working.

I know a Brinica owner who also had this problem with the standard screen.

 

I think the screen scarifices some sharpness to brightness - and isn't the easiest to get critical focus on.

 

Her solution was to buy the diagonal split prism screen - she now uses this method to check focus and no longer has problems.

You've done the 'on paper' comparison, and hopefully you've spent time reading the many previous threads on this exact same subject.

 

Now you can either read other people's views and preferences or you can actually go out, hire and decide between them yourself. I suggest the latter - YOU are the only person who can decide, and ergonomics/'feel' of the camera will be an extremely important deciding point.

If you've left your camera with film in the magazine for a while then click the shutter, wind on, waste a frame, get back to flat film and forget about it.

There's no blocking of the word 'eBay' on this forum. However:

 

1/ For sale and want to buy ads aren't accepted, so if you post eBay details just to advertise your kit, then your post will be deleted.

 

2/ If you link to an eBay sale in an answer to a question (to give an example of a camera) your post usually won't be deleted, but this goes against the 'archival' nature of photo.net - since the eBay link will only be good for a month or so.

 

So although there's no bias against eBay, due to the dead links problem there's a limited value discussing it on this forum.

 

Andrew Booth - Moderator

 

[Oh yes - descriptive question titles help archiving too]

If buy one of the old series of 50mm lenses, then you can use Hasselblad bay 60 filters on the 50, 80 and 150. I have 50, 80, 120 and (along with the cost!!) saw whis as a big advantage of the 50 CF. The new 50mm lenses take larger filters (this enables you to stack filters without suffering from vignetting).

 

An alternative would be a filter system such as the Lee system - but you won't be able to use Hassy shades with this.

If you take a look at the Hasselblad site they have a <a href="http://www.hasselblad.com/Archive/documents/Downloads_files/Information/Closeup.pdf">downloadable PDF file which contains close up information about extension tubes</a>.<p><pre>http://www.hasselblad.com/Archive/documents/Downloads_files/Information/Closeup.pdf</pre>

<p>

Remember that with an extension tube you will no longer be able to focus at infinity. My feeling is that you won't need a tube for portraiture; but if you do then anything longer than 8mm will be unusable.

Adrian,

 

A 60mm Biogon wouldn't ever work as an interhangable with an SLR Hasselblad - as the rear elements would need to be closer to the film than the mirror box allows. It would have to be used as a custom body, like the SWC.

Of course!!

<p>

There's no point owning a good camera if you don't use it. As

others have said, get insurance and take the camera.

<p>

I found Malaysia extremely safe, and Malaysians very friendly.

Driving around malaysia is also easy (especially for a Brit - they

drive on the correct side of the road). I took a Mamiya RZ67 and a

Fuji GW670III. I found the Mamiya (with 50mm lens) easy to carry

and use. Take enough film with you - Medium format

photography doesn't seem to be very popular in Malaysia.

<p>

I have some <a href="http://abooth.com/travel/sea/

Malaysia.html">pictures on my website</a>.

Pentax had a digital plan - manufacture a 35mm camera body, and let Pentax users mount their MF lenses on it (like the Contax strategy). This plan unravelled a year ago, and there doesn't seem to be an alternative offered:

<p>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0110/01102401pentaxdslrnomore.asp">Pentax Cancel 6Mpix SLR</a>

<p>

The point about it not being about the body is valid. Digital MF backs are an expensive purchase; most backs are 5x the cost of the body itself. If you want a cost-concious strategy, buy the Pentax and team it with a Nikon/Canon/Fuji 35mm digital. You could buy Contax, but you'll pay more for the body, more for lenses and much more for the '35mm' digital body.

I just bought a <a href="http://rtsphoto.com/html/bill7.html">Billingham Photo Hadley</a> bag for a Hasselblad and lens + extra lens and back, film, meter and mini-tripod. It's stunning - very well made and very compact.

Mark, Thanks for your rapid response!! I've been to Tokyo before on business - and I visited the old Yodobashi (this was 2 1/2 years ago). This time I have a 3 week vacation and I plan to travel - Kyoto/Nara/Osaka, Hiroshima, Shikoku then down to Kyushu.

 

I'm still making my mind up on film. I have 10 packs of 220 NPC in the freezer which I was considering taking, but I do also love Provia F. The NPC will be better in mixed light/city stuff, and I like to get prints. The Provia should be better for night stuff, and I like to scan so I can get good prints with it also. I have more experience with Provia.

 

Any advice from a local? I like to stick to one emulsion (maybe a little of a faster film too - some Provia 400 or NPZ). The Provia F 220 is a pretty good price.

A quick follow up question if I may. It's now less than 2 weeks before I set off to Japan. Does Yodobashi specifically stock Provia F in 220? My experience from UK shops is that 220 is often an 'order in' item. I prefer it, especially if I'm travelling (the purpose of my forthcoming trip). Thanks!

To answer your questions directly:

 

1/ You don't need to image host outside photo.net to add an image to a thread. Photo.net itself supports image posting; submit an image to photo.net, link to it and it will appear. I don't believe that there is as much of a requirement to do this on an equipment forum such as this as there is on the main photography forum. I do believe that easy image posting could be abused, and some minor 'hurdle' is appropriate.

 

It's also worth noting that a difference between this forum and the others is the proportion of readers who don't follow discussions on the web, but instead rely on email digests. The MFD grew out of an email-only forum; and still has hundreds of readers who subscribe to daily or weekly postings. A larger proportion of image-centric postings would degrade these emails.

 

2/ For Sale and Want To Buy postings did exist back when the MFD was email only, but were dropped once it was migrated to photo.net (more than 3 years ago). The continued existence of the categories is an irritating photo.net bug! All For Sale and Want To Buy postings are deleted in line with the policy.

 

Todd, there's ample opportunity to buy and sell in the classified section. Why is it necessary to clutter this forum with these?

 

Andrew Booth - MFD Maintainer

I've just bought a used Hasselblad 50CF Distagon, in very good

condition. Everything seems to check out fine, and I'm waiting for my

first few test rolls to be processed.

 

I noticed one strange thing though - switching on the DOF preview

switch and stopping down, I can't see any movement in the aparture

iris between f/16 1/2 and f/22.

 

Has anyone seen this before? Is it something that would be fixed if I

sent the camera in for maintenance (I was planning to send it in for

shutter maintenance anyway)?

 

Thanks!

I think you're making a mistake using either of these for Architectural photography. For travel, I'd recommend either Hasselblad or Leica with moderate-wide lenses (personally I travel with Hasselblad 50/80/120). Leica is a great travel solution too.

 

For superwide and architecture, I think you're better off with a view camera. Something like the Cambo Wide DS with Schneider 47XL lens will cost less than an SWC. On 6x9 film it'll give you the same framing as the 21mm on the Leica, but with the benefit of precise shifts to enable you to keep verticals straight - very important for architecture. With 4x5 film it becomes immensely wide - equivalent of about 15mm on a Leica.

If you choose to assist in this; please contact J.P by email - don't post serial numbers to the digest.

 

Administrator

1. Search the archives. Really! This has been asked many times before...

 

2. You get a viewfinder mask which blocks off part of the viewfinder. Then you'll only see 645. Of course you'll need a prism too, since you'll be stuck in landscape format (unless you find a Hassy A12/V back which takes 645 vertically - each one taking a 6x6 piece of film).

 

Seems kind of a waste not to use the square. Are you sure you don't want something like a Pentax? Some nice affordable wideangles in that system...

Is the on-lens shutter release socket slightly protruding? Screw in a remote release, then unscrew to make it disengage - see if this helps.

 

It sounds like the on-lens shutter release is set on. Pressing the body release pre-fires the mirror, and not the shutter. The camera waits for you to fire the on-lens shutter release, but you don't so after 60 seconds it times out, beeps, and releases the MLU.

Jason - yes, you stop down 2 stops, or increase shutter speed 2 stops.

 

Why? Because 400 is 2 stops faster than 100. Every doubling of ISO speed is a stop faster film speed. ISO 800 film is 3 stops faster than ISO 100.

 

You should do a little experimentation when trying new films. Often the best results are gained by using a slightly different exposure. Many people like to treat the ISO 400 print films as 250 or 320. Try some settings, take notes and see what you like. There are plenty of threads on this subject already on the forum if you try a search.