david-m

I have a Nikon 5000 (essentially the same scanner but with the option of a multi-slide

adaptor) and find it often produces dark scans. I am presuming you realise that you must

do quite a bit of PS work after the scan to get it looking good (this is normal post

processing work). Just adjusting levels in PS will be a good start. One other thing is to

change the settings for the colour space in the prefs section of the Nikon scanner software

- try a few types, compare and see.

Good luck and don't give up, it is a fine scanner.

David

Doh! just realised that I read 'Tuscany' and somehow thought of France; can't begin to

apologise for my stupidity. Must be all this fine German Chianti I've been drinking this

evening.

Hi again William,

Really, a bar bag (mounted on the front handlebars) with a padded insert will be 100% fine.

The fact that the bag is attached to the handlebar by a bracket that is made of tough but

flexible nylon plastic stuff will mean that it gentle adsorbes any road shock so that the

cameras will be well protected. Take a look at the Ortlieb website (they make the only gear

that expedition cyclists use) if you are unsure what I mean.

Not that I am poo pooing the bumbag idea from Ronald - it just gets a bit hot and sweaty

wearing all

that weight around your body all day long. One of the wonderful things about cycle

touring is the feeling of feedom, and I always think that any weight on the body, decreases

that feeling.

Hey guys, and thanks for the nice comments about my photos, they are a huge part of any

trip I take.

Hey William

I have some experience carrying M6 TTLs on my bicycle. I normally take 2 bodies and 2

lenses (either a 28 and 50 or 28 and 90) or very occassionally a third lens. I always carry

the gear in a bar bag (like an Ortlieb- superbly made and waterproof) padded out with the

cut-up inside bits of a cheap

photo bag, and the odd bit of sock or handkerchief stuffed here and there if the road is

bad. To be honest, you'll have no problems with the smooth roads of France (ooh the

cheese, wine and women). Last year in Chile, on some cruel, corrugated and rough roads, I

put one body inside my clothes inside a rear pannier, to protect it from the dreadful

banging up and down - but to be honest after a couple of weeks of having to try to

change lenses on one body with dust flying all over, I just risked the camera in my front

bag.

In about 7 years of long distance cycling with the cameras I have not had any damage or

problems at all even though I guess I have cycled about 25,000 kms with them through

places like Bolivia, Argentina, India, Pakistan, Iceland, China. Laos, Madagascar plus a few

other places.

I would perhaps cut down on the lenses, though. The 24 could easily replace the 15 and

35 (the 24 is a fantastic lens, though I got fed up with the external finder and bought a 28

instead). You have to think of the weight of 2 extra lenses and the extra time needed to

decide which one to use. That is why I like just 2 lenses on 2 bodies - dead easy to take

one of each. Oh and I always use a tiny sekonic metre.

As far as taking a shot whilst riding - well I have done this a few times but always nearly

dropped the thing!

Have a look at my flickr website where I have quite a few photos of cycling trips, all taken

with the Leicas.

And have great fun!

www.flickr.com/photos/doxid

David

Hooray!

Just returned the scanner to the store and they replaced it with one that actually works. So

after all that, it was a faulty machine. 10 hours and one bad sleep later....

Thanks for all the help, though.

David

I tried the calibration, I tried uninstall and reinstall. Just the same results. Also, I often get

a message saying that I should 'remove the film holder and press ok to try again' - but this

seems to get me into a never ending cycle of these messages and I just ignore it.

Honestly, how many times have I (we) bought things like this that are faulty out of the box

or are software incompatible. BTW does anyone run the 5000ED on Mac/panther/G5/Cs/

Cs2?

Thanks again for the answers...

Thanks for the answers, but unfortunately I have been through all of the settings a

hundred times (and my partner, who works professionally with scanners and photoshop

has also) but the reults from the preview look good and from the actual scan look

dreadful. I can't imagine the machine is faulty (or surely the preview would also be bad)

but I will go back to the shop in the morning with my laptop and see if they have any clues

(probably not!). Aarrgghh, this is always so frustrating with new hardware!

BTW the preview scans look just fine.

So ...

I have just bought the Nikon 5000ED (on my Mac G5, Panther and CS2) and using the

Nikon Scan v4.0.2 the scans I get

are as seen below - milky, washed-out and useless. I have checked through the settings

and changed different parameters but still I get the stone-washed look. any thoughts

would spare me expensive psychiatrist bills.

Thanks.

Thanks you guys, sounds all very promising.

Regards

DAvid

Could anyone tell me if the auto slide feeder for the Nikon LS 5000 is actually worth

buying and straigtforward to use. I have been asked by 2 Picture Libraries to submit a few

hundred slides as scans, and wonder if this slide feeder would make my life a bit easier (I

have two computers - one could scan and the other I would retouch with).

Also (and I guess I should just ask the picture libraries - and I will) would the Nikon 5000

be good enough for them to use as the final scan?

Thanks for any info

David

I would be grateful if anyone could recommend a reliable and cheap (reasonable) place to

buy a Nikon LS 5000 scanner in the

UK? Internet or actual shop (remember those quaint things).

Thanks

I made a comprehensive test on my new 28 cron in various sunny positions (because the

shade was sooo big) and found that the lens without a shade only proved a problem in the

most extreme conditions, ie pointed almost directly into the sun - otherwise the results

were remarkable.

I have used a 90 Elmarit a lot for travel and head-shots and it is an outstanding lens, not

too expensive and a good size. I have printed BW head shots to 16x12 and most

(photographer) friends assume they are from my RZ67. It compares very well with my 50

and 28 Summicrons and I would really recommend it.

David

First off (and I guess you know this) you have a fine eye and good sense of timing and

space and you make an excellent photo. To be honest I think you seem more comfortable

with the Nikon than the Leica, as I think those shots works best, but then it could just be

that you are shooting higher volume and editing on the hoof. Still, like the other poster

said, very David Harveyesque and very good.

BTW are you thinking about shifting to using the DSLR all of the time instead of the Leica

as I have this dilemma right now?

Ooops - sorry but I meant to write www.buzzpictures.co.uk if anyone knows them.

Thanks

Hey Ahto

what the 35? - don't you like the 24!

This agency specialises in extreme sports/travel which is kind of what I mainly have. Just

wondered if they were reputable and well known. Any thoughts ...?

I have been approached by this agency offering to represent me for my travel

photography. Has anyone used them or heard anything good or bad about them? They

seem to be quite a small agency, is this nesseccarily a bad thing?

Any thoughts gratefully received, thanks.

On my last 6 month bicycle trip to Chile, Argentina and Bolivia this year I took two

M6TTLs, a 28

cron and a 50 cron (all in my front handlebar bag). The only change I sometimes make to

the kit is to take a 90 instead of the 50. Oh yes, and a little Sekonic 308 meter which I use

all

the time, a tiny mini tripod, and about 1 roll per day of Provia F (on a bicycle, uphill on bad

roads 1 roll a day

is a much weight as you want to carry!). never had any problems with any of the kit even

on the worst roads and extremes of temperature, although I had 3 rolls of film snap

midroll

in Bolivia at 3800 metres at minus 20 degrees C.

Anyone want to see a few snaps then feel free to visit

www.flickr.com/photos/doxid

My D2X produces tiff file sizes of around 35Mb, and much less if there is cropping. So far

if I want a large enlargement I would

upsize in PS and print at 300dpi on my own inkjet. If I want a company to do this

professionally for me (to get larger than A3 sizes) should I just give them the 35Mb (or

smaller) file, tell them what final print size I want

and let their printer upsize it (or whatever it does) or should I present them with the final

image size at the correct print resolution? What would give the best results?

Thanks.

Could someone suggest a way I could acheive the typical fashion look of Butterfly lighting.

What would be a good light source, as I have tried this with a couple of different brollies

and a 1m square softbox (all at varying distances and high up behind the camera) and the

'under the nose shadow' is still quite soft? I imagine that I need a kind of direct light

source with no diffuser in front (I don't know what type) and then another softer front fill

to reduce the harshness - but honestly, I am a bit clueless here. Any help, please

Thanks