pteppic

The Tamron SP 90mm F2.5 cycles around Ebay enough to keep it fresh. Keep your eyes open, there will be around in a week, two at the most. Caveat Emptor with anything from the world's biggest dustbin, and if the seller didn't advertise as "fresher than a fishmonger on a Sunday" then I wouldn't touch it with a twelve foot tube of custard.

It *is* a good lens, but it's not the only lens in it's class. The Tokina AT-X 90mm f2.5 and the Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5 are also excellent glass and mechanics.

Personally, I've had Tamrom mechanics and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole again. The Adaptall may seem convenient, but I've had enough aperture and mount jams to never want to grace it's presence again. I own the Series 1, with the matched 1:1 adapter (both lenses I mention have a matched adapter), and it's an absolutely fantastic lens. It makes a goregeous portrait lens (just watch the flare) and an absolutely superb macro lens.

Try to be flexible and you'll find yourself with a good piece of glass in no time.

7 day shop only seem to do HP5 in bulk. Great for the other half (student) but not for myself...

Thanks for the suggestion though. Anybody else?

I'm currently looking for a supplier of bulk film in the .uk.

Specifically, I recently saw a supplier that did their own 36 exposure

rolls and bulk rolls of the major films (Ilford HP5/FP4, Agfa ACROS,

Tri-X) for discounted prices.

Problem is I can't find them again, and I can't remember for the life

of me who it was.

So I ask the community - do you know who this ghost supllier is, or if

not, could you please advise to the availible of Fuji ACROS 100 in

bulk in .uk?

Thanks,

Kian

I get two Minolta X-700s, one with an MD1 motordrive fitted, a 70-210, 50mm, 24mm and 35-70mm comfortably in there with a flash grip, vivitar 283, a few filters and holders and other stuff. I haven't as of yet, managed to really fill the bag to bustling. Height wise, the 700 with the MD-1 takes it upto around the 6 inch mark and I see no problem. There's no strain on the zip either.

Should be fine.

Hey folks.

One of my all time favourite lenses is a 70-210 Vivitar S1, one of the

early ones - a glorious piece of kit. However, I'm after a 2x TC for

it, for the occassional bit of nature photography I do (210 on it's

own is a little short...). What I would like to know is, is there a

matched TC for this lens? Or will a generic 2x TC do just as good a

job? Can people recommend a TC that isn't going to lose out *too* much

on optical quality and contrast.

Thanks,

Kian

Oh Gods, I can't believe how much this thread has carried on...

The film industry is cutting out the dead wood. Film, digital, it doesn't matter what you shoot. Film has its advantages, and also its limitations. As does digital. A large format film image scanned on a drum scanner is going to trump a digital image 9 times out of 10. You can set up a large format camera in the studio, but can you reliably use it at a football match?

One minute we have one company declaring they're no longer making a particular emulsion. On another side we have another company declaring that they may be going into liquidation by the end of the way (and as a side note they'll go into administration, be bought by a larger firm for a cut down price, downsize the company and then use it as a subsidary). Does it really matter?

Film isn't dead. It may be dying. But you're dying, I'm dying - we're all getting there slowly. Nothing lasts forever. Eventually the Mona Lisa will crumble away, and eventually those silver back and white prints will start to breakdown. But it's a medium that is availible to us now, and has a future for at least our lifetimes (and I'm in my 20s, so I hopefully have got quite a bit of a lifetime to give).

I would be more worried about propreity RAW formats on digital cameras... They're more likely to expire before film does. Hell, some of the earlier digital cameras are already more than obsolete - they're inaccessible.

Clinton, since we appear to keep stock by equipment:

2x X700s, 1x x300

80-210 Vivitar Series 1

50mm f1.7 MD

24mm f2.8 MC

45mm f2 MD

28-70mm f3.5 MD

Not a huge collection, but one I enjoy.

If you want to judge me by my photos please look here: http://www.visualperceptions.org.uk/gallery/

I work as a software developer for a financial firm that specialised in voluntary arrangements, liquidations and bankruptcies. Before leaving university, my dissertation and degree was in computer science with a heavy bias towards digital imaging (my disseration was looking into new full frame autofocusing techniques). And I'll tell you now, the kit I worked with then is now considered obsolete, and that was only two years ago.

Oh, and a leaving gift for all the level headed people out there:

***** PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TROLL *****

Don't do what one of my friends did and try the touch/taste test on the hotshoe trigger. Really, don't.

Apart from doing the cleaning drill, I found the contacts on my inner battery gauge went short after a while. This was easily rectified by simply extending the connectors with a pair of needle nosed pliers. Slip the battery pack back in and Bob's your uncle - we have power.

I'm a young (22), manual focus Minolta shooter (currently using

X-700s), looking to obtain a used 90mm macro lens. The purpose of the

lens is for outdoor/indoor portraiture, macro work and some basic

indoor sports photography. I currently have the list down to three

lenses:

Tamron SP 90mm f2.5

Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5

Tokina-ATX 90mm f2.5

I've been told that these lenses are optically identical, is this correct?

The second question is one to do with mechanics. I've owned, with bad

experience a Tamron 70-210 f2.8, and it's handling swore me off

Tamron. I replaced it with a Vivitar Series 1 80-210 f3.5 which just

*glides*. I had problem mounting and unmounting the Adaptall that

came with it and the focusing action was diabolical to say the least.

But then a friend leant me a prime Tamron SP lens of his, and the

handling felt much more solid and reliable. Can anybody comment on

the mechanics of the Tamron lens, and are the problems I had typical

of these lenses? The 90mm SP appears much more regularly than any of

the other lenses and usually sells for a more agreeable price (<100

GBP) than the others.

Thanks again,

Kian

Am I right in saying that 800 pushed by two stops gives it an EI of 3200?

And am I also right in saying that 1600 pushed by an additional stop

also gives it an EI of 3200?

I'm asking since my Minolta X-700 only goes upto ASA 1600, and I

require to set it to ASA 3200. So I'm guessing the easiest way is to

add an additional stop from the 1600 position on the +/- scale.

Wotcha, I've been a wild fencer for many a years (and I've spent all

my money on whisky and beer)... and a few years ago I took up

photography. Now I'm attempting to put the two together and try to

photograph fencing bouts. However, it seems to be a right royal pain

in the ass to say the least. Last time I tried, I used 3200 Fuji

Superia film, and had Godsawful grain results that made me cry.

Fencing events are usually poorly lit, are almost always fast paced,

and need to be shot from between six feet and twenty feet away. I use

a Minolta X-700 with a Vivitar Series 1 70-210 f3.5 lens and the

compulsory autowinder, but I could really do with some advice for film

speed and manufacturer and recommended advice for shooting in low

light. No flash units are allowed.

Thanks,

Kian

I've been looking around for a lens in approximately the 80-90mm range

for portrait work. Obviously, first choice would be an F2 MD 85mm

lens, but after finding a price tag on one for ?289, I thought this

was a little steep. Does anyone have any suggetions for a lens in

this *classic* length that isn't likely to cost me a small fortune and

require me to cry over my credit card?