j_leonardo_smith

I've tried the new APX 400 at EI 200, 1+1 in D76 for 11min at 20degC. Worked pretty well for me, but the time should be tweaked to your taste.<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Anchorage, AK<P>

You need to pull the film out of the back first by the paper tab, wait the appropriate developing time, then peel the two pieces apart.<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Anchorage, AK<BR>

I'll chime in, since I recently bought one without the slide.<P>

I took mine apart to size up the slot, then took a piece of paper that I laminated at my office, and cut it down to size. It's just shy of 3 1/2 inches wide and about 6 to 7 inches long. This was just an experiment, but it is working quite well. If I did this again I want to laminate a piece of black paper and cut the slide down from that. <P>

Now that I have the size, I plan to go to a metal fabrication shop in town to see if they have a sheet of metal that thin. Maybe the local hardware store might have something too.<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Anchorage, AK<P>

What paper are you using? And what enlarger head do you have?

If you use Ilford multigrade paper, there is an instruction sheet enclosed with the paper where you will find to answer your question. It shows the yellow and magenta settings that correspond to the different paper grades. Link to it here --

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/download.asp?n=29&f=2006130201152306.pdf

The table on the left side of page three is what you need. Take note of you enlarger head and find it on the list provided. Even if you don't use Ilford, this is a good place to start. The sheet shows that NO yellow or magenta corresponds to grade 2. Sounds like you've already done this but need to work out your exposure times and apertures.

I can't speak for other papers because I only use Ilford products.

Leo Smith

Benicia, CA, USA

You could set it up automatically. In the "Hot Keys" tab, dig around for "Display Mode", under which should be "rotate display". There you can add a key combination to flip your screen view around.<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Benicia, CA<P>

The card will obviously work with the monitor. The question is, does the card have drivers to enable portrait-to-landscape rotation. My old nVidia card did, using the ForceWare drivers v71.84. (Yes, it's old.)

If your drivers don't have that feature, try the PivotPRO software from this company, www.portrait.com . It is compatible with many different combinations of cards and monitors.

I am not affiliated with the company, just a content customer. I've been using their 'ancient' Pivot 1700 CRT monitor with Diamond S3 video cards for a long time now. More recently, using the new PivotPRO software, I've separately tried the same monitor with an nVidea card, and a Hitachi L91D LCD monitor with the Intel 82945G Express chipset built into my motherboard. Both combinations worked just fine.

Leo Smith

Benicia, CA

It doesn't matter that you are left- or right-handed. The speedgrip fits to the right side of the camera so, without the flash, you are holding and firing with the right hand, and focusing with the left. Now with the flash on, it gets a LOT heavier, but the procedure is still the same. Rest that extra weight on your left forearm after focusing, and hold the whole works solidly in the left hand while winding with the right thumb. A lot of your problem will be just carrying the camera around while waiting for the next shot. I use a SQAi with the motor drive and a Metz 45 in this configuration. It's heavy and cumbersome, but worth the pictures.<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Benicia, CA<P>

To get back to the topic of the question....

The Leaf Aptus and Valeo backs are available to fit the Bronica and many other MF camera systems. However they are quite expensive, and even the lowest-spec one runs about US$14k. The website is www.leafamerica.com .

Leo Smith

Benicia, CA

You're on the right track with using the built-in flash of the D70 to trigger your lights. Another way to trigger them, without buying any more gear, would be to set the built-in flash for Manual mode and dial it down to 1/16th power. This is done in command menu #19. There will be no pre-flash, so the external lights will fire at the time you press the shutter, and the light coming from the built-in flash will have no effect on the final exposure. Make sure to set your shutter speed back to 1/60th too. <P>

Leo Smith<BR>

somewhere in California<P>

You can try Photo Source on Elvas Ave, across the tracks from CSUS. Their phone number is 916.454.5499 and they have a web page at www.photosource.biz .<P>

Leo Smith<br>

Fairfield, CA<P>

i read it and i though it was great. i've been interested in Newton as a person, and what of him that is the influence or origin of his pictures.<P>

i've got the english and german editions of the book, and though it's unclear which edition came first by reading the credits, i remembers seeing the german edition in stores before the english edition was released. no ghostwriter is credited. it's written as if Newton is speaking to you; i think he dictated the book to someone or to a recording and someone then transcribed it.<P>

The book covers a lot of Newton's life before he got really famous. There's a lot of interesting strories, some funny, some very sad, but all well-told. He talks about his youth in pre-WWII Berlin, a setting and influence that was the basis of a lot of his work as far as mood is concerned. he barely talks about gear or technique at all, other than saying he has this or that camera for a while; one gets the sense that gear is superfluous to the end result.<p>

thanks for the responses. I'll ask my lab if they have an analyser, and i'll just keep trying to make better prints. And i can't believe i spelled Kaiserslautern wrong!!!!<P>

Leo Smith<P>

(i've cross posted this.....)

I'm using Fuji Crystal Archive paper in large sizes (8.5x11, 11x14) to make some contact prints, but I don't have a setting for a neutral color cast for the paper. There's no info on the box, so I'm using 0C 65M 55Y, suggested from box of Kodak paper (which has suggested filter settings), but that seems a desperate idea!. I've looked on the Fuji website but haven't found anything. Can anyone help me out?<p>

Leo Smith<BR>

Fairfield, CA<BR>

(formerly Kaiserslatuern, Germany)<p>

Sorry, in my last post I mention Saturn; there isn't one here. I got the film at Media Markt (geiz ist geil!), but the comments are still the same. They do me right!!<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Kaiserslautern, Germany<P>

Hi -- <P>

I can vouch for the DM-markt. I've had very good service from them for slide processing, and you can't beat the price!!! 2 Euro, here in Kaiserslautern. Recently i bought film at Saturn, one of the chain-stores that sells electronics, etc; their film comes with a development coupon. i've processed some of the film (Sensia 100) and it looks fine. I think their price is also around 2 Euro per roll.<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Kaiserslautern, Germany<BR>

(but not for much longer ;( )<P>

Back in the day a 35mm film adapter was available for this camera. The lines in the view finder correspond to a 24x36 frame. There could be various uses for this....

Leo Smith

Kaiserslautern, Germany

I know the place across from McDonalds mentioned in the last post. From the square with the astrological clock and the Jan Hus statue, start walking on the road that goes to the Powder Tower. You'll see a small shop on the right with an incredible number of old folder cameras in the window. wish i could remember the name of the place! if you get as far as the tourist office you've gone about ten doors too far. If you get to the black guy wearing the mexican hat, you're right near the store. (no joke! you'll see...) good luck!!!<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Kaiserslautern, Germany<P>

Try Martin Color in downtown Frankfurt, in the residential neighborhood near the train station (Hauptbahnhof). They are listed as a Kodak Q-lab, and offer E6 and C41, push / pull / cross developing. I used them a few weeks ago for a simple process, and they accommodated me just nicely. I remember paying about 4 - 5 euro per roll.<P>

They're at Savignystrasse 34, 60325 Frankfurt am Main. Telephone 069/75 60 80 33. <BR>

also a website -- http://www.martincolor.de/index_2.html . click 'foto & prasentation' on the left, then 'filmentwicklung' for some info. good luck with the german!<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Kaiserslautern, Germany<P>

Recently I thought some folks were commenting or asking about the

possible release of an autofocus camera by Rollei. I've been browsing

some of last month's and this month's german photo magazines, and in

several there has been a press release about the new Rollei 6008 AF.

It is expected to be released in the second half of this year with a

price of 4000 euro for the body and a magazine. In addition to auto

focus, it has the usual auto exposure modes and SCA flash

compatability, plus it is compatible with all 600x series lenses and

accesories dating back to 1976. Also being released are two lenses --

AF Tele-Xenar 2.8/180mm HFT and a AF Variogon 4.6/60- 140mm HFT; an

AF Xenotar 2.8/80mm HFT is expected by the end of the year. The new

6008 will be able to use older / non AF lenses as well; i believe the

magazine said that an viewfinder 'in focus' indication will be

possible with some or most of them.

<P>

Of course i have no interest / relation with the company; i just

though that some of you might be interested in this new thing. Here's

a web link -- <P>

http://www.rollei.de/en/news/presse_detail.cfm?id=2156 <P>

or go to the home page ( www.rollei. de ), click 'english',

then 'news', then 'press release' for march 2002.

<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Kaiserslautern, Germany<P>

i'm having the same experience as Marek. cranking from the first to second exposure is long, and get a little shorter with each shot until the end of the roll. it's nothing to worry about, and of course the real check comes when you see the developed film.

<p>

Leo Smith<br>

Kaiserslautern, Germany<p>

I'm not sure that this will answer your question, but....

<P>

What can work for your gear, current or future, is the appropriate SCA module for the camera body, plus the extra Metz/SCA 300A cable, which connects to the module and terminates in a plug that fits the slot you've described. The B&H website has a list of what module goes with what camera body.

<P>

http://www03.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/charts/comp_metzflash_home.html

<P>

Use the links that say 'module capability' to find your camera body.

<P>

The Metz website has a similar list -- www.metz.de

<P>

I am by far no expert on this system, and there is very little info to be found on the Internet about it. I presume that if you buy a new module, it will work correctly with the old flash (I don't see why not, since that is the point of the system (!) aside from using one flash with a variety of camera bodies ). You could also have some degree of TTL capability, depending on the body and the flash.

<P>

If you are lucky enough to be near a B&H / Adorama / Calumet, you could try the prospective new system with its appropriate SCA module to see what capability you'll have with the Agfa flashes. The real crux of the whole thing is the 300A cable, since it will connect the module to the flash.

<P>

Good luck with your purchase!

<P>

Leo Smith<BR>

Kaiserslautern, Germany

<P>