randy_larson

<p>I would suggest Pentax 645n. Start with the 75mm, add the 45mm and 150mm lenses later. Handles well, has autofocus if you want(although the AF lenses are expensive), good metering and handholdable. I usually am a proponent of larger film, 6x6 or 6x7, but think that the Pentax 645s are wonderful cameras that will allow you an easy transition from 35mm. Good luck.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>70-200mm f4 IS. Sharp, light, versatile. And then the Zeiss 21mm which I had with my 5DII.</p>

<p>Darryl,<br>

I think that either camera will work well for you. The real difference between performance of these two is bellows extension. The FCL57-A has 480mm of bellows vs. 610mm for the other version. What is the longest lens you plan to use? I have a Fuji 450mm lens that I love, but nothing longer than this so I would buy the less expensive version. I have a Shen Hao 617 that I like very much, as well as a more expensive Ebony 4x5 which I love.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>IMHO this would make no sense. Unless you have a famous name, art buyers really could not care less about the negative and the 1/1 designation. The average buying public buys artwork based on the size of the piece, the colors in the piece, the pricepoint and their emotional response to it. I see people trying to sell their unknown work at inflated prices because of small edition size, and have even seen the photographer make claims of destroying the negatives after the edition is sold out. I am willing to bet these photographers never have to destroy a negative because of sales! My approach and advice, and it has allowed me to make a living the past two years, is open edition, keep it affordable, offer several sizes and create work that people love and want hanging in their houses or places of business. I have no delusions of collectability and enjoy seeing people able to afford and appreciate my work. I believe that to some degree photography is a dying medium in terms of art and as an investment, mainly because of the deluge of images in the digital world and the availability of inexpensive inkjet printing. On the other hand, there are still possibilities if you do great work, find a niche and make good business decisions. Find ways to separate your work fro others (my 6x17 panoramic work has really helped me in this way). Just my two cents, and good luck in your approach.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>I have attached a link to the perfect suit for outdoor photography. My wife and I have worn these suits to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Layer under this, including using polarfleece. Add good gloves/mittens(I like to use polypropylene gloves with heavy mittens over if it is really cold), a good hat and wool pac boots and you will be set. Layering allows you to remove layers if the weather warms.<br /> Randy<br>

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0042025922862a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=trans+alaska+suit&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=0&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0</p>

<p>Imperial Moth.</p>

<p>Lauren,<br>

This is a Showy Orchid. I am in southwestern WI and photographed one a week or so ago. A beautiful, delicate wildflower.</p>

<p>Randy</p>

<p>In my opinion, the reason to buy Zeiss glass is to get the best image quality in a lens. Why would you want to compromise this image quality by using teleconverters? I bought my Zeiss ZE 21mm from PopFlash in California, and have been thrilled with it, and will take a close look at the other Zeiss lenses. I believe that the ZE 100 macro will be terrific on your Canon. Good luck.</p>

<p>I use the 135mm exclusively for portraits(outdoor) on a 5DII and find it to be outstanding in every way.</p>

<p>Joel Sartore, featured in this production, has been converted to digital for about two years now. Even in this production, one of the editors teases him about being one of the few shooting film. I think that occasionally a photographer still uses film to shoot an article, but probably only when the technique or look is a big part of the story(such as Robb Kendrick's wet plate cowboy images, although I guess that is not film either!) Being primarily a large format film photographer, I like seeing film based essays.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>Christopher Burkett. John Sexton.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>I am a large format photographer who routinely shoots 2 second to 15 second exposure and have always used a digital watch with no problems. Remember that as your exposures get longer, the need for exact exposure times (within small fractions of a second) decreases. Randy</p>

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<p>Pearl Harbor Survivor</p>

<p>I just bought the GF1 with the 20mm pancake and have ordered a Voigtlander 40mm finder. I used a similar 25mm finder with the LX3 at the wider end with success. Not perfect, but can be a good solution.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>Cris,<br>

I have used the M7II and it is a great system with high quality lenses, but it is a somewhat specialized piece of equipment. The lenses do not focus very close-a rangefinder is not a great macro tool. The lenses are also slow(f4) compared to a Leica, etc. which may be a factor for shooting street. Lastly, you only have several lenses to choose from(43,50,65,80 and 150). The Mamiya is terrific for what it does well, but is limited. You would probably do best with the 80mm and either 43 or 50mm lenses. Also remember that the wide angles use an external viewfinder-you focus through the camera and frame through the external viewfinder. For landscapes or environmental portraiture, with good technique, the quality of this system will rival 4x5 up to 24"x30".<br>

Randy</p>

<p>Danny,<br>

If you are getting a reading of 1/8 second on a sunny day, it would be overexposing by several stops(actually quite a number of stops-sunny 16 rule=1/320 second at f16). Try taking the lens off and reseating the lens. Also you could clean the lens contacts with an eraser(carefully).<br>

Randy</p>

<p>Danny,<br>

If you are getting a reading of 1/8 second on a sunny day, it would be overexposing by several stops(actually quite a number of stops-sunny 16 rule=1/320 second at f16). Try taking the lens off and reseating the lens. Also you could clean the lens contacts with an eraser(carefully).<br>

Randy</p>

<p>Greg,<br>

They were very reasonable-I want to say around $3.50 each on 8x10 and slightly higher(+50 cents) on 11x14. They were a big hit on the large format board. I believe Jim wants to do another run this Fall. <br>

Randy</p><div></div>

<p>Bruce,<br>

A friend of mine(Jim B) who is active on the large format photography forum put together a run of about 2000 8x10 and 11x14 folios, and is contemplating additional sizes. He was selling them at cost to members and I believe sold out. I have attached a couple of images of finished folios. Brooks Jensen was very helpful and supportive of Jim's efforts.<br>

Randy</p><div></div>

<p>Rick,<br>

I have an Ebony that has back focus. I rarely use it except if I am using a long lens(450mm) and it is difficult to reach the front standard. Also, it could be useful for work with very short lenses(move the rear standard forward to prevent the bed from showing up in the image; if you move the rear standard back too far with a very wide angle lens that can happen). Other than that, I can not think of any reason to need back focus.</p>

<p>Randy</p>

<p>I believe there is no light meter on this camera, with shutter speed and aperature set manually. Thus there is no need for an ISO setting.<br>

Randy</p>

<p>Great thread-dogs can be special in our lives, and teach us things about life. This is Lutsen, two years old at the time, a chocolate lab.<br>

Randy</p><div></div>

<p>A standard cable release is fine, but get two. An extra is important because these can fail, especially if misused. I am a 4x5 and 6x17 shooter and always count/use a watch. Long exposures(8 seconds +) are easy to do using a watch, and more than accurate enough. On a 30 second exposure(not unusual with 4x5 early/late in day) even if you are off by more than a second will not make any difference. I use an Ebony cable realease, I believe 25cm.<br>

Randy</p>

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