ben_hutcherson

I haven't kept the most on top of it, but at least somewhat recently there were concerns about the continued availability of HC-110, at least in the syrup. I'd personally suggest D76 as a great choice. At least in the US it's around $10 for a packet with enough to make one gallon. Although it should ideally be used within Kodak's recommended shelf life(which I believe is 6 months for a full bottle, 2 months for a half full bottle) I have personally used partial bottles that were mixed a year or more prior with good results. Once a batch of D76 is mixed, it can easily be used straight(use the concentration as mixed) or diluted 1:1. Straight is obviously easiest and reduces apparently grain, while 1:1 reduces contrast. I prefer 1:1, and there are no developer capacity issues when developing 120 at this dilution. This is a robust developer and most films develop well in it, even if it's not the best for every situation.

And if one has a Sam's Club membership, they are often on sale for $10 for 250. I'm never without a handful in my camera bag, whether for cleaning my lenses, my glasses, or someone else's glasses...

Serious question on this-I always understood that CCD technology worked like this, and that the NIkon D1 cameras in particular can sync at any speed. I know I've used my D1X as a crude measure of flash duration with studio packs at different settings by seeing the shutter speed where I would see light fall-off. I know I've actually done flash sync at 1/2000 or so, and saw no banding or anything other than darkening of the frame compared to using higher shutter speeds. As I understand it too, the D1 series cameras do have a "mechanical shutter" but IIRC it only has a first curtain. The max shutter speed of D1s is crazy high compared to a lot of other mechanical shutter cameras-I think 1/16000 or something like that. I realize that we're talking a camera 24 years newer than the first D1, and I doubt few if any D1 series cameras are in full time pro use these days(I'd not want to use one where I had to depend on batteries at least, although plugged in wouldn't be bad, and 2-6mp with good enough lighting where you could run at base ISO is plenty for a lot of situations) but still the cameras are out there. Is there some fundamental way that what Sony is claiming to do here is different from what a D1 can do, aside from the much faster maximum shutter speeds? EDIT: I see that it's specified in the video as first "full frame" global shutter, which obviously disqualifies the D1 series...still though my point in this is that global shutters have been out there for a while...

Basically I'll do what suits me/the subject/the final result. Around about 2017 or 2018, I came into a few dozen packs 2x3 of Kodak Azo paper. They were ancient(probably 60s or 70s production if I had to guess) but worked fine since, as any who has used Azo knows, it's basically immortal. I was on a kick for a while of contact printing 6x6s as "vignettes." I had a whole bunch on my desk(often 2-4 in the cheap plastic picture frames), and gave out I don't know how many to others. Some were portraits of people, some were particular favorite scenes, People who I gave them to who took the time to really examine them LOVED them-they'd marvel at all the detail in that little photo. They were quick and easy for me to make since the only decision I really had to make was whether I thought it looked better on grade 2 or grade 3 🙂 . At the same time, most of the time if we're printing, either we waste paper to print square or we waste frame cropping. Both of my Hassys(a 500C and 500 EL/M) have Rick Oleson Britescreens with rule of 3rds lines. If I expect that the final result will be printed to a conventional side, I use those a rough composition guide. When I put one of Rick's screens in my Rolleicord Va back in 2006, I went even more extreme and had him put a lines roughly corresponding to 645 across the horizontal. There was a reason for this-I got the camera cheap(I was in college, and "cheap" meant "really cheap") because it had a 645 kit installed. The thing was, I had the mask for the film gate and the frame counter, but did not have the viewfinder mask, so had him put lines on it that would roughly guide my composition. I did eventually convert it to 6x6 by buying a true parts camera(missing a whole bunch of stuff and not working, but with the 12 frame counter), but have the 645 parts around still if I were ever feeling so inclined. I used a more conventional rule of 3rds screen in my Rolleiflex Automat.

Until I can take a proper photo, here's a "teaser." The box the "Ed White" body sits on contains a 55mm f/3.5 Micro(compensating aperture) that belonged to him. Obviously the case belonged to him, as did the clip on selenium meter. The two lenses sitting in front of it were his also-one a 3.5cm f/2.8 and the other a really uncommon F mount "Steinheil" 100mm f/3.5. Also on this shelf there are a few other things of interest to the early collector...obviously front and center is the F body with the big 8mm fisheye. This is a 64.5 million SN body. On top of the case is a black F, unfortunately in pretty rough shape, but a 64.2 million SN. It has a very low SN non-reflex 2.1cm(no finder unfortunately). This one is fitted with a type 1b waist level finder. Also, I was wrong on the instruction manual posted above-it's actually the first edition(1959) F instruction manual, with some very, very small differences from slightly newer versions. I have the manual for 64.1 million body shown here.

Provided it is a newer, low voltage flash or used with a Wein Safe Sync, there's no reason why not.

DS-1? The numbers I'm familiar with for F2 metered prisms are DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, DP-11, and DP-12. DE-1 is the plain prism(non-metered). DP-1: Semi-auto indexing(turn to maximum aperture after mounting), center-the-needle metering. When mated to an F2 body, the whole package is often referred to as the "F2 Photomic" DP-2: Semi-auto indexing(like DP-1), two LEDs to indicate exposure(one for overexposure, one for underexposure, light both for "correct" exposure). Also offers extended metering, to 10 seconds. When mated to a body, often called the F2s DP-3: Similar to DP-2, but has a silicon photodiode and 3 LEDs(over, under, and 0 for "correct", will light two LEDs to indicate exposure within a half stop of correct). Also offers extended metering range. Called the "F2sb" when mated to a body DP-11: Similar to the DP-1, but works with AI(automatic indexing) lenses. Has a metering tab hanging down engage the aperture ring on the lens, and light pipe to read the ADR scale on lenses. Metering tab can be retracted into head for use with non-AI lenses. Has a white "A" on the lower front. Called the "F2A" when mated to an F2 body DP-12: The AI equivalent of the DP-3. Has the same 3 LED readout, but adds the follower tab, lock, light pipe, etc. Has a large white "AS" on the front. Called the "F2AS" when mated to the F2 body. Often considered the most desirable F2 meter prism, and the F2 configuration that brings the strongest prices(next to maybe the plain prism).

Well, I have something that's at least spending some time on my Canon 7 now and I've been happy with it. After threatening for years, I bought an M3 in March. I ended up with a couple of M mount lenses for it, including a DR Summicron, a collapsible 90mm Elmar, and a "googgled" 35mm Summaron. I also had a chance to pick up a relatively inexpensive 50mm Summarit f/1.5 in LTM. I've used it a lot on my M3 with an LTM adapter(for anyone thinking of that option, I'm probably preaching to the choir, but the genuine Leica ones are worth tracking down) but it's also spent some time on my Canon 7. The Summarit is no Summicron-it's fairly soft and low contrast wide open, and mine doesn't really look decent until f/2.8 or so(I use my DR Summicron wide open without a second thought) but it's a nice addition to the Canon 7. These are also relatively affordable lenses, especially in LTM.

I've had a few of the 200mm f/4 lenses-mine have been either non-AI or AI-converted. They're nice, lightweight, and it's nice that they use 52mm filters. Aside from that, they are honestly pretty mediocre lenses. I also find them sort of awkward to use-they're so long and almost too light. I bought a 180mm f/2.8 ED about a year ago. I forget what I paid, but it was inexpensive. I've had the AF versions of the lens for a long time-bought it back when F mount lenses actually still bought real money! Granted the AF versions even then wasn't super expensive-wide open it is somewhat better than the 80-200 f/2.8s I've had, but probably equal to the 70-200. It also is slow focusing and is one of a couple of lenses I know of(along with the 300mm f/4 and probably a few others) that require two separate actions to change from AF to MF(you have to both use the body lever to retract the screwdriver, and use the lens control to engage the MF ring). In any case, the manual focus 180mm f/2.8ED is a treat. It's big for an MF lens, but not THAT big and image quality wide open is equal to the newer AF verison.

Some 283s and 285s have low voltage triggers. With that said, you can always throw a Wein Safe Sync on and use these on whatever camera you want without hesitation. I don't generally use Vivitars in this way, but I've done this with old Metz 45s and such. The safe sync can make a big shoe mount flash a bit more unwieldy. Also, if you don't have an SB4, or want a more portable option, Quantum made cord for use with any of the Turbos. I can get the model if anyone wants. I managed to get a bunch of them when I happened into a big lot of bare-bulb converted 283s and 285s. I'd not want to run those on 4x AAs!

Can you PM me? For some reason I can't initiate new PMs here...I am interested

I don't think I've ever used smaller than 16gb in my D3s or D3x. I don't have an original D3, although the D3x is more like it in operation/handling than it is the D3s. I've used 64gb, both single and double, without a second thought, which is the largest CF I have. I'd hate to use the D3X with 8gb. It fills a 16gb fast enough on RAW. As for settings, if I get a chance I can export the defaults on both my D3s and D3x, although I'm not sure how well those translate to a D3. There's nothing particularly special about how I have them set up-both are similar to my D4 and D5 although with the D3x in particular I keep the ISO down. I shoot RAW, which somewhat negates setting picture controls in the menus, but does dictate the default rendering when you open the file in a RAW editor. I like "standard" on all of these, although I use D2X 1 some also(very similar to standard to my eye). Both give colors, etc, that look very similar to my D4 and D5.

This one, though, was even more exciting, even though I don't have the full history on it like the above. As can be seen, relatively low SN(it falls between the two earliest black Fs that destoutz has on his site), several early features(I can provide a full list if anyone is interested) and I have the manual for it in its presumably original Nippon Kogaku plastic sleeve. Both of these cameras were bought off another collector who I've gotten to know fairly well over the last several months. I actually connected with him when I bought a thorium 35mm f/1.4 from him on Ebay, and we've chatted a lot. I have some other very early F mount goodies and F related accessories either I've bought from this collector or acquired elsewhere if anyone is interested in seeing them.

I've recently been able to acquire a couple of fairly interesting early F bodies, and thought I'd show them off. These are black bodies, which as you all I'm sure know are a pretty small fraction of overall F production, especially early Fs. The first here came as part of a kit. It was apparently bought at a PX in Germany in the early 1960s and then imported. I have the full kit to go with it, including a few lenses(one an interesting Steinheil 100mm that's all but unheard of in F mount), a clip-on selenium meter, plus original paperwork and such for the camera, lenses, and import paperwork when they were brought to the US. I'm GUESSING the fact that it was bought at a PX explains it being a marked "Nikon" and not "Nikkor." BTW, there's no delamination/desilvering in the prism

As said, the 28mm has been AI converted. AFAIK, you can't convert an AI lens to an AI-s. The difference between the two is that stop down lever on the back of the lens is linear-or moving it a certain amount always results in the same change in aperture-on AI-s lenses. If you play with an AI lens or AI-converted one next to an AI-s lens, and watch the movement of the aperture lever as you turn the ring(off the camera) you can see this. Bodies that require non-AI lenses use the "bunny ears" to couple the meter to the lens. The reason for this is interesting, at least to me. The "bunny ears" are always located at the f/5.6 position. This means that the camera/meter always "knows" what aperture is set, but since TTL meters normally meter at full aperture, the camera needs to know what the maximum aperture actually is. For a lot of non-AI cameras(Nikon F FTn, Nikormat FTN, FT2, EL, Nikon F2 Photomic, F2S, F2SB) there's a mechanism that sometimes gets called "semi-auto indexing", where you set the maximum aperture by turning the aperture ring to maximum aperture after mounting. On some earlier bodies, namely the Nikkormat FT and the Nikon F T and Tn, you have to set the maximum aperture(you actually do it on the ASA dial-basically you line up the mark for the maximum aperture set with the film speed you're using). The non-TTL meters, like the original F Photomic and the F clip-on selenium meters, don't need to have the maximum aperture set since they don't actually care what it is. The AI system is a bit of a different philosophy-it uses a "notch" in the aperture ring that interacts with a tab around the lens mount(or hanging down from the metering head). This only communicates whether the lens is set to wide open, or if not wide open how far down from maximum aperture it's set. The 28mm should work fine on the FT3. It should also allow aperture priority and manual on your F-801. The N2000 gets interesting. When Nikon started making AI lenses, they added a lug to the back of the lens that communicates the maximum aperture. I've never seen an AI converted lens, from Nikon or anyone else, that had this maximum aperture lug added. There are only a handful of cameras that even can "read" this lug, but the N2000 is one of those cameras. I'm working on memory rather than loading batteries in my N2000(even though it's sitting a few feet behind me) but the main thing you will lose on it with this lens is full program. Aperture priority and manual should work fine.