david_walker1

You shot your ISO 800 film at 1600, which is one stop underexposed (assuming it was metered correctly). That would pretty much explain your poor results. Fast films do not have much underexpsosure latitued.

I havn't purchased the D100 yet (waiting for any price reductions from the D10) but from tests I've determined: 1) image quality in most cases is pretty much equal. 2) Build quality and weatherproofing is superior in the D1X. 3) D1X is heavier and bigger. 4) D100 battery life is much better. 5) For the price delta you can buy a lot of good Nikon glass or a really fast PC with big drives. 6) Both cameras will depreciate rapidly - the D100 starts lower. 7) Autofocus is marginally faster on the D1X.

 

It basically depends on how you are going to use the camera. If you don't have to shoot in snow and rain and or treat it the way most news photographers treat their equipment, and your not shooting pro sports, then the D100 will work for you.

Sophie,

 

Can't help with the Hong Kong stores, but I can with the Nikon models. The D1X and D1H are the professional Nikon digital bodies based on the F5 film body. The D1X is high resolution (5.9 Mpixels), 3 fps and 9 frame buffer. The D1H is lower resolution (basically the same as the original D1) at 2.6 Mpixels but is much faster (5 fps and 40 frame buffer.). The D1H is mostly used for professional sports photography and photojournalism.

 

The D100 is a "pro-sumer" camera based on the N80 body with less environmentlal sealing, slightly slower autofocus and less sophisticated metering. It is approximately the same resolution of the D1X.

 

Nikon has a new wide angle zoom expressly designed for their digital cameras. Unless your husband needs compatiblity with his film camera this would be a good bet.

I agree with the MD12. I keep mine on my FE2 almost all the time. The extra weight balances some of the heavier lenses and you really get used to the motor drive. Mine also was just over $100 on that well known auction site that we can't mention by name. It's really amusing that on Photo.net you can't say 'bay and you can't miss spell fluorescent.

The Nikon digital cameras do not meter the flash off the "film plane" ie the digital sensor, as do the film bodies. They use a preflash with the normal meter. Hence the requirement of using the digital version of the speedlites which can do the preflash.

"The focus ring and the aperture ring both feel more silky and exhibit less slack than the older 80- 200 AFS"

 

Huh? I thought G lenses don't have aperture rings?

Arg, engage brain before typing. For metering north sky, use that exporsure. For metering a palm (zone VI) open up one stop to go from VI to V. If you meter the snow and place it on zone VII, open up two stops. Sorry for the confusion.

Just to reinforce a previous answer, when metering a scene brighter that 18% (zone V) you want to INCREASE exposure. An easy way to determine how much, is in the same light, frame a scene that has a reflectance of about 18% and read the meter. Then go back to your original scene, read the meter and the difference will be your compensation. A couple of rules of thumb are that clear north sky is about zone V, the palm of a caucasion hand is about zone VI. For detail on snow you'll want to place it at about zone VII, so open up 2 stops from north sky or 1 stop from your palm. Of cours you can carry around a grey card or a spot meter, but that's another post.

Have you read the manual?

 

Have you made photographs under the same conditions with another camera?

Negative film gets dark when exposed to light and developed. More light, darker. Reversal film (slides, chromes, direct positives etc) gets light when exposed and developed. More light, lighter. For negative film, the comination of the two negative processes (the film exposure and the printing process) combines to give an equivalent reversal process. Hence more light on negative film gives a lighter print (assuming no compensation in printing exposure).

I posted a similar queation last week. I settled on Qimage Pro. Its sold as a image printing solution, I only use it for contacts. It will put multiple images together on one page in ANY combination you want.

Justin,

 

I had what sounds like the same problem with my Scan Dual II. It was not consistent and sometimes shutting the scanner off and restarting it would make it go away. The good news is that I started using Vuescan about a year ago, and it has never shown up using VS. I think its an error in initialization under the Minolta software. The control ctl-shift-I forces a re-init (I didn't know about it at the time) and that might help, but I have found VS to be a 100% fix.

Seriously, I agree. I have a Canon A20 that I use for snapshots and family photos and my wife uses for her interior design business. Its mever been off auto white balance and have never had to adjust color of any image its taken. I look at each one I print with PS 6.0 and the levels histogram is always perfect and color is right on. Nothing like the out of camera images that I have seen in most of the DSLR reviews. I'm thinking about a DSLR, but I'm curious about the white balance issues.

Dave,

 

HP stands for High Eyepoint referring to the eye relief designed into the finder optics. High eyepoint allows an eyeglass wearer to see the whole screen.

 

40/60 refers to a center weighted meter system where 60% of the meter reading comes from the center area of the field.

 

You're right the N designation for consumer Nikons is for the US market.

Eric,

 

I've settled on Fuji RDP-III (Provia 100F) as my all purpose slide film. If I'm shooting purely landscapes and have a tripod I sometimes use Velvia.<div></div>

Thanks,

 

My confusion arises from the the fact that your answers are 180 degrees opposite from Nikon's documentation. If you've got one, you must know!

 

Dave

Dale,

 

Excuse me if I sound stupid as I have neither an N80 or D100 yet, but according to documentation in Manual mode isn't the meter still active

- responding to shutter speed and stopped down aperture with the display showing +/- exposure indication?

I know this questions has been asked before but a search led to an

amzaing number of inconsistent answers. I'm considering buying a D100

but in addition to my newer lenseshave a few older classic AI lenses

that it would be nice to be able to use until I can replace them

with AF's

 

The N80 specifications in the Nikon Product Guide (vol 7) says "AI

lenses provide manual focus w/electronic rangefinder, Aperture

priority and Manual exposure mode, C/W and Spot Metering operation"

 

Most people on PN make the blanket statement that "metering doesn't

work on the N80/D100 with AI lenses". Nikon's literature indicats to

me that Matrix metering, P and S modes will not work, but A and M

(with Spot and C/W) will.

 

One poster said his meter shuts off when an AI lens is mounted.

 

Short of taking an AI lens into my nearest dealer, does anyone KNOW

for sure?

 

Thanks

Sergio,

 

When I got my 45CL-1 which I use for weddings, I tested it in auto and manual mode (using the dial computer) with my Minolta IVF flashmeter and found it right on. In addition, in auto mode my negatives (NPH and NPS) are right on. You should get yours checked by your dealer.

 

Dave Walker

Witold,

 

Interesting. I just took a look at the Fred Picker Print Club website that you posted. Another indictment of Calumet. I followed Zone VI studios for many years, but lost track during the late 80's early 90's due to a relocation and heavy work schedule. After I heard that Calumet had bought Zone VI, I called them in about 1996 to ask if Fred was still active in any way with photography. I was told that he was no longer involved in photography in any way and was rtired to fly fishing. The web site seams to say otherwise. I commuted through from CT to Burlington Vermont for 3 years passing through Dummerston, not knowing he was still active. How long did he run the print club?

Herwig, You might want to read Adams' "The Negative" which covers

tray processing in great detail. Other wise the technique I follow is

to: 1) handle the sheets emulsion down. 2) when putting sheets in the

first tray (developer or pre-rinse) make sure the on going in hits the

liquid flat, so a corner won't dig in. 3) when agitating, lift the

pack up with your fingers, separate the bottom sheet and slide it

out, placing it on top of the pack 4) use trays at least one size

bigger than the film. I've found that the die cut operation that

cuts the notches (at least for Kodak) has gottne much sloppier

lately and leaves very ragged edges which can be the source of many

scratches. I use no chemicals added to any solutions other than

photo flow after wash. Film is slippery enough in developer.

 

<p>

 

Dave

A good two-part epoxy will be much stronger than super glue especially if you can't get the two parts to fit together exactly as it is gapfiling and has structural integrity after it has cured. Just don't epoxy the handle into a fixed location.

Jason,

 

To go from an exposure check on ISO 100 Polaroid to ISO 400 film, IF your exposure is by strobe, then close the aperture down 2 stops. Shutter speed will have no effect since the flash duration is shorter than the shutter. Same for 800 (close one more stop) Bear in mind that most wedding photographers over expose the typical 400 wedding films (NPH or Portra 400 NC)by a about a .5 stop, usually rating at ISO 320.

Barry,

 

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I think you are right. Somewhere down the line Picker changed his

tiechnique based on his experiences. He could probably do that based

on repeatable metering and processing technique. I was really

referring to setting film speed (base exposure) at the low end and

setting development time to fit printing and paper contrast at the

high values. That he did not change that.

 

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My daughter is taking a college level (not art school) photography

course and thyt have her evaluating test strips as to whether "it's

too dark or too light" arghh. No wonder begginners get grey and

light grey in their prints

Scott,

 

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I built my sink about 4 years ago and it hasn't leaked a drop. I

used normal 3/4 inch A/C plywood and rabetted the bottom into the

sides. I used West System epoxy to seal it. I used the epoxy

thickened with slica to form a fillet at the bottom-side joints, then

painted two coats of unthickened epoxy on the whole inside surface.

West System is mainly used for boat repairs and can be purchased from

most marine hardware dealers. It comes in two parts which you mix to

form the epoxy. It is a little expensive but worth it.

 

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Dave