richard_f1

I've used but not printed the 120 format Lucky film. It is ok. Nothing amazing, but not total crap. I use it in my Shanghai TLR, so I can't tell how much of the average quality is due to the film and how much to the lens.

It only costs 7 rmb (less than US$1) a roll here, so I don't mind that it isn't pin sharp etc. It's fine for having fun.

I think I have read Constance's reference to her real-life stalking situation about 5 times now on different threads. There were others with similar tales.

Why is it so difficult for other members to accept that these are legitimate concerns? They may be a "remote possibility", but just because it has never happened to you does not mean it does not happen to others.

Quite apart from stalking, which for some people is a real issue, in a world where identity theft is a growing industry, shouldn't everyone at least have a view about protecting their own privacy on the internet? It doesn't mean you have to smash your computer, shred your passport and go live in a hole. It just means you should think about it and not ignore other people's concerns just because you're happy to post your own address on the internet.

Cue the smart remarks...

The thread mentioned above is well worth checking out.

I visited all the stores in it on the Kowloon side a week ago. I know zip about canon or how much it should cost, and didn't ask, but:

. each of Wan Shing, Man Shing and the third one - all of the same family - are good stores. Find the first one by getting out of the Mong Kok MTR on San Yeung Choi. Ask for a card. The map on the back will direct you to the other 2 stores.

. Tin Yeung is round on Carnaervon Road. If you take the Granville St exit from the Mong Kok station, walk down Granville St (your first right up Nathan Rd once out of the station, dodge the suit salesmen!), then Carnarvon is the next right. Follow it a block or two and you'll find the Tin Yeung shop. Upstairs is plenty of 2nd hand.

. the second hand places, if you're interested, you can find by turning left up Carnarvon off Granville. You'll see a sign for "All Good Friends" camera shop, you find the entry in the back of a kind of hardware-store shopfront. There are loads of old cameras in a glass case to help you spot it. Up those stairs you'll find several stores well stocked with loads of used gear.

. if you go to the uphill end of that street, turn right, walk a little and enter the lobby of a posh hotel there (on Kimberly St or Road, whichever is the top of Carnarvon) you'll find another store with lots of 2nd hand.

They all seemed friendly enough and let me handle stuff even though it was clear (because I said so) that I wasn't in a buying mood.

Watch the prices though - I don't think it's as cheap as maybe it once was. Some of the 2nd hand pricing was quite over the top.

Have fun. Don't buy anything from a store that doesn't sell a wide range of real equipment (ie that sells mobiles, MP3s, and one lonely Eos 1!). Flashing neon signs mean doom!

Film will be dead the day you can't buy it anymore. End of story.

Given how easy it is to buy film where I live, and how many people are buying 2nd hand film cameras of all formats and brands every time i visit the shops here, I figure that day must be some years off yet.

And until then, those who want to can continue to enjoy it.

I was there in May 2006.

Chinese tourists fire their flashes at the Terracotta Warriors as though they were trying to repel the army. You should be ok unless you lug in studio lights!

Don't get stiffed on transport there. You can take a perfectly comfortable public bus from the train station (across the car park from the main entrance) and it costs only 7 yuan. People will try to steer you off it onto their expensive mini-buses, even as you are about to board, but don't fall for it. I can't remember which bus number, but it is in the Lonely Planet guide book and no doubt all the others.

That bus stops at all the main sights along the way, if you want to see them, and the total journey from Xi'An to the warriors, which is the last stop, is about an hour. Just note where it parks at the warrior musuem, because that's where it leaves from. They go all day.

I'd skip the guides at the entrance too. I overheard them in the museum talking to visitors who'd hired them, and they are clueless. You learn more from reading the signs and a guidebook.

I don't know of any more specialised tour agencies.

have fun!

My suggestion is about the RealName issue.

Some people have privacy concerns. Can you have a verification system that allows the site admin to verify the identity of a member, but still allows them to post with a "user name"? There could be a logo or icon next to their name saying "verified".

Ways to do this include (as PG already suggested):

. verifying by a credit card transaction (many websites have this, www.couchsurfing.com is one that I know of, ebay is similar too, right?)

. e-mailing to a name.name@trustedcompany.com (those of us who use gmail etc can use the card method above)

A member, thus verified, could still post under a user name, but with an "identify verified" icon.

Other ways might be found by people with more knowledge of the Net than me.

I don't want to re-start the discussion about why some people prefer not to have their full name on the web - I just think it is a fair point that some people prefer this.

As long as the site admin knows who they are, and an icon tells other members that this is the case (ie that their identity as a real person has been verified), shouldn't this be sufficient?

Of course, I offer this as someone who has posted no photos and only "rated" once, just to see how it works. Perhaps I would feel differently in other circumstances.

richard

Well in the end I didn't buy either. Damn!

I went to the shop selling the 9, ran a whole lot of tests on it, and it worked fine. I put a

film in a took frames with lens cap on etc and the wind on is amazingly quiet. Bear in mind

I had never had my hands on a top-level camera later than my 9000. The mirror slap was a

little louder than the 9000 but only a little. You could basically not hear the winder at all,

nor the rewind. It runs on 4 AA batteries and was all in all a great camera.

So I decided to buy it but it turned out the guy who quoted me the other day was wrong by

2000 hong kong dollars. The actual owner of the store was there this time. This wasn't a

scam - it was a genuine mistake, as he explained in Cantonese to my wife who speaks

Canto. We both are experienced Hong Kong shoppers and felt this was genuine. Anyway,

that new price was out of my budget! Ah if only I'd whipped out the visa on day one - but

you should always do your research and also, it's bad karma to stiff people.

So I went round to the other guy and checked out his 7 - but without the grip. It was

clearly also a great camera but this particular example wasn't in the best shape.

Then - heavily depressed as I had really psyched myself up to get the 9 (incidentally an

Alpha 9, from the Japanese market) - I found some 9000 bodies at a very affordable price.

I checked a few out but didn't buy one. Though cheap, I think I can do better.

That place had the digital back for the 9000. If you see the Minolta 9000 page,

minolta9000.org or something, you can see the digital back they came out with - I think

it used a digital tape to record images. Anyway, I'd never seen one.

So there is the end of part one of my story. I will keep my eye out on websites etc for a 9 I

can afford.

A big thanks once again to each of you who helped me.

For now, back to old faithful, my trusty 9000!

Thanks very much each of you - good pointers which are helping me clarify my choice.

Tomorrow is D-Day so to speak - have to get it before I return to Beijing.

On this rare occassion cost is not a question because I can afford either.

The main factors are the ruggedness, quietness and AA operation. I just got back from 6

weeks in remote parts of China where the old 9000 performed fine on one set of AAs,

while the noisy 505si I was using for slides ran through 2 sets of its hard-to-get-out-

there little lithium batteries (or whatever they are). Also, its winder was rudely intrusive

and a couple of times I had to give up taking pictures. It finally died half way through a roll

up a mountain 2 days from a town, and once dead you can't do anything - couldn't even

get the film out to put it in the other body. I couldn't find batteries for it, at least not ones

that looked like they hadn't sat in a hot shop for 5 years! But AAs are everywhere. That's

why I want the grip.

I mainly use my cameras for "reportage" or "people photography", "street" or whatever it is

called - you know, pictures of people I meet and places I go! And for landscapes, where

noise generally is irrelevant. But I plan a trip through dusty and remote central Asia next

summer which is why I am a little more inclined to the tougher body and less fussed about

the AF speed. The dust on these bumpy roads was really phenomenal - all my gear is filthy

and needs a clean! Next year's trip will be alot longer so I figured I'd plan now while I'm in

HK and have access to stuff (there is lots of 2nd hand for sale in Beijing actually but not

much recent minolta and pretty pricey).

The SSM upgrade doesn't matter to me because I don't have any of those lenses.

Anyway if it is true that the VC7 is nearly as much as the camera, then the 9+VC9 is about

the same price. Amazing! And it took alot of hunting just to find the 7, I don't want to

have to spend ages seeking out the grip.

Sounds like I just made my decision, huh? :) The first part anyway, "which one?". The

harder one is, "should I get one at all".

Thanks very much for your help, I appreciate it alot.

I will let you know if I summon up the courage overnight to actually drop the cash on it.

Incidentally they are pushing the Sony Alpha heavily here at the decent shops in Mong

Kok. There are dudes in Alpha t-shirts and everything. I asked if they had any Dynax 7 film

bodies left over and the guy says "huh?". Sign of the times, fellow nostalgians... :)

kind regards.

R

Hello everyone,

Please don't flame me for this. I have searched high and low on here and elsewhere.

I am out to buy a nostalgia (I mean film) SLR. Choice for various reasons is between the 7 and the 9,

both of which I have finally found here in Hong Kong second hand.

Has someone compared both? I can't do it because the 2 are in different shops.

My instinct is to go with the 9 because it is tougher, and without the LCD screen will go easier on the

batteries. Also, the one I have found comes with the VC9, whereas the 7 is without grip. I want to be

able to use AA batteries, and I don't want to hunt around for a VC7.

I don't mind so much about the 9's potentially slower AF because I don't do sport or wildlife and my

other camera is a 9000 I use almost exclusively in MF. I am not sure I need the features on the 7 either.

It's main advantage is that it is cheaper.

The 9 sounded pretty loud though. Not sure compared to the 7 because I couldn't compare side by

side.

And so here is my question - has anyone got a view, based on experience. of whether the 9 (or the 7)

are louder in mirror-slap and wind-on than say a 505si (which is the only one I can compare with).

I know these are basic questions and that this kind of thread sometimes annoys people but I do try to

reciprocate by answering people's questions when they write in, and so I hope that if this annoys you,

you won't take any offence.

And, needless to say, a very big thank you in advance to anyone who can help me.

regards,

Richard

I do!

But the advantage is mainly to be judged based on what gear you have, I think. For

example, I have a nice film camera, nice lenses, and a good scanner. It is more economical

for me to continue using that rig than try to switch to a comparably good camera in

digital. To go digi I'd need to spend more money up front than I am willing or able to.

Everyone has different circumstances.

For what I do, the results are great. You can get lovely enlargments with good scans of

slides.

Thanks everyone! If only someone had answered my post about preferred shops in Hong

Kong :) I will check it out tomorrow and see how it feels in the hand.

My main idea with the VC7 was to run it on AA batteries - I like that feature on the 9000

and the 505si I use as a secondary body ran out of juice in the wilds of Sichuan province

where I couldn't buy the special batteries (my spares ran out too). That, and the slow

autofocus and intrusively loud winder on the 505 are what prompted me to think of the 7.

I know the 9000 AF is as slow as a snail but I use it in MF with a split prism finder.

But the VC7 could make it all too big - I hardly ever use the MD90 on my 9000 for

basically the same reason (although it is even louder than the 505). Why not buy another

9000? I figured having the two different bodies would make things more flexible for me.

Anyway thanks everyone for your helpful thoughts.

R

Hello everyone,

I am in Hong Kong for about a week.

I normally buy film and stuff from Wing Shing on Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mongkok and I have been

happy. I know others use this shop or its partner Man Shing. But I've never bought any gear there.

I am now in the market to buy a Minolta 7 film SLR. They had some left on my last visit.

I also need to get my Minolta 9000 serviced, it is filthy after recent adventures.

I would be very grateful if anyone could give me advice based on recent experience on where might be

good to buy that camera, and where you can get stuff serviced quickly (it isn't broken, just needs

cleaning inside the viewfinder, etc, things I can't do myself).

Everyone has a personal favourite but it is always to good to hear other's views.

thanks very much in advance.

R

Hello,

I am thinking of buying a Minolta 7 film body this week. It will complement my 9000.

Does anyone have personal experience using this body with the older Minolta AF lenses? I have the

20 2.8, 50 1.7, 28 2.8 and 135 2.8. My zoom fell in the sea and I have never felt a need to replace it.

One day I might get more lenses but for now I am just going to use what I have. An extra body is more

helpful to me right now than extra lenses.

I'd just like to know that there are no focusing performance problems using these older lenses. I know

that certain focusing features of the body may not work but all I need is for the camera to focus quickly

and quietly.

Also, how useful is the VC7 ? I like the idea of being able to use AA batteries - does anyone do this, and

how long do they typically last? I know "your mileage will differ", but general impressions are helpful.

thank you very much for any advice or personal experiences you can share.

Richard

Well, if you're asking for opinions...

If you think it is important, do it. The US is supposedly a free country, right? Plenty of people died to make it so.

But if it were me, as the grandson of an Australian WW2 veteran, and as someone who has served on a peacekeeping operation (as an adviser, not a soldier, but I still worked hard and was shot at), I kind of think that spending the money on a donation to some charity that helps the victims of war would be a more fitting and lasting tribute to the memory of someone who had served/suffered in a previous war. There are certainly plenty of innocent children around the world right now who could use the help. Or veteran's groups if you prefer.

Just my opinion, seeing as you asked.

Hey thanks again.

I bought my red and yellow at 55mm and got two 49-55 step ups. I have 2 lenses at 49 and one at 55. The rig works fine on my 28mm with nothing showing at the corners.

It also means I can use the 55mm PL I already have on my 49 thread lens so I don't always have to swap the 49 thread PL from the 28 to 50. So many numbers but I think you know what I mean.

So anyway, thanks again, your advice helped me work out what suits me. If I ever do get round to the RF system I will just get a coupld more filters in the correct thread for that.

thank you!

Hi there

I want to buy some yellow and red filters for my black and white photography.

My SLR lenses have a filter thread of 49mm. Soon I plan to buy a Bessa R and I

think the lenses I have in mind (at first the 35 2.5) have a 43mm thread.

If I get these filters I want to be able to use them on both lens sizes.

So, question is:

. would you go for step up rings;

. would you go for the Cokin type system with a bracket and a slide-in filter; or

. would you just get filters for both thread sizes.

I have no experience with either. I would like to hear yours.

thanks in advance.

R

I know Romania is not on your list of countries but it is right next to Hungary and still has plenty of rugged and depressing Stalinist-style factories to see.

There is a train line going to the junction of Arad and near there is a town which used to service a filthy factory of some kind. I can't recall the name, sorry, but you will find it mentioned in the Romania Lonely Planet.

The town suffered terribly - apparently only in recent years did the snow start falling white. Many of the residents have or had all kinds of terrible medical conditions too.

You can see the black soot all over the factory facilities, though they have scrubbed down the town. The factory itself is pretty decrepit now. It is right by the train tracks.

I had a shot of it, from the train, if I get time, and you're interested, I could scan it and post it or email it to you. It's not a very good photo, just a grab as the train sped past. Once you find the name, you can get a slow local train there (a photo op in itself).

Out at Zarnesti, a small town out of Brasov, there are some pretty crumbly old factory sites too. You can go out there and stay (it is close to "Dracula's" castle. It is easy to get local buses, there is no need to pay rip-off fees to taxi drivers.

I didn't see much of that when I was in Slovakia, it is a very clean looking place (at least where I was - Bratislava and the Tatras).

good luck.

Hey,

Yeah those other cameras would do the trick too. I only recommended the 9000 because I have one and I know it does multiple exposures.

It totally depends on what you want it for. The 9000's AF is super slow, that's for sure. The newer ones would be faster. I like the 9000's ability to be manually wound on like an older camera, but if you don't need that, then again one of the others would be fine again.

I also have a 505si, recently inherited from my wife (who didn't die, just went digital!). I don't actually know if it can do multiple exposures but it is quite a nice camera and I bet it would be cheaper on ebay than a 9000. I think it is the earlier version of a 5 (guessing...). So if a 5 is only 50 clams, the 505 range must be around the same or even less?

I suppose you just need to draw up a list of your own requirements and judge from that. If you just need it solely for the multiple thing then by all means go for the cheapest body you can find that does it. Like another poster said, AF speed in that case is irrelevant. Unless you need the 9000's toughness there's not much point getting it, because the change you'd have by choosing something else could get you lens or something.

good luck!

Minolta 9000, big brother/sister to your 7000, will do multiple exposures and uses the same lenses. There is a little grey button just next to the film winder. Hold it in while you wind on and the shutter will re-cock but the film won't wind on.

You can get them on ebay.

Actually the 9000 is a better camera all round than the 7000. The AF is the same (ie slow!) but the 9000 is easier to use (has a flick-switch rather than little buttons to change aperture etc). Has a manual film winder and a separate motor winder or motor drive that you can add - which means your camera can be relatively quiet unlike the 7000 which is reasonably noisy winding on.

They are not super cheap, but relatively cheap. Just watch the LCD panel on top, they almost all leak ink across the display, but usually only in the corner and not across the data display. Mine does this but hasn't leaked any further in at least ten years.

It is built like a tank and mine has survived rough treatment in Central America, Papua New Guinea, places like that.

I can't ever see myself needing another camera, ever. Well, maybe not, but I've never yet seen one I could afford that I wanted instead of the 9000.

It has excellent flash capabilities too and you can get stuff for it pretty cheaply second hand.

You won't regret it!

I hope this helps.

Gosh, so many stereotypes! So much sledging.

Believe it or not, there are many of us out here who happily use digital AND film for different purposes.

I use black and white film and print it myself because I enjoy doing it, end of story. I'm not ramming it down anyone's throat. I just like it - it's fun. I like the images I get. I don't claim I couldn't get them with digital. It's just my chosen source of fun.

I use slides because where I am it's really cheap. It costs 10 yuan a roll to process (that is a little over $1US). I do look at them through a light box but no, that does not make me a loser. I project them too. But I also scan them to make prints.

I use a digital compact because it is easy to post images to flickr or send to my friends. I can make nice prints from it too, just not enormous ones. I scan my slides to make big colour prints. For me it is cheaper than buying a dSLR because I already have a really good scanner and I don't take thousands of images a week.

If I was a newspaper dude I would no doubt use digital exclusively, for the speed.

In conclusion: Big deal! No different to lots of people.

I fail to see why when someone asks a straightforward question about what are some of the pros or cons of using one format or another, it always has to degenerate into "you're a loser for using film/digital/35mm/medium format/Leica" or whatever.

The more I read this kind of stuff on here, the more pointless I think it is. This website works best when people just offer straight advice. The stereotyping and sledging is pointless and totally unhelpful.

Time to relax, huh fellas?

Sometimes you need to really pull out the film leader well past the little red line next to the film sprocket-windy-thing. I sometimes get the flashing zero on my 505si and that is one thing that has worked.

good luck.

Try the universities that have art schools. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) is one of the best known. Its website is www.rmit.edu.au and you will need to navigate the links to the photomedia department. The Australian National University in Canberra also has a photomedia department - www.anu.edu.au and then follow the links to the art school and photomedia.

You could also try the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) but I don't know for sure.

>>"Maybe you could all relax. Let the Leica people do their thing, let the digital people do their thing."

But what are we to do with those that use the Leica DMR or other Leica digital products?<<

Um, let them do their thing too? :)

If you are careful and take the normal precautions you will be fine. Guatemala City is dodgy but everywhere else you will be fine unless you happen to be the one guy who is unlucky. You can never tell, but equally, you should not worry too much about it.

In Antigua, some people say that certain parts of town are prone to opportunistic robberies (the cemetary up the hill, for example, or the ruins of the convent). But if you go with two or three other people, you reduce the chances of anything bad taking place.

One SLR and three lenses fits into a pretty small bag. What you could do is buy a cheap locally-made shoulder bag and put your actual camera bag inside that. Then it is less obvious.

Finally, how about travel insurance? Then if stuff does get stolen, you have some relief.

Have fun!