j.a.

Hello Brian,

Shortly, travelling arround Europe requires wide-angle lenses and a special camera bag that protects your photo equipment from rain, dust, shock and other.

A special photo camera case is not something to improvise, especially when you have to carry arround a DSLR, memory cards, rechargeable battery and surely one or two zoom lenses ... Secondary, it keeps your camera arround your body, meaning it is more difficult to be stolen or lost somewhere.

You should search a model like LOWEPRO "Topload Zoom 2" that is one of the most useful photo case when you are travelling, it has 2 or 3 safety attaching positions, it is a very good material worthing the price.

Lens speaking, choose between SIGMA/for Canon 17-35mm F2.8-4 DG Aspherical EX HSM or TAMRON/for Canon 17-50mm 2.8 AF XR DI II.

Have fun.

J.A.

I like the new Olympus E-400, is the perfect travelling Dslr camera, the most compact of all, having its kit zoom Zuiko Digital ED 14-42 mm 1:3.5-5.6.

Add a Olympus "xD" 1Gb memory card and a reserve Lithium battery BLS-1.

Have fun.

Best regards,

J.A.

"I am watching a rokkor-x 24mm, while the 2nd market price is just almost same as AF 24mm"

Money speaking, as far as I know, these two wide angle prime lenses don't share almost the same price on used photographic market : example, in my town, the 24 Md Rokkor lens is priced around 60 Euros, while its 24 AF version is rather expensive, approaching 200 Euros (the largest "f/2,8" aperture value beeing the same & having a very good condition for both primes, including 3 months warrantee)

In fact, these both Minolta WA primes are rather rare, because it is difficult for all (still standing ...) photographic lens producers to manufacture quality primes shorter than 28 mm.

This rarity is much more obvious when we are searching the 20 mm wide angle primes, usually these are expensive professional lenses like Minolta 20 mm AF 2,8 "G" series or the ancient Md Rokkor 20 mm f2,8. Hard to find primes like these, who has them is not selling ...

All these lens present a very good quality construction and good optical performance, some would say sligthly better than Nikkor versions. They are worthing every cent you're spending for. Sometime, on my X700 body, I am using 28 & 24 mm Md Rokkor prime lens and I was never disappointed by them, even if it wasn't always obvious to take pictures with Wide Angle lenses or to reduce their huge DOF, so avoiding that everything will be in focus.

Links to follow :

http://www.photographyreview.com/sf-1/befid-96323/pid-20724682/productreviewscrx.aspx

http://www.mhohner.de/minolta/lenses.php

http://www.rugift.com/photocameras/minolta_af_cameras_lenses.htm

http://www.dcviews.com/lenses/Minolta-lenses.htm

Best regards

J.A.

Recently, Fujicolor & Kodak have chosen to improve only their professional grade negatives and slides (ex. Portra and Elite- Chrome), so they are delaying the consumer grade films.

This may be a wrong managemet decision, even if the consumer film selling is going down, not because the film's quality (X-Tra 400 remains a very good all around & popular negative) but because the price of film and its chemical treatment.

At least, Fuji Com. could have proposed its new 135 Superia films at lower prices, since Agfa is gone and Kodak seemed to be interested especially on "Easy Share" program, generally delaying the film technology (they have closed their last "Kodak" label slide laboratory in Europe ! )

Best regards

J.A.

Hello to eveyone on this forum,

According to one well known European photo magazine, the new Fujicolor

Superia 200 & Superia X-Tra 400 will inaugurate a new kind of colour negatives -

that of consumer films adapted to the film technology recession :

their 4th layer - that limits the confusions between green & red on the

pictures, starting with a certain high exposition value - is lacking and there

is none real evolution of Superia series, because their "Reala" technology will

be missing.

Instead, these new Superia negatives will be proposed at the SAME price

as the ancient ones - 5,45 euros for one roll - (so, it is a little be

difficult to say "who's who") and only in three 135 length : frames of 12, 24 &

36.

Very sad & very disappointed issue from Fujicolor.

Best regards,

J.A.

Hello Mat,

At the last PMA show, Pentax has announced a new line of lenses especially dedicated to the last wonderful K 10D : Pentax DA ultrasonic lenses, in "K- AF2 DA" mount.

These lenses will get a internal AF motorization (like Canon Eos USM) and they are professional orientated glass, because only K 10 D will be able to pilot their new "SDM" - Super Direct Drive Motor.

Pentax announced al least 5 new "SDM" lenses and among them it will be 2 tropicalized high aperture professional zooms. This new line will be completated, in summer 2007, with one telezoom and 2 teleprimes.

Plus, the new 645 Digital is coming up with its 31,6 Mpx CCD sensor !

Best regards

J.A.

SIGMA 17-35mm F2.8-4 EX DG ASPHERICAL HSM was awarded TIPA best consumer lens in Europe (2004)

Dimensions

- diameter 83.5mm

- length 88.7mm

3.3 in. x 3.4 in.

Weight 560g / 19.8 oz.

First price : 700 dollars

Hello Sam,

Should I answer to your question or not ? Could I tell you how big is your photographic potential and where are your photographic needs ?

Sam, don't let yourself be confused by the publicity-marketing game that is telling us a lot of crap, including the ideea that the photography could have been made by the camera's industrial manufacturers instead of talented people ...

Your KM 7D is the last wonderful DSLR made by Minolta and it will work fine in almost all situations. Keep your KM lenses instead selling them underrated, you'll have nothing to lose.

Truly, if you want something else, you should pass to middle format photography.

Best regards,

J.A.

My camera is a Minolta X-700 MPS dating back in 1990's and I took HUNDREDS of pictures with it. It still works greatly, I have had none failure (until now), this is one of my favourites among the several SLR film bodies I have.

The last frames I took indicated a weakened light-proofness of the camera. I have asked the opinion of two professional photographers, they told me that the back sealing foam should be verified and remplaced if needed.

I know very well my camera and I don't fear to open its back for remplacing the sealing foam. After all, it should not be so complicated, I have all that I need, plus a special photo cleaning set.

Thank you guys for yours answers and for the indicated link

Any tips are welcome.

BTW, I prefer selected French wine to beer, it's much more worth living ...

J.A.

Hello to everyone on this forum,

I am planning to replace the ancient sealing foam placed inside my SLR

film camera.

A photo shop repairer would have done it for 50 euros, but I refused him.

For 12 euros, I bought several pieces of special photo sealing foam and I have

all the required tools.

Could anyone tell me any tips & advices how to make it ?

Thank you.

J.A.

Hello Trevor,

Taking pictures with a wide angle lens requires some well known precautions. In many cases, everything will be in focus if you were using a true WA lens, a little "f" aperture (8;11;16) and if you were rather far from your subject. The depth of field (DOF) will be larger on the digital camera's pictures, because, some exceptions confirmed, their image "recording" surface is smaller than the 24X36 mm normal film surface.

Best regards,

J.A.

Helle Jeroen,

The "standard" Rokkor Md 50mm f/1,4 lens (with 47? angle of view and 0,45 m in closest focus) has 7 optic elements organised in 6 groups and a minimum f/16 aperture. Its 49 mm filter size was set on in order to save weight(this lens has only 235 gr.)and to provide a better hand working facility. As a later Md model, it is said that this lens has a better coating, but more plastic pieces inside.

Filter size speaking, the 49 mm model is unique and it can not be (directly) used on other manual or AF lenses (except manual Minolta). From this point of view, the 55 mm size is a lot more suitable if you have two SLR systems.

best regards,

J.A.

Hi Chris,

My computer has a O.S Windows XP Home Edition and I installed on the ACDSee 2.0 for Pentax : this software was offered in the pack when I bought my Optio camera. I got also ACDSee showtime & ACDSee PhotoSlate for Pentax.

ACDSee 2.0 for Pentax is simple, efficient and it has a special fonction that automatically detects any Pentax digital camera connected via USB 2.0 standard wire to my computer : the photo/video files are rapidly transfered to my Pentium 4 computer, it's like a childern's play. Sometimes, I simply use the individual "SD" format memory card that can be directly taken by my PC (via a special slot)

Best regards,

J.A.

Hello Chris,

I agree, it is quite not easy to find information about "ancient" Pentax film camera, it seems that digital Pentax/Samsung series has taken all the main photographic interest. Only the middle/large photography taken with a large Pentax 6X6 camera or else ... is still on the actuality. Great news coverage photographers are still using those cameras when they are working in Middle East or South America.

Except one professional 24 X 35 mm pro film camera, Pentax AF film camera were not famous for their supposed AF performance at least if they were compared with Canon Eos & Nikon F middle class rivals. But their advantages are elsewere, namely in the price - quality balance or popular style photography.

I think you might need a Pentax MZ 7 or a MZ 6 camera (European name).

http://www.magic-photo.com/pentax/mz-7.htm

Best regards

JA.

It is forbidden to mark anything on the processed film. Usually, the entire processed film should be cut in units of 4 frames (each) and then keep in a little special plastic "bag" covering exactly 4 frames at once. This plastic "bag" prevents dust, finger's stamp and scratches.

The film's index board (it contains the vignettes of each frame) is the most usefull indicator for archive activity, because you will be able to see at once what was on your film ; you can mark on this board some data like place, time, type of film used, intentional under or overexposure, etc.

Hello Vernon,

I live in Europe and I can tell you that Kodak label labs are vanishing rather quickly. This turns to be a real problem when someone is still shooting slides, because these slides will be transported to few remaining Kodak label labs across Europe (ex. Swiss one). Processing slides demands here additional costs and time and the quality of work can't be easily verified.

Personally, I have had processed many different 24 x 35 colour and b&w films by a "Fuji Frontier" lab and by a "Photo Service" lab still using an AGFA machine. In my opinion, the results were very good, even when I gave them films like T-Max, FP 4, Delta 100, Ultra 400 UC or Reala. I choose paper like Ilford, Bergger, Royal or Cristal Archive S. and a bigger printing format.

Best regards,

J.A.

Hello Dan,

Fujifilm still offers profesionnal grade slides like Provia 400F & 400X, at least if you had already located a good Fujifilm service (like Frontier)in your area.

The most easier is to shoot negative film like Fuji ProH 400 or Kodak Portra NC 400 Iso - both are working well with long focal telezooms and a spot mesure of light.

Best regards,

J.A.

The crop factor is X 1,5 for Sony Alpha gear that is using a standard CCD chip (I mean not like Canon 20 D full frame chip). The camera only is priced around 740 euros (957 USA dollars) on the e.net-stores.

I ignore if there are some testes related to Carl Zeiss "AF D" lenses on Minolta AF bayonet, the European specialized photo press is waiting something on january 2007 ...

Someone who still owns a Nikon 24 X 35 mm FM series film gear will be the most advantaged by the issue of these optics ... at least he has to be rather fortunate to buy one.

Maybe these links will help :

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/Contents-Frame/4f374d297a6e3d7ec12571ec0051dbe5

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/Contents-Frame/f059b023d3f70687c12571ec0051bb9e

http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/Contents-Frame/7de9a42123b6a809c12571ec0051f3d3

Regards, J.A.

Indeed, the Carl Zeiss announcement was made in october 2006 at the Photokina market (K�ln, Germany)

See the links :

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0610/06100103zeissnikonfmount.asp

http://www.zone-numerique.com/news_619_Objectif_Carl_Zeiss_Vario-Sonnar_T_16-80mm.htm (this is in French)

http://www.zone-numerique.com/news_440_Des_objectifs_Carl_Zeiss_en_monture_Nikon_F.htm

(also in French)

http://www.reflex-numerique.fr/Des-nouvelles-optiques-signees.html (again, in French)

Hi Rumi,

Contrary. The ISO/ASA real value is higher than the initial told number, namely for the colour negatives having an ISO initial value like 200, 400, 800. Example, a 400 ISO film behaves itself like an 500/525 ISO film and it is rather tolerant when used 1,5 - 2 stops over.

Thank God, the b&w films are the most flexible to overexposure, consequently they are the "nec plus ultra" for art photographers or for the reporters, because they can reproduce a personal point of view. But you have to do your own film chemistry...

best

J.A.

Ok, thank you Randy,

J.A.