anthony_lewis1

<p>It's not the end of the world. The F1 is still available, and anyone in North America can buy it from any European outlet just as easily as buying an M1 on mail order. I know it will cost more though, but it does has Digital Ice. This is how all those who live outside of Europe, some Asian nations, and North America have had to buy the M1/F1 at any rate - and for that matter most of their photographic gear. </p>

When the M1 was first released there was talk that Digital Ice would eventually be included with it - such as the F1 has it.

Is there any talk that this may happen soon or at all? Also would any M1 users like to add their opinions of the M1 so far?

Bob, I don't think you should have bought into this argument with the Linhof! You have just confirmed that the Toho has

a greater lens range then the Linhof - which costs many times more! The Toho can focus a Schneider 47mm lens, but

this is not recommended. (The Toho specs are a minimum of 46mm.) This 47mm lens as far a I know is the widest lens

available that covers large format, 4X5. Can you name the 28mm lens that covers 4x5? Remember the question is about

large format - not anything smaller. Is the Linhof also using a recessed lensboard to get to 28mm which any camera can

do as well.

The Linhof 3000 has a maximum lens range of 360mm - from their website. Whereas the Toho has a bellows extension

of 390mm. The Toho will definitely beat the Linhof on movements on both standards, and is a darn side lighter. I am splitting hairs

here, but for a camera that is $1425, as against $7000, its not bad!

Bob, I think you are being a little too pedantic. Tungsten lights are a very good light source. They are very accurate in

colour temperature, they served the cine industry extremely well for decades. All you said above is true, but in a

practical sense, they are very accurate colour temperature lights. I must point out to you that HMI are not perfect either,

you wrote, "The most accurate constant source lighting systems are high frequency fluorescents with a CRI of 95 or

better or modern pulsed lighting systems like HMI." HMI's are great lights, providing very accurate light source of close

to 5500K, but I tell you what, when the bulbs have burned for 100 hours or so, the colour temp goes off producing all

sorts of colour spikes. HMI bulbs are not cheap either to replace.

The photo and cine industry now uses flourscent lighting as almost a standard, but a decade ago these were considered

totally impractical because of very inaccurate colours. They are a great light source today, they are soft - I use them

every day - but these tubes also need to be replaced regularly at more cost then any tungsten bulb.

 

But I am not answering Heidi Mae's original question. In a practical sense I would forget about tungsten lighting unless

you use tungsten balance film - which is not readily available. Since daylight films are almost the norm now, I would look

for daylight light sources. HMI's, as mentioned, are very expensive to buy, and expensive to run - they are for

professionals. But professionals unless they need a high intensity lighting would probably opt for Floro lights now at any

rate. Because they come in banks they are a softer light. For their power input they are a very efficient light as well. Like

all of the lights mentioned above, you will need to change the bulbs regularly.

 

Some Floro lights are expensive. The most expensive ones have dimmers. Remember if you dim a Floro the colour

temp drops - like most lights - professional have the means to cope with this. You will save dollars if you buy Floros' with

switchable banks - I think they are quite economical these days - check BH Photo. If there is still too much light, use a

denser scrim or whatever - you do not lose colour temp this way. On top of that you can always buy tungsten balanced

tubes for them as well - if you get tungsten film. (So you can almost forget about true tungsten lights)

 

A word of warning if you go Floro's. A lot of manufacturers say they make colour balanced tubes. Most do not. If one

measures the colour temp, sure they will read 5500K or 3200K, but they will have colour spikes that you meter will not

read. I do not work for Kino - but only buy their tubes - they are fine.

Remember the Toho is one of the lightest cameras around. It can take an extremely wide range of lenses, from 58mm to

450mm (with extension tube), and has a full range of movements. What other camera can do all that??? (I don't work for them)

The Toho can't be beaten for backpacking!

The last filter you would use is an 85B. You actually need a Blue filter. You need to lower the colour temperature of Porta

from 5600k to 3200K. I think the number is an 80A and from memory you lose about 1 stop of light using this filter.

An 85B corrects tungsten balanced film to shoot in daylight.

Generally people only ever used tungsten balanced film with tungsten lights, and when shooting tungsten film outdoors it

was essential to use an 85B to balance with the daylight. This was also advantageous as it also lost exactly 2/3 of a stop.

Going the other way is not ideal because you are losing 1 stop when you perhaps want all the speed you can get.

I think Fujifilm are the only manufacturer still marketing a tungsten balanced film - check their website.

The Sinar system and buying off ebay is a very good way to go. I have done exactly that, except you are better off

buying complete cameras. Almost everything I have bought off ebay has been very good quality. However all my lenses

and film holders are new. I think you will find it easier just to buy lenses with a Copal shutter.

 

I constantly read of people who haven't enough bellows extension for a long lens they may want to use, or they cannot

mount a 47mm for instance. With Sinar you can do everything - so to me it is a great system to use. From long lenses,

to architecture, to table top, portraiture, macro, whatever!

 

I like going bush and found the Sinar F2 too cumbersome - one and only limitation of the Sinar system. So I bought a Toho 4x5 ( I am a

confirmed monorail guy). I have 5 lenses in Toho mount and then had a Sinar lens board machined so it will take my Toho lenses.

 

My advice is just to forget about Digital. I have had all those thoughts myself, but keep coming back to the realization

that a piece of film will do almost everything that digital sensor will do, without any extra expense or having to carry a

laptop around. Don't even use a Digital camera as a light meter or for proofing - you will end up depending on it. Just

learn to shoot film, like every photographer before this present era did. It is actually very easy and reliable.

Link for Sinar books- http://www.sinar.ch/site/index__gast-e-1321-23-1408-urlvars-rand-906.html

"View Camera Technique" by Leslie Stroebel is an excellent book, plus lots of magazines. But

what got me into LF was the Sinar books. They have a range on various categories, such as

Architecture, Landscapes, Advertising, and so on. They have a 'Basics' one as well. They are

all about Sinar cameras, but can be equally applied to any camera. I think the Sinar books are

some of the best to learn about LF. Plus they are littered with plenty of very inspiring

photograph, which keeps your interest. Give them ago.

If you want something really light for hiking, then buy a Black Wolf ground sheet for a hiking

tent. They are about 7 ft x 3ft. They are made of nylon, extremely light and black. I cut mine

in half. One half for putting gear on the ground, and the other for a dark cloth. That's my

two cents worth!

You have to get the film pushed processed. Ask for 2 stops. Some Labs will only do 1 stop

for neg. That will be fine - do the rest in Photoshop. But you must get at least one stop of

push processing.

Bill, how come you know all about the name Schneider KREUZNACH? Obviously not spending

enough time making pictures!

In Europe the F1 comes in two versions, the Studio and the HDR. We know the Studio

version is Silverfast Ai Studio. The HDR version is advertised as the full version. I'm not

sure exactly what 'full version' means, as HDR comes in Studio, Photoproof, and Color

server. If full version refers to having all these then it appears to me to be quite

economical, as the Color server is very expensive on its own.

I also presume that the HDR version includes Ai Studio as well?

Does anyone know any more about the HDR version - exactly which Silverfast HDR software

is included? I wish Microtek would list it somewhere.

Sorry WW, Its now confirmed, the F1 does have Digital Ice and the M1 does not. Also the base

model of the F1 has Silverfast Ai Studio, which is only available on the M1 Pro, while the more

expensive F1 has Silverfast HDR. In the end the F1 is probably better value than the M1.

"And don't get fooled by the higher price", who was fooled!

Sinar has a good series of books on LF and one on Architecture that I think is great.

Concerning Ice on the M1. This is what Midwest says:

 

HI the M-1 does have ICE similar in the Silver Fast SE version software that comes included.

Midwest Photo Exchange

I would have thought that the F1 and the M1 to be exactly the same. I too have been trying

to research if these machines have ICE or not. The F1 definitely specifies that it has ICE for

film, and my local Micotek retailer guarantees that the F1 has ICE. However there is no

mention of ICE in any specifications concerning the M1- anywhere, and Microtek says it

dosen't. If one converts the price of the F1 to US dollars, then in every country it sells, it is

more than double the M1 price. I know there are always variations in price of products

between countries, but double!. That lone leads me to suspicions that there are

differences between the F1 and the M1.

However I do find this situation odd and I wish Microtek would give us a difinitive answer.

Can anyone else shed light on this?

There is no one LF camera that will cope with all situations. All I can say is that I am very

happy with my outfit. It was by accident though. The local dealer was offering Sinar F2

cheap and I didn't know much about Lf, at the time, but something was attracting me.

Since then I have found that the beauty of the Sinar system is that it is modular. Bellows

extension can suit any lens - long or short - that includes Macro. Since then I have bought

everything at good prices off Ebay including a great P2. I now have a sneaking suspicion

that prices of good film gear are sneaking up though.

 

However the Sinar system, including the F2, is too heavy and bulky for backpacking -

landscape. For this I bought a Toho 45. I had SK Grimes convert one Sinar lens board to

take Toho lenses.

 

By luck, instead of thought I really like my system, but it has taken me ten years to collect.

Everyone argues for their own system, good luck.

I live in Australia. Four years ago I took out a two year subscription to View Camera. The

postage rate was expensive, as they said it would be sent first class.

Not one issue ever arrived, and that was after waiting several months after each publishing

date. I had to email every time and ask for the issue. Most of my emails were ignored, and

I can assure you all my emails where very polite in just asking "where is my issue". When

they did reply, they were downright rude.

 

So much for the first class postage service they

made me pay. They never apologised once.

They now distribute View Camera through a local distributer in Australia. I now get in

regularly and on time. I don't know why I still buy it after their rudeness, but somehow I

quite like the magazine. However I am slightly disapointed in the layout, the proof reading,

and many articles are light on detail.I cannot believe they are still behaving in exactly the

same way after all these years. They do not deserve patronage, but they still get mine, but

only just.

Have a look at "Silvershotz" magazine. I subscribe to it and think its great.

www.silvershotz.com. View Camera, Black & White Photography and B & W magazine are also

great. Silvershotz is unkown but well worth while checking out.

This may be a dumb question. Is it possible to put a teleconverter, say about 1.6x, onto a rangefinder?

I can see two problems for starters:

1) The viewfinder would be incorrect framing. However a simply constructed matte which slips over the

viewfinder would give the correct framing and I think would solve this problem.

2) Would the camera still focus correctly? As I am unfamiliar with how a rangefinder achieves focus, I feel

this would be the main problem. Can anyone tell me if a 1.6x teleconverter on the front of the lens would

still achieve accurate focus?

Also how is the image quality affected even by a good quality teleconverter?

I have a Fuji GW690 and sometimes would like a longer lens. Century Optics makes high quality

teleconverters for professional video camcorders, such as the Sony and Panasonic HDV.

I have been shooting 4x5 for only a fairly short time. I was using Porta 160VC mainly at

night, but found the blacks went very black. Now i am shooting 160NC. Generally speaking I

would avoid satuated color films at night as i find them to contrasty - especially

transparencies. As well I think it would be a good idea to stick to neg. for the exposure

latitude. I not a big expert, but that is the film I would shoot - go for it.

I am just new to processing and need advice. I purchased a CPP2 and have put a few rolls through. They

are all a bit fogged. I use a commercal lab and I get no fogging so it is not my changing tent.

I believe I can use the Jobo in light. Is this so? How do the lids on the expert drums stop all light but allow

the free flow of liquids? Or do I need to attach the drums in darkness? But then I can see light through the

Lift filler hole.

 

As I have no manuals, can someone advise?

If you do select daylight film then you will be correcting from an high colour temp to a low

colour temp and an 80A may be appropriate to use before sunrise.

 

If you are shooting tungsten film then the last filter you would want in this situation is an

80A - it is a blue filter. What you need is either a 85 or 85B. They are similar, the 85

converts from 3400k (tungsten) to 5600k (daylight) and the 85b from 3200k to 5600k.

The 85B is a little stronger and I would recommend it, but there is basicaly little difference.

As daylight is a lot bluer then tungsten or night, then you need a orange filter - not a blue

filter.

 

The problem with working at this time in the morning is the colour temperature changes

very quickly. In practice colour temperature meters are not very acurate outdoors as you

have no real idea of what they are actually reading. Then with the fast changing light, by

the time you take a reading and then attach the appropriate orange/blue filter, to when

you click the shutter, the colour temperature will have changed.

 

No cheap digicam in the world gives you colour temp readings, so I have no idea how this

will help you in selecting a filter - only pro cameras give colour temp readouts and while it

is very accurate for that camera the actually reading given would be unreliable to convert

for use with a other cameras. Pro Digi cameraman always end up referring to a monitor

and then tweaking there camera setting from what they see.

 

'B+W does not, it is too blue'. I have no idea what this statement means - B+W make a

huge range of colour correction filters.

 

I shot only tungsten cine film for twenty years on location. It was always hard to no when

to use a filter or not to at dawn. However audiences always seem to prefer the 'warm'

sunrise, so I would suggest to err on the side of using it. But the effect you want is up to

you. After that use photoshop.