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<p>A gas mask might come in handy!</p>

<p>Irony is fun. Ironing, not so much.</p>

<p>Congratulations on your new camera, I think you'll find Rolleiflex's kick ass. Since you've never used one before, a quick bit of advise. When you load the camera, run the film between the first rollers, then over the rest. If you don't, you'll just wind the film all the way through. The rollers measure the thickness of the film and will prevent winding past the first frame. Also, buy a handheld meter and use it instead of the built-in one. Your results will be better. Have fun. Cheers.</p>

<p>I have an RB and I absolutely love it, however, speaking as someone whose logged quite a few extended out of the country trips as a USAF combat photographer, I'd say leave the RB home. In the Air Force we never traveled light and had to carry our gear everywhere we went. Oftimes I wish I could've carried less ir lighter gear and I think my images would've been better if I had. I honestly think it would be a much more enjoyable vacation if you took something smaller and easier to handle. I think the wife and kid would have a better time as well. But, whatever you do, have fun. Cheers.</p>

<p>Craig, I looked at my book when I got home from work yesterday, and the sticker said $15.98 instead of $14.95 like I thought. Even at a dollar more, it's a great deal. Cheers.</p>

<p>I just picked up the hardback version last week at Barnes&Noble. Surprisingly, it was on the discount rack for $14.95. It makes a good companion to Mr Gustavson's other book "Camera: A History of Photography from Degarreotype to Digital" which I also have courtesy of my wife. While many of the cameras featured are in both books, theres many that are not. Both books are lavishly illustrated and the printing quality is outstanding. I recommend both.</p>

<p>I have an RB Pro-SD and love it. I have the 90mm and 180mm K lenses and find them tack sharp. At this time I have only one back, a 120 but plan to get more. The SD backs don't have seals like the others and they don't go bad over time. I don't miss the tilt & shift feature of the RZ as if I need that, I use my 4x5. The all mechanical RB makes more sense for me because I don't have to mess with batteries or worry about an electrical malfunction. The price from KEH was really good and I"ve wanted one ever since I was in school and could finally afford one. Go with the RB, you'll be glad you did. </p>

<p>IMHO, while Kim may have a couple of years on the others, she's the best looking.</p>

<p>I have two, they're both related, and they annoy the hell out of me.<br>

1. People who seemingly have no clue what a turn signal lever is used for. This includes both making a turn and lane changes.<br>

2. When making a turn, the turner turns not into the lane closest to them, but crosses that lane and goes into the other, ie. person makes a left turn onto a roadway with two lanes of traffic in both directions, but instead of turning into the inside lane, they go directly to the outside lane. They should instead, turn into the inside lane and once there, use their turn signal to indicate a lane change into the outside lane.</p>

<p>I have the lowly Rollei 35LED, sorry no photos, but I still have my lens cap, wrist strap, and the leatherboo case for it. I've had it about 20years and even though it sports the Triotar lens, it's still a pretty good performer. I don't think were anal retentive, we recognise the value of our equipment and take care of it. If we take care of our equipment, our equipment will take care of us.</p>

<p>While IMO the Lubitel may be a low grade POS, the Blackbird Fly ALMOST makes it look good. As a toy camera, I wouldn't pay more than $25/US, and even then it might only make a decent ornament for my desk. To use one is to risk breaking one. The optical quality us sub-Holga. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I work too hard for my money to throw it away on POS junk cameras. I know there are people who can't afford expensive, and high quality cameras like Rolleiflex's, but there are enough less expensive alternatives that are good performers available to waste money on crap. </p>

<p>Lomo, schlomo. I was in my local camera shop recently and there on display was this bright red Blackbird Fly TLR. I looked it over and it appeared that if one wasen't very careful, the damn thing would be broken in short order. The price tag was an astronomical $140/US. Hell, for that kind of money, I could nick a clean Yashica or Minolta TLR and have a right proper TLR that's actually capable of producing a good photo. Not to mention the Blackbird Fly is 35mm, not 120. The only thing positive I can say about the Lomo thing is it keeps people buying and using 120 film and helps keep it available for those of us who like 120 for what it's capable of.</p>

<p>Gene<br>

WOW! Thank you for sharing these beautiful images with us. Not only are they awesome, they're also inspiring.</p>

<p>I love the smell of napalm in the morning!</p>

<p>Thank you, Josh. I don't think we (the masses) tell you often enough we appreciate all you do for PNet. Cheers!</p>

<p>Thank you all for your help. I will probably develop my film in total darkness just like my normal B&W film because I don't have a red safelight. Other than the red safelight, I take it that development is the same procedure as panchromatic film. I'll have to get ahold of some Adonal and give it a try. I normally use HC-110 dil B or H, but I think I'll give the new developer a whirl and see how I like it. Larry, thanks for the tip on the red filter. I figured you ment not to use one on the camera. Once the weather gets a little better around here (Columbia, Missouri), I'll have to shoot a few sheets to get a feel for the film before I use it at the Civil War reenactment this June in Boonville, Mo. Thanks again guys! You rule! Cheers.</p>

<p>Greetings all. I'm not new to shooting or processing B&W film, but I've never shot orthochromatic film before and I need some advise. Is it any different than panchromatic? I just bought a box of 4X5 Ilford ortho film to be used at a Civil War reenactment this June. I bought it early so I could get familier with it before then but I need your help. <br>

1. Is there any special advise for shooting it? Filtration or exposure for example.<br>

2. Are there any tips on processing ortho film that is different from panchromatic? Are any developers prefered over others? What's my best bet? <br>

I'll probably process each sheet individually but any advise is greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone. Cheers!</p>

<p>In no particular order: A. Adams, E. Weston, O Winston Link.</p>

<p>I think this whole conversation is PDE (Pretty Damn Entertaining).</p>

<p>I will join the chorus for a TLR. For what you're looking for, I would recommend a Rolleicord or a Yashica. Good cameras, not too expensive, relatively light and easy to back pack. They don't need batteries, all mechanical, and good lenses. Don't write off the Autocord, Ricohcord, or ikoflex. They're good cameras as well. You really can't go wrong with a TLR. Cheers.</p>

<p>I think if I were starting from ground zero again, I believe I'd have to check out an Ebony 8X10 with 4X5 and 5X7 reducing backs and would get another Rolleiflex, perhaps another RB-67. I think that would be it. Cheers.</p>

<p>I don't always shoot square, but when I do, I prefer Dos...wait, I mean Rolleiflex.</p>

<p>Mark, I used the DCS200 in the early 90's when I was in the USAF 1st Combat Camera Squadron. Almost all of us had DCS200's issued to us. After a while, they were replaced by the DCS420. While by today's standards it wasn't anything to write home about, it was a real improvement over the DCS200 in just about every way. The Air Force was kind enough to allow us to use them both on and off duty for almost anything we wanted all in the name of training. Besides the DCS420, I also carried two Nikon F4s's plus 4 or 5 lenses and two SB-26's in my camera bag. Besides the digital camera, they also gave us all the film (Ektachrome 100) we could shoot and processing was free. Good times, alas that lasted only about 5 years before orders for a new assignment came along and no more Combat Camera for me. It was the best job I ever had!</p>

<p>I forgot to mention, the cost for the DCS200 was somewhere north of "a king's ransom".</p>

<p>No "classic" digital camera collection would be complete without a Kodak DCS200. It was basiclly a Nikon 8008 body stuck on what looked like a huge motor drive. It was slower than frozen molassas and was the battery pig from Hell. It took 16 AA batteries and they wouldn't last from taking the photos, to downloading them in our computers. I don't remember what the image size was, but it wasen't much. At the time though (early 90's), they were hot stuff, relatively speaking. Cheers.</p>