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Check out www.marktucker.com for one photographer's very nice works shot chiefly with Mt. Fuji 680.

I have an old brochure circa 1997 from Jobo Germany illustrating its ATL film/print processors. In the background of one shot is a photographer handholding it with both hands. This thing is the SUMO wrestler of medium format cameras.

First, stop apologising. No question is stupid except for the stupid ones {{:P

Instead of answering your question, I will point you in the direction of my betters who have helped me immensely in my own work: Hunter and Fuqua "Light-Science and Magic. An Introduction to Photographic Lighting", Ross Lowell "Matters of Light and Depth" are good places to start. And then study and try to interpret the lighting technique of works of those photographers whom you admire.

You must remember that for infrared film it is not a simple issue of making a filter compensation like you would with panchromatic film.

An infrared filter cuts out most of the light in the visible spectrum but lets in all the infrared light. So, infrared film sees the complete spectrum of infrared and is almost blind to visible light.

If you make a mere filter compensation you may run the risk of over-exposing your film in the infrared spectrum.

The best thing to do is to test your film at different 'ISO ratings' and find one which works for a certain situation. For infrared work, until one finds an infrared light meter, one can only guess intelligently. Experience leads the way.

Hi Daniel

I don't think one need be too concerned about the 80mm/2.8 PQ or PQS. I do not know whether you have the little booklet from Rollei with the MTF curves and cross-sections of its entire range of lenses. I have compared the optical cross-sections of both the Hasselblad and Rollei incarnations of the 80mm/2.8 and find that they have similar cross-sections. Mind you, I am no optical expert but both have the same 7-element/5-group configuration. The Rollei HFT coating is jointly developed by Carl Zeiss and Rollei, and to all intents and purposes, is similar to the T* coating, according to CZ.

I won't be worried about the performance of the Rollei 80mm/2.8 though because everyone knows that the better lens is the Schneider-Kreuznach 90mm/f4 Apo-Symmar Macro {:p Or pony up for the Carl Zeiss 110mm/f2 Planar {{:p

Dear Daniel

Oh well then, welcome to the club :)

No offence intended with my previous posting. Please do not take umbrage at my 'mischievous' remark.

Tschuss.

Dear Daniel

I am admittedly a Rolleiflex 6008i junkie. So what I say will be laced with extreme bias in favour of Rollei.

I do not think that Cameraworld is a good yardstick for evaluating a marque like Rollei. Look at the structure of Cameraworld: it is an online mass-marketer of electronics and photo-related products. The Rollei system does not fall into that category of being a mass-market product. Mass-marketers do what they do best: a high turnover of big commission high consumer recognition items. The Rollei is, at best, a specialist item.

Rollei has never aimed itself squarely, at least in this country, at rich amateurs. It has been content to market itself and sell to professionals only. Re: its recent promotion which offered a free 6001 body for the purchase of the same or better. Whom do you think would find such a promotion of a free body most useful? In Los Angeles for instance, a large outfit like Samy's Camera, which caters to the professionals in El Lay, will have the Rollei series on demo any day of the week.

I think that the fact that Rollei is not available at Cameraworld should be read more as a reflection of the retailer than of Rollei. It simply indicates that Cameraworld does not care to sell Rollei. I have received Rollei brochures and the updates promptly from Rollei USA. I have requested literature from both Rollei GmBH and Rollei USA and got them all. Marflex in NJ has traditionally been the Rollei service center (not just 'some gentleman'). And of course it makes no sense to send your camera back to Germany for service when the same quality service is available locally. Would you have expected her to say YES, please send it back to FDR? What would that say about Rollei USA then? Check out www.rollei.de. I believe they are preparing an English mirror site to it. One good global site should suffice.

I like Rollei. It is a fine product which offers a lot at its price but only if your particular needs fit its design. I think that it needs all the help it can get to gain some acceptance in this tight market. Though it is unintentional, I find the wording of your criticism mildly mischievous as if to hint that something is amiss with this marque.

Rollei is not Hasselblad with its well established network and market stranglehold Stateside. It does not have to be. Nor does it want to be. Rollei can stand its own ground and be content with its own market niche. Those of us who choose to use Rollei use it because of what it can do for us. We recognise its strengths and weaknesses and are willing to live with them. Your mileage may vary.

In Wolfgang Petersen's 'Das Boot', one of the lead characters used a

Leica with a collapsible lens to document life on board the sub.

Okay, since Jim brought up the Bronica I will pipe in with my two cents' worth.

$4520 buys you an SQ-Ai Kit:

(SQ-Ai Camera Body, Waist-Level Finder S, SQ-i 120 Film Back, PS80mm F/2.8 Lens), + 50mm lens + 150mm lens + a spare 120 magazine. Okay throw in another $329 for a Sekonic L508 Zoom Master light meter from Mamiya. All at student prices.

Of course, he won't have a Hasselblad. But you know, I don't think students should drive BMW's or Merc's to school either.

And while he is learning his technique, he won't have to worry about busting up an expensive camera and thus use the camera more instead of handling it gingerly as we are all wont to do with equipment priced beyond our reach.

I'm sorry to get off -topic because you asked specifically about Hasselblad but it pays to take an austere stance about this because soon your son will want to have another lens, a spare magazine...it all adds up.

I would like Daniel to know that many makes provide special student discounts for their equipment. Bronica, Mamiya (includes Sekonic and Toyo)

Contax, Rollei and I am sure Hasselblad have such programmes for bona-fide photography students. The savings can be substantial (about 25% off street prices and 50% off MSRP) but first you will have to ask the dealers or write to the respective distributors.

Many dealers are reticent to tell you about it. Since your son is going to a n MFA programme this may be a good time to scarf up some

cool gear for yourself {{: P

P.S. Yes, students at Fine Art Schools also qualify. As long as they're registered in a photo course, they'll qualify.