albert_martinez

Robert-

The latest $6900 offering from Mamiya on their 645 platform would

indicate they're moving in that direction.

I too have an RZ Pro II, it's by far-the best camera I've ever owned, and would never think of giving it away on Ebay for digital.

Given what�s at stake, I doubt very much the question isn�t being addressed by Mamiya, the "d" phenomenon must be disconcerting to all medium format manufacturers.

Change is born out of inspiration or desperation, lets hope it�s not the later. These medium format fat cats has been resting on their laurels long enough, it�s time to reach down into those deep pockets and start touting the advantages of larger CCDs and the versatility of a dual platform. I think we�ll be OK, I can�t imagine Mamiya or Hasselblad throwing in the towel, Bronica-well that�s a different story.

It�s going to get very interesting in the next few years,we can only hope Mamiya steps up to the plate and delivers a home run.

Regards-Albert

Hello Andy,

If landscape is the genre you have chosen, then follow in the footsteps of great landscape photographers by switching to large format. A 6x4.5 negative from any camera is hardly enough to render the tonal range and detailed required to print a 16x20 or larger print, plus it�s cheaper than anything Contax will ever offer.

With a Toyo View and a Fujinon 300mm Tele, I spent two years shooting nothing but head & shoulder shots of �children�, yes �children. I have had mothers break down when I showed them 16x20 prints of their kid�s head; it is an amazing experience. I�ve never had a child misbehave during a shoot, in fact- I�d prefer working with kids because they�ll bend over backwards for the measly dollar they get per shot!

Therefore, you are probably asking yourself where this is going. I can only tell you what has worked well for me, and then you will do as you wish.

If landscape is your cup of tea;

Call Midwest Photo (mpex.com) and start on the road to large. I paid five something for my 90mm Fujinon in 9 + condition and another 600 for my Tachihara camera, a few film holders on Ebay, a 4x Toyo loop, and a light meter of what ever flavor you like (hopefully something with a spot, my Minolta IV�s 5 deg spot cost $45 dollars on Ebay) . I never looked back, and if your frugal like I like to be-it is a lot cheaper.

If landscape/ family groups/ head shots, is your cup of tea:

An RZ Pro II is your choice � end of subject.

Dollar for dollar, the best deal on the planet. An RZ PROII Body, Waist Level Finder, 120 Back, and a 110mm lens in 9+ to LN condition will set you back around $1700 dollars. I have since added an L-Hand grip, prism finder (non-metered) and a 180 W N lens for another $1000.

If I have taken time out of my hectic schedule to respond, it is because for every one of your mistakes-I have made ten. German optics are great, but so are Fujinon, Nikon, and Mamiya�s at a fraction of the price.

If you couple German optics to-say a Hasselblad, you�ve just bought into the most archaic system on the planet. Nor should one be required to pay thousands of dollars for lens that could easily be had for ½ that amount. Quality, if you can tell the difference between a Contax 80mm and a Mamiya 80, I�ll buy you the

Camera. Visit Mamiya�s site and they�ll quickly put those rumors to bed.

Too often, we have been led astray by high-pressure sales tactics that wind up costing us thousands of dollars.

In closing, research the field of photography you are interested in, then emulate the work and the equipment of those you admire. With time your individuality, flare, and signature will surface, and by all means-keep shooting!

Hope this helped�

Regards-Albert

Hello Scott,

Chris Perez and Kerry Thalsman are in my opinion, pioneers in this subject. Both engineers, they set out to test and evaluate whether the lenses of format A were superior to those of B. In terms of resolution, most lenses fell within 15-20% of each other.

The tonal range, and sharpness often written about in this forum is more about �square inches� than the differences between formats. Keep the enlargements to 5-6x for b&w, and 7-9x for color and I guarantee you�ll see very little difference between them.

I can�t expect my favorite camera ( RZ Pro II ) to produce 16x20�s that'll match my 4x5, it comes close-but lacks the �tonal� range so often described. A 16x20 from a 4x5 is a 4x enlargement, 7x for the RZ-that�s almost double, good luck. I do believe that Mamiya and Hasselblad make superior glass, the Pentax and Bronica line IMHO lacks the color saturation and resolution.

I�ve had them all, and for my hard earned money nothing comes close to the RZ for overall

value.

I�ve enclosed Chris�s site for your consideration.

http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/index.html

Regards-Albert

Does anyone know for certain if the 180mm, 180 W, and 180 W N are

optically (coating,lens config) any different?

I�m well aware of the spacing difference between f-stops on the newer

180 �WN� . Mamiya claims there �may be � coating improvements. I was

also hoping they kept track of serial numbers but apparently they

don't, Schneider lenses are easily tracked by their SN.

Any help or thoughts resolving this issue could save me

A few hundred dollars.

Thanks again-Albert

Hello Chad,

I currently own both cameras. It would be a stretch to say the Bronica even comes close to the RZ Pro II level of performance and sophistication.

The RZ is heavier, a lot more expensive, and not as maneuverable-but I�ll guarantee you�ll never shoot a whole roll of film through it because you left the dark slide in.

If the dark slide on the Bronica moves out by say 4 or 5 mm, the camera doesn�t consider this inserted and will allow you to shoot to your hearts content.

How about something as simple as a location on the camera back for the dark slide, were talking pretty basic stuff here folks. How hard would it be to label the fricken switches so you don�t need to guess what�s what when you�re in a rush, how much extra could that cost??

Throw in the lousy web site, mediocre glass, very poor support for good measure, and a host of other issues like rental equipment, and you round off the list quite nicely.

I believe Bronica does succeed in offering a much more affordable alternative to the Hasselblad platform (mainly wedding photographers). From a business stand point, there is no competition, Bronica wins easily.

To Blad or not to Blad was quickly resolved when I heard the horror stories about focusing screen misalignments, mechanical issues, and a host of other nonsense-like having to remove the back for a double exposure, or my favorite �what the hell to do with the 40 dollar dark slide when it�s removed.

It�s an archaic system design in need of a major overhaul�Could that be the H1-I think not�

The RZ has been the choice of top pros for years because it�s well thought out, and delivers an exceptional value for your money. Therefore, for what it is worth, can the ETRSi idea, and save a bit longer for the RZ ProII, you never regret it.

Regards-Albert

Hello,

MidWest Photo at mpex.com is a wonderful source of new and used RZ Pro

II stuff.

Ask for Tom...

Good luck and happy shopping- there's nothing that even comes close

to an RZ...

Albert

Greetings Philip,

I've been doing head & shoulder shots with a Toyo view & a 300mm "T" Fujinon for about 2 years. I use a single Photogenic 500 watt/sec monolight (cranked to full power) through a 60" silver umbrella- placed as close as I can get it. I fill the other side of the face with a reflector. When I feel like using FP4(iso 125) , the umbrella size drops to 30". I process the HP4 & 5 in Pyro. A lens hood is also a must...

Because I'm a firm believer in filling the negative-zero dead space, I loose 1 stop of light to bellow draw. Also,I always focus on the

reflection of the umbrella in the subjects eyes.

The end result is f22.5 of light and inches of dof. You can find depth of field charts for various focal lengths on Schneider's site.

I print on 16x20 Ilford/Agfa fiber paper when I have the time, else

RC. Both options are Selinium toned for 30 seconds in a 1:9 solution,anything longer and you'll start to turn the print a plum color-not good for skin tones :-). Once I've dry mounted the prints, they are sent to Photic in San Diego to have a clear sprayed on the surface. I mount the pic "without glass" on a black-gold-wood frame of choosing.

We've used this method on three year olds, there's a challange!

The results are stunning, I get a kick out of watching the reaction of the parents when we bring out theses huge 16x20 prints of their kids head and shoulder shots.

Cha-ching!

Depth of Field at these focal length on a 4x5 is a rare commodity,

I can't image that being an issue, I struggle to get inches @ F22.5

Good luck and hope this helps.

Regards-Albert

Kudos to Chris & Kerry for the impressive work they¡¦ve accomplished testing lenses.

I rely a great deal on Chris¡¦s fair and unbiased testing when I¡¦m shopping for new/used large format lens.

When Mamiya demonstrated that their $300 80mm 645 lens was �d to Her Carl¡¦s 80mm Contax @ 4X the cost, I was sold. Concentrate on the numbers ¡§grasshopper¡¨, who amongst us truly gives a rats ass how it¡¦s written.

If you¡¦re the type that enjoys gawking though expensive marketing literature that don¡¦t tell you ¡§s¡Kt¡¨

The site attached is not for you¡K http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/testing.html

Chris-Thanks again for the great work¡K

Regards-Albert

Can a Supermatic Shutter (M and F settings only) be used with a

modern strobes?? I understand that there's a delay built into the

flash for older bulb type flashes, is there a way of bypassing it??

I'd really like to test drive this older 203 I inherited in the

studio,any suggestion would once again be appreciated.

Regards-Albert

Jerry , thanks for the response. Your right about DOF issues, how 8x10 users pull it off is beyond me-bring your calipers!!!

The Fujinon 300 T is a lot easier to handle than the 360 Tele Xenar I once owned.

Our setup is rather basic, it consist of 1 Photogenic 500 watt/sec shooting into a 30¡¨ silver umbrella placed about 2-3 feet to the right of the ¡§victim¡¨ ,

A large reflector handles the other side of the face. My readings with the strobe cranked, work out to about f32.5, minus 1 stop for bellows (I believe

In filling the negative) leaves me at F22.5. At 5 feet, F22.5 translates to inches of DOF, luckily my girlfriend doesn¡¦t mind and it makes for some rather stunning portraits. I¡¦ll email some examples if your interested.

The key to their success is patients and practice, a comfortable chair and pose is critical, plus you¡¦ll need to learn to move quickly.

Between the two of us, we¡¦ve even done her younger nephews. A 16x20 from a well filled 4x5 is a pleasure to print, it doesn¡¦t get any better and well worth the effort-or so I keep reminding myself when I¡¦m shooting �º

I¡¦m a bit perplexed about the FP4 & Pyro combo, I¡¦m purchasing Hutchings Pyro book this weekend-hope it sheds some ¡§light¡¨ on what appear to be rather murky prints. The tonal range of the Agfa-FP4 / Rodinal combo doesn¡¦t¡¦ have that grayish murky look the Pyro is giving me.

More testing and printing required¡K

Opinions on best 4x5 film/developer combo for portraits,

(screaming resolution, and tonal range being at the top of the list

of must have)

300mm T Fujinon lens on a Toyo monorail round the equipment

specs...

I've tried FP4/D76, FP4/Rodinal, Agfa Apx100/Rodinal,

currently experimenting with FP4/PMK(Pyro).

As far as printing,I prefer split contrast, takes the guess work out.

Always on Agfa semi mat paper...

Regards,

Albert

Greetings,

I need some help sorting out PMK issues. Being new to this wonderful

developer and not having yet purchased Mr. Hutchings, I'm polling the

knowledgeable readers of this site for advice.

My first processing experience went something like this:

FP4- 10min @ 68deg

1. Constant agitation (Jobo) for the first minute

10 sec every 30 by hand.

2. Fixer- Clayton 1:3, 500ml, constant agitation on Jobo for 5

minutes.

2. Exhausted developer for two minutes, agitation by hand every 30

seconds.

3. Wash for 30 minutes

4. A bit of Photo-Flo for good measure and wala... a murky negative.

The hardware:

Toyo 4x5 monorail & Fuji 300mm T lens- used for portraits (head and

shoulders).

This negative screemed resolution, it was sharp enough to shave on.

Printed on Ilford paper.

Problem: When compared to my Agfa Rodinal 1:50/ Ilford FP4/ Agfa

Paper combo it seemed murky, it's amazingly sharp with very little

grain but something not quite right.

Any advice would be truly appreciated. I've been working on this head

and shoulder shot for over a year, similar prints adorn our wall

in search for the perfect head and shoulder combo.

Thanks for the anticipated help-Albert

The focusing knob no longer turns smoothly, it appears as though

something is rubbing. I don't believe the bottom is square anymore...

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Regards-Albert

Hello Bruce,

Talk about getting side tracked, you ask what people

think of oranges and they write about apples.

I was in the same predicament about a month ago, I couldn�t

Agree with you more about the understated but significant

Differences between medium and large format.

I wound up with a an older 360mm Tele Xenar bought from Midwest photo for 350 dollars-it�s not a type o , it had a small

Scratch on the rear element. I think I�ve spent more time looking

For traces of the scratch than actual photography, glad to report

There�s nothing to see.

Given your situation, I would think bellow extensions would be

Of concern. As I�m sure your aware, a 300mm lens on a 4x5

Is about 12� of bellow draw- I may be mistaken but it�s in the ball park. Now start getting close and personal and your bellows really start to stretch!!

When I break out the 4x5 I�ll try to use every square inch of that

Negative.

In terms of quality and resolution, the lens seems to be holding it�s own. Were in the process of testing it against a 360mm APO Nikon

A friend recently bought for 1300 dollars.

Kerry Talsman and Chris Perez starting testing lenses years ago in an effort to separate the hype from reality- God bless the lads!!!

Kerry writes for View Camera, about a months or so ago he wrote an article on Schnieder lenses.

Also, he mentioned in an email last week that he had just bought a Schneider 400mm Tele �APO� , you may want to check in with him. I�ve enclosed both Chris and Kerrys web sites for your consideration.

http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/testing.html

http://www.thalmann.com/

I hope I didn�t get too side tracked ;-)

Regards- Albert

Hello Reinier,

I have an alternative to Mr. Wiley�s proposal.

Forget squaring the bellows extension and focal length, it requires an extra step that's not required, what your left with is:

bellows extension / focal length = exposure compensation

A 150mm lens requires about six inches of bellows @ infinity,

it's common to refer to it as a six inch lens.

You arrive at the six inches by converting mm to inches.

150mm/25.4mm (1 inch) = 5.905 inches

Your 210mm would be 210mm/25.4 = 8.26 inches

One caveat, it doesn't apply to telephoto lenses, you'll need to check with the manufacturer or take it outside and focus the lens

at infinity, measure the bellows and use this number instead.

What I've found works the easiest for me is to:

1. Mark the bellow draw of the lens on the lens board,

so for the 150mm I'd mark it 6"

2. Focus the camera and measure the bellows extension.

3. If it's longer than 6" you'll need to compensate.

4. By how much, that's easy?

5. Say your bellows are now extended to 8"

6. Multiply 8 x 25.4mm = 203.2mm

7. The last step is to divide 203.2mm/150mm (the lens)= 1.3546

8. If you wind up with say a 2, you'll need to compensate by a full

stop. The 1.3546 is somewhere between 1/4 and a 1/2 stop.

So in closing all you need to do is measure the bellow draw

and divide it by the know focal length of the lens and your done.

I've taken it a step further by marking the rail on my Toyo

with compensation markings for my three most used lenses.

With a red Sharpie pen I have my 135mm lens marks at infinity = 0

+1/4, +1/2, and + 1, if I need to compensate even more I measure

and do the simple math. No mess, no targets, no differential

equations ;-).

For the 210 it's marked in black, and the 360 in green, use both sides of the rail, it can get a bit busy.

Etching the numbers in another option, a Dremel tool would do a nice

job.

I hope this helps simplifies your endeavors, God knows we have enough to consider when were using these great cameras...

Regards-Albert

Working with a budget of 400 dollars, were looking for

a lens to do head and shoulder shots of children with our 4x5.

One option were currently exploring is a Schneider 360 Tele Xenar

for around 350.00 dollars.

Not knowing much about this lens, I was wondering whether anyone

knows of this lens or can suggest something else to use.

Regards,

Albert

Hi Trevor,

In landscape, sharpness rules before tonality and grain-The Negative Saint AA.

At the risk of going "against the grain" here, I'd have to agree

with Anchell & Troop(Darkroom Cookbook) assessment of Tabular

films like Delta and TMAX, it's not good. I would recommend

you read this marvelous book then judge for yourself whether

their on the right track, it's changed my outlook on "grain issues".

If maximum sharpness is your goal-and I hope it is, then using

films like APX100 and Pan F in Rodinal,HC110B,Pattersons-Acutol, FX1 or 2, and PMK (Mod Pyro) is the ticket to sucess.

How you agitate your film during processing also plays a significant roll in its outcome.

Given I primarily shoot 4x5 film, I can sympathize with your long exposure issues, but an umbrella and patients more often than not win

out.

For what its worth, and at the risk of telling you what you already know, I'd like to share what I learned from one of my favorite landscape photgraphers-I won't mention names...

Pick one of your favorite sites to photograph during the early morning or late afternoon hours, sit patiently with your coffee or tea

and do nothing but watch the magic of light. If you don't mind being bothered (which sometimes I do), load some film and capture the moment you feel are special is some way or another. This I guarantee, will raise your rate of return exponentially, it definitely did for me.

Good luck and I sincerely hope this helped answer your post.

Regards-Albert

Hello Simon,

Why not try the Agfa version of 400 speed film.

Apx100 in Rodinal @ 1:25 or 1:50 is hard to beat, I use it

in 35,120, and 4x5 formats.

I've read the 400 speed version is just as nice when

processed in Rodinal, plus you may get a speed increase

if your using the Rodinal @ 1:50 dillution.

I've never been much of a fan of Tabular grain films.

Tri X processed in Rodinal is another film you wish to consider,

it's worked quite well for Sebastiano Salgado,his photographs

are quite stunning.

Good luck,

Albert

Hello Miles,

Maxwell's about as good as it gets, their brighter and contrastier

than the Brightscreens. Plus, Bill Maxwell was a pleasure doing business with, he's very knowledgeable,will custom make anything you could ever think of in terms of a focusing screen,and answers the phone himself,it's nice having the boss on the other end of the line.

Nothing worse than a soft image because you missed the focus...

Regards-Albert

Jason,

B&H sells imported 120 Fuji Reala, a pro pack only runs 10 dollars,IMHO you won't find a better deal on print film. Too bad they lack the common sense to make it in 4x5, they'd make a killing!!

Regards,

Albert

Hello Again,

I recently purchased a Bronica 150mm PE for my girlfriends ETRsi, I

was wondering how this lens rates among the readers of this great

site.

I'll have to wait unitl Christmas to test drive the lens,

so your thoughts and comments, are once again welcomed.

Regards and Happy Holidays-Albert

Hi Paul,

<p>

I scanned the scale at a high resolution then added the corresponding

f-stops,I attached the file if your interested. I then used a self

adhesive sheet of paper and attached it

to my rear standard. That way, I always have an idea how far I'm

racking the rear standard-which determines the f-stop you'll need.

It's a very cheap version of what Sinar does with their built in dof

calculator knob.

Procedure:

1.Set the rear standard flush, this is 0 on the scale.

2.Focus on the furthest object with your front standard.

3.Focus on the closest object with your rear standard,in doing so

you'll get the distance traveled with our attached ruler, this

corresponds to an fstop.

4.If infinity is not involved, split the difference in terms of

distance traveled, stop down and your set.

5. If infinity is involved, focus on infinity then read Harold

Merklinger's views for the rest.

<p>

Hope this helps-Albert

I just found the "clip" on the Jobo site.

Apparently there's a black guide of sorts that keep the edge

of the film from touching the adjacent sheet. I know for a fact it's

not on the carrier I'm currently using, hopefully this will do the

trick-thanks for the responses and your help.

Albert

Out of the six negatives processed, one of them had a very faint

streak running down the middle of it. An instructor at the photography center mentioned a clip or gadget of some sort that

needs to be added to the Jobo six sheet container so this doesn't occur. Has anyone ever heard of such a clip or gadget that would prevent this from happening. I've never noticed it before so I

find it very strange we need one now.

Would appreciate any thoughts.......

Also, does anyone have Jobo web site, a search on yahoo

doesn't come up with anything.

<p>

Thanks,

Albert

Looking for a wide angle to compliment my Schneider 210 Apo, hopefully

in the 5-600 hundred dollar range. Any thoughts or suggestions

would be appreciated.

Thnaks-Albert