johan_de_groote

"Can K64 be developed in Europe? Is Dwaynes the only place in the world now?"

 

No development in Europe anymore. The last lab in Switzerland closed a few years ago. I have found a few rolls at home and emailed Kodak about it. In europe you send them to Switzerland and they send it through to the US (Dwaynes). But the pouches are still valid!

I took it out of its paper because you made me doubt. And indeed it is plastic. I assumed it would be glass as the Pentacon 6 split screen I bought and mounted last weekend was a serious piece of solid glass.

 

The block of wood idea is a very good one, I'll go that way.

 

Thanks guys.

I want to put a glass in my Pentacon 6 with a split prism focussing aid. I

really need it to use the camera because with glasses I don't see enough of the

screen and without I don't see if I have focussed correctly.

 

I have a screen around butit is too large. I also understand the priciples

behind cutting glass. But do I score it at the ground side or at the smooth

side? I would like not to mess this up as I only have one...

"I thought there is only like one lab in the country that still does kodachrome"

 

There is only one lab in the whole world still doing Kodachrome. I still long for it. Whish I could get my hands on it without much trouble and have it developed without having it to send accross the world.

I won't be sorry to see flash go the way of the dodo. Whatever it takes, high iso, better is/vr or lenses with larger openings.

"If you look at historical art, particularly painting, there are hardly any great works of art that use a long-thin format."

 

Got me thinking about Canaletto.

Anybody tried the Hartblei 45mmPSC (not the super-rotator)? I have been looking at it rather hard the last weeks because I feel I could use a bit more wide than the flektogon 50mm. Don't know if the super-rotator is worth the price difference.

 

"The Hartblei lens will only cover 6x6,not 6x7,I read the specs twice."

 

Not sure about that. It covers 6x6 with 10mm shift (12mm with possible vignetting) so it has to cover 6x7 with reduced shift.

The 45mm super-rotator covers 6x6. Won't hurt to ask them is they can make it in a 67 mount. As they make that lens they could likely do a custom. Might be not cheap, but that super-rotator itself isn't that expensive to start with.

 

The one in the picture isn't the 55mm PSC, that one looks more conventional (got it myself) and is shift only, no tilt. It does look like a super-rotator and there is only the 45mm for medium format. But so far I have only seen it in black and with far less dimples. So it might be a custom.

"for projection, skip the 6x4.5 and go to 6x6. You are going to have to have that projector anyway and the wow factor is infinitely greater for the 6x6."

 

You're right about the projector of course. Have been taking 6x6 now for some time and when I compare with 35mm then it doesn't always "feel right". I accept that this might be no problem with prints where the 6x6 gives more cropping possibilities.

 

But for projection I fear the square format doesn't work as well as the rectangular one. Often lots of lost space, like a nice row of houses with a lot of sky and street. Also I find that often the rectangular format conveys better the visual impression, like when you shoot down the nave of a church. If in that case you keep the height in the frame the same, then a portrait photo gives a far better impression of the height than a square one, even if you see less. (probably you all know that already, for me it is new and I'm a lousy photographer as well)

 

Or do you crop 6x6 slides?

If it is plastic, then you might be able to cast a new one yourself. Not easy and some work but possible. Did this myself for a stripped gear from a Leveque camera. Make a silicone mold of it, cast several of those gears. Out of those casts, assemble a whole gear. Then make a new mold of that and cast as many of them as you like.

Are they? I got the impression they always are in landscape mode. Oh well, that makes it easier.

 

A 6x7 is out of the question, I want to project slides.

Is there a 6x4.5 camera that takes "landscape" photo's when you hold it

"upright"?

 

All the 645 cameras I took a look at take a photo with the long dimension

vertically when you hold then upright. This makes sense if you intend to take

mostly portraits. But for general purpose photography I prefer the landscape

view with the long dimension horizontal.

 

I understand you can turn the camera 90? but most cameras are not lntended to

be used that way for extended periods. Viewfinders and controls work best if

you hold the camera upright. Holding the camera is also likely easier.

"A few words that should *never* appear anywhere in proximity to the words "camera," "lens" and "repair," unless prominently accompanied by the warning "NOT" or "NEVER":

 

WD-40, 3-in-1 Oil, Windex, gasoline, hammer."

 

Don't agree at all. They all have their use in camera repair. Only thing is have to use them in the right place at the right time in the correct way.

Some things make sense while other completely don't. Like spending that lot of work on the vacuum back, and then just suck on the tube??? What about the moisture that will certainly get into the back that way? I understand him very well but when you undertake such a quest then you must go the whole way. At least temperature control for the back as well.

"I'm still wondering what to use an equivalent of a 288mm (180mm Sonnar) shift lens for! ;)"

 

Goto church, make photo of organ detail on the balcony from the altar position.

Yes, by all means should companies be judged by their level of support.

 

Having a manual online is normal these days and should be free. Most of the cameras come with the manual on a cd these days so the cost of having to convert to pdf is nil. And this isn't something that will be downloaded unless there is an interest in the product. Be it because you have the camera and lost yours or are a serious customer making an informed choice.

 

No problem if they charge for a dead tree version.

JDM, I'm waiting for the same camera. So at least they have a target group of 2. LOL If they stick in a decent light meter I'll be happy.

 

But just like the rest here I fear that the philosophy of buying a kiev and that of buying a digital back are not-compatible.

If you can have a Pentax 67 for that money I wouldn't hesitate either. Over here they go about 800 euro for a body without viewfinder and brass shining through.

"Why would anyone even consider buying a Ukrainian "Wonky Donkey", when a used Mamiya 1000s can be had for less money?"

 

Depends where you live I guess. For the price of a battered Mamiya body (and I mean battered: covering hanging loose, brass shining through and half of the paint missing) I can have a Kiev60 with 3 lenses and warranty delivered to my doorstep. As said by others it isn't a Hasselblad but it isn't an Holga either.

 

I can't say anything about reliability as I don't use it intensively. But if six-sigma is important to you then you shouldn't even look at a secondhand camera at all.

 

"i'm a student right now and it's really important to me to have a consistent portfolio so i would like it if it iwas all 6x6."

 

I'm not sure this is a good thing but you will have to discuss that with others that are more professional into photography. My take on it would be that a students portfolio should be more varied to show you master different techniques/formats. But again I'm certainly not a professional.

 

"Everything from a 30mm fisheye that doesn't cost three mortgages, to a 1000mm lens."

 

Sadly the 1000mm does require a mortgage... And a forklift.

 

Something to take into account is that the P6 mount glass can be adapted to most other medium format cameras. Loosing all automation etc but still usable I guess.

I only have the Kiev60 so I can't compare with the Yashica. But as

they told you, the Kiev is heavy. You're talking about several

kilogram without a lens. If you add the 180/2.8 it becomes a load

around your neck.

 

I don't like the WLF so I only use the prism and to be honest I

would like every viewfinder to be as good: large, bright. I'm not

fond of the light meter in the prism and don't trust it. Maybe

because I'm not good at using it but I think it is far to easy to

change some setting without noticing. Always double checking is too

slow for me.

 

Mirror slap is an issue for me. I only use ambient light and often

inside. Maybe I need some practise and better technique. But then I

don't like a tripod.

 

I haven't used it a lot but from what I have seen coming out of it I

like it. I bought mine at Hartblei and so far no problems.

 

Honestly, I bought a Kiev just to have a recent vintage camera that

gave me 6x6 to experiment with without breaking the bank, nothing

more. Now I know I like 6x6 and will use it further, but now I also

know more about what is available in general, I doubt I would get a

Kiev again if I started from scratch. I have some lenses and a P6 as

well so it is too late. Certainly knowing that the Kiev is more

capable then I am. On the other hand it because it is reasonably

cheap it doesn't bother me taking where I would never take a more

expensive camera.

In Pentacon mount you can find 30mm, 45mm, 50mm, 55mm and 65mm without much trouble.

Slow. Most of the time waiting for adclick, google-syndication and google-analytics. So it isn't photo.net but all the advertising they link to. Recently almost all websites have that problem. Specially google-analytics is slowing down a lot.

Isn't the problem with ratings that you get a mean value? You do not know if you hit the target you aimed for. Maybe you ant to get negatives from a crtain group. But this gets erased when more votes get in.

Web sites with flash should be legally abolished.

I mostly use the biometar 120/2.8 because I don't have the room inside to use the 180. Handheld the 120 wins as well. My 120 is sharp enough at 2.8 if I focus properly. Both are easy to find and reasonably priced. As for weight, the 180 puts 1.4kg on the scale the 120 is only 0.55kg.