sdsalyer

I'm not sure how these cameras differ, but perhaps the manuals <a href="http://www.butkus.org/chinon/alpa.htm">here</a> for other Alpas could be of some use. If you need the actual physical manual, you could probably check eBay.

There are also 3rd party options. I recently picked up a "Uniphox" branded remote with a 10ft cord for about $11. I haven't had it long, but it seems to work fine. Probably not as "nice' as the Canon version, but for $30 less, I can't complain.

I've got a Minolta Rokkor 28/2.8. It seems to be a great lens, though I haven't used it extensively. Still, I think I might like something wider, like a 20mm. <a href="http://members.aol.com/xkaes/slrlens.htm">Here</a> is a great link for Rokkor lenses if you favor your Minolta(s). :)

I'm not sure there's a wider rectilinear lens than the 10-22mm (and comparable) zooms for APS-C cameras. The widest EOS prime lens is the 14mm 2.8L (I think), which would be like 22mm on your crop camera. It is faster, but you won't have as wide a field of view.

<p />

Fisheye lenses distort the image (e.g. a straight line might become a curve), whereas rectilinear lenses try to keep things nice and straight and square (though that's often not the case). Fisheyes are really a specialized sort of lens, some don't even project a square image onto the frame, any many can do 180 degree field of view in one or more directions. You can read more about it <a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/field_of_view.html">here</a>

Thanks for the responses everyone. I think I will get the iP4500 and see how it goes. I don't print enough to justify a photo printer AND a laser printer, though perhaps if the need arises in the future, it's good to see that laser printer prices are falling so low.

 

Thanks again. =)

 

SDS

Greetings all,

 

I've been doing some searching about for printers and the Canon Pixma iP4500 has

caught my eye. Problem is, I don't seem to see a lot of mention of this printer

anywhere in terms of reviews and the like. There's a couple here and there at

places like CNet and about 9 user reviews on Amazon (no real mention at all here

on photo.net). I think it's a fairly new model, so perhaps it just hasn't had

time to sink into the masses yet. So far, I haven't really seen anything bad

mentioned about it (other than there's no memory card slots or a preview LCD...

not really important to me), which oddly enough, makes me suspicious.

 

This thing seems to fit the bill for me, though, from what I've read. I just

can't justify the $500+ prices on some of the "pro" photo printers, so I am

looking for something in the sub-$200 range (preferably even less than that). I

don't currently own a printer, so being able to do "normal" printing in addition

to photo printing would be great (I print off 50+ page text drafts on

occaision). 8x10 photos in both color and B&W would be ideal (though I usually

shoot B&W film if I'm in that sort of mood). I'm obviously not a pro

photographer, but I'd still like to be able to print and frame some of my stuff

for myself and family/friends. Hopefully the cost-per-print is pretty

competitive, though I haven't really seen any comparisons. Ink pots are $15 for

pigment black and about $40 for the 4-color dye pack -- I'm not sure how that

compares, either. It supposedly prints down to 1, 2, and/or(?) 5 picoliters

(I'm not sure what determines that). Is there anything else I should be looking

at spec-wise?

 

So... am I barking up the wrong tree with this printer? Should I be looking at

a comparable Epson instead? Maybe I should just stick with my local Ritz for

prints (I hope not, because they are just awful...)?

 

Any suggestions or information would be appreciated. =)

 

Thanks,

SDS

P.S. I also found some old photos for sale involving the towers at a "certain" auction website. Pretty interesting stuff.

I found a more in-depth history of the towers at this link: <a href="http://www.lighthousedepot.com/digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=2384">http://www.lighthousedepot.com/digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=2384</a>

<p />

Thanks for sharing. :)

Thanks JDM. I learned a new word today. :P

Thanks for the responses. :) This Argus is the first rangefinder I've ever had my hands on, so I'm not 100% familiar with them. The lever is definitely silver and the rangefinder window is divided... the top half is clear and the bottom half is blue (almost aqua/teal sort of color). I've read these were made with several different sets of shutter speeds... this one seems to have 7 and they all appear to work just from guesstimating (you can hear it whirring when it's set to 1/10th).

 

Thanks for the link, also. There seems to be several different guides for repairing/cleaning the C3's. It's definitely a lot less complicated than the Minolta SRT I took apart (and couldn't get back together!), but I'm still afraid of screwing it up.

 

Anyone have info on the Acro Model R?

 

Thanks again. :)

Greetings, all.

<p />

I recently picked up a box full of cameras at an auction for the bargain price

of $5. They aren't in the greatest of condition, but I was pretty pleased with

the purchase. I just wanted to share a couple photos and ask a few questions.

<p />

Here's a few of the cameras:

<p />

<b>Anscoflex II:</b>

<br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0004.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0007.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0009.JPG" />

<p />

<b>Argus C3:</b>

<br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0012.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0015.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0016.JPG" />

<p />

<b>Acro Model R:</b>

<br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0026.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0031.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0035.JPG" />

<p />

The Anscoflex II seems to function fine. It was worth the $5 if nothing else in

the box was, I think. The glass is pretty free of scratches and whatnot, the

shutter fires and the film advance works. The two filters also seem to function

properly. The neck strap is pretty grungy, though. I'm not sure if the flash

works, but it seems in good condition other than it's missing a screw or

something that holds the reflector onto the handle. I also got quite a few

flash bulbs with it.

<p />

The Argus C3 seems to be in decent aesthetic shape for its age (somewhere from

1939-57 from what I can figure). The shutter fires with no difficulty. It's

got a very musty smell to it, though, and there may be fungus on the rear

element. The leather case is in pretty good condition also, but again smells

musty. There is a major issue with the rangefinder dial, though. The cog

between the dial and the lens is very corroded/dirty and the dial won't budge at

all. Is there an easy fix for this, like some WD40 to loosen it up? Also, I'm

afraid the take-up spool may be corroded/locked up. I know these things are a

dime a dozen... is it worth trying to fix it up?

<p />

I can't find much information at all on the Acro Model R. It's pretty fouled

up, though. Very dirty, musty, and I can't seem to get the shutter to fire.

The focus ring also won't turn. Is this worth hanging on to, or should I trash it?

<p />

Finally, there's this:

<p />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0003.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0021.JPG" /><br />

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~sdsalyer/cameras/cameras0025.JPG" />

<p />

The 620 film is from the Anscoflex II. I'm not sure what the counter was on,

but there were several shots unexposed I think. The 35mm roll was in the Argus

C3, and if there was anything on it, I probably ruined it when I opened the

back. The other film pictured is all still in unopened boxes. The expiration

dates range from 1950 to 1954. So, I have two questions here. Firstly, should

I send the exposed rolls to a professional place like Film Rescue, or see if

some place can do it locally? Secondly, would the unopened film be considered

rare/collectible or would it be alright to shoot with it and see if it turns out

(what are the chances of that?)?

<p />

Also in the $5 bargain box were a couple of Polaroids, a couple of Kodak

Instamatics, and a strange looking Kodak XL33 movie camera, which may also have

film in it -- I don't have a clue what to do about that one.

<p />

I'd like to hang on to the Anscoflex II for sure. It's such a neat little

camera. 620 film seems to be about $10 a roll at B&H, though. I'm positive my

local Ritz doesn't carry anything other than a few rolls of 35mm. They have to

send out for 2 weeks to process B&W film. It's sad what a hassle it is dealing

with film these days. So, as an aside, can anyone recommend a good mail-order

lab for modern film developing that could handle 620 film and B&W and color

slide 35mm film?

<p />

Sorry for such a long post. :) Thanks for taking the time to read it. All the

photos were taken in a home-made light tent. I didn't bother to process them

other than batch resizing, though.

If it's like the Elan 7, I think you need to have the camera turned on while you load the film. It might only detect the film being put in while it's on, and if you turn it off, load the film, then turn it on, it could think you'd already had film loaded and wound ready to go.

Well, I am still fresh blood in the world of amateur photography, but I will share my experiences thus far nonetheless.

 

I started out about 10 months ago with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS. My first real camera, digital or otherwise. It wasn't long before I wished I had bought a digital SLR instead (not that the S3 wasn't a great camera... it was excellent) though, as the photography bug had bitten me in a soft spot. I didn't have enough cash to switch then, and a friend of mine got the idea of film photography into my head, so I bought several old Minolta SRT's and some lenses for very cheap. I really enjoy these old SLR's and I will probably keep at least one in inventory for the foreseeable future. I also picked up a secondary pastime of scouring flea markets and auctions for old cameras, which I just seem to marvel at for no apparent reason.

 

Anyways... I liked using the old Minoltas, but decided it was a bit time consuming (though still very satisfying) to focus, match up the needles, fire the shutter and start winding, etc. So I picked up a more modern used Canon Elan 7 and got a new EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens to go with it. My thinking was, it would make a more realistic tool for shooting occaisional B&W film while still being able to share lenses with a digital SLR once I rounded up enough cash for one.

 

So... it wasn't long til I realized it was going to cost far too much in time and money for film and processing as a primary means of feeding my need, and that a digital SLR was the only way to go. So, just a month or so ago, I found a used 20D with 18-55 USM lens for $600 and went for it. I think it's more than suitable for my needs for the foreseeable future. I also feel like the 20D has the best price/performance ratio currenty -- it's a big leap from the 10D, and the 30D is only a marginal improvement.. the 40D is probably a worthy contender feature-wise, but I don't think image quality will make a very large difference. Until the 20D breaks, or a full frame 16MP+ dSLR can be had for $1000 or so, this will be my camera. In the interim, it's all about getting the best lenses I can scrape up enough cash for that suit my needs. I suppose that's my general outlook on "technology"... I won't pick up every little minor upgrade along the way, but pace myself and go for the big upgrades when they are feasible.

 

I just sacrificed the S3 on eBay and spent the cash on a Slik 700DX tripod, a Kata R-103 backpack, and some other odds and ends. It was a sad day to get rid of that camera, but I am committed to the SLR now. My next purchase will probably be a 70-200 f/4L. A new body isn't even in the forecast.

I was going to suggest Gallery as well -- it's opensource (aka free). You just need a web server with PHP (and MySQL or similar database for Gallery 2). If you are a Mac user, I think their .Mac hosting has an easy to use web gallery feature.

Thanks, Paul. I thought that might be the case with the spools. I think I am going to send the film out to Film Rescue and see if anything is on it. :)

What really cracks me up about these stories is when someone makes a great find at a steal of a price, then they haggle them down even lower. :)

As someone else mentioned, you can find the manual <a href="http://www.butkus.org/chinon/ansco/anscoflex_ii/anscoflex_ii.htm">here</a>.

<p />

I just picked one of these up at an auction, along with an Argus C3 and a bunch of other cameras for $5.

<p />

There was film in the Anscoflex II. It says Kodak on the ends of the spool and says "Panchromatic exposed; Made in Belgium" on the tape (looks like the one <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BuCi">here</a>). I wound it all the way up before opening the case. Any chance it's still good to be developed? And if so, can anyone recommend a good mail-order lab that could handle it? My local Ritz camera won't hardly bother with film...

There's lots of information on astrophotography and star trails on the net. If it's something you plan on doing a lot, you may want to invest in a camera with a mechanical shutter. The upside is, you stick a locking cable release on it and the shutter stays open as long as you want without concern for battery issues. The downside is, you'll be looking at an old camera that won't use your current EF mount lenses. Then there's also the cost of buying and processing film.

 

If you shop around on eBay you could probably find a good deal. I picked up an old Minolta SRT-201 with 3 lenses (28, 50, and 135), a flash, and a bag for $30, all in great working condition.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS. Dedicated "movie record" button, 12x optical zoom (while recording) and records pretty good quality video. The downside is you're limited to 1GB clips, which is like 10 minutes at the highest video settings. I bought one new for $300 back in March. If that's too pricey, look for a used one, or see if the S2 can do the same thing (I'm not 100% sure). If that's not pricey enough, look at the S5. :)

You might try something like this product from Inoi: <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822173057">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822173057</a>

<p />

It's basically an external hard drive that has software and A/V outputs for playing back media files (it also has a remote control). My father bought one for similar reasons (to show photos on a TV) and seems to like it, though I haven't checked it out myself yet. I don't think it can handle RAW files, though, if that's a requirement.

<p />

Hope this helps. :)

There's lots of "aftermarket" eyecups on eBay. I haven't tried one personally, but I am considering it as most of them seem to have a much larger cup to block out ambient light and keep your face off of the LCD. Might be worth the gamble for $10.

That's a great shot(s). :)

 

I'd love to visit there someday, wannabe science/astronomy geek that I am.

Shipra,

<p />

The idea behind SLR cameras is that you use the viewfinder to look <i>optically</i> through the lens to see what it sees, not a digital recreation of that on an LCD screen. If this isn't right for you, perhaps you should sell the XTi and pick up a nice "SLR-like" camera such as the PowerShot S5. :)

Try using the custom function that seperates focus and exposure. Where one is set to the shutter button half-press (exposure lock) and the other to the * button on the back of the camera (focus lock). This is what I prefer to use, rather than having both on the shutter button.

I'm fairly new to dSLR's myself, so I'm basically in the same boat as you, starting from square one (and I'm a tightwad).

<p />

I recently bought a 2GB Sandisk Extreme III and it came with a nice little padded zip pouch that holds 2 CF cards -- maybe this will suit you. Looking at Amazon right now, the price on 2GB Ultra II and Extreme III is basically the same, so I can't fathom why you'd buy the slower one. At 4GB, you might pay $10 more for the Extreme III over the Ultra II. Honestly, though, I don't think the read/write rates would make a huge difference for the casual shooter like myself, but $5-10 seems like a negligible amount to fuss over it. I haven't bought a card reader yet, but I may if using the camera to transfer files ever becomes a bother... it hasn't so far for me. I doubt you will notice much difference while shooting unless you're constantly filling up the buffer in continuous mode.

<p />

CF cards are obviously a necessity, but what you buy beyond that will depend upon your shooting style/needs and the depth of your pockets:

<p />

- A padded bag seems like a good investment for keeping your gear clean and safe when being moved or sitting around at home. I think I am going to get a Kata R-102 backpack ($120 or so).

<p />

- An extra battery would be a plus as well, especially if you plan on shooting extensively with no convenient means of recharging (I think most folks buy 3rd party batteries, as the Canon branded ones cost $50 or so). If you buy the battery grip, you'll probably want several extra batteries.

<p />

- Regarding UV filters, I will simply quote the photo.net guide: "A "UV haze" filter, appropriately sized to fit the front of your lens, can be useful if you're taking pictures in a dusty or wet environment or if you're lending your camera to a careless person. For maximum contrast and image quality, however, don't leave the filter on the lens when doing a project in a clean environment."

<p />

- Do you need a tripod? An external flash? A remote shutter release?

<p />

- I would recommend a rocket blower and a microfiber cloth for keeping things clean. The blower is great for removing dust, etc. without risking touching things, and the microfiber cloth with a little moisture from your breath is the recommended way to clean your lenses when the blower isn't enough.

<p />

- What lens(es) do you have? This should probably be the biggest consideration and will be the biggest investment. Good lenses don't come cheap, and even the cheap lenses are expensive to someone like me. I currently have the 50mm f/1.8 II (which as you've probably heard is so cheap there's no excuse not to have one) and the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM II which came with my used 20D. I feel a real lacking in the telephoto department with just these 2 lenses, so I'm considering a cheap 70- or 75-300 (the Sigma 70-300 is very enticing at $200) to see how that works out.

<p />

You should read the photo.net <a href="http://www.photo.net/equipment/building-a-digital-slr-system/">"Building an SLR System"</a> guide if you haven't yet. It doesn't suggest getting a bag until you have several lenses, but I think that's a bit silly. I just spent a huge amount of money on a camera/lens/etc., and I want to protect it, so IMO a good bag should be one of the first things to consider. Of course, that doesn't make your photos any better. :)

<p />

It's really quite horrific how much money you can spend on photographic equipment. No matter what all you have, there's always something else you "need". So... my final suggestion is to not fret over gear too much -- shoot with the gear you have, learn its uses and limitations, and if a void becomes apparent, <i>then</i> you can worry about filling it. :)