gerber_van_der_graaf

After the disaster with Tetenal I found that Jobo is selling E6 kits as well. I mailed them to ask if they have them in stock At july 5th I received a reply that they were out of stock at that moment but would have them back after 14 days. So far I did not put an order, yet.

At september last year (2022) I ordered three packages of 1L E6 Tetenal kit at a price of about EU 170. At that moment the web shop mentioned a waiting time of 40 days, nothing more. (Later they changed this.) After that time had passed I mailed them when I could expect my order. The company replied that the kits were delayed. At january I received a general email, probably sent to all customers of an E6 kit, that the manufacturer of the chemistry went default and they were looking for a substitute. Six months after placing the order I reclaimed the money I payed them by PayPal. The company replied that its was impossible for them to refund the money using PayPal. After several emails, they always replied, I still haven't got the money back neither received the chemistry kits. The last excuse was that they are short of staff due to due to illness for refunding the money. That was last May. You can imagine that I am very disappointed and have lost my confidence in the Tetenal company. So I recommend NOT to buy anything from their webshop.

I've got this device but unfortunately it doesn't work anymore. When pushing the large button integrated at the handle you'll activate a Piezo crystal which generates a high voltage at the holes at the front. Keep these holes nearby the film to neutralize it's electric charge. You will feel an electrical shock when putting your hand in front of the device. So, be careful.

Actually I think it's a mistake from Leica they re-issued the old M6 instead of the newer TTL model with the larger time adjustment knob. IMHO because of this larger knob and its opposite turn direction in combination with the meter LEDs it's a much more convenient camera. In that way it would also have been more distinct from the MP and so creating its own market.

<p>The 6008 Integral is a very nice camera. Congratulations! Recently mine broke down: suddenly the mirror did not come down after exposure and the camera<br> did not work at all anymore. Typical an electronic breakdown. But it could be repaired: an electronic card had to be renewed. It did cost me<br> about EU 350. But it was worthwhile.</p>

<p>I am very dissappointed by most, if not all, digital cameras I have had in my hands. Normally I shoot Leica M6 and I am very happy with it. Though digital has its conveniences, too. So, I finally bought the Fujifilm X-E1. It is quite similar to a analog camera. At least, it looks like, and I got it for a reasonable price. But when grabbing the camera out of the bag, or taking into my hands when the camera is hanging on my neck, often, very often, I touch some of the buttons accidently. Whether it is the compensation knob at the top or one of the bottoms at the rear of the camera, including for focussing the viewer. Then, some kind of icon pops up at the screen, or worse, which oblidges me searching for my glasses (I am 50+) and figuring out what went wrong. And this happens, of course, just at the moment I want to take a photo! Why, oh why, are there so many buttons everywhere on the camera, are they so tiny and easy to press accidently? My first camera 40 years ago, the Olympus OM, was even better and is an example how it should be done: large buttons and each has its own function. Just like the majority, if not all, of the analog cameras.</p> <p>In addition, why don't I find the button when I need it? Yes, I know, I should study all the buttons and learn all the icons, menu's and submenu's by heart. But I am there for taking photos, not for being bothered with screens, buttons menus and icons. Again, The Fujifilm camera is nice and makes beautifull pictures. If it works. But too often it distracts me from the job I want to do.</p> <p>These kind of frustations alone already keep me shooting analog, be it a Leica M or whatever.</p>

<p>From an economical point of view I also wonder if it is a good idea to put a new large format tank system on the market nowadays. There are very good processors on the market, like the JOBO system. However, the JOBO processors occupy a lot of room and one day these will also break down and are very expensive new. But I like the idea suggested here: it is a small device, of simple construction (without motor and electronics) and easy to use. I would like to suggest to simplify the handling even more. Why not using a normal, plain filmholder and imersing it in the tank? In that case, the film will not have to be changed for processing: the same filmholder will be used for shooting and for processing. Most probably the film holder will need some adaption for imersing into liquid. Especially the door hinge of the adapter, which is some kind of tape, might become loose on the long term. I suggest to test, and eventually adapt, a good filmholder which is still sold new on the market, like the Toyo filmholders. In addition, if the lid of the tank will be adapted with a (or two) light locking door that opens a sleeve, similar to the back of the camera, the processing could be done just by putting the filmholder into the tank, pulling out the slide of the holder and filling the tank with developer. So, there is no need of a darkroom or light tight bag at all. This will allow the processing of the film during traveling and, even more, on sight of the shooting location.</p>

<p>If it seems to be a software issue, another suggestion is to try the scanner under Linux (Debian, Ubuntu or Mint, for example). Then, you can use Vuescan (which works _very_ well). Also the open source software Sane seems to support the Coolscan 8000, but not the 9000 unfortunately.</p>

<blockquote> <p>What's better than a Hasselblad?" -- <em>two</em> Hasselblads<br> Well, I use two Rolleiflexes 6008, mounted on a 20cm long aluminium profile strip from Arca Swiss that fits on their P0 ball head. The left camera is the 'slave': it is fired by the flash connector of the right one. All together it is quite a heavy rig, but it works fine, also because the film transport is motorized.<br> Apart from the distance between the cameras (in my case about 11 cm, the closest I can get) also the converging of the cameras is important. Some people will get headaches when the focussing point when viewing the projected stereo slides, is different then the coverging. So, I converge the cameas at about 3 to 5 m, which is the distance of the audience from the projection screen. From my personal experience, looking the slides through a viewer (eyes are looking at infinitiy / onaccomodaed) the converging of the cameras at 3 to 5 m do not bother.</p> </blockquote>

<p>Just an idea: Durst Pro USA is advertising with glass for negative holders for enlargers. The glass is colorless, instead of green in case of normal glass, made by Scotch. In order to avoid Newton rings, it seems that an Anti Reflective coating on the glass seems to suffice. After some searching on the Web, I found that Scotch glass sheets can be obtained from different providers, but will probably have to be bought in large quantities. I didn't try it by myself, but found the idea intriguing as well as for enlarging as for scanning.</p>

<p>I mainly shoot colour slides. If not, black and white film. I process the film by myself as there are few labs doing it and because I like to do all the processing by myself. I use 35mm, 6x6 and sometimes 4x5. Unfortunately, prices of film and chemicals increase. So, I have to think before shoot. But this does not keep me away from shooting slide medium. I hope slide film will not disappear at all. I even have some Ilfochrome paper in the freezer to print the most attractive slides.</p>