denton_hoyer

<p>As a Chritmas gift I received a TrekPak divider system as an upgrade to an existing Lightware MF2012 case. Works great for my rangefinder gear and is easy to rearrange depending on the job requirements. If your sick of rearranging velcro, give this a look. Dividers don't outgas so optics stay clean. The red tags are connectors that allow one to reconfigure quickly. Previously featured in PopPhoto, PDN.<br>

Trekpak.com<br>

Denton<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/16726173-sm.jpg" alt="" width="300" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>You might try buying a ground glass screen for an old SLR, like a Nikon F2. Obviously you will have to take care not to push the gg through the shutter, most any pressure will bung it up.<br>

I used to do something similar when focusing on stars for astrophotos on film. Here you make a plexiglass ground glass that fits the back between the rails and is held in place with a rubber band. Thick plexiglass works best. You either have to frost it yourself or put scotch tape on the film side to simulate ground glass. With a little engenuity, a small microscope can be attached via a steel band to the tripod socket on you camera.<br>

I suppose a lot of folks will try to warn you about damage to the shutter, but that's really your business. I check lenses frequently using this method. It isn't perfectly accurate, as the focus point for film is not exactly at the back rail to flange distance, but it will probably be good enough as it works quite well for pinpoint stars at infinity!<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Thanks MUKUL!

</p><p>I tried to misload my M6 but couldn't do it. I only made sure the film leader was in the petal; even if the

film was not in the rails, the pressure plate and bottom aligned the film after close the back. I think the

engineers got this one!</p><p>Denton</p>

<p>Wow, that Fuji looks huge. I now regret selling my lightweight Toyo field camera. That and a roll film back and I'd be set, and weighs less too!<br>

Maybe I'd be better off with the 5D and the 24mm Tilt shift. Yes, heresy.<br>

Thanks for all the input.<br>

Denton</p>

<p>What are your recommendations for an inexpensive entry to movements with MF? I'm experienced with LF but sold my system some time ago. I'd like to get back to using movements. Perhaps RZ system is cheap enough, but what lenses are available. Other suggestions? Cost is an issue, but not weight.<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Hi folks,<br>

Finding good lighting for natural light portraits can be difficult, especially outside when multiple lighting sources are common. I've constructed a simple device to more easily comprehend the light sources and find the best locations. The cube is painted a neutral gray and is white balanced (although this is not necessary). I've found the eye can easily distinguish light varying by only 1/3 stop on each face. Dreaded top light is easily seen. A little experimentation and you can quickly recognize the type of light you are seeking. In the photo gallery illustrating this device, I've used a larger-size for easier seeing, but the tool I carry is smaller than a film box. The rest of the images can be seen on my gallery:<br>

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=1016050<br>

Have Fun!<br>

Denton<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/14251338-sm.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/14251337-sm.jpg" alt="" width="133" height="200" /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/14251333-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/14251334-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" /></p>

<p>Hi Ray,<br>

I use the 40mm Ultron for Canon EOS and like it very much. It's incredibly compact, even on my 5DMII. Can't remember about the Bokeh, but no bad experiences. If you like, I can check it at various focal lengths. It's as good as my Canon 50mm f14 lens across the field and in the center, but I'm not quoting lp/mm or anything!<br>

Denton</p>

<p>I've been thinking about the Zeiss 50mm f1.5 Sonnar-C or Nokton 50mm 1.5 I'm aware of the focusing optimum for the Zeiss. Images I've seen of these seem to be quite pleasant wide open in OOF areas. Any comments?<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Oh, and I forgot I REALLY needed f1.4 with those light levels, I think it was handheld at 1/15.</p>

<p>Hi Folks,<br>

Thanks for the recommendations; always interesting banter around here!<br>

I have the CV 35mm f2.5 lens and it is an exceptional lens. I must say, I can't recall any photos where I had shot it at specular highlights at f2.5, but I suspect at that aperture there wouldn't be problems with most lenses, agreed? <br>

The 40mm focal length has become my favorite. Couple this lens with an external 40mm viewfinder and it greatly improves my composition, although this shot was slightly off on one edge.<br>

The observed Bokeh with this lens, on closer inspections, seems to be an enlarged diffused image with an unattractive hard edged ring, similar to a mirror lens. Reminds me of some of the airy discs from OOF stellar images one sees in a poorly corrected telescope.<br>

By the way, this is L. Menendez and he hangs around Rockefeller and takes photos of people with a Graflex and polaroid back, AND he uses flash bulbs! He's a bit of an iconic figure in NYC. <br>

Denton</p>

<p>Hi folks,<br /> I like the sharpness of my CV 40mmf1.4 Classic, but I often get double image bokeh at full aperture. I'd like to pick up a 40-90mm lens which does NOT have this busy OOF. Check out particularly the area of the building just to above and to the left.<br /> Recommendations? CV or Leitz would be fine.<br /> For a larger images see <a href="../photo/12158311">here</a><br /> Denton<br>

(M3 with CV40 and Delta400/HC110)</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Henry, I put that on my *flix list<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Maybe a bit off topic, but it doesn't fit anywhere else.<br>

Pleasantville has been playing on TV recently, and it's great to see it from a lighting perspective. If you like to watch old BW films to see the lighting, Pleasantville has some real differences to compare. Watching helps to define how to light a great portrait and the light seems quite a bit more sophisticated, but not overlit, great ratios.<br>

Any observations about the lighting in this great movie?<br>

Cheers,<br>

Denton</p>

<p>If you've never tried high res jpeg setting on the 5DMII you may be surprised how well it does at cleaning up the noise. Of course, shoot raw, but also shoot jpeg, even at ISO 6400. <br>

AND, make sure your exposure is spot on!<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Quick tests on 5DMII comparing to Canon 50mm f1.4. Center sharpness for the ultron is good but 50mm probably better at f2. However, contrast and edge sharpness seems superior to 50mm. In fact it seems the edge and center sharpness of the Ultron does not change much on going from full aperture at f2 to f4. My impression is a the lens is better on contrast but not fine resolution and the edge is superior.<br>

The out of focus specular highlights in front of focus are uniform with no rings but tend to be asymmetrical instead of pefectly round. Out of focus highlights beyond focus are ringed and non uniform and many would probably consider them less than optimal. But, bokeh is subjective. If the OOF isn't specular it probably wouldn't bother you. I personally don't like the 50 f2 Summicron bokeh so go figure. I also have the Canon 135F2 whose bokeh I love.<br>

Aperture is set by the camera body as the lenses are chipped, but focusing is manual. Test used liveview 10X focusing. Focusing in normal use can use the red focus beep to tell when you are focused. I'd also recommend installing the EG-S high res screen in your Canon camera, it makes focusing much easier.<br>

In general, a keeper at $449 especially since the 40 mm focal length is my favorite for indoor use. It's just enough wider than 50 that it pulls in a bit of environmental context for your subject but isn't too wide for portraiture for half or full lenght.<br>

If you've never shot a 40mm full frame you should really give it a try.<br>

A keeper lens, especially because of low res contrast and superior edge performance, which is exactly what I was hoping for and this means this lens will perform well wide open using low available light. <br>

Cheers,<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Ditto,<br /> I've paid for perhaps thirty of these Eventective "leads" and got one email response, which never got back with me. I don't have any evidence the company is not up and up but I think the setup just isn't effective. True, if one got a single decent wedding from perhaps a dozen lead it might be worth it.<br /> They now have a "dashboard" which allows the bride or planner to go directly to their site and get emails from your business but I've just started a few of these. One of the problems in the past, which I discussed with them, is the possibility that emails are ending up in folks spam boxes.<br /> I think there are more effective ways to reach your target market.<br /> Denton</p>

<p>I like the idea of hitting the dog with focused light-maybe a snoot on a speedlight. Along this idea might be any light which varies across it's face so it can be feathered on the humans...<br>

I'd also like to try and get a highlight in the dog's eyes, which I rarely find since they are very dark too and tend to turn their heads a lot and a high spot might do it. <br>

Denton</p>

 

<p>Hi folks,</p>

<p>I'd like to improve my lighting shooting pet owners with their black dogs. For example, a setup with a Photote softliter as key, gridded strip box as hairlight and silver fill card (background lit with amber gels on gray seamless gives great lighting for people with neutral toned labs but the black labs require ajustment mask in PS. PS adjustment is working, but tedious.<br>

I'd like to lift out the black labs better but I'm thinking more specular lighting is going to get ugly on people. My current idea is to use a large silver umbrella, perhaps just take off the diffusion from that photek and line it with silver.Might be easier to reduce specularity in the humans rather than raise it in animals.<br>

I'm shooting the raisers for Guiding Eye dogs.<br>

Ideas?<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Hi folks,<br>

I'd just like some confirmation of the following. It seems that a 5DMII in AV mode set to spot metering mode (or any of the other patterns) is automatically defaulted to non-spot metering (evaluative matrix most likely) as soon as an attached 580EXII is switched on. This can be demonstrated by metering in spot mode on a black object taped to a white wall. Normal spot doesn't pick up the black object until it swings into the view of the central viewfinder circle. Switch on the flash, and you get entirely different metering behavior. This means you cannot choose the ambient metering in flash mode. You can, of course, set ambient exposure compensation and FEC separately.<br>

Flash metering can be placed into the central zone by use of FEL button and this function is handy if you know how you want that central zone exposed for flash, for example with subject dressed in black on dark background with only the face showing.<br>

<em><strong>The practical side is forget about changing anything about the metering whenever you have a Canon flash attached, it's going to take over!</strong> </em><br>

Would be nice if further information was available. (yes I've read photonotes).<br>

Thanks for comments,<br>

Denton</p>

<p>Hi Daniel,<br>

Your concerned about picture quality, low f stop and zoom. Well, for weddings the 135f2 is an excellent competitor for the 70-200 and many times I prefer it. No zoom of course and no IS. Price is about $900. Works well under low light typical of many weddings without flash.<br>

Denton</p>

Hi Folks,

 

My G9 synchs at all speeds, up to the maximum electronic shutter speed of 1/2500 with a Vivitar 285 speedlight.

Can I assume that the 5D MkII and other new canon bodies with liveview will synch at similar high speeds since the

electronic shutter will be operative in this mode?

 

Denton Hoyer

The skopar is a fantastic lens. Unfortunately, I have not used the Summaron.

 

Denton

Yatin, I find only one granted patent, US6311211 and it is not on color management. You must mean you have filed a patent application. I guess we will see it in 18 months when it publishes.

 

Denton

Thanks Ellis,

 

I should have known.

 

Denton

Hi folks,

 

It occurred to me it could be useful to have a strobe slave device which fires

based only on a time delay after the preflash or single flash of the main

light. The advantage of this is that it would allow older strobes like the

285HV to be used in auto mode, with the slave then firing perhaps 2

milliseconds later to provide a second light which would not confuse the auto

mode. Of course Canon and Nikon have strobes which do this light balance if you

are willing to pay the price.

 

A digital main would need a longer delay prior to slave activation, perhaps 0.1-

.2 seconds or whatever to fire after the first digital flash. There would be

other uses for this timing circuit/slave for some types of high-speed

photography, where you might not be able to use an expensive coupled slave to

get the effect you desired since they would fire simultaneously.

 

My understanding of current digital slaves is that they must have a second

flash to activate. Is there a simple timing circuit that could be wired to

modify a slave?

 

Thanks,

Denton