brian_bahn

December 17, 2009

There is a current posting on a local craigslist(listing to follow) for a darkroom set up that intruiges me. I keep trying to talk myself out of going to pick up a "complete" darkroom set up. I do enjoy B&W and I can see myself, as my skills and desire in this hobby develop, shooting more B&W film. IF I were to decide to take the leap and get a set up to do some at home is the equipment listed here decent stuff? The person is asking $50 so all is not lost if I get it and don't use it. BUT, if I get it and DO use it I want good results(as good as I can do anyhow).

The whole decision of if I want to actually set up a darkroom in my house is a decision I have to make, and most times it seems so appealing, but so do other things and I never do them or don't follow through on them(not everything, I do follow through on some things, hahaha)

Here is the listing.

For someone wanting to continue with conventional photography this will outfit you completely. An Ilford 4 x 5 enlarger with automatic push button contrast control for B & W printing. 35mm up to 4 x 5 negative holders. Rodenstock lens. Also a Bogen 35 mm enlarger. Trays, film developing canister, glass and plastic chemical bottles, safelights and more. I don't have the time any more for this very enjoyable hobby. Love to see someone put all of this to use. Great Christmas gift at a very good price for a photography buff

Thoughts on the equipment? Thanks

December 11, 2009

Nicholas,

That's good info, thanks. I will definitely remember that next time.

December 11, 2009

Yes the meter works. I use the zinc air batteries with the o-ring(o ring helped a lot with holding it in place while replacing the cap. Unfortunatley the day was very gray and with the snow the contrast was sapped. I overexposed these by nearly a stop as well to brighten the snow up and they still look flat.

December 11, 2009

It's been a long while since I have been on the Olympus forum since I had switched from E510 to Nikon. I made the switch due to I do quite a bit of indoor sports and sports in general(please don't take that as a jab or provoking that's not at all what it's intended).

Anyhow last week I went on my annual deer hunting trip with my brothers, dad and nephews. Took the OM1 with a roll of Kodak CN400 B&W along. Again, I was reminded at just how enjoyable getting that little camera out and doing everything manually. Had the 28 3.5 and 135 3.5 along. This was the first time I actually put the 135 on it and used it. Nice lens!

When I first started getting into photography almost two years ago PN is where I started getting most of the info and since I had the OM1 in the closet at the time the Oly forum is where I got the most helpful info. Getting melonchaly here. haha. So I just wanted to post some pics from my trip and from a great little enjoyable camera. And I promised myself I WILL be getting it out more often.

December 9, 2009

Thanks to everyone for the great info! Very much appreciated.

December 8, 2009

I have the itch to buy a Nikon SLR to use mainly for landscape photos and also would mainly be B&W film. I currently have the 85 1.8 and 80-200 2.8 lenses that I use with my D300. Obviously I would need to get preferrably a 20mm lens or at minimum I would want a 24mm.

I have an OM-1 that I have used several times for this but figure if I can pick up a newer film body that can also be used with my current lenses I might as well. One question before I set the criteria is can I use my current lenses mentioned on a manual focus body? I don't mind manual focusing on a body with large viewfinder.

So really here's what I am looking for:

1. Film body with good metering, this is mainly what I am looking for, good accurate metering. Not sure I need auto modes(A priority, P, etc.)

2. Can be AF or MF. The trade off would be if I couldn't use current lenses on MF body then I would tend to lean AF.

3. Doesn't need to be built like a tank, this will be ocassional user.

4. Inexpensive. $100 or less. So this leaves me money to buy a 20 or 24 lens.

Any suggestions for a body and/or lens? N80? N90? F100? Which MF body(not real familiar with these but again no issue with manual focusing). Would an MF body and a 20 or 24 lens come fairlly inexpensively?

December 7, 2009

Jim,

Thanks, your second paragraph is what I was looking for, that type of info, i.e. with B&W film what type of exposure compensation do I need to be making in order to get the details in the light to dark areas. I honeslty was expecting most of these to be blown but they weren't. I will defintely be doing more research because the more I look at these the more I like, and maybe I will get a film body to go with my Nikon lenses to add to the "experience".

Interstingly, the printed 4x6's I got have a slight yellowish/green cat to them and seem a little darker compared to what I see on my calibrated monitor, I like what I see on my monitor better. Which leads me to another question, If I want to get larger prints of some of the shots will those have the same cast as the 4x6's I have or if I go to my local pro camera shop(I normally do but was curious how CVS would turn them out) and show them the 4x6 I have and tell them I don't like the cast can they correct that or is that set when the negative is first developed?

Sorry, the mirror comment doesn't really show in this shot, some shots where there is not much going on, i.e. a portrait of my brother and dad you can see lots of hair and dust particles I assume from the mirror being dirty.

Thanks

December 7, 2009

Larger file maybe?

December 7, 2009

Not sure if this is the correct forum for this question. I have an OM-1 that I ocassionally(ok rarely) pull out and use, I tell myself to do it more because it really is flat out an enjoyable experience, the fully manual experience is just so theraputic. I know that is an overused term but damn it that's what it is. And the viewfinder, ohhh the viewfinder size.

Anyhow, I picked up a roll of Kodak C-41 B&W, CN400 and took the OM-1 out on a walk with me during a deer hunting trip. Yes I was in the woods snapping pictures while my die hard hunting brothers were waiting for me! LOL. I got them developed at local CVS and got 4x6 prints and CD.

I know this may not be the forum for C&C but I would just like a quick look see from some folks to let me know if I'm at least on the right path of getting B&W exposed correctly. My first attempt last year was with T-MAX and I underexposed everything! So this time I exposed pretty much everything OVER by at least 1/3 some times 1/2 to +1 since everything was snow covered and I figured the meter on the OM was going to try to underexpose it. Here is one of the better one's I feel. Any thoughts on if this is correctly exposed and would any filters help with B&W. Sorry, total noob at B&W but do want to make this a more frequent thing.

BTW. As a note, I am pretty sure I need to clean the mirror on the OM-1. Last time I had film scanned I thought it was the scanner, pretty sure I need to do a little housekeeping on the mirror! Sorry.

November 9, 2009

A few weeks ago I started the thread about whether I should take my D300 with me on a trip I was going on to China for work. The resounding answer was YES take it. I just wanted to update and say Thank You all for making me realize it was dumb NOT to take it. I took out an insurance policy on it so it gave me peace of mind.

Here is the link to some of the shots I took. Now my disclaimer here is that I was with others the whole time so pretty much every shot I took I didn't take much if any time to look things over and try for different compositions. We saw a lot so again constantly on the move. The smog was ridiculous rendering a lot of pictures gray and hazy. I only went through and picked out what I felt were some of my better shots, and I am no pro so don't expect a lot please, haha. I haven't done any PP on anything yet but I wanted to get them up to share them, while I figure out exactly what I want to do with all of them.

Thanks for looking and most of all thanks for convincing me.

<a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=941256">http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=941256</a>

October 8, 2009

Thanks for all the great responses! Very much appreciated.

I will definitely be taking my D300 for sure now. I contacted my homeowners insurance agent yesterday and opened a personal property protection floater. Forget the exact name at this moment but it is seperate from my homeowners and will cover my equipment for just about anything for $29/year.

I like the suggestion of registering with US Customs but since I leave next week I'm not sure I have time.

I will definitely be taking my Lowepro Slingshot 200 and use that as a carry-on.

Again, Thanks very much!

October 7, 2009

I just shot my first club show. A buddy of mine's band. Used the D300 with the 85 1.8 and 35 1.8 DX. Here is a shot from each. Pretty much was on f2.0 the whole time at ISO 1600. I did nothing to these so yes they may be noisy to some but I was mainly experimenting and he just wanted some pics for the FB page.

October 7, 2009

I should clear up I didn't mean to imply that China is crime riddled. As was mentioned it's worse here in US cities. I was more worried about just traveling with it, getting damaged during baggage handling, things like that. Yes I'm concerned about theft but no more than I am here.

So I'm pretty much convinced I will take it. I need to call my insurance agent to make sure it's covered and if not do what I need to to cover it.

Question. As for flying with it I will be taking a laptop bag as a carry on, which will be pretty full and also checking one large(er) suitcase. I will not be buying any new cases to travel with the camera so I need to decide whether I somehow pack it in the laptop bag or bury it in the middle of my clothing in the checked bag. Recommendations?

October 7, 2009

I am going to China for work for two weeks(engineering). We have two weekend trips planned to see some of the sights. I at first said no way to taking my D300, I just do not want to risk something happening to it or losing it or whatever. Going to Shanghai, Wuxi, Ghuangxo and Hong Kong.

I have an OM-1 and some primes I was thinking or throwing in and was all set on taking that. But the more I think about it the more I am not sure I feel like buying film, then paying to get it processed, let alone decide if I want just 4x6 processing or scanned to CD. I rarely use it so it's not second nature to me and I don't want to be holding up other folks until I get it dialed in and focused. I am fairly adept at it and while it's a wonderful little camera, let's admit, the D300(i.e. digital) is more flexible.

I am not looking to turn this into a film vs digital thing, I know the pros and cons there. I am looking for your opinion on whether you would take your $1500 camera on a work trip to China. (I was thinking D300, 18-55vr and 35 1.8....I have 85 1.8 and 80-200 2.8 but would leave them behind even though I wouldn't have any kind of reach but oh well)

FWIW, I also travel to Mexico for work ocassionaly and there is no way I take my D300 there.

September 17, 2009

Yes, I have it set to transfer new photos only. But all of the files on the card were new. I brought the card to work and have a card reader here. Shows 215 files. When I connected camera to PC at home Nikon Transfer showed 430 in the queue, which is double the actual amount obviously, but again, it didn't duplicate all of them, which again, I want none of them duplicated.

The files are exactly the same(not from high speed shutter), when you go from one to the other viewing them there is zero discernable difference, just have a "_01" behind the original file name For example.

DSC_2819.JPG

DSC_2819_01.JPG

This has happened on two different cards now, both of which I formatted in camera before shooting. I've always used Nikon Transfer as well with no problems, this just started happening. Very strange.

September 16, 2009

Shooting in JPEG only. And it's not all of the files being duplicated. It starts duplicating at some point after the transfer starts so I don't beliieve it is a setting. I checked the back up setting and it's not set to put a back up copy.

When I first started the download it showed 430 in the queue before it started to download, liek I said this was way more than I took, and once it was done it showed that there were 384 in the folder so even the numbers it showed didn't match from start to finish.

September 16, 2009

I did a search for some answers on this but I only found what seemed to be a RAW & JPEG issue.

When I use Nikon Transfer to download my pics from D300 to PC I am getting duplicate JPEG files and I think Nikon Transfer is doing it because they don't show up on my memory card(at least while it's in camera(I don't have a card reader). Even so, the number of pics I have left on the CF card seems to be in line...ex. typically shooting Fine JPG I get approx. 550 shots. Well, this past time shooting my card says 344 left to go, which is about right, I shot about 200 shots. But Transfer shows 430 in the queue.

OK. this is really weird. As I'm typing this question I am loading files and now it's done, it did the same thing as before, it starts adding the duplicate file about 1/3 of the way into loading. So the first 50 pics or so don't have a duplicate but the rest do. The duplicate is named the same but is followed by "_01". That's weird!

Any thoughts of what to look for first to fix it?

August 26, 2009

Went to Ocean City MD for our annual week long vacation. Broke out the 20 year old Minolta Weathermatic and a few rolls of Fuji 400 film. Loaded the film and threw it in the water with us and started having fun. Of all the times I spend with my D300 and various lenses shooting different subjects then PP'ing to get a certain look(still working on that skill haha) I found it a blast to just take snapshots and pass the camera around and enjoy the anticipation of what was on the roll when I got them developed. Was funny when I took the first picture and the kids were trying to look at the back of the camera "Lemme see, lemme see". LOL. Had to explain film after a "What is that"? moment.

What I find interesting/amusing is the "retro" look it gave. Clearly these are simply snapshots and far from technically sound, but I recall seeing an add-on for Lightroom that gives a look similar to this.

Anyhow, I just wanted to share since I found it so much fun.

August 5, 2009

LOL. Matt that was almost simultaneous

August 5, 2009

"Why not a nice, new, clean D90?"

She shoots a lot of sports. Period.

July 14, 2009

Orioles baseball. D300 and 80-200 2.8.

June 30, 2009

Has anyone had Spyder 2 give you system issues. By that I mean slow down or freeze up your PC. I just built a new PC which I had done once before, and everything was going good for a few weeks then all of a sudden it took forever to boot. I thought maybe it was something I did building it. I am comfortable enough putting one together but troubleshooting I don't have enough experience.

So the problem persisted so I did a fresh re-install of XP with all updates slipstreamed on a bootable disc. Again everything was great for about 3 or 4 weeks, then it started again. So I took it to a local shop and just got the call everything is OK with it and they couldn't replicate the problem. Stressed tested it for 5 hours and everything was good.

They said it could be a periphial I have hooked up to it at home. Liek a keyboard or mouse. Then I realized the Spyder gives the reminder for every 30 days and it got me to wondering if anyone else has had any problems similar. Now I would think since it installed on the PC and when the shop booted it would be ther. But I figure I need to start somewhere.

June 17, 2009

Scott,

I didn't realize the D5000 didn't have the built in AF motor(though after thinking about it I should have known). With that said if you can return the 70-300 you have and get that full price back I would recommend you look at the Sigma 70-200 2.8 HSM. It is close to that price and if you look at KEH.com they usually have a used one or two for a price around what you paid for the 70-300.

I just looked and they have a used Sigma. I am not 100% up on the Sigmas but it appears it may be the older version, which I don't think is bad, just an older model. Maybe someone who knows a little more can have a look-see at it and tell you about it. It is less than what you paid for the 70-300. Which you could use to add toward a converter to get you back close to the 300 reach. Again though I am not sure how the converters will work with the D5000 and Sigma combo.

June 15, 2009

I'll start it again. Was happy to get my first ball on bat shot, two in fact, one is without a face since he was lefty and I didn't move but still happy with the shot. Little League AAA playoffs.

June 15, 2009

What Nathan said.

I have a Nikon and for anything under the lights you will need the 80-200 2.8(approx 1,000 or 800 used) or third party Sigma has a 70-200 2.8 that a lot of people that have them like.

For indoors I have an 85 1.8. Really anything less, like the 70-300 4.0-5.6 you have just isn't going to cut it. As for the D5000 itself I haven't read reviews to see how it handles high ISO so I can't comment. You will need high ISO PLUS the 2.8 lenses mentioned.

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