tim_ludwig2

<p>Another option is what is called subtractive lighting where you get rid of light coming from overhead or some other distracting direction and then add the reflector from out in the bright light to fill with an eye on the direction of light instead of just the quantity of light. Moving under a tree or a pavilion roof are two samples of subtracting bad light but it can also be done with black reflectors for more flexibility. MUCH softer quality of light that any fill flash and much more controllable as well once you've practiced a bit.</p>

<p>shouldn't be a need to wipe it down that often, although it isn't a bad idea. The pins at the ends of the rollers are fairly fine as are their mount holes, and the spaces between the rollers and the cradle are small enough that even a very small amount of residue could cause the drag you are describing. I usually just eyeball mine and if I see any crystals or goop of any sort, give it the cleaning I described. Otherwise, I pretty much ignore it unless I get a drag like you mention.</p>

<p>Sounds like you are starting to get a chemistry residue on the rollers where they join the assembly. Remove the entire roller system from the back and run super hot water over it, especially where the actually rollers meet up with the cradle that holds them in place. If needed, use some cotton swabs like Q-tips to help clean any chemical crud. Dry with any towel and use compressed air to blow any water out from between the rollers and the cradle. That will probably relieve the problem which is extremely common with any rollers for Polaroid or Fuji instant film.</p>

<p>The simplest solution depends on how much CLOSER than infinity you may wish this lens to focus. If the answer is not much, just buy a recessed lens board for this camera off of ebay. Then have the hole cut to the proper size for your shutter by a qualified machinist, and........mount the lens backward so the board becomes an extension board instead of a recessed board. That should add close to 1.5 inches to the total available length without having to fiddle with having a new rail made.</p>

<p>Remake this image using a very large white foam core panel a few feet off to the right as a fill.</p> <p>The light source, already termed way too harsh, can be easily modified with two cloth panels of white nylon or even cotton. The source should be a few feet off to the left with the first panel in far enough that the light pattern nearly or completely covers that panel. That will soften the light and modify the speculars to a degree, but then place the second panel between the first one and the subject just out of camera range to further soften the light and it's contrast and to really smooth out the speculars.</p> <p>I think you will like the results immensely better.</p>

<p>If you are using only the kicker for separation, you might look instead to a background light as the kicker is sometimes overpowering even if well powered down. </p> <p>One of the solutions for balding men is a cutter or head screen in between the key light and the forehead. It is not to totally block the light, but rather to reduce the ration of brightness between what falls on the face and what might have fallen on the top of the head. A cutter can be completely opaque, or it can be made of something like black mesh in several layers so that you are only partially reducing the light on that area. another excellent method is barn doors on your beauty light or soft box so that you partially block the brightness from any area you desire to control. Absolutely do not use a hair light.<br> Control is the key work about all lightning and you might try a search in utube for hair light control methods or other similar titles to watch this in action.<br> There are also many good books on portrait lighting that show control methods to keep light away from the top of the head and instead concentrate it into the face.</p>

<p>AS far as a big learning curve, it is probably more challenging to spend five minutes learning to load the film correctly that any and all other functions of the camera of your choice. Buy the system that fits best in your hands and never look back.</p>

<p>Hundreds and even thousands of we Hasse users may have never gone beyond the 500CM and did not suffer the least problem with the tiny bit of vignetting. In fact, I have actually never even noticed it while on any of my shoots. I've used the CM cameras since 1973 so that's quite a long time to have never seen it's effects while viewing. That's my situation even with the huge 500mm Tele Tessar which would be the worst for vignetting.</p> <p>IF you ae going to notice it, I would expect that to only happen while shooting high key (very light background where the top of the frame might show the shade of the cut off.<br> <br />The 500C does not have an interchangeable focus screen as do all the rest and due to it's age, is much more likely to have problems finding repair parts if needed. Same with the C series lenses, although I own and love using 4 of those to 2 of the CF lenses. </p> <p>Personally, the lack of screen interchangeability worries me far more than potential repair problems.</p> <p>I suggest you call or email KEH in the US and talk to their repair department for their opinion between bodies and the availability of parts. They have been extremely helpful to me including having to machine a major component of the 500mm C lens's shutter housing when it fractured. It has now worked flawlessly for about five years with the part they made.</p>

<p>All 90mm lenses are not alike. There are many different rear group configurations and it will be safer to know what you and we are dealing with.</p> <p>Can you shoot and send detailed close up images of both the very rear of the lens, and below that where the lens threads into the shutter housing? You may only need a spanner, but two strap wrenches my also be needed, or possibly the postage to send it to a good lens repair shop. Treat lightly until we can see the photos and offer better suggestions.</p>

<p>For the softest transfer from highlight to shadow, I use a 4x6 soft box almost on top of the subject with a pair of large reflectors. One is beside the soft box, capturing part of it's light a wrapping it around the face a bit. The other is on the far side of the head and placed for a comfortable visual balance of the shadow side.</p> <p>As others have noted, your problem is exposure. Power down if you need to for your choice of f stop, and then set your camera properly and you will get the results you want.</p>

<p>The 80mm and the 60mm are not that far apart in angle of view. While I love both of those lenses, I would suggest that you think about the 50mm instead of the 60mm for the wider angle of view that it would offer. That would give you more opportunities for both architecture and landscape.</p> <p>All are fantastic lenses.</p>

<p>Kadir, The reason you seem to see it everywhere may well simply be because it is the standard focal length supplied with the camera body when sold as a kit.</p> <p>It is the so called "normal" length just like 50mm is considered to be normal for 35mm cameras.</p> <p>What I would like to know from you before offering you advice on what focal length to buy is this: what are your favorite kinds of subjects to photograph and do you usually enjoy using wide angle lenses or longer, telephoto lenses in your work. When you say you are looking for something in the 50-90mm range, is that based on your work with other medium format cameras, or 35mm cameras, or if with a digital camera, what sensor size. All of those factors would have a relationship to what lens to suggest for the Hasselblad system.</p>

<p>I'm afraid that you have only half committed to what you wish to do. To get into Hasselblad, means you must commit to buying Hasselblad made gear and that means money. It also means serious repair money if you buy a lens or other system parts without getting items that are in good shape.</p> <p>I would deal with KEH as much as possible. They have "bargain" level equipment which is often really in excellent condition, plus they truly stand behind their sales with excellent warranties and a fine repair department.</p> <p>Make up your mind that you will need to spend the money to get what you need and you will enjoy some of the finest equipment ever made!</p>

<p>Look up and study the work of Gjon Mili who did considerable work of this kind for LIFE magazine and others in the 50's (?) and 60's. There is a simple but detailed explanation of his strobing technique in one of the volumes of the old Time Life Library of Photography series which you might be able to access on line. I don't recall which volume.</p> <p>Also, study the work of Dr. Harold Edgerton who both invented the strobe light and who developed many of these kinds of techniques for scientific motion studies including the tennis play and golfer in your link.</p> <p>Then:</p> <p>Spencer Gifts party strobe which is variable speed and plenty of power in the digital world.</p> <p>Greatly darkened (near black) studio.</p> <p>Black background, even black velvet.</p> <p>Camera locked on a tripod or heavy camera stand and set on manual program with shutter wide open on bulb setting.</p> <p>Measure strobe brightness and then set the f stop about 1 to 1.5 stops underexposed.</p> <p>Open the shutter.</p> <p>Let the action proceed across the frame while the strobe fires continuously.</p> <p>Close the shutter.</p> <p>Adjust and repeat as needed.</p>

<p>I've made many thousands of dollars with those "crappy" 285's and 283's back in the day when I shot weddings. They remain quite reliable today even though I haven't shot a wedding in nearly 20 years. Just fantastically well made gear. Just use the adapter shoes to avoid voltage problems with a digital and they work super well.</p> <p>I suspect they are not the answer to what the OP was asking. The Alien Bees to serve that purpose far better even if the budget doesn't allow them at this moment.</p>

<p>Michael, I most certainly did not disparage your knowledge of the medium and so all I did was state a disagreement regarding that one tool. I stand by what I said in terms of umbrellas being a big problem in spilling light. They are wonderful for fill and of course will direct light where you point them, but they also spill vast amounts of lights off the edges which is a control issue and why I choose to relegate them to fill only except when shooting large groups like a reunion.</p> <p>By the way, regarding cost factors on soft boxes, you are by and large dead right that they can be quite expensive, but Buff offers damned good ones that cost sharply less money (almost in top line umbrella price range) and work as well as any although I can't speak for their life span compared to the big boys like Larson or Chimera. Their only draw back is that I don't see any that have a recessed face which are my preference for even better directional control, especially when feathering.</p>

<p>Sorry, but my opinion is that umbrellas should be for broad fill light only. They spill light everywhere and so do not allow any refined control of the pattern.</p>

<p>Second that on the Paul C. Buff Alien Bees. </p> <p>One of the best things you might consider is the Alien Bee with one large soft box as your one light source and use two reflectors to modify and control the shadows. One reflector on the side opposite the soft box to fill the shadow side with a soft and delicate light to simply raise the shadow value. The other reflector is to be used in a wedge configuration with the soft box to capture some of it's light and wrap it around the face a bit to create a wonderful three dimensional effect on the shape of the head and features.</p> <p>I would not recommend buying any of the super cheap multi light kits that are out there for several reasons.</p> <p>Low power, might be fine for table top or a single head portrait, but a family group, especially on location where the lights must be places far back from the subject,.....forget it.</p> <p>Reliability, may last for many, many exposures. But if it fails, what kind of warranty and where does it have to be sent for repair and how long must you wait? The White Lightning gear (Alien Bees) are made in Nashville and warrantied for years by one of the most responsive companies I've ever dealt with. The few repairs I've had on gear from them I've owned since the early eighties (maybe six fixes in that time on five White Lightning Ultras) were each handled within one week including shipping both ways.</p> <p>Buff also has an extensive line of very well made modifiers including soft boxes and Octaboxes, etc. plus stands and other gear that are very inexpensive and very, very well made.</p> <p>System growth, in terms of Buff offering so many accessories and light units varying in power up to as much as you will ever want even on major location commercial shoots. They also manufacture their own remote triggering systems that are completely dedicated to the lights they make, though they can be used on other flash systems as simple remote triggers. Some of those systems also allow you to <strong>remotely</strong> adjust the <strong>power</strong> of the flash and modeling brightness so that when you use multiple lights, you can actually view that highlight to shadow balance accurately and adjust as you might wish for your portrait or scene.</p> <p>Spend a bit more now and grow your system as you can with real pro gear rather than working with something that may become a great frustration on so many levels.</p> <p>One of my very favorite portrait photographers, Edward Steichen, was hired by Conde Nast publications in the early part of the 1900's as their principal portrait artist. He had little experience with studio lighting although he was a brilliant portrait photographer with available light, so he made the decision to start this career by learning one light at a time and using only that in his work until he felt he was ready. Same thing here for you would work well.</p>

<p>Before you use this with a digital body, be sure to check out the line voltage when it fires. If it is above a certain level, it can fry your camera. Using remote slave triggers would negate that problem any way.</p>

<p>Before you use this with a digital body, be sure to check out the line voltage when it fires. If it is above a certain level, it can fry your camera. Using remote slave triggers would negate that problem any way.</p>

<p>If you are talking about one or two blossoms, the simplest thing would indeed be the black velvet. For easy handling, just cover an 8x10 care with it and when you hold it in place behind the subject, turn it away from the light to be sure that any possible debris on the card would not show up in the light.</p>

<p>It almost sounds like there may be damage to the splines on the back which could cause it to limit how far you can insert the cartridge. I would look carefully at those and see if there might be a small bit of metal spawling off and retarding the ability of the mating gear to get fully seated. I would also look at all grooved fittings for the same thing. Also, look carefully at any possibility of the light seal material possibly protruding into an area that would impede the full closure of the parts?</p>

<p>It's all about the lighting with posing being quite secondary, so teach them how to make light behave.</p> <p>That's everything from balancing highlight and shadow ratios, how various modifiers effect the quality of light, how reflector panels help to control contrast and brightness ranges, and especially the control of light out doors. I am most definitely NOT talking about poorly placed and exposed fill flash, but rather skilled subtractive lighting to deal with all patterns of traditional portrait lighting, only in the outdoor environment. </p>

<p>It just looks quite dull both in concept and execution on the light. For example, the lamps on the table are not even lit, an addition which would have added greatly to the atmosphere of the room. The nearly directionless quality of the light makes the space dull as can be and very much distracts from the model. The reflection in the mirror is the same evenness so there is no depth suggested in the room itself. Seems like there is nothing here to find exciting.</p>

<p>It just looks quite dull both in concept and execution on the light. For example, the lamps on the table are not even lit, an addition which would have added greatly to the atmosphere of the room. The nearly directionless quality of the light makes the space dull as can be and very much distracts from the model. The reflection in the mirror is the same evenness so there is no depth suggested in the room itself. Seems like there is nothing here to find exciting.</p>