jon_porter2

<p>Erratic frame spacing is a common problem with old Mamiyas. I had it in both my 645M and 1000S, forcing me to switch to a Pro TL body. I've been told it's a problem with the gears in the camera, as it happened with both my 120 film inserts.</p>

<p>You don't buy an 800E on the recommendation of a store clerk. You do copious amounts of research online first to determine if that's the model for you.<br>

<br /> The Nikon P7100 or Canon S100 are better carry-arounds than the X100, which is fairly large, expensive and has a fixed wide angle lens.</p>

<p>There's a firmware update for the P7000 that might help with some of your problems. I have the P7100 and love it. I get excellent 8.5x11 prints even at high ISOs. For me a carry-around camera has to have a retractable lens and lens cover so I can carry it in a small belt pouch or cargo pocket. Dealing with lens caps isn't an option. That's what drove me crazy with my last compact, an Olympus XZ-1.</p>

<p>The SQ-B is an excellent enthusiast's camera. I have the plain prism and waist-level finders and 65mm, 80mm, and 110mm lenses. Everything was bought via eBay/KEH, though Koh's Camera is also a good source. I mainly went with the SQ-B since it uses the same battery as most of my other 120 cameras. The drawback to the SQ-B is that there is no indicator in the viewfinder when the camera is set for double-exposure, and there is no B setting on the shutter speed selector. But those have never been issues for me.</p>

<p>But the D50 files are relatively small, so the 2GB card limit isn't generally a problem. Plus the D50 was the last entry-level Nikon to support mechanical autofocus, so it's still a good little camera.</p>

<p>Two sources for film in SF are Adolf Gasser's and Photographers Supply, both south of Market Street. They might also be able to refer you to a lab in the Monterey area.</p>

<p>Given the number of special cameras Nikon's made over the years (re-issued rangefinders, numerous titanium and high-speed cameras), it wouldn't surprise me if Nikon released an F7 down the road, assuming film manufacturing doesn't contract much more than it already has. </p>

<p>D700 bodies are currently selling in the $1,700-2,000 range on eBay. So in the coming weeks the average selling price may be closer to $1700 than $2000. Or not. Anyone's guess is as good or better than mine.</p>

<p>DO NOT use the "or best offer" eBay option! That, and auctions/listings over seven days, are red flags telling buyers your item is overpriced. An item priced right will sell within 3-4 days. And most buyers don't want to be committed for 48 hours or whatever the offer period is while the seller makes up his mind.</p>

<p>Sascha Steinhoff touches on that in his books<br>

http://www.amazon.com/Sascha-Steinhoff/e/B001JOVBHW</p>

<p>I had the 35-70mm f/2.8 when I bought my D700 and it worked very well on the camera, though the combined weight was a bit hefty. But I sold the lens a few months after getting the D700 when I decided to get rid of all my push-pull zooms (one of the worst ideas in lens design). I switched to the 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 for it's smaller size, lighter weight and greater versatility. Optically I can see no difference between the lenses. And as Shun commented, the slower speed of the 28-70mm is inconsequential to me for digital.</p>

<p>I gave up on full-sized Nikons (F4, D1X) for smaller siblings (F100, D700, D3000, P7100) and never looked back. Smaller and lighter is just as good for my needs!</p>

<p>Paul - What software are you using?</p>

 

<p>Got it. Thanks guys. So the 645 AF has a fully electronic handshake between camera and lens with no mechanical support. Technology marches on...</p>

<p>Thanks, but I'm not sure you understood me, Ron. I'm talking about setting the aperture on the lens, not on the camera. I don't care about any form of metering with the camera. So, for example, if I set f/8 on the M645 lens will it remain wide open until the instant of exposure, then reopen instantly once the shutter closes? From your description it sounds like it doesn't. </p>

<p>Both the 645 AF instruction manual and all the forum posts I've seen are ambiguous on this point. They only state that manual focus M645 lenses must be stopped down to use TTL metering, which I don't care about. I'd like to pick up an AF body, but if there's no auto diaphragm feature with the older MF lenses the camera is of little use to me. Thanks for any enlightenment on this!</p>

<p>There won't be a flood of D700s on the used market; more like a steady stream. It will take months for Nikon to meet demand for the D800. Plus there are a lot of DX users looking to upgrade to FX now that the D700 is dropping in price. So I agree with Leslie, clean D700s should sell in the $1,800+ range at least through 2012. <br>

But then, when I bought my D700 in 2009 I figured it would be discontinued in 2010 and used bodies would be selling for $1,200 by the end of 2011 in case I needed to replace mine. So much for my career as a photo industry analyst!</p>

<p>DX is being squeezed at the top by FX and at the bottom by CX. FX offers the highest image quality and a 50-year selection of lenses. CX offers almost as good image quality as DX and is smaller, lighter, cheaper. The future of DX is anybody's guess, but I don't think it will include the least expensive, D3000-class SLRs, for too many more years.</p>

<p>I get good results with HP5+ rating it at 250 and developing in HC-110 1:50 for 8 minutes at 68 degrees. Agitation is three inversions every minute.</p>

<p>What Walt said. I sold a pristine D1X with spare battery in 2009 for $402. I paid $660 for it two years earlier. In 2002 Adorama was selling it new for $5,350. The D1X is a beautifully crafted camera and still takes excellent photos at low ISOs, but has been eclipsed in every respect by newer cameras such as the D2/D200 that aren't selling for much more. Plus the camera's bulk is exacerbated by the need to carry an equally large spare battery if you want to get a full day of shooting with the D1X.</p>

<p>50 quid is a great price for an F in that condition, especially with a prism finder -- and an undented one at that. I think the F and F2 look much better with the plain prism than with the bulky meter finders. I like the vintage body cap, too.</p>

<p>The 28-300mm should be fine. I've made 11x14 prints from shots with the older 28-200mm G lens that I was quite satisfied with, and the 28-300mm is an even better lens.</p>

<p>I imagine people may like the smaller size of the D40 and its use of SD cards. Personally, though, I prefer the D70 for its support of mechanical autofocus.</p>

<p>You've misinterpreted what the manual says. The table you're referring to states what happens when the pressure plate isn't set to the type of film being used. Leave the pressure plate set to 120 for 120 film. But yeah, for a medium format camera, it's operation is a bit complicated.</p>

<p>Is that the only lens you have for your SQ? It sounds more like a camera problem. I briefly had an SQ-A with the original prism and found the viewfinder dark and lacking contrast on the ground glass. Very difficult to focus anywhere other than bright sunlight. And that was with the 80mm f/2.8. I switched to the SQ-B with the newer (plastic) prism and found it much easier to focus.</p>