guy_e

<p>You can also buy new Fuji E6 film in 220 format in Japan. It is ridiculously overpriced, but it is available in Velvia 50 & 100 that I know of (and possibly the Astia 100 as well).</p>

<p>The other aspect of 220 film that, to me anyways, is somewhat of a religious debate, is the fact that there is no backing paper, allowing the film to lie flatter against the focal plane than 120 film, thus theoretically achieving a sharper look than 120. I've noticed no such difference in my experience, both look beautifully crisp when properly exposed and focused.</p>

<p>RE: X-ray... do not ever put film in checked luggage. The X-ray machines used on checked luggage are far more potent than the ones at security screening, and will fog film. The general impression I've got while reading up on this topic is that you should be ok with 4 or so trips through the security checkpoint X-ray machines. More than that and you may start to see artifacts on high speed (ISO 800+) film, but even then, it will be minimal.</p>

<p>As for 220 film in HK, that's good to know. The only place I've read about recently having any sort of 220 slide film is in Tokyo (can't remember the name of the shop offhand, but it's a large electronics store). You can also mail-order from japanexposures, but it is expensive.</p>

<p>Bob - that is exactly the experience I had with this film too when I bought it from Freestyle last year (in 120). The curl is absolutely unforgiving - just getting it into the negative sleeve sheets I use was hard enough, but then, after a month of sitting under pressure (stack of books laid on top), it curled the minute I lifted the books off. No other 120 / 220 film has ever acted like this for me, and I've always been able to flatten strips out in no more than a day or two.</p>

<p>Hopefully that was just a bad batch I got, but honestly, I'd rather just stick with Fuji's offerings in E-6 since they are very reliable and have good quality control.</p>

<p>Quick reply to m stephens' question about permanence - I use mine only when needed. It is usually stored in the basement, and I bring it out into the kitchen (yes wife approves!), usually in the morning, to fill with water and bring the first batch of chemicals to temperature (it takes about an hour if you start with cold tap water). Do a few runs, then drain, clean, and store back in the basement 'til next time.</p>

<p>For color, my Jobo CPE-2+ is indispensable. I use it with multi-reel tanks in order to keep the amount of time spent processing a given batch to a minimum (since I am strictly a weekend hobbyist photographer, with a family, so time is of the essence).</p>

<p>I haven't been able to get into the print side of things (not even B&W), but hope to someday. Knowing that Jobo is going to be restarting production of even just one processor implies that they will also be restarting production of the accessories that go along with it, namely reels and tanks, which for quite a while now have been selling at exorbitant prices online. This will also hopefully spur more sales of color film and chemical products, and to me offers a glimmer of hope that we may not see the demise of C-41 or E-6 anytime soon.</p>

<p>Fingers crossed (and put me down for one new CPP-3 when it ships!)</p>

<p>I'll second the nod toward the Hy6, as it was my choice for the big upgrade last year. My 5D2 gets some good use as an all-around camera (shots of the kids, outings, short video clips here and there), but when I take the time to set up my mini-studio rig (some Alien Bees, backdrop, reflectors, etc), the Hy6 + Leaf Afi-7 takes center stage. I did some head to head comparisons between my 5D2 and the Leaf, and very quickly came to the conclusion that there is no comparison - the output from the Leaf handily beats the DSLR in every way (resolution, dynamic range, color accuracy, etc) - and that is no small feat given the level at which the 5D2 operates at.</p>

 

<p>THIS +1! :)</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Whatever you do, dont be like the guy I saw at the Porcupine Mountains last year during Fall Colors season, on an overcast day, with a 4x5 camera shooting Portra 160NC, because he had read that neg film has better dynamic range , and that saturation can always be added in post. Wrong on so many accounts. First off, a portrait film is designed to reduce facial blemishes, such as pimples or flushing, and so has reduced red sensitivity. Try shooting a sunset with a portrait film, and those reds will be bleached away. Same for red leaves in Fall! Second, it was a low contrast, overcast day. You want the extra contrast of slide in such cases for extra pop. Lastly, he had never tried out his film in advance, or experimented with film types before his trip. He took everything on the advice of what he had read online.<br /> Dont be that guy!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ok... my $.02... I just discovered that, with the right software, my V700 can supposedly produce some nice HDR type scans. I just upgraded to the latest version of Silverfast (v8), and it includes a multi-exposure mode that supposedly does a couple of passes over the slide / neg, changing the intensity of the bulb for each pass. I haven't actually _tried_ that mode yet, but am intrigued that this may actually solve part of the problem of gaining maximum dynamic range from an exposed negative or slide. Worth looking into if you're locked into a flatbed solution.</p>

<p>Regarding the Digital ICE feature in Silverfast... I've noticed a similar slowness, and figured it was my V700 that was doing the processing. Now that I know it is all software based, is there any chance that the new version of Silverfast which came out a few weeks ago improves upon this? I have a 6 core Mac Pro that would really help speed things up if they coded the algorithm to make use of extra cores. As it stands I only use the ICE feature for important scans, as it can take upwards of 20 - 25 minutes _per frame_ on 120 E-6 slides.</p>

<p>One other weirdness I noticed - the "speed" ICE option can actually make horrible mistakes when interpreting the IR data. I noticed this on some slides a few weeks ago, so now only use the "quality" option, which takes considerably longer, but at least produces pristine results.</p>

<p>I only recently got into film photography, but I've been at it for over three years now, and I still find it much more satisfying a pursuit than digital. I keep my trusty 5DM2 at hand for my kids' birthday parties and other special events that I want to make sure I don't miss (partially because it also is such a fantastic digital video recorder as well), but when I want to focus on photography as an art, I always bring along a trusty 501cm, RZ67, Yashica, etc, a few rolls of color neg, a few rolls of slide, and a few rolls of B&W. Developing at home afterward is just as rewarding, especially when pulling a fresh roll of slides from the Jobo and hanging to dry. The image you see initially becomes an even more beautiful expression as it dries, and really does seem magical that all you need is light, a lens, and some chemistry to capture the world around you.</p>

<p>I actually just returned from Rollei & Hensel Service in NJ to drop off a broken lens, and checked on the price of CLA only - it is $95. I'm not sure if that includes a firmware update or not.</p>

<p>Here is their current contact information:</p>

<p>Onick Voskinarian<br />Danielle Inc<br />Rollei & Hensel Service<br />1275 Bloomfield Ave.<br />Building #8 Unit #68<br />Fairfield, NJ 07004<br />973-244-9662<br />973-244-9817 Fax</p>

<p>I'm going to check out these suggestions, as I currently use my Tamrac Velocity 9x with the Hy6. I find that the grip is the biggest obstacle to a smooth insertion / removal from the bag. There's plenty of space under the camera to store lenses, even attached (although the big ones like the 180mm PQ or 50mm PQS can be a tight fit with the lens cap attached), but the grip tends to catch on the padded sides, which themselves are not easy to move around (and I don't think can be removed).</p>

 

<p>I spoke with Onick today and it sounded like he'd be able to fix the lens if it is just an issue with the AF mechanism inside the lens. He confirmed what Brad said about alignment, since they can't afford the specialized equipment that they have in Germany for lens alignment. I'm hoping to stop by the repair shop later this week to drop off the lens, and also to show Onick the production version of the 6x6 back (he actually hasn't seen the release version of it, just a pre-production from a few years ago!)</p>

 

<p>Drat... I suppose it was too good to be true. After spending months piecing together the perfect medium format kit, one of the three lenses I got for my Hy6 just went on the fritz this morning while I was taking pictures of my kids. I ended up getting a pretty good price on a Schneider AFD 50mm lens off the auction site last month, and hadn't had much time to try it out until recently. While shooting through a roll of 220 Kodak 400VC this morning, Hy6 set to continuous autofocus, the lens abruptly stopped autofocusing. Instead, all I hear now is a very bad sounding "whir, whir" whenever the motor inside the lens engages, and very minute clicks as the focus wheel moves in very, very small increments. It seems to want to rotate clockwise, toward the closer focus increments, but rotating counterclockwise produces the behavior just described.</p>

<p>I guess at this point I'll try calling up the repair guys in (I think it's) Fairfield, NJ, which incidentally is not far from where I live. Does anybody know if they are up to the task of repairing the AFD lenses, or do they stick more to the pre-AFD era (6008AF type lenses)? I really hope I don't have to ship the lens all the way to Germany for repair, as I need it on an upcoming trip. I suppose it could function as a non-AF lens until after (the camera still picks up the focus point and shows confirmation fine).</p>

 

<p>First congrats on ordering the Hy6! When I was looking at getting either the 6008AF or HY6 a few months ago I ran across a few sites that had info about your 6008AF + Sinar setup, so it's great to hear you're stepping up to the Hy6.</p>

<p>I actually did not realize that the bottom plate on the Hy6 fits into a QR system. I will try to take a look tonight at mine to see which one it works with, or at the very least take a photo of it and post it online for you. I haven't had much time to experiment with mine on a tripod yet, but am glad to hear that the plate on the bottom was designed for a QR system.</p>

 

<p>I went this exact route several years ago... and the first step beyond the Holga for me was a Yashica 124 which I picked up from the Camera Doctor in Atlanta, GA. The guy who runs the shop specializes in rebuilding Yashicas, and I have to say, compared to the Hasselblad 501CM I got later, the 124 is _tack sharp_, whereas the 'blad is a bit more, let's say "loose", when it comes to the focusing.</p>

<p>Now, the 124 does give me troubles when winding film from time to time, but, if your budget is fixed, it's a good option to consider. I would bring up one other point which I didn't see mentioned here... being a fellow dad, time is not on your side, and your new child will grow very quickly over the next year. The camera you don't have now will not do you any good in preserving those memories. Or, as another forum's motto goes - "Buy now, explain later." :)</p>

 

<p>Keep in mind that the 645D is in very high demand right now. It is very difficult to get one in the U.S., and I hear it is constantly sold out in Japan as well.</p>

<p>Based on the research I've done, it sounds like most people who have existing lenses from earlier Pentax 645 systems, who then migrate to the 645D, are having very hit or miss luck with regard to the level of quality expected out of a 40+ megapixel camera. The lenses have to be of very, very high quality in order to project the level of detail that the sensor can pick up, and for the older lenses, there are some questions regarding quality control even among the exact same lens (i.e., there are good copies, and there are bad copies, of any particular lens).</p>

<p>Pentax is putting efforts into a new lineup of lenses specifically designed for the 645D system, so keep that in mind too. They are not cheap too (at least not when comparing against the legacy lenses, which are plentiful in the secondhand market right now). I know I wouldn't buy this camera without first having had a chance to try it, and in the best case, try it along with the exact lenses I was intending to use with it.</p>

<p>I had been in contact with Reiner from DHW, and once I found out they would add a 6% surcharge to using Paypal, I decided it was better to just order one from HK. I get points on my credit card anywhere I use it, so it just works out better that way.</p>

<p>So far I am really impressed with the HY6. It is everything I expected it to be, very well engineered, ergonomically designed, it just feels great hand held or on a tripod. To answer an earlier question, I just upgraded to an Epson V700 scanner with a custom holder from betterscanning.com (and glass covers). I did a comparison against some scans I did late last year with my previous scanner (Canon 8800F), and it is a night and day improvement in every respect with the Epson, so I'm really glad that that has worked out for the better. Hopefully I can get some time this coming weekend to load up a few rolls into the HY6 and get some shots under my belt. My main intention when looking for a new MF body was autofocus, and I agree, this is the top of the line as far as full frame medium format autofocus bodies goes.</p>

<p>I actually got a new one, with the 80mm f/2.8 AFD lens. I've been quite busy this week and really haven't had time to sit down and figure out how everything works, I just know there will be a learning curve.</p>

<p>Fortunately the seller sent me a brand new battery which works great now, but I was impatient, and decided to try to find a battery on my own while his shipped (from Hong Kong). I found out that the Sony branded F-570 battery (with the smart chip built in) does _not_ work in the HY6 - the camera will turn on for a second, then turn off, and trigger the battery's protection circuit at the same time so it will appear as though the battery is dead. Putting the battery in a charger for a couple minutes fixes that though. I returned the Sony, and got an Energizer F-570 compatible battery, and that worked like a charm. I was soooo happy when the camera finally sprang to life as I was sweating what I would have to do if I couldn't get this brand spanking new camera (relatively speaking since we don't really know if they are being manufactured anymore) to work.</p>

<p>Now that I've cleared out my queue of film to scan, I can process the next batch, then I'll have time to load some film into the HY6 and give her a good trial!</p>

<p>I can highly recommend the 110 f/2.8, as it is my most used lens in the lineup. I've got that, the 90mm, and the 180mm f/4.5, and I'd say I use the 110mm about 80% of the time. It's a great range for getting shots of my kids, especially indoors, as they run around. Focusing is not the easiest, but I manage, and it's especially fun with a pack of Fuji instant in a Polaroid back - the "mistakes" still look great, blurred and all!</p>

<p>What I really like about the RZ system in general is the close focusing ability of the _camera_, which applies to all lenses. Compare that to just about any other MF system out there, and you're looking at a minimum focusing distance on most other lenses of around 1 meter. The RZ lets you get a lot closer than that with all the lenses due to the bellows design of the camera, although you do trade-off a stop or two. Still, it's really nice to have that flexibility built-in to the system.</p>

<p>John & Brad, thanks for your response! I actually just received my HY6 a couple of days ago (brand new), and have been having problems with batteries since. The one that came with it was completely dead (it was one of the Pisen F570 types) - the charger refused to even charge it, and I confirmed with a multimeter that the battery was in fact dead. (or at the very least the protection circuit inside was preventing any current from running through it). So I went and got a Sony equivalent, and that too has been nothing but problems. It will charge in the charger (the Hahnel that comes with the HY6 kit), but the camera will only stay on for a couple of seconds before cutting off, and when I remove the battery, it too shows no DC current on the multimeter. Putting it back in the charger "fixes" it, but it only lasts a couple seconds again in the HY6.</p>

<p>I contacted the seller whom I purchased the kit from and he's sending me a new battery, so hopefully that will get things working, but it's just frustrating having spent a small fortune on this camera to not have it work out of the box. I appreciate your help though in trying to identify which battery goes in the Rollei!</p>

 

<p>Well... I went ahead and bought an HY6 kit from a different outfit on ebay, and it arrived today!</p>

<p>Unfortunately, the kit came with the older Pisen F570 battery, and it appears to be completely dead. I've contacted the seller to see if they can help me out, but in the meantime, is there a compatible battery I could pick up from an online store based in the U.S.? (Preferably so I can get multiple batteries - no sense having a camera run out of power on you while on a shoot!)</p>

<p>Will the Maximal Power batteries work with the Rollei branded HY6? I can't tell from the picture if the ends have the circular slots where the prongs inside the grip fit into the battery.</p>

<p>With regard to a Polaroid back, as Q.G. said Fuji still makes instant film, FP-100C, FP-100B, and FP-3000B (available in the U.S.) I've also imported the Silk version of the 100 color (from the UK), as well as the 400 b&w (from Japan). I really really like the 400 - I wish they'd sell it domestically.</p>

<p>As far as using instant on a Hassy, I had a Polaroid back for my 501cm, and honestly, it just didn't have the level of quality I wanted. Images always came out too blurry / fuzzy, and the size was actually quite a bit smaller than I expected (it wasn't the full 60cm x 60cm). It was also off-center, which annoyed me a bit. I mainly use my RZ67 + Pola back to shoot instant, and get much sharper, fuller size (and centered) images. I would say if you can find a cheap enough back then it's worth it to play around with, but you may find the quality isn't on par with shooting film. (I tend to shoot instants as a final product, not as a way of metering, which was how most pros used them back in the day).</p>

<p>That is good news to hear Tak. I only wish I could visit the Hong Kong shops in person - they sound like they are really passionate about photography!</p>

<p>Ah cool... well at least there is one more "new" HY6 user out there. :)</p>

<p>My main use for the camera would be film as well, but given how expensive it is, I figured it was a good idea to know what digital options there are for it in the future. I have two small kids running around the house these days, and even though I can get good pics of them with the Hassy 501cm or RZ67 Pro II, it's not easy, and I definitely miss some shots that an AF capable camera would at least give me a decent chance at.</p>

<p>I will say that you're not missing much by not going with a Hassy - I've found that focusing with it is not always straightforward, in that I have a hard time even seeing the split image in the center under many different conditions, not to mention the microprism collar. I specifically got that camera for the Accute-Matte screen, and it is underwhelming to say the least. The RZ67 is a lot easier to focus with, but that is a beast to haul around. I make good use of it though, and not to rub too much salt, but it actually takes really good instant shots too with the Fuji pack film.</p>

<p>I dunno what I'll do at this point, but I'm glad this thread was started - at least I know now that there is an option to get the 6x6 back from somewhere other than DHW, even if it means paying a little extra (well, a lot, but who's counting at these prices anyway!? :)</p>