mwmcbroom

When I made the decision to upgrade from my Epson 3170 to something better, I did a lot of research on flatbed scanners. Even bought a new HP that I quickly returned when I was unable to achieve adequate quality scans. After a lot of research I decided on the Epson 4990 -- I just couldn't afford the V7xx series -- but, like you, I was finding them to be awfully thin on the ground -- and this was some 6 or 7 years ago, I guess it was. I was getting frustrated, not being able to find anything on eBay, so I resorted to a utility called SearchTempest which searched Craigslists across the continent for whatever search string it was I was looking for. I'd used it once before to find a winder for an old Canon F-1, so I had some confidence that I might come up with something. And I finally did. I found a guy in Chicago who had one for sale for $200, and I talked him into shipping it to me. I got the scanner with all film holders, but no software, so I had to d/l the drivers from Epson. Interesting you should mention the cult of LF enthusiasts because I went to a photo meetup here one evening, and there were a couple of LF guys there who owned 4990s. One of them even brought a couple of 4x5 "contact prints" he'd made with his Epson -- just unenlarged scans that he sent to his printer and printed it out on quality paper stock. They looked fantastic, so it was this meeting that really pushed me toward the 4990. I had also been thinking seriously about one of the Canon 9000-series, which is also supposed to be an excellent flatbed, but is even harder to find than the Epson.

Since we're sharing scans, here's one from my Epson 4990. Yashica Mat 124G, Tri-X, Developed in Kodak D76.

I have an old Minolta 50mm f/1.7 lens I use for a general purpose loupe. When looking at MF sldies and negs, usiing this as a loupe, I just move it around a bit to catch the corners. Reversed, it provides a bit more magnification. A 35mm lens reversed actually provides quite a bit of mangnification. Using the normal lens that came with your medium format camera may or may not work. It depends on whether your lens has a shutter inside. My Bronica has an electronic shutter, which stays closed, so shutters like mine won't do you any good.

I have an Epson 4990 that was Epson's top of the line model prior to the V7xx series. It does a great job with medium and large format negatives and slides. I bought mine used 6 years ago for $200. Chances are, they're cheaper now. As for duping with a digital, really all you need is a good macro lens and then some way to backllight your film. I have a lightbox I built that I use for duping medium format images. I built mine out of a wooden wine case that had an open top and closed bottom. I cut the box in half lengthwise and then mounted hinges and latches. Inside you can mount a string of white LEDs, which is the best light source to use these days. To enclose the box, I bought a sheet of translucent white plastic, for the top, cut it to fit, then mounted it with screws to the wood sides. You'll also need either a tripod or a copy stand so you can eliminate camera shake. I like to set my lens to f/8, which puts it into the sweet spot and which aso gives one a bit of depth of field that might help with minor film imperfections.

I've never tried this, but I know several people that swear by it. Cold cream -- the kind of stuff that women put on their faces to remove makeup. Apparently it works great for removing fungus. You might want to try googling something like "cold cream lens fungus" and see if you get any hits explaining the exact process.

Well, there's a bit more of a variety with mirrorless cameras now than there was just this time last year. As for PC connectivity, this is something you'll have to investigate with each maker. Visit their websites and read up on their connectivity capabilities. Now, in addition to the Sony Alpha and NEX series, there is the Nikon Z system and Canon's new and improved system. Any of these can be adapted for use with Canon FD lenses -- just give the adapter makers for Canon and Nikon time to catch up, if they haven't already.

I would strongly recommend against powering a circuit intended for 1.35v with a 3v battery. Or am I misinterpreting what you're getting at?

It's my understanding that the chemistry is what determines the voltage, but when it comes to the zinc air batteries, perhaps there's something else going on as well? Maybe freshness is a factor? Perhaps these newly rated 1.45v batteries are fresher than the typical ones rated at 1.4v? It's just a guess. But my experience with the 1.40v 675s is that, once they've been in my cameras for a few days, the voltage output is actually 1.35v, and the battery remains at this same output until exhaustion. So perhaps the Weins are "pre-aged?" Who knows.

I think that Nikon might just possibly have noticed that Canon was doing just fine with its EOS-1 and its non-interchangeable finder. Seems like the pros who were using the EOS-1/n/v never missed this feature. Me personally, I'm an old atavistic anachronism. I like interchangeable finders. I actually own two accessory finders for my original Canon F-1s and two for my Nikon F2s. Replacing focusing screens through the mirror box is a fiddly affair and something that isn't easily done while out in the field (I do mostly outdoor photography), whereas dropping in another focusing screen is much easier to do.

For years, I've been using the 675 hearing aid batteries. I buy mine from Costco -- a card of 48 of 'em for less than $10. I just cut a section of the card off with a few batteries and stick it in my camera bag for spares. I've been using them in all my cameras that used the old PX625. My Canon F-1s, which have a very accurate meter, agree exactly with two of my Gossen meters, and when you want to do something as basic as check the Sunny F/16 Rule, it always agrees exactly there, as well. While zinc-air cells don't last all that long, they're definitely cheap, which is why I always keep spares on hand. One thing that isn't often mentioned is the zinc-air cells have almost the identical discharge profile as the old mercury batteries. A zinc-air cell produces a flat voltage output until exhaustion, virtually identical to mercury batteries, which is way, way different from alkalines. If you need something wider than the 675, an o-ring, as shown above works well. I also use a piece of 18 gauge wire I'll coil up and insert into the battery compartment. There is a metal ring that you can buy that can be installed on the battery, which is convenient for cameras that take their current readings off the side of the battery. Jon Goodman, the fellow who produces the great camera light seal kits also supplies these rings for cheap. He can be reached at jon_goodman@yahoo.com.

As long as we're discussing 80-200s with low dispersion glass, I feel compelled to mention the Tamron SP 80-200mm f/2.8 LD, a large push-pull zoom. At 200mm, its resolution and contrast rivals that of the Nikon AIs 180mm f/2.8 ED, an exceptionally fine lens. This isn't a cheap zoom -- typically you find them in the $300-400 range. I lucked out, found mine at KEH in BGN condition, and picked it up for "only" $250. Reason for the BGN rating? The zoom collar slipped slightly. Not a problem for me. I would be very curious to find out how the Tamron compares to the Canon 80-200 L. Maybe one of these days I'll pick up one of these legendary Canon zooms and I can answer the question for myself.

The whole stop-down lever or button business on the FD Canons is a holdover from the earlier cameras that took the FL lenses, in which metering was done with the stop-down button engaged. The biggest difference between the FL and FD lenses is the FD lenses allow for full-aperture metering. But this button was retained in FD-compatible Canons so that the earlier FL lenses could still be used. The stop-down lever or button on FD Canons must be engaged in order to properly meter a scene with FL lenses. When it is engaged, a reference mark is revealed, which is used to determine correct exposure. The stop-down lever or button can also be used to preview depth of field with FD lenses, of course, but one does not meter a scene with the FD lenses the way one has to do with FL lenses.

The original F-1 is my favorite 35mm camera. I have probably put thousands of rolls through the old F-1s I've owned over the years. I've always especially liked the way the camera meters a scene. Metering occurs only within that slightly darker central rectangle in the image area, which amounts to about 12% of the image. I found this to be a very handy metering method, especially when shooting slides, which are well known for having a rather narrow latitude range. I will maneuver the metering rectangle around a scene and watch how its position affects exposure, then I can often decide on a position to place the rectangle for metering that amounts to a good average for a scene that will result in a properly exposed slide. I'll set the exposure values based on this reading, then recompose the scene and shoot. These days I have much more modern cameras, both film and digital, but when it's available, I'll always select Partial as a metering method because it's what I know works and I can depend on it. Thanks to the original F-1. Since you have a large F-1 outfit, I recommend you see if you can find one of the books Canon published on the F-1 during the 70s. I have two different ones. They are excellent resources for the entire F-1 system, complete with explanations on how each component works. I found one on eBay just now. Go there and do a search on "Canon F-1 book" (without the quotes) This book was published in 1973, which covers the version you own.

With the old F-1 and FTb, neither the ring, nor an o-ring are necessary. The spring in the battery compartment has sufficient tension to hold the battery in place. Now, if you really feel the need to center the battery, another workable solution is to use some 18 ga. or so wire. Cut off a piece equal to the circumference of the battery and just coil it up in the compartment, Bob's your uncle. I buy my batteries from Costco. You can buy a card of -- 48, I think it is now -- for less than $10. Given the rather short life of these batteries, I always keep a few spares in my camera bag. My F-1 works very well with these batteries. I've tested it on several occasions against a couple of accurate Gossen meters I own, and it usually agrees exactly with them.

I just got another idea. These days, with the prevalence of 3D printers, it seems the broken part could be duplicated easily enough. Might even be able to fabricate a metal replacement using that technology?

Hmm . . . I wonder if it can be repaired with JB Weld?

The X-700 is an extremely common camera on the used market. It should be fairly easy to find a seller who will guarantee the camera's proper function and offer a return if there's a problem with it. Incidentally, if you are at all interested in manual photography, the X570 is a better platform than the X700. True, it doesn't have a Program mode, but so what. The X570's shutter speeds and aperture are fully coupled with its meter. With the X700, only the aperture is coupled to the meter. That is, when changing the shutter speed, it doesn't affect the meter readout. You must set the shutter speed at whatever the meter suggests. This system works with the X700, but it isn't as convenient as the method employed by the X570.

I agree about replacement. It sounds like your A-1 has multiple issues that may not be easily repaired. I'm thinking that one or more of the flex circuits that are crammed under the top cover have probably been damaged. There are no new replacements for these -- another A-1 would have to be cannibalized for it/them. So, if you like the A-1 -- and what's not to like? -- I'd just buy another clean working copy.

My F100's door latch appears to be sturdy enough. I take good care of my gear and I suppose if one doesn't beat the camera half to death, the latch might actually last a while.

I bought an F100 a few months ago, after going back and forth over whether to buy it or an F5. The F6 was out of my price range, so it wasn't even up for consideration. I finally decided on the F100 because it has most features that the F5 have -- features that I consider important -- plus it's more compact and weighs a lot less. But if for some reason I miss all that weight, I can always get an MB-15 grip for it. Haven't gotten the grip yet, but I'm still thinking about it. Just for the sake of full disclosure, I also own an F4 and an N80, in addition to a variety of MF Nikons. The F4 is a beast, but it has great ergonomics, so the weight isn't as apparent. The N80 is just the opposite. Very light, very quiet. I haven't had a chance to put much film through my F100 yet, but I have enjoyed it when I did. AF is very fast and accurate. Miles better than the F4's, especially when I'm shooting rapidly moving subjects. All in all, I'm happy with my purchase. Now, as for the F6, I'll probably add one to my collection one day -- a clean used one, once prices have (hopefully) dropped a bit further.

I used to own an EC-TL and as I slowly grew my outfit, when looking for lenses, I just looked for ones that were described to fit S2A/EC, usually. Or when I was hunting for them at camera meets, I'd be asking for early Bronica, to fit S2a or EC, etc. I never referred to the mount by name. Now as far as which lens fits your S2a or EC or whatever you have, one easy way to tell is that first -- the lenses for these early cameras don't have focusing helicals. The helical is a separate piece. Later Bronica lenses are of more typical construction -- that is, with integral focusing helicals. And second, the early lenses don't have electrical contacts, whereas all of the later Bronica lenses -- to fit the ETR series, SQ series, or GX, they all have electrical contacts.

Back in a previous life, I bought and sold camera gear. Frequently, when I bought a collection, the bag was thrown in as part of the deal. I never sold any bags, though, and as a result of this, I have lots of camera bags. Of all the different brands I own, I gotta say that I probably like Tamrac the best, and the reason is the strap. The Tamrac straps tend to have better padding than others I own. As far as the inner spaces go, just about all of them can be configured with the velcro separators, so that's not usually a reason to recommend one over another. I have one bag -- I'll have to check and see what brand it is -- that has separators that I like. Two of them are tall with a "U" shaped cutout in the middle, so they work great for cameras with motordrive and lens attached. And the fact that there are two of them, I have them located at either end of the bag, so I can fit two motordriven cameras with lenses in the bag. There's enough room in between the two separators for four pockets -- two by two -- so four more tall lenses can be added, or what I'll often do -- I'll stack two shorter primes in these pockets. It's a handy bag, but when fully loaded with old-school cameras with motor drives and lenses, it can weigh a lot!

I'm sort of a late participant to Nikon autofocus. My first AF Nikon was an F4, which I bought just a few years ago. And then maybe a year later I bought an N80 for a steal of a price -- $40. I was amazed that I was able to buy such a nice camera for so cheap. I found the stickiness annoying, but I was able to get rid of it by lightly dusting my hands with talcum powder and then just "handling" the camera. The talcum powder becomes translucent, thus once it's been worked in,its invisible. So, that was a couple years ago when I bought the N80, and the stickiness hasn't returned. Anyway, I really like the camera for its full suite of features, its AF speed, the fact that it is very quiet, and it is very light. A very nice tool. More recently I picked up an F100. Quite a bit more robust and heavier than the N80, and to be honest, even though the F100 has a few more features, I think I like my N80 a little better. Oh, and a must-have, in my opinion, is the battery grip. I think it's an MB16? Anyway, it eliminates the somewhat hard to find C123 batteries, replacing them with "AA"s. I also like the added length and heft that it provides.

I love the Super Ikontas. I've owned a couple of late Bs and a couple of late BXes (BX has the selenium meterr). Currently I own a late BX and it is one of my favorite medium format cameras. I call the Super Ikonta B a "pocket Hasselblad" because I consider its optical quality to be every bit as good. Super Ikontas are not uncommon, but the best of them are. Those with the Compur Rapid shutter and uncoated lens are pretty common. But the best ones are qute a bit harder to find. To me, the best are ones llke the late B shown on the previous page. It has the coated lens and the Synchro Compur shutter. This shutter also has the modern PC flash connector. It took me years before I finally found a late B on eBay at a reasonable price. In fact, I got it for a great price -- $100 and it even came with an original users manual -- and case, of course. The camera had been used seldom over its lifespan -- it's in almost mint condition. Actually, mine's a BX, but I don't mind having the meter. I don't use it, even though it responds to light.

When I'm out in public shooting with one of my film cameras, the typical reaction I get is "cool." But I can think of a couple of instances where the camera made more of an impression. The first was at a photo shoot I attended. Everybody else had their Canon 5D-whatzits or alphanumeric soup Nikons with big zooms attached, and I had my old Canon F-1 with Winder F attached, which slowly ground away at a leisurely 2fps. Funny thing was, every time I'd snap a pic of the model, she'd look up at me with a puzzled expression. It dawned on me that she was reacting to the noise of the Winder F as it slowly ground away to the next frame. My camera was the only one making that old-timey motor drive/winder sound and it stuck out like a sore thumb amidst all the muted clicks and whirs of the various DSLRs the other phtographers were using.. Then there was the time I found myself in the middle of a civil war reenactment while I was carrying my Bronica ETRSi. I had the Speed Grip and prism finder mounted and, even though the ETRSi is a somewhat small camera as medium format SLRs go, it's a pretty big package as far as cameras in general go. Anyway, I was at this event, trying to stay out of the way of the action, and another DSLR-wielding fellow, who was also trying to stay ouf of the way, stepped in front of me, then turned, saw my Bronica, and just said "Wow!" I just smiled and said something like, "Yep, it's a film camera."