artyom_liss

<p>Thank you, Bob, this is incredibly helpful.</p>

 

 

 

<p>Hi all, happy New Year and merry Christmas (belatedly)<br /><br />I have a question.<br />So I have a Sony a7 (the original version). I also have a LAE-A4 adapter to use A lenses on this E body.<br>

My usual fodder is landscapes and a bit of urban photography. <br>

However, I will be spending a few days in the environment where I'm likely to need to use a very long lens (we're talking Tamron 150-600 and similar). I'm going on safari!<br>

The a7 has no built-in "steadyshot". So it'll be very difficult to handhold anything and get decent results.<br />I was thinking of hiring a camera/lens combo in Delhi - but it's going to work out at £120 for six days. So I thought it might be a better idea to buy something on eBay and then sell upon my return. Hopefully I won't lose quite as much money.<br />So the options, as best as I can tell, are:<br />1) Hire from a firm in my destination country (Canon 6d/100-400 L) - £120 over six days, what happens if I drop it? <br />2) Buy an a77 + a Tamron 150-600 on eBay, hoping to resell upon my return - shouldn't lose as much as I would pay for a hire, can put on my insurance, but there is the risk of not being able to sell them, plus I'd need to carry two cameras.<br />3) Buy something like a Tokina 80-400 II, try and use it on the a7 with bean bags, monopods etc. to attempt to get decent pix without shaking. - I've used Tokinas before, I think they're great, but 400 mm on an a7 body without stabilisation? Hmmm....<br />What would you do if you were me?</p>

 

 

 

 

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<p>Hi all, happy New Year and merry Christmas (belatedly)<br /><br />I have a question.<br>

So I have a Sony a7 (the original version). I also have a LAE-A4 adapter to use A lenses on this E body.<br>

I will be spending a few days in the environment where I'm likely to need to use a very long lens (we're talking Tamron 150-600 and similar). I'm going on safari!</p>

 

<p>The a7 has no built-in "steadyshot". So it'll be very difficult to handhold anything and get decent results.<br>

I was thinking of hiring a camera/lens combo in Delhi - but it's going to work out at £120 for six days. So I thought it might be a better idea to buy something on eBay and then sell upon my return. Hopefully I won't lose quite as much money.<br>

So the options, as best as I can tell, are:<br>

1) Hire from a firm in my destination country (Canon 6d/100-400 L) - £120 over six days, what happens if I drop it? <br />2) Buy an a77 + a Tamron 150-600 on eBay, hoping to resell upon my return - shouldn't lose as much as I would pay for a hire, can put on my insurance, but there is the risk of not being able to sell them, plus I'd need to carry two cameras.<br />3) Buy something like a Tokina 80-400 II, try and use it on the a7 with bean bags, monopods etc. to attempt to get decent pix without shaking. - I've used Tokinas before, I think they're great, but 400 mm on an a7 body without stabilisation? Hmmm....<br>

What would you do if you were me?</p>

 

<p>Thanks guys, you've put my mind at rest.</p>

<p>Guys and girls, I have a question. <br />I was at a motorcycling event, attending out of personal interest, but I also volunteered for the "photography crew". <br />There, I saw a journalist (of the sort who use a GoPro to do a TV interview) talking to one of the participants. They were positioned really nicely, and the light was superb, so I took a picture of them. <br />I then sent the photograph to the journalist. Next thing I knew it was on his Twitter promoting the full interview "soon available on the website". No credit, no mention of me, no mention of the event even. The website is, clearly, a business, plastered with ads.<br />I wrote him an e-mail saying it would have been nice of him to have asked before using the picture commercially. I also said in the e-mail, very clearly, that I did not mind him using the picture, but for the future he should be aware that some other photographers could be less understanding. <br />He sent me a really unpleasant reply which I even hesitate to quote here. I now feel like an absolute bastard who created a big deal out of nothing. What do you think?</p>

<p>Dave - it terms of clothing, it's pretty straightforward. The more the merrier. I counted 20 garments on my body at some stage. <br>

The cold there is very dry, so it's easier to live with the -59 there than with 0 in London. When we were filming in the mountains, we stayed outdoors for a good hour and a half - with no apparent consequences. That day, it was -47.<br>

Re: spare battery - I left it in the car, next to the heater. You can't _not_ have a car there: you'll die. Ust-Nera (the town where we went) is very small, just 2 thousand people. Even so, everybody drives the whole time, including popping over to see the neighbours two streets away. Oh, and the cold means all cars are fitted with home-made double glazing, and engines are never switched off - unless you are in a heated garage, of course. </p>

<p>Dear all,<br>

Just got back from the trip. Thanks for all the advice you guys gave me! The camera worked better than I expected - even though it went down to -59 one day.... which was, frankly, more than I'd bargained for :-)<br>

The issues I noticed were: <br>

- battery life (as expected, about 20 shots per battery, but this can be easily dealt with)<br>

- viewfinder becomes useless: as you breathe, it gathers condensation and gets misted up very quickly. Solution: breathe away from the camera.<br>

- lenses: AF becomes erratic and sometimes refuses to work altogether. Again, after a few hours back indoors, this seems to go away.<br>

- live view: from a full battery, you get 20-30 shots... or one shot if you are using live view <br>

That seems to be it. Amazingly, the D700 fared better than our big huge Betacam. <br>

If you want to see the pix, please let me know - I'll e-mail you the link to them on Picasa. <br>

Thanks again for your help guys!</p>

<p>Artyom</p>

<p>Thanks for all your replies guys!<br>

I e-mailed Nikon last night, and here is what they sent me:</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Thank you for your email.<br /><br />Regrettably, our cameras are not tested and therefore not guaranteed to work properly in sub-zero temperatures. On the other hand, we have heard numerous reports about our cameras being successfully used in arctic conditions. <br /><br />The biggest threat to any electronic equipment in very low temperatures seems to be water vapour condensation and the shortened battery life. To prevent the first, I would recommend to store the camera in a sealed container (ie. zip-lock bag or plastic food box) with some silica-gel packets when not in use. Also, it is recommended to protect the camera from the air exchange during temperature changes - by locking in the container - during first 15-20 minutes of an outdoor trip and the same time when you return indoors. It is also important not to keep your equipment under clothing when walking in the cold due to different temperature and humidity. <br /><br />Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent shorter battery life caused by the low temperature. The best solution would be to carry a spare one at all times, kept in a warm place - i.e the inner jacket pocket (there is no problem with condensation, as all batteries are sealed), and replace when needed. Please note that "frozen" lithium battery will return to normal charge level when warmed up.<br /><br />Unfortunately we are not able to predict if any other issue may develop due to such extreme temperatures. Hopefully your equipment will withstand them with no problem.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>So I suppose I'll just be sensible and follow their advice. </p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p>Hi guys<br>

Thank you all for advice, really helps a lot.<br>

The reason I was getting concerned is that the cameraman I'm going with (I'm a TV producer) is freaking out big time - saying he cannot guarantee his huge pro video camera will work, buying all sorts of specialist heated sleeves for it, etc., etc. So I thought - if a $15000 Betacam is in danger of packing up, shouldn't I be thinking twice?<br>

Anyway, thank you for your contributions. Hopefully I'll be able to share some pix when we come back.</p>

<p>Dear all,</p>

<p>I am going to Yakutsk, in Siberia, for work. This morning, the temperature there was -44C. Naturally, I am very keen to take my D700 along.... but I'm slightly concerned. Do you think I might damage it in this sort of weather?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Dear all,<br>

I just came back from a little trip to the Peak District - and on all three films that I shot the edges of the frames are terribly overexposed, - so much so that I suspect a light leak somewhere. Or maybe the film is not aligning properly?<br>

Has anybody encountered this problem before? Is the camera dead? Who should I talk to to get it fixed, if this is at all possible? I'm in London...<br>

Or could it be the scanner playing up? <br>

Thanks for any advice.<br>

<img src="http://s014.radikal.ru/i328/1011/7a/8ecf8ec16ca7.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://s015.radikal.ru/i330/1011/16/fe951f35bce7.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks Gregory. So just to confirm: a manual lens <em>will </em>focus with the original AF screen - but it's just a lot more hassle, right?</p>

<p>Hi all,<br>

I'm thinking of adding a wide-angle manual lens to my M645 AF setup. The manual (on butkus.org) says manual lenses require a different "viewfinder screen" being fitted to the camera.<br>

Has anybody here got any experience with this? Why is a different screen required? <br>

Thanks<br>

Artyom</p>

<p>Over the last three weeks, I have been lucky enough to experiment with what are, probably, the three most popular 6X4.5 systems around: a Mamiya Pro TL, a Pentax 645N, and a Bronica ETRS. The Mamiya and the Pentax were rented from a shop; the Bronica - from somebody I met on one of the forums.<br>

I know most of what I'm going to say will be old news to people reading this forum - but, who knows, it might give those who are only just considering their first steps in MF something to think about.<br>

Also, I am not comparing picture quality here. All three deliver brilliant results. If you want to be really picky and subjective, I think the Mamiya was the sharpest of all, the Bronica was "lyrical" and less contrasty, while the pix from the Pentax seemed sharp and yet - to my eye - a bit too "cold" and "removed". Like I said, this is all purely subjective. Other people, I'm sure, will rate them differently.<br>

I will only talk about the ergonomics - what the three cameras feel like in day-to-day usage. Again, these are purely my observations. I'm sure other people will have other things to say.<br>

So - for the pros and the cons.<br>

<strong>Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80/2.8/FE401 metering prism/motor winder.</strong><br>

Pros<br>

- Easy to understand and convenient metering system with the averaging mode and the spot mode<br />- The right weight to shoot handheld (heavy enough, yet still portable)<br />- Easy to rig/derig, but built cleverly enough to ensure you do nothing wrong while putting it together; also, it's nigh on impossible to detach one of the "elements" (prism/mag/lens) accidentally.<br />- Very convenient focus ring, with a good, solid feel<br />- All controls are conveniently laid out where they should be - I could easily jump between the Mamiya and my D90 without even having to think about what I was doing with various settings<br />- Lenses are easy to find and cheap on e-bay; if you want, you can even use non-Mamiya lenses with an adapter<br>

Cons<br>

- I didn't like the motor winder. I felt it was on the heavy side, making it difficult to ensure the camera is 100% horisontal when shooting hand-held<br />- Both the mirror and the winder are way too loud. Take a shot - and, in today's terrorism-aware society, you'll have police running towards you in no time at all. And I'm only half-joking.<br />- The prism is slightly on the dark side, but it's possible to get used to this<br />- The AE setting are not terribly easy to read - again, nothing one can't get used to.<br>

Pentax 645N, 80-160/4.5<br>

<strong></strong><strong></strong><br>

Pros<br>

- Quick, convenient and easy-to-use autofocus and metering<br />- Laid out very much like a 35 mil SLR - again, minimal fiddling involved.<br />- The zoom lens is long enough to make it easy to hold the camera with both hands, supporting the lens around the focus ring.<br>

Cons<br>

- Bulky and heavy. Will only fit into a videocamera bag<br />- Lenses are way too expensive, even on e-bay<br />- Impossible to swap between films mid-roll: there are no interchangeable backs<br>

<strong>Bronica ETRS, AEII, 75/2.8, 40/4</strong><br>

Pros<strong><br /></strong><br>

- Comparatively light and very convenient to hand-held<br />- Loved the wide-angle lens!<br>

Cons<br>

- The metering prism eats batteries like those toy cars I used to play with in the 1980s. I went through two batteries in the space of three days! And they are not exactly cheap. One way around it is to switch the metering off when you're not shooting. But then, of course, you forget to switch it back on again, which means the shutter speed you get is completely random. I've lost quite a few frames to this.<br />- Why is the shutter speed setting ring on the side of the camera? Who decided it was convenient and ergonomic?<br />- The focusing screen was not very nice at all. I had to guestimate where my focus was. Yes, I know you can change these screens.<br />- Settings are not shown through the prism. Which makes it very easy to forget you had exposure compensation dialled in. Or your aperture was set to something ridiculous. Yes, I know you'll probably get used to this. But it makes the workflow unnecessarily complex.<br />- Nowhere to put the darkslide when you are shooting. Which means you have to put it in your pocket. Which means it will go missing one day.<br />- The back is easy to open accidentally. I did just that.<br />- I couldn't figure out what exactly the metering prism was metering. Sometimes it seemed it was more "average", sometimes it appeared to be operating in spot mode. But maybe it's just me.<br>

So, what is the conclusion? Of these three, I would get a Mamiya any day of the week. Which I now have done, and at a very good price, too.<br />Having said that, I will probably keep on using my good old Yashica Mat. It might not have interchangeable lenses; it might be soft and, sometimes, have moodswings resulting in weird exposure settings etc. - but it's easy to use and foolproof. And 6X6 is very nice, too....</p>

<p>Dear all,<br>

I just rented a lovely ETR-S ("new", i.e. with the lens release on the left-hand side of the body), and I don't seem to be able to make the lens release work for me! However hard I try, the lever just won't move.<br>

The shutter is cocked; the dark slide is in.<br>

Unfortunately, the shop I rented it from seem unable to help. They only have a rather clueless attendant in today - the owner is on holiday...<br>

I've scoured the internet, but all manuals I have been able to find only refer to the pre-facelift ETR-S.<br>

Can somebody please please help me? Do I need to push a button while I'm trying to move the lever? Or is there a magic word I should be whispering into the lens?<br>

Thanks a lot!</p>

<p>Artyom</p>