stewart_thorp

<p>Hi there,</p>

<p>I have a few multitank 5's that are missing the center cores, anyone have a heads up on where I could get up to 3 of these for a reasonable price?</p>

<p><br />Thanks!</p>

<p>Hi there,<br>

can anyone offer an accurate explanation for the removal of the rear bayonet ring on an RZ lens? Specifically the 37mm fisheye lens? The bayonet ring used to mount the lens onto the RZ Body appears to be slightly ovalized - It becomes free-er when squeezed in one axis, and vice versa. It is extremely hard to mount onto the RZ, to the point where you have to lay the camera onto it's film back and use the weight of the lens to get the bayonet ring started. Not an ideal situation. TBH this lens seems to be a lemon that has been dropped, I have already had to buy parts for it for the cable release socket, and it has damage to the very side of the main front element as if it has had a severe side impact (although there is zero evidence if this on the casing). The seller withheld the true condition of the lens in a no-feedback sale. Should have known. Was not that expensive I guess, but would like to at least use it, or see if it has some sharpness - hopefully I can give it some TLC and come away with a half usable lens.... </p>

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<p>Hi Ed, I have located some parts from MAC, they have updated the gear for fine focus to metal, thats a bonus! If you could supply a service manual that would be great thanks - I know enough to install these parts, but would like some info on checking for film plane focus. Thanks</p>

<p>Thanks Ellis, it sure seems to be a fantastic meter, and even though B&W seems to have slightly more latitude than transparencies, it works out very similarly for the zones with slightly altered processing depending on the film! I am learning all of its ins and outs at the moment - of course with film it will take longer - have to process, translate my notes etc. </p>

 

<p>BeBu, I'll look into this, that would be helpful if it did both, although since it is only a 1deg spot it won't take the whole composition into account if I am aiming it at the face? A lot of experimentation is in order I think.<br>

Rodeo Joe, I guess the 18% face value I mentioned was just an example referring to the fact that I wanted to increase exposure on the face using flash, but without affecting ambient exposure. The position of the subject in the composition is in a darkish spot and is lost in the overall image. Without knowing too much about it, as I am shooting B&W only in film, and average Caucasian skin I was guessing that 18% would yield a good tone in grey. I will still bracket flash and ambient. I was not interested in other types of meters at this stage, as I specifically got this spotmeter to learn more about using a camera manually for exactly how I want tones to sit in the overall exposure zone-wise, and if necessary adjust development for high contrast scenes. I have always relied on auto metering, but now my 2 favorite cameras RZ67 and GX680 don't have meters, and I want to control and understand how the frame is exposed based on my visualization of the scene. I do have a digital body for instant feedback and matrix metering for a 'second opinion' and yes I can see why pro's would find that useful! I am definitely not a pro, and the whole point of this entire exercise for me revolves around the darkroom and bringing my negatives and prints to a level I am happy with. So I guess for most it would be stepping back 20 years or more or just plain going back to the dark ages, but for me its like Christmas, and I am enjoying shooting more than ever. There is simply nothing more magical to me than a set of freshly developed well exposed negatives hanging in my drying cabinet after a good day out behind the lens. I would have been disappointed if I was a sailor and someone gave me a treasure map as a PDF haha! <br /> Also with regards to the softbox in this instance I think it will be OK, as where the subjects will be is actually outside, and I can hide the flash behind some pillars to the side. Also I wanted a big light source for a softer light. I have so much to learn, and am trying to be economic, as each frame costs. This is where digital is great, but I figure I can learn some rules of thumb, and apply them with success learning with the spot meter and get consistent exposures based on the image I had in mind. Huge process, but I'm up for it.</p>

 

<p>Thanks for the replies, Paco that is the most mathematically awesome reply! It makes sense, but I am going to re-read it a few times and let it sink in! <br>

Craig yes I agree, ready to roll with kids - these two are under 3, very limited timeframe !! In this case I have the exposure perfect for the scene, and want to introduce subjects at a certain plane within the image, so my thoughts were that I will test fire the flash with the meter, and adjust flash output until I get an 18% reading on the face, but at the predetermined scene exposure?<br>

Rodeo and BeBu, I have the Minolta F, so yes it does both, I have just got it, and had a play last night with the sync cord, very cool. but as you know it is either ambient OR flash at one time. If I measure using grey card, then the exposure I have for the scene will change, as the flash will effect such a small part of it, and I already have an exposure in mind that gets all the nice shadow detail etc zone wise. I am currently digesting the Zone books, which is a real bender, and I have been consulting different sources, but also the reason I have bought this spot meter! I am loving 'Placing' zones. Also this meter is cool as I can use the EV setting to super quickly determine the contrast range in seconds. <br>

So I think based on your replies, and an idea I have kicking around, (given that I have found a great exposure that gives me the scene that I have visualized) is that I will get a grey card or patient adult subject, and meter their face for an 18% value that matches the scene exposure as I adjust flash output. I don't think I will have too much shadow as I have a decent size softbox and the area is not against any adjacent planes in the image.<br>

Great replies! Wow my eyes have really been opened - I have just got back into B&W and photography in general after a 15-20 year break, and am learning all of this super amazing stuff, and buying all of this super amazing film gear for not much (and top darkroom stuff) that I just didn't grasp before or not possible financially (12-16 years old) like deviating from development times and medium format.<br>

Have to say I am very excited and thoroughly stoked at how varied and large photography really is. Its huge, and every single photographer has a different and valid take on it. Good times.</p>

<p>Hi there, are there any rules of thumb about adding flash to a delicate scene - I am already exposing for shadows and underdeveloping film to reduce range, and I want to add a subject and flash to highlight the face.<br>

I have just bought a minolta spot meter, and this measures flash well, but it will have no regard for ambient exposure, and anyway I have it just right, if I keep aperture same for ambient but decrease shutter speed I will loose detail in shadows, so I guess I will meter how I have been, BUT how do I ascertain flash output?<br>

Have been shooting this particular scene a few times, from inside a sawmill looking out into the outside area in indirect sun, but have got nice detail inside as well. <br>

I will do some test shots with digital, but was wondering if there were any good methods to get accurate flash levels, I have not got back yet, but was thinking of metering for ambient and just adding flash to suit, but am shooting kids so have very limited time for useful shots/bracketing.<br>

Using; MF film camera, B&W, 300W/S softbox strobe, and it is manual only, 1/1 to 1/64th </p>

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<p>Charles, success! very enjoyable actually pulling the covers off the RZ and having a wee look. Turns out is was a plastic part, and it was missing some teeth, but the upshot is that i was able to remove it, as it was only the little side gear for the fine focus knob. The main focus gear is brass, and now it operates smoothly through the whole travel! Now the fine focus knob turns freely without effect, but I never really used it anyway.<br>

Is great having the right tools/screwdrivers/pin wrench set etc<br>

The inside is vastly different to what you posted, but same concept.<br>

So now 100% happy with the unit.</p>

<p>Thanks again Charles for your descriptions and links, will carefully and methodically dissect my RZ!</p>

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<p>Wow!! Still the safest way to travel tho huh? I can only image the situation before, during and after the incident, what a major!</p>

<p>Thanks for the photo, very helpful, I will carefully and tentatively attempt to locate, access, remove and possibly repair the part. Still, just because I have the tools, I am still very wary of being incompetent.<br>

I recently ruined a perfectly good helical focus mount for an Agfa Varioscop 60 105mm lens - I was so proud of cutting an M41 thread into it to fit my Nikon El-Nikkor to it, but discovered it had play and was sticky, old grease etc. So rather than flushing it externally and adding lubrication (which would have increased the play no doubt) I attempted to disassemble it, and the detent ball has slipped into the outer ring somehow internally and it is on my desk in pieces, stuck like a stuck thing. Anyway, my LPLVC7700 I feel is a far superior enlarger, I just wanted to see how sharp I could get images with a condenser - I had a point source light source and everything tee'd up for it.... </p>

<p>Thanks again, and the link to manual is VERY helpful ta</p>

 

<p>Marc, just to confirm it is a problem with both coarse and fine focus, at the same point in the rotation of the knobs. So as rotate it clockwise, the coarse and fine work as they should (but feels grainy) then when the bellows are extended about 15mm it hits it's first 'notch' and at that point both the coarse and fine stop working and decouple from the bellows, although it must only be one tooth if this is the case, as when I keep turning it, it re-engages no problem, although this happens to be at the point that you want to focus on a subject - so back and forwards trying to get best focus on one side of the notch as the bellows gently jump at each side of the stunted travel. Then at 360deg or evenly spaced along the travel of the bellows the same thing happens.</p>

<p>Charles, that would be great if you could post a pic of your pinion shaft (!) Offsetting via shim - That's a great idea, i understand in concept without having seen how it works. And with regards to repairing the part itself, I thought that this particular part in the pro ii was plastic not metal? I guess I will find out. I definitely use iso, I like the fact that it evaporates without residue! And it's taken a while but I am gradually grasping the 'less is more' with lubing. Still a little stubborn in that area.... SFO = San Fran? Great city, just recently saw Ken Block tearing it up woah that guy does his thing well. </p>

<p>Thanks Charles,<br>

<br />CLA would be great, but therein lies the problem, the last person I heard of in New Zealand that worked on these has retired... I don't want to send it overseas if I can avoid it. <br>

I can confirm that the cocking lever is working correctly, so now its time to investigate the focus gear. The shaft is true, the focus lock is disengaged, the stop pin is fine, the problem I think is the pinion gear, as it happens every 360deg on the focus wheel, and there is a definite interruption to the focus travel. <br>

My theory on what has happened is; sharp knock to front of camera/lens while bellows have been extended, causing one tooth to not be a tooth.</p>

 

<p>Hi there,<br /> question to RZ67 pro ii users out there, can you verify that this is normal for camera;<br>

context: When cocking lever: Film advances fine, mirror is lowered, shutter is cocked, but I am suspicious about the gears etc, as the focus rail of the camera appears to be missing a tooth, it is periodically notchy and clunks through to next part of travel. (so I am suspicious of internal state of camera)<br>

When advancing film, the cocking lever gets all the way forward and then at last 10% of stroke, 'breaks free' i.e. there is what I would call normal resistance while advancing the film, then when the lever gets almost to the focus knob, it clicks free of film advance, and haphazardly pushes to end of travel.<br>

Not having used this camera before, (my GX680 does it for me) I would have thought that the movement would have been smooth and predictable, but as I am suspicious I think it is 'falling off the end' of a gear or something. Also there was one instance where the lever went forward again afterward and gave me a feeling that can only be described as 'a camera ripping through the holes on a 35mm film' (the first and closest thing that sprung to mind to compare it to)</p>

<p>And;<br>

Can someone of knowledge please give me an accurate indication of whether or not it is feasible to sort out the gear on the focus knob. Without knowing my abilities this will be difficult, although I'd say that I am competent, but not a specialist (vague I know) maybe some instructions/diagram/service manual<br>

The rack on the underside of the bellows is fine, thats about all the info I can give.<br>

Thanks for your time</p>

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