andrew_ito

I was wondering if the Sunpak TTL module for the 120J works with E-TTL in the 10D or E-

TTL2 on the 20D. I tried to get that info from the Tocad site but it's not very informative.

Anyways, I like my 120J but haven't used it through my 10D or 20D preferring to use my

550EX. Does anyone know if the E-TTL features work on these DSLR's? Many thanks.

Has anyone used a Quantum T2D on a Canon 20D or 1D mark II with E-TTL2? I'm curious,

since Quantum claims that the flash works with E-TTL2. I have a Sunpak 120J and love the

quality of light from the bare bulb. If the E-TTL2 works well with the Quantum I think I'd

look at that flash as a good option to the 580EX. Any thoughts?

I prefer the saturation of Velvia 50 when shooting landscape. The shadows do tend to

block up quite easily though. I've also noticed that Provia has somewhat of a blue cast to

it. Maybe that's just from looking at Velvia all the time with a somewhat warm bias! My

favorite film is Velvia 100 (not 100F) that I had brought over from Japan. It's like the

Velvia 50 in saturation but with the speed of the 100F. Not sure if it comes in sheet film

though. I use 120 film in a Horseman 6x9 back.

One nice feature of the 20D is the little joystick that you can use to instantly select the

focus point. I tried it out for a bit and it looks like it can work out pretty well. To center

the point you just press the joystick down. It's much much faster than scrolling through

each focus point with the wheel and button. If you manually select the focus point like I

do it seems like a great intermediate option between using just the center point and

letting the camera select your point.

Hi! I've got both the Canon 10D and just picked up a 20D with 9 focus points. Up to now

I've always just selected the center focus point and re-framed my images. I shoot some

weddings and also shoot landscapes for fun. Typically, I shoot with "one shot" focusing as

well, but am thinking of trying out the "AI focus" more. Anyways, my question is whether

letting the camera select the 9 focus points is sufficient and accurate enough for shooting

weddings and for portraiture. It seems like if you're shooting with a shallow depth of field

for bokeh why trust the camera to select your focus point. Do you find that the points

selected by the camera are accurate enough? I'm sure 1D owners have much more to say

about this since they have 45 points to choose from. Any thoughts or comments would be

much appreciated. Thanks!

Hard to imagine that this thread is still active. I guess there are a lot of enthusiasts with

opinions on the "old folders".

I have heard mixed opinions on Juergen at www.certo6.com (I hope I didn't misspell his

name.) It seems like he knows his stuff. Why are people concerned? Is it the quality of his

work or pricing? The reason why I ask is that I was considering sending whatever I wind

up getting to him for some work. Are there any recommended techs in the Los Angeles/

Orange County areas that are reputable?

Keep up the great comments what you guys have and why you'd recommend them to me.

Thanks! Look forward to reading up on your posts.

Good advice all. It seems as if the multitude has said "hit or miss" aside from a few good

examples. My experience to date has been with modern cameras and lenses. I own an

Ebony 23S with 65mm SW, 105mm W and 200mm M Nikkor lenses, Hasselblads, Canon

SLRs and DSLRs and other cameras. I've bought and sold a Fuji GA645zi, Mamiya 7 and

Rollei SL66 among others and have borrowed my brother in law's Plaubel Makina. Almost

all my experience has been with very sharp modern optics and cameras. I'm not sure if

the results from an old folding camera like the Voigtl�ander or Zeiss Ikon will please me as

much as, say a Mamiya 6 or 7 or a Plaubel Makina. The allure of the old folders is

obviously, the price, the compactness and to a lesser degree, the retro vibe. Maybe I'll try

a less expensive folder and see what I get. If I like the results then maybe I'll look into it

more seriously, if not I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and look for a newer Mamiya 6 or 7

or a Plaubel Makina 67. Please feel free to continue the discussion and let me know if

there are other options that I've missed. Thanks!

Wow! Thanks for the replies. Addressing some of the earlier replies...

I actually had a Fuji GA645zi which I used quite frequently as my main travel camera. I

really did like it but felt that it got almost "too contrasty" with the Velvia and Provia that I

was using at the time, but I guess almost any lens will block up the shadows when it's

midday sun! Maybe it's another option to go back to although I really wanted a format

larger than 6x4.5.

Regarding the Horseman VH view cameras... I have an use an Ebony 23S with 65mm,

105mm and 200mm Nikkor lenses and Horseman RFB and angle viewer. This is my main

landscape rig, but too big and heavy for most of my backpacking excursions. My wife also

gets irritated with me when I spend 30-60 minutes waiting for one shot and the setup

time when we travel. Needless to say, a rangefinder for quick setup and travelling sounds

like it would be somewhat more acceptable to her.

From my web research it seems like the Voigtlander Bessa II for 6x9 with color Skopar (or

color Heliar if I can find one) is a good option. For 6x6 I'm leaning towards the Zeiss

Super Ikonta IV (534/16) or maybe the Voigtlander Perkeo or Agfa Super Isolette. Can

anyone tell me what I can expect to pay for a good sample of the above cameras? I'm very

new to purchasing an old folder so I don't have a really good frame of reference in regards

to pricing them. Also, are there any others that you might recommend? It seems that a

coupled rangefinder is an important feature to me. Thanks for the wealth of great

information! Keep it comin'!

Sorry for the misspelling on Voigtlander. I am not short of money for a camera, but don't

want to spend an arm and a leg on an older folder if I can get a newer Mamiya 6 or 7 with

excellent multicoated optics for the same price. I simply want an inexpensive, compact

camera to take with me on trips that doesn't cost $1000 or more. Since the older folders

are relatively cheap but still perform great, this seems the way to go. Being able to afford

processing and film is a non issue. I am not a "collector", just a user who wants good

quality.

Hello folks! I've been doing a bit of reading and saw some threads about the old

Voightlanders and Agfas. These seem to be pretty reasonably priced and are said to have

good quality depending on the lens you get. I don't really know too much about the old

folders, but have had a Mamiya 7 with 65 & 150mm lenses, a Fuji GA645zi and have

borrowed my brother in law's Plaubel Makina 67. I really liked the quality and compact

nature of the Plaubel but am somewhat put off by the price. The Mamiya was great but I

needed the money and sold the camera. Anyways, I was wondering how these old folders

compare quality wise with the cameras that I've tried and whether or not I should stick

with something like a Mamiya 6 (since it's more modern, has multiple lens options, built in

meter and somewhat compact). I should mention that I'll probably be shooting color

transparencies (most likely Velvia) and that I'll be using it mostly for landscape and travel.

Which of the old folders are best in terms of quality and sharpness. My budget for one is

a few hundred dollars tops. I've heard that the Bessa II with APO Lanthar is great but very

expensive. Any others that I should keep an eye out for? How much should I expect to

pay? I'm open to 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 formats. Thanks for your input and knowledge!

It really depends on how you like to work. Do you set up and wait for a single shot or fire

away on a 35mm with a motor drive. Is most of your work handheld or tripod? A view

camera will almost always be used on a tripod and takes much more time to set up than a

folder or rangefinder like the Fuji 690. I shoot with an Ebony 23S view camera. It's great

for landscape and more methodical shooting. For travel shots and portraits I have used a

Fuji GA645zi and Plaubel Makina rangefinders and use Canon dSLRs. The Fuji 6x9's are

supposed to be very nice if you don't need the movements. If you plan on using tripods

and need the movements I'd suggest the view cameras. Horseman and Ebony also make a

good view camera and the press cameras are inexpensive options too. Good luck!

The Fuji GA645zi was my main travelling camera for a few years. I've taken it on more

than a few backbacking trips and for some weddings as well. The body is titanium and is

more than rugged enough. I wouldn't abuse the camera but it seems more than rugged

enough for normal use.

I have both the 70-200 f/4L and the 85mm 1.8. A year or two ago I sold my 70-200 f/

2.8L. Unless you need the extra stop for weddings or sports the f/4 version works pretty

well. For bokeh, I go straight to the 85mm f/1.8. Thats the first lens I reach for when

shooting a portrait. The f/4 version of the zoom is significantly lighter than the f/2.8

version. You will however need 67mm filters for it where you can share 77mm filters with

the f/2.8 and your 17-40L. The 70-200 f/4 & the 85mm f/1.8 gives you light weight,

speed, versatility and is reasonably priced.

After I bought my 10D I haven't used my A2E at all and I sold an EOS-1. I also wound up

selling my Fuji GA645zi and am trying to sell my Hasselblads. The one film camera that I

have and use is my Ebony 23S view camera. Also, I've borrowed a Plaubel Makina that is a

great compliment to the 10D. If I do anything, I'll probably wind up getting a 4x5 and

upgrading the 10D to a 20D.

I have the 17-40L as well as the 50mm 1.8 MkI and the 70-200 f/4L for use with my 10D.

Lately though, I find myself reaching more for the 85mm f/1.8. It's really an amazing

portrait lens. The 50mm is a really great inexpensive lens choice and if zoom is what

you're after, the 70-200 f/4 is a great lens. I sold a 70-200 f/2.8 because it was such a

beast. The f/4 is such a great, sharp optic and much lighter than the f/2.8. It seems that

many folks around here suggest the 17-40, 50 and 70-200 set as do I. Good luck!

Both the f4 and f2.8 have great optics. I have owned both and currently have the f4 in

addition to the 17-40 L and the 50 f1.8 Mk1 that you have. The f4 is fine for most of my

applications, but if you are seriously considering shooting sports the extra stop might

prove useful. I also shoot some weddings and have often longed for an extra stop when

shooting available light in dimly lit wedding halls. It's true that the f2.8 is a big heavy

beast, but the stop is useful if you REALLY need it. Used, you can expect to pay around

$800-850 for the f2.8 and $450-500 for the f4 so the price factor isn't as big of an issue

as you might think. Another option is to pick up the f4 and an additional fast lens like the

85mm f1.8. This is what I did. The 85 is a great portrait lens, fast and tack sharp. You

might need longer focal lengths though so a 100mm f2 and a 1.4x teleconverter might do

the trick. I believe that you can use the TC on focal lengths longer than 100mm, but I

could be mistaken. Just my .02?...

If it were up to me, I'd bring digital. If you have sufficient memory for now why don't you

just get an iPod and the Belkin media reader. The 4th generation iPods have just come out

and you can get a new 3rd generation 15GB model for $250. new. The Belkin media

reader is around $75 or less on eBay. That way you can download cards as you go. The

iPod is very light and portable and you can listen to music on it as well!

The batteries in my 10D last a long time. If you buy a few and they are charged I doubt

you'd have too many issues with using up more than 2-3 batteries in a day.

If you shoot film, that's $260 in film/processing and $300 for another body like you

mentioned. You can pick up a Digital Rebel for around $750-800 on these classifieds on

photo.net.

Just my $.02...

I have a 70-200 f/4L with the 67mm filter size and was wondering why there aren't any

500D lenses to fit this lens. Is this the best choice for this particular lens or is the Nikon

5T an option to consider. Please let me know what your choice is/was and why it works

for you. I've heard that the Nikon is also cheaper. Thanks for your help!

There is a product that is marketed as "liquid electrical tape". It's black and flexible and I

have heard many LF photogs use it for patching pinholes. I'd try to find some of that stuff.

Personally, I've had a bellows with tons on pinholes and light patches that I had to bite the

bullet and replace. The camera was sent to Japan to have Ebony replace the original

bellows. It was pricey, but I'm sure your Crown will cost less to replace.

I use an Ebony 23S. It's about the quickest view camera I know to set up. It's a non-

folder so you just pop it on your tripod and take off the lens cap like you would with

your MF camera. The camera is compact enough to fit in a LowePro Orion waistpack

along with the rest of my lenses and goodies and has loads of movements.

There are few lenses that can rival the sharpness of the Mamiya 7 lenses. If you

consider 4x5 film size with LF lenses vs. your 6x7 film with Mamiya lenses, then you

can probably rest knowing that you can make a much bigger, sharper print off of the

4x5 film. If you're sticking to 2x3, then you will probably notice a lesser degree of

sharpness than your Mamiya lenses. I've had a Mamiya 7 system and an Ebony 2x3

system, so this is coming from my personal experience. However, there are some LF

lenses that are quite sharp and are not very far off of what you are used to seeing in

your lenses. My Nikkor 200mm M is one that I find to be tack sharp.

For portraits, I'm not sure that a 2x3 view camera is any better than a MF SLR.

Focusing can be difficult and people can't really move about much. Definitely not the

choice for shooting kids! Also, if bokeh is what you're after, most LF lenses are

slower in comparison to the MF SLR alternatives and won't give you the same

background blur as some faster lenses.

Landscapes are another thing altogether. This is where the view camera shines. The

use of movements and large film size is great!

If I were in your position, I would get different tools to do different things. You have

enough collateral in that Mamiya 7 system to afford to get both a good 4x5 system

and a good MF SLR system. As digital technology advances, loads of wedding and

portrait photographers are selling their film cameras for DSLR's. You can pick up a

good Hassy system for much cheaper than you could ever before. That will be a great

portrait camera. If you're working in the studio you might want to opt for a Mamiya

RB or RZ system. You can also afford to get a Shen Hao or Tachihara for landscape

work. The Shen Hao is $625 new and the Tachihara $599.

The Ebony cameras do not have a Hasselblad adapter to my knowledge. The

Tachihara does not have a Graflok back either so using rollfilm backs may get

complicated unless you opt for the Calumet rollfilm backs. The Calumet backs have a

history of uneven film flatness unless you get the newer ones though.

Good luck on your camera search. Hopefully you'll get something that does what you

want. Everyone has their ideas on what is the perfect camera so "your mileage may

vary", but hopefully this info will be of some help.