ted_brownle

Albert,

 

I have briefly used an older MC 150mm lens & found it to be very sharp. The PE version has improved anti-reflection coating & is quite highly regarded. I'm sure you, pardon me, your girlfriend, will find this a great lens. I intend to purchase one myself in the forseeable future.

 

~Ted

Q:

 

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I have been watching this forum, and occasionally contributing for

about 4 years. It's been a unique & rich source of information about

large format photography. I have been involved with the medium format

forum at Photo.net for about the same time. It generally works ok,

and far better than Yahoo. Aside from your ideal situation, my vote

is to move to the Photo.net sit as a separate category.

 

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~Ted

I use a Bronica ETRSi system for landscape work. I have enlarged transparencies up to 16 x 20 using Ilfochrome, and up to 24 x 30 using a hi-res scan & lightjet 5000 output.

 

The ETRSi for me, is the right combination of compactness, film size, quality & cost. I use 50, 75 & 200 lenses, a couple backs, a 42mm extension tube & misc other stuff. "Wimping out" for me is grabbing this system instead of my 4x5.

The professional with a file of 100,000 photos who is only selling 50 on a regular basis has only 50 that art directors & photo buyers really need. Said professional needs to get out & shoot what's selling if he's planning on making a living through stock.

 

For myself, I sometimes have a higher rate of keepers than other times. If the subject matter is not co-operating or the light isn't was I was hoping for, then I start experimenting, pushing the bounds to see what else I can do. A lot of those end up in the garbage, but I've learned something. On the other hand, when everything falls together just right, I shoot a lot of film, time stands still when I'm working & I have a lot of keepers.

 

Generally I am happy to get one or two keepers off a roll of 645 format transparencies. An evening session along the coast costs me 1-2 rolls of 120 film, 15 shots per roll. There are verticals & horizontals, no filter & whatever filter, long lens & short lens. All very similar because of the short duration of time (2 hrs)& same general location I'm working in.

 

Other than that assesment, I can't really nail it down any closer.

Tim,

 

The "T" setting onthe PE lenses (also on older MC lenses) allows long time exposures without using battery power. The bulb setting can be used, but you're using the camera's electrical system to trip & hold open the shutter. The "T" setting is purely mechanical.

 

~Ted

Nigel;

 

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A popular place with a limited number of vantage points is going to

lead to a large number of similar photographs. What do you do in

Yosemite Valley? Shoot it & enjoy. I see nothing unethical about your

image. Besides, both AA & O'Sullivan made their images in B&W.

 

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Years ago in a local gallery I saw a show of B&W photos that looked

like the photographer found Ansel's tripod holes in Yosemite. I would

say that that show borders on being plagarism when taken as a whole.

A single photo does not.

 

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~Ted

Thorsten,

 

I have also used this technique & run into the problem of the film shifting, although the shifted images wern't a problem with the subject matter.

 

I thought that switching the lever disengaged the film advance gear from the camera's winding mechinism. I haven't really had time to troubleshoot, but I am certain of my method. I didn't shift the camera between exposures & have noticed an identical shift in all of the frames I shot.

 

Perhaps talking to a certified Bronica shop whould shed some light on the issue. It's possible that the gears don't fully clear on some cameras, or position of the wind crank may be imposing some preload on the mesh that releases when the lever is switched.

 

I'll post what I find out...

 

~Ted

The older ETRS may require the use of a small screwdriver to back the pin out. I don't remember though.

Bill:

 

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The short answer is "no." I researched this a year ago or so. The

best description I found was in one of Jim Zuckerman's books ~ the

one on color photography. (The cover has an orange-sky silhouette.)

Basically, you need a roll film back, means of illumination &

filtration & a way of controlling exposure. Then you need to test &

characterize the setup. There is no device like the Besseler slide

duplicator for medium format. The best bet, aside from in-camera

duplicates, is a 70mm repro-grade duplicate from a good lab.

 

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~Ted

Lake Tahoe itself is not the best place for fall colors. The good news: Mid October is a very good time to catch the Aspen trees near their peak color ~ give or take depending on the weather. I go up to the area every Columbus Day weekend & I have yet to be disappointed.

 

From Lake Tahoe, travel south on Calif hiway 89 over Luther Pass into the Hope Valley. Hiway 89 meets hiway 88 at Picket's Junction. Just before you get to this intersection there are a few excellent groves of Aspen trees. Picket's Junction is about 25-30 minutes from the Tahoe airport.

 

Once you get on hiway 88, travel west towards Carson Pass & you will see many Aspen groves & some fantasic scenery. Take the Blue Lakes road (south off Hiway 88) to get more into the scenery. If you have a 4x4 (or a sense of adventure) take any of the dirt forest service roads up into the mountains. Carson Pass is about 15 minutes or less from Picket's Junction.

 

After you go over Carson Pass, there is a spectacular grove on both sides of the hiway. Once you get to the Kirkwood ski resort, you've passed the best.

 

Lodging is at Sorenson's Inn, near Picket's Junction (probably full by now), down the hill in Markleeville (East on Hiway 88 from Hiway 89) or possibly at Kirkwood.

 

See ya there!

One thing I would look at in comparing the S & PS lenses is age. I have experienced a chutter failure on an older 150mm lens for the ETRSi. The lens & shutter worked great for four rolls of film (all speeds, flash synch, etc.) On the very next roll, the shutter failed. In researching the problem I learned that older lenses that have not been used for a period of time are more prone to this type of failure. Compunding the problems is that the shutters are not interchangeable between generations of the same lens, making repair parts or replacement shutters harder to find for older models. I don't know if this heirarchy is the same for the SQ system as for the ETR system, but the oldest 150 MC lenses were F/4. More recent MC lenses are F/3.5 (the E-II series). The latest PE series are also f/3.5. I had the F/4 MC lens & found it quite satisfactory for portaiture & landscape for it's brief tenure until the shutter failed.

John,

 

Although I don't know earlier versions of the 500mm lens for the ETRSi, but the EII and the PE are the two currently in production. The PE is hideously expensive ($13K) because of the fluorite lens elements to control chromatic aberration. The EII is a standard telephoto design. I don't have any experience shooting either one, but used EII's tempt me from time to time when they show up at KEH.

This website may have an answer. I haven't dredged for it, but there's a lot of stuff here.

 

http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/bronica.html

Joshua,

 

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I have run into nearly the same issue a few years back. I wanted to

know how close I could focus a 300mm lens at my maximum bellows draw.

The formula is:

 

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1/f = 1/So + 1/Si

 

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f = the lens focal length (mm)

So = the object distance (mm)

Si = the image distance (mm)

 

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This is the Gaussian Thin Lens equation, and maybe not exactly the

right one to use, but I have verified the results on numerous

occations. I have this on a spreadsheet, so I ran your setup:

 

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Lens = 300mm

Object distance = 1500mm (a little under 5 ft)

Image distance = 375mm (the bellows draw)

 

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Godd luck,

 

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~Ted

I would second the opinion for Bronica. If you're stuck on 6x6, look at the Bronica SQAi. I have found the ETRSi a very versatile camera however. I decided on the ETRSi (645 format) over the SQAi because Bronica had offered a prism & speed grip as a rebate for buying a basic system, and it was a little cheaper. I could've gone with 6x6 as well though.

 

The slightly smaller film size has not been a problem. I routinely enlarge up to 16x20 using the Ilfochrome materials, and have printed to 24x30 with a drum scan printed on a Lightjet printer with awesome results. For smaller enlargements I have not seen a difference between the different 120 formats. (I have shot 645, 6x6 and 6x9)

 

More importantly, you mention budget. Used Bronica gear is priced competitively. The optics are excellent. It's also a system camera, so you can upgrade with the latest gear as your budget allows.

 

I have a polaroid back and my camera almost lives on a tripod. I have shot weddings handheld (with a good strobe).

 

Check it our & enjoy medium format!

First, remove the lens & extension tube together as a unit. This is done the same way as any lens.

 

(Please bear with me, I don't have my camera right now.)

 

Looking at the lens mount of the extension tube, find the slider that controls ther aperture & gently push it against the end of the slot that it's nearest. You should hear a faint click. This sometimes does not fully engage after winding the advance crank.

 

There is a short, fat pin, about 2-2.5mm in diameter, extending about 3mm from the back surface of the tube. Push this & twist the tube off the lens.

 

When I get home I will look at my tube & make sure I have these instructions correct.

Richard,

 

I use an ETRSi and have experienced a vaguely similar problem. I had an older 150mm MC lens that failed every other time. This was a shutter problem not related to flash use. The older Seiko shutters experienced this sort of failure after a lot of shelf time (ie, no use). Visit the Tamron website & go to their list of authorized Bronica repair shops. I did a blanket e-mail letter to research the shutter failure I experienced. Could be that this type of failure may involve flash synchronization as well.

 

Good luck,

 

~Ted

Laura:

 

I use the ETRSi with a plain prism & a Pentax Spotmeter. I have also borrowed the AEIII prism & like it a lot. Both have their place. I shoot a lot of landscapes & use my handheld meter to check the contrast range. Also, as mentioned above, I don't have to disturb my composition to do this.

 

Now having said that, I am planning to purchase the AEIII metered prism in the next year. My short time borrowing it sold me ~ especially for extension tube work. I don't really enjoy doing math in order to take a picture. I did not experience any of the problems you did, but in using a TTL flash unit (the SCA unit), you have to shut off the meter. The two metering systems are not integrated, so with both on, the camera (operator) gets confused.

 

Good luck,

 

~Ted

Trevor,

 

I also have an ETRSi system with three lenses and an extension tube. One of the rear caps fits loosely & is an annoyance. At the end of a shoot or session, the loose cap is wedged under a divider at the bottom of my bag.

 

The problem comes from the molded bosses inside the cap that are designed to engage the lens bayonet claws. They wear a little & fit loosely, rattle around & wear some more & soon won't stay on at all. Currenlty I don't have a solution. I am thinking of grinding off all of the bosses on my rear caps so there's nothing to hold it on the lens. Next maybe glue on a piece of velcro to the outside of the cap so that I can fasten it to the bottom of the lens compartment in my bag. That way, it doesn't matter what lens compartment I drop a lens in, there's always a rear cap to protect it. A side benefit is that I don't have to juggle swapping rear caps while changing lenses. (I work along the coast very frequenty & usually set the bag on my foot & lean it against my shin to avoid setting it in sand. I have a Lowe-pro Photo Trekker).

 

When I get around to this little experiment, I'll post my results. Until then, good luck.

 

~Ted

When I was in college, I used a tube with a weston meter. I also

taped a simple DCX lens on one end & sized the tube length to the

simple lens focal length. I got a very narrow field of view. The two

problems I had to overcome were to verify what I was aiming at and

what the exposure compensation factor was. The tube was not

permanently attached to the meter. I wound up taping it to the side

of the camera. That way I could look through the tube (no meter) and

aim it by moving the camera on the tripod (somewhat clumsy). Once I

had my target, I stuck the meter in place of my eye & took the

reading. Once you do this a number of times, you will be surprised at

how quickly you can accurately judge a tonal value.

 

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Several years later, I scored a used Gossen Luna-pro with the spot

meter attachment for about 50 buck. That meter worked for 20 years.

The spot angle is 7.5 degrees. That and the "judgement" I had

developed got me through ok.

Kelvin:

 

I have a Lee Prohood 84 that I purchased for my Bronica ETRSi about a year ago. This is a self-supporting bellows hood that slides into the outer slots of the Cokin "P" adapter.

 

Because of the self-supporting feature, there are no rails, and no index marks for different focal lengths. You have to extend the hood then sight down a corner of the mask into the lens (at the working aperture) to see the opposite corner of the ground glass. I cheat. After establishing the amount of extension for each lens, I gauge along my index finger as I extend the hood.

 

Because the hood is used with the Cokin adaper (which uses a threaded adapter ring in the lens' filter thread), you are limited to 84mm "P" style filters. On the plus side, with an adapter ring threaded to each lens, I can swap the hood & whatever filters are in the adapter from lens to lens very quickly. This has been a major benefit to me.

 

Another minor drawback is the lack of a centering detent to center the hood in the Cokin adapter. The hood has metal rails that are slightly bent along their length and fit in the outer slots of the Cokin adapter. this provides enough friction to hold the hood in place, regardless of how it's oriented. It is prone to being knocked out of place, allowing the hood to obscure the lens. I have been aware of this enough that I haven't lost any shots ~ yet...

 

In genral, the prohood is well made. The materials and constriction are robust enough to stand up to professional use. The cost is right too. I scored mine for I think $69 from B&H. A Bronica pro hood would cost me several hundred dollars.

 

Lee makes a pro hood to fit all of the Cokin adapters as well as their own. Calumet & B&H sell Lee. they also have a web site, but I don't remember it offhand.

 

Good luck in your search.

 

~Ted

I enjoy John Fielder's "Colorado winter", Christopher

Burkett's "Intimations of Pardise" (superb reproductions, and William

Neill's "Landscapes of the Spirit." All of these books reaffirm why I

started doing large format photography in the first place.

Paul,

 

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I have an older 180/6.3 congo lens & sumbled across Congo's website

in reaearching it. Congo specializes in Tessar formula lenses.

Tessar's are good lenses. It's a sound & well-known formula, but

their main disadvantage is a lack of covering power. I have had mine

for about 20 years & am quite happy with it. Enjoy it!

Donn:

 

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I also have an older Arca Swiis with a standard bellows. I use a

Schnieder Super Angulon 90mm lens. With a standard bellows you are

very limited in the amount of tilt you can use. Short of a bag

bellows, you can use a recessed lensboard of about 20-25mm. I have

designed a bag bellows built on a machined aluminum frame. The

bellows material is a black garment leather sandwiched with 1/8" foam

rubber for support. I have not built this yet becuase I haven't

really needed it. I keep an eye on large format sources & eBay, but

haven't seen Arca's older wide angle bellows yet. I am close to

buying a recessed lensboard & will probably go that route for the

short term.

 

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Good luck,

 

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~Ted

I met Ansel Adams briefly in 1977 when I was in college. Our large

format photography instructor, who had previously worked at the

gallery in Yosemite teaching Ansel's workshop, arranged for us to

meet him. The visit was only 1-2 hours, but aside from marveling at

his work, I was pleasantly surprised that he was a very down-to-earth

person ~ "like us", if you will.

 

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His writing I found to be very detailed & I have not thought of it as

having an attitude, per se. Making his negative available for others

to learn a craft from is a very unselfish act. Yes, he acknowleges

that he's a master photographer, but in printing a master's

negatives, one would learn what it really takes to make a fine print.

Please remember that Brett Weston destroyed all of his negatives on

his 80th birthday. The weekend our class was in Monterey, we also met

Morley Baer, Brett Weston, Mark Weston (and "The Darkroom") and Pat

Weber ~ all fine photographers in their own right.

 

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In terms of his photography being similar to Timothy O'Sullivan's and

Carleton Watkins', it's not. Similar in some ways maybe, but quite

different. (Who else has shot "Moonrise Over Hernandez?") Could it be

that you don't enjoy fine black & white landscapes as perhaps another

subject? (I.e., Micheal Kenna)

 

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I am not an "Ansel Adams" nut, I appreciate his work for what it is &

I have a different perspective that you do about his personality. (I

shoot mainly medium format transparencies ~ my last B & W work was a

co-worker's wedding.)

 

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Read Ansel's books & learn photography ~ his instruction is as

timeless as his work.

 

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~Ted