stuart_whatling

NZ, or "God's own country" as some of the locals call it, is what Velvia was invented for. Not sure about print films with the same fondness for greens. Given that that it's all such fabulous trekking country, a lightweight "sub-kit" that you don't mind carrying all day would be wise. Personally I'd stick with the M's.

 

And I know I'm probably in the minority but I'd like to stick up for North Island as a photogenic area. The Coramandel Peninsula is charming, the far northern tip (Cape Reinga and Ninety-Mile Beach) has some wild and rugged bits, especially when the pohutakawa trees are in bloom. The northern Kauri forests like Waipoua are also worth seeing/photographing, though under the canopy, light-levels can be pretty low.

I'm also a firm believer in the "pause on the exhale" school of thought. For me it's not just long lenses and slow shutter speeds that need this degree of care - thanks to all the booze and coffee and good living, my hands shake pretty badly most of the time, so I have to really concentrate on position and breathing whenever I'm hand-holding. I find keeping the elbows against the chest in helps a lot - always amazes me to see people shooting on digi with the camera held out in front so they can see the lcd - may help with composition but lousy for stability.

 

The other thing I find helps is a soft-release button to reduce the amount of travel on the shutter release. With the AR-1 on a Nikon F2, I pack little bits of paper underneath the plunger on the AR-1, to reduce the travel to the minimum (the little disks of paper from an office hole-punch fit nicely). Also means you can fire with the first carpal on the button, with the finger tip resting against the pentaprism, which for me helps keep the movement smooth.

 

Other approach is to tell everyone you were deliberately trying for an artistic blurred effect.

as an art historian who drinks far too much beer, I have to agree with Peter.

 

Incidentally Paul, I don't mean any value judgement by "inside/outside the art industry". I tend to think of all the baggage like art historians, curators, dealers, critics etc as being the "industry". Many of us inside the industry are not artists and many outside are!

If you are lucky enough to find one, I'd recommend an F2 with a plain prism. Losing the metering prism cuts down on the weight quite a bit, avoids the issue about prongs, improves the handling (changing shutter speed can be a chore with some Photomic heads) and gives you the perfect uncluttered viewfinder image. And of course it forces you to use a hand-held meter and think a little more about exposure.

 

It's the camera equivalent of an early Cistercian monastery - perfectly proportioned, built to last forever and with absolutely no distractions.

incidentally, just to follow up the tagger theme, Michel de Certeau saw them as being the ultimate postmodern artists for their ability to subvert the social control mechanisms built into modern urban architecture. But personally, being a pompous Brit and a Londoner with a warped sense of humour, I prefer

<a href=http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index.html>Banksy</a>, especially for his "This is not a photo-opportunity" series.

"Postmodernism" is one of those words used by people outside the art industry to describe anything contemporary which they don't like. Whilst those within the art-history world tend to use it to describe anything which doesn't fit well into any other category.

 

For me, another really interesting artist for comparing/contrasting with Helen Chadwick is Sophie Calle - she deals with some similar themes but in a very different way.

 

In terms of good reading material, I don't think one can get any better than Roland Barthes' 1968 essay "Death of the Author" - maybe a bit heavier going than his "Camera Lucida" but very relevant to all forms of art. His argument that the "text" (in the broadest sense) is created by the audience rather than by the artist, is central to an understanding of modern cultural theory.

 

What is next for art? Hard to say and if one could predict it one could be as rich as Charles Saatchi. Art history is not a one-way teleological process despite what writers since Vasari have suggested and as with politics, extremes in art usually alternate. So my money's on a reactionary shift towards figurative art as part of the backlash against the YBA's. Should keep the tabloids happy.

 

What comes after post-modernism? More post-modernism.

As an interpretive framework I expect it will last for some time to come. It's ideally suited to understanding cultural production within advanced consumer societies like ours, where the image has become so ingrained as a tool for advertising that even non-advertising imagery tends to be read by the viewing public as if it were.

 

 

Incidentally, have you been to see the big Helen Chadwick retrospective at the Barbican? If not, you've got until Sunday - but it's on tour in Manchester from sept 25th until mid-November, which might be a little easier for you to get to.

Bag's packed ready for trip to Aachen Friday morning and weekend in Brussels.

Canvas & leather WWII army-surplus shoulder bag containing; Nikon F2 (plain prism), 28mm PC-Nikkor, 50/1.2, 85/1.8 (wrapped up in a piece of chamois leather), hoods, spare lens cap, binoculars, compass, A5 spiralbound notebook & several pens, 20 Camel Lights & Zippo, maps and floor-plans of key buildings, mobile phone, copy of Bishop Einhard's "Life of Charlemagne", Eurostar ticket, passport, iPod, dust, blue stain from where pen leaked last week, 8 rolls of Provia, Sekonic L408 lightmeter + spare battery

Ganesh, I chose a similar solution for a month-long backpacking trip in the Middle East a couple of years back but with Fuji's "Quickchange" (8 sheets per cartridge) solution instead of the Grafmatic.

Key factors for me were that a) Though Readyloads are not specially heavy, they are very bulky if you want to carry lots of film (100+) in a moderate sized pack. b) I knew that if I ran out of standard sheet film, I'd be able to pick up more in Beirut or Amman but that quickload/readyload stock was not available there at the time. and c) Most of where I was going there isn't much to do in the evenings anyway so I didn't mind spending it cleaning and reloading the holders. Worked a treat and I was able to shoot far more film than I should have done. Cost me a fortune. Didn't have any dust problems, despite being in deserts for much of the time.

 

Advantage of the Fuji Quickchange over the Grafmatic is that you have lightweight, reloadable (even if they're not meant to be) plastic cartridges which slot into the metal holder and it's easy to carry 2-3 cartridges in a day pack; so I was able to shoot up to 24 sheets without having to go back to the Pup. Being a belt-and-braces sort of chap, I also had 3 DDS's tucked into the bag, just in case anything went wrong with the Quickchange mid trip. Didn't need them but it was good for piece of mind. Given the propensity of Grafmatic septa to get bent, might not be a bad idea if you're going on a long trip.

BA is the sort of town where you end up walking quite a lot - taxis are innumerable and inexpensive (though not for those of a nervous disposition) but there are lots of areas which really need to be explored on foot. So weight is indeed a big factor. Especially since BA has some of the best bars and cafes I've found anywhere outside Europe and the temptation to stay for another gets stronger if leaving means picking up a heavy bag again.

 

The Porteños are a deeply photogenic crowd - not just the beautiful young things but also the characterful, proud and aloof old men - so a 70-80mm option will help. Likewise there are places such as the Recoletta Cemetery and some of the grand boulevards where you'll kick yourself if you don't have at least some kind of wide-angle option. Under the circumstances I'd probably go with the 28-70. Never use zooms myself but if you're familiar with it then it makes a lot of sense.

 

Will presumably still be winter when you get there. I visited in July and there was a lovely diffuse light which is perfect for outdoor portraits without the need for fill-in flash. Nor is there much that one would want/be able to photograph indoors - so I'd leave the flash at home.

Metro are indeed very good - and since the demise of Joe's Basement, Metro's Clerkenwell Rd lab is about the only 24/7 option. Personally I really like Ceta Imaging - excellent quality and the friendliest lab in Soho. http://www.cetaimaging.com/

 

On the purely practical side, if you're looking for a drink while waiting for your negs to dry, Clerkenwell has better pubs...

I like to mix and match. Sometimes I shoot buildings with a Wista 5x4 technical camera, sometimes on a Pentax 6x7 with the 75mm shift and sometimes on a Nikon F2 with a 28mm PC Nikkor. Theoretically the Wista is "better" for architectural photography but that overlooks the psychological aspects - I think differently with different cameras so mixing and matching keeps the ideas fresh. I also use an old 35mm Voigtlander Vitessa and a 6x6 Super Ikonta, both of which force me to see the world in very different ways. For some kinds of photography there are advantages in sticking to one body type so you get really quick and instinctive with it but with landscape of architecture I prefer a bit of variety.

The tripod mounting area on the Pentacon's base plate is a small circular protrusion which only has a very narrow area of contact with the tripod head plate. So with this particular camera, it doesn't matter how big and heavy the tripod and head are, what they're made of, or how much weight you hang from the bottom of the centre column; the main area of vibration is around the point where camera and tripod meet meet, not within the pod itself. Hence my point about hanging a weight over the top of the camera because that's the only place where damping is going to help.

 

And for the record Fred, vibration induced by the slap of the mirror frame against base of the focusing screen mount just before the shutter curtains open IS a problem with these cameras. Instant return mirrors are no worse in terms of camera shake because the return happens after the exposure is completed.

I went from an F3 to an F4s and thence to an F5. Wasn't ever entirely comfortable with any of them and eventually traded the F5 for a pair of F2 bodies with plain prisms, which I love and can't imagine ever changing (I like a viewfinder that gives you the view, the whole view and nothing but the view). Personally I found the F4 to be too much of a compromise - like a rather uncomfortable stepping stone from the F3 to the F5, both of which suited me a lot better. That's just me though - I know a lot of people love them. Because it's such a personal choice, there's really no substitute for trying before buying.

 

If you can find one in good condition, the F3P (special "macho" version of the F3HP) had pretty good weather-proofing, though on mine the rubber seals are all completely shot and given that they were special "Press" models, I expect you'd have a hard job finding one where that wasn't the case.

 

btw, I entirely agree about using AF lenses on a manual body - not at all fun.

I had a Practisix (Pentacon 6 clone) many years ago and I also suffered from mirror-induced shake at slower speeds. The problem is not so much the strength of the tripod is but how tightly the mounting-plate grips the base of the camera. Only thing I found which made any real difference was to hang my fairly heavy camera bag under the tripod with the strap over the top of the pentaprism (assuming you're using one). Needs a sturdy tripod but that extra ballast weighing the camera down does help to dampen the vibrations. Not much help if you're using the waist-level finder though.

 

If it's any consolation, the earthquake-inducing mirror in my Bronica S2 is even worse.

unwinding/rewinding spools is a bad idea - unless you get the tension right, you risk light seeping in and fogging the edges of the already exposed shots. Conversely, wind it up too tight and you can easily scratch the emulsion. You'd also have to find a really dust-free environment in which to do it or risk unexposed dust spots on the neg (the curse of sheet film holders for LF!) Dust which gets on film after exposure can usually be cleaned off. Dust which gets on film before exposure can't.

 

Only person I ever knew who regularly respooled roll film was an elderly friend who had an old 620 folding camera. He used to unroll 120 film in the darkroom and wind it onto 620 spools (same film size but thinner spindle)

 

Sorry but the only real options are get a second body or get used to finishing a roll right on cue. I've never found it a big deal, even though I normally shoot 220 rolls when travelling.

Interesting point Jay, though here in the UK I've not seen them anything like that cheap. However I'm probably going to get this back-up body winterised so it'll be going for a CLA as part of that.

 

Thanks for the links guys.

Apologies if this has been asked recently (I did look through the

archives but maybe I missed it?) but what special checks would you

give a well used M6 in the shop before purchase?

 

I'm picking up a spare body tomorrow and it's a bit worn (or to be

more polite, it's in the fashionable two-tone black and brassy finsh)

 

The shop in question is a place I know and trust and there won't be

any hassle returning it if it subsequently turns out to be a dud but

the only other M6 I've ever bought was new so I'm curious to know

about any Leica-specific tests you'd do (apart from the obvious

generic stuff like eyeballing the shutter curtains, listening to the

shutter at different speeds etc)

 

Just a thought but it might be nice if there were checklists in the

archives of "points to look out for" for each of the different models

in the Leica pedigree, both screw fit and M-series. I would offer to

compile them but it would be better done by someone who knew what

they were talking about! Alternatively, does anyone know of such

checklists on any other sites?

 

Many thanks,

Stuart.

Was just looking at the Mr.Cad second hand lists on-line and they're

advertising the following:

 

"Leitz Diascope IV b L with 1000W lamp & blower. Listed in Leica

Catalogue September 1960. Used as a 5x4 Slide Projector.

It comes with a 1000W lamp, Leitz Dimar 500mm f5.7 Lens Quarter Plate

transparency holder and 5x4 transparency frame."

 

A 5x4 trannie projected through a Leitz lens with a kilowatt lamp

behind it? sounds kind of scary to me! Since this is such an obvious

candidate for the "Strange but true" category, I was curious to know

if anyone had ever seen/used one of these beasts...

 

Tempting though it is for around 700USD, I fear my flat's not big

enough.

 

It's on their home page at http://www.mrcad.co.uk/ in case anyone's

interested.

Keep the camera as low as possible and be prepared to wait a loooong

time for a lull. As well as increasing the stability of the pod, the

strength of the wind can drop off dramatically when you're nearer

the deck.

 

<p>

 

I'm reminded of an interview with Japanese film-maker Akira Kurosawa

I heard year's ago. A propos the spectacular battle scene in his

film "Ran", the rather naive young interviewer was asking (at great

length) whether the choice of very low camera position had been a

deliberate ploy to maximise the dramatic tension and increase the

sense of immediacy. After thinking for a moment, Kurosawa smiled and

answered "well, no not really, it was just very windy that day and

the tripods were blowing about too much..."

 

<p>

 

 

Oh and ditch the dark cloth - I took one on my last trip to the

middle east and after a few days of looking like a prat under this

ridiculous sail, I threw the cloth away and stuck to using the

folding hood on my wista. Even in the desert sun, I found it was OK

Who Fatali?

Where Canyonlands?

 

<p>

 

Sorry - no speak Americano.

 

<p>

 

So, back to LF...

What a lot of criticism about criticism!

 

<p>

 

Critics exist because people want to read them. Sad but true. Nothing

new either - Vasari and Winckelman were continuing a tradition that

was already old when Pliny was writing about Zeuxis and Appelles.

They can have their uses though - though personally I may think most

of his writings are tosh, where would American art have been without

Clement Greenburg?

John,

You ought to check out the Wim Wenders film "Until the end of the

world"

On the plus side, it's extremely quick and easy to use and is lighter

and far less bulky than the equivalent number of film holders. It's

also a piece of cake to reload - I can unload, clean and reload the

Quickchange cartridge a lot quicker than 4xDDS.

 

<p>

 

On the downside, it isn't as reliable as I'd hoped - on my first

day's shooting in Jordan recently it jammed (with the slide out) on

the 6th shot; thereby wasting the previous five exposures as well as

the remaining sheets. Although that was the only jam during a five

week trip across the deserts of Jordan and Syria, I also found that

maybe 20% of the shots I took using the Quickchange showed some light-

leakage at one end, ranging from the slight to the very, very bad.

 

<p>

 

The flip-side is that I was able to carry far more film in my back-

pak than would otherwise have been possible.

 

<p>

 

Great device in theory but I'm not convinced Fuji have got their

market strategy right yet. The cartridges are way too expensive to

use the as disposables (as they intended) but not yet reliable enough

to use as a Grafmatic-style reloader.

 

<p>

 

On the other hand it's probably safer than using an old Grafmatic!

Having carefully selected the Tenba backpack that was just within the

size restrictions I flew Heathrow-Amman on September 12th to find

that NO hand baggage was being allowed on board - so reluctantly I

checked everything in (including a large and uninsured Wista outfit).

I arrived in Jordan at 03:30 next morning to discover that my bags

hadn't. Thank you Lufthansa! They eventually turned up three days

later, by which time my blood pressure was just a tad elevated and I

was getting sick of washing the same pair of socks every night.

Thankfully everything was safe and sound.

Flying back from Beirut a month later, the whole lot (including 350

sheets of exposed Provia) had to go through twice the usual number of

X-Ray machines because of the heightened security and again I wasn't

allowed to carry on the bag - this time because it was well over the

weight limit. Because both bags were being checked, I also had to pay

a hefty excess on the checked-baggage weight limit. Thankfully

everything survived unscathed and there was no trace of fogging.

 

<p>

 

Next time I'll carefully redistribute the film holders etc before

heading to the airport just to make sure the main pack is just within

the carry-on weight limits. And next time I won't be flying with

Lufthansa!

Have you been packing the exposed/undeveloped sheets into a box too

tight? On a recent trip to Syria I did precisely that. In order to

save space I was putting about 80 sheets of exposed velvia into 50-

sheet boxes. I must have got some minute particles of grit in there

too (well it was in the desert) as a few sheets have little pinholes

where the emulsion got scratched off. The give-away is that under a

strong magnifier some of them have faint lines scratched randomly

around the 'pinhole' - a bit like one of those diagrams of Brownian

motion you see in physics books. Must be where the film was rattling

around inside my rucksack. If anyone has suggestions for how to avoid

this I'd love to hear them.

 

<p>

 

Provided you don't have any light-leaks around the seals, shiny

shouldn't matter. Probably don't look as 'cool' though!