[The Fine Print]

June 21, 2013 at 11:27 pm

Nothing wrong with the lens it seems…..

[The Fine Print]

June 21, 2013 at 11:24 pm

Or get the Samyang (UMC version) if money is tight.

[The Fine Print]

February 23, 2013 at 3:57 am

I generally don’t scan at all (anymore), because I don’t need to.
I use an older DSLR on a repro stand over a light table. Super quick and good enough for most purposes (95% of my stuff on the web gets done that way).
B/w negs I do properly in the darkroom anyway;
colour I get done through a mate with an Imacon 484, if I need better enlargements,
or send the very best/important stuff away for a drum-scan.
To me all a matter of end-purpose, time-management, cost, convenience etc.

[The Fine Print]

December 4, 2012 at 1:57 pm

Its probably ok to built, if you have some skills. I don’t know how nice to use this one is though; i remember hearing very mixed reviews on it. You should be able to pick up a nicer camera, (doesn’t even have to be the basic Shen-Hao, or Tachihara) for bulldog money. Just make sure the bellows are good.
I have bought almost all my LF stuff s/h off fleabay. It is cheap if you look. I bought e.g. an Arca-Swiss monorail 5×7 for 350, and a Speed-Graphic 4×5 press-camera for 150.
90mm should be totally fine though; it’ll be your standard wide. Sell the 305 if its too long and get a 135 and a 210, or a 150 and a 240 to complement your 90 depending how much bellows you have. Get the shutter fixed, replace it, or get another 90mm. The hat method is (barely) ok (esp. for paper) and if you have ND filters, but a shutter is of course much more convenient. Speaking of which: You’re not limited to paper: Use film (you can easily tray-develop sheet-film) and make nice contact prints if needed.
e.g. Fleebay:
two-for-one 400343613462 (need lensboards);

[The Fine Print]

November 17, 2012 at 11:20 am

I guess you’re looking for used ones. New and s/h LF film holders can be had from e.g. B&H, Badgergraphic, mpex, KEH (all in the US) etc and Shen Hao in China makes nice wooden holders (although I had to replace the bottom flap tape on my new 5x7s immediately after purchase)
PS search for “(sheet) film holder” instead of “dark slide”; you get a much better hit rate. Calumet in the UK may also have stock. I probably bought about 50 holders of various sizes over the years secondhand. Only one had a light-leak problem (which was fixable).

[The Fine Print]

October 17, 2012 at 10:46 am

As an alternative, if you already have a digital camera with macro lens, a light panel and a tripod you can quickly get very nice digital files off film. You’d also get through a number of negs faster than any scanner out there and its good enough for web publication. All my flickr pics have been done that way.
For important stuff and larger prints I have other options anyway.

[The Fine Print]

October 17, 2012 at 10:34 am

Not directly answering your question, just an offer: If you need help fixing dodgy ones, let me know; am happy to help.
I bought most of mine s/h off eBay and new off a dealer.

[The Fine Print]

October 16, 2012 at 8:56 pm

nope, sorry. just sold….bad timing :)

[The Fine Print]

October 4, 2012 at 11:15 am

If you’re really stuck, http://www.hettysdarkroom.com develops (and prints properly) b/w; but developing film at least isn’t hard to do yourself.

[The Fine Print]

September 24, 2012 at 9:42 am

Thank you, Damien; I’m sorry if that hijacked the thread a bit.

Edit: Dave: Check out the pre-release price of the new “Bel-Air 6-12” (6×6, 6×9, 6×12 all-in-one, AE, plus two lenses!….Seriously nice features, other than only offering f8 and f16 though..but soon the camera-hacks will remedy that , too :)

Carsten

[The Fine Print]

September 22, 2012 at 2:36 pm

Almost all recent medium format system cameras are professional tools, so it’ll come down to handling (and servicing), budget and processing requirements. If you want a cheap way in, an old (amateur) TLR might also work for you and those are restricted in what they can do, but nevertheless quite lovely; I took e.g. this portrait with an old Ciro-Flex I bought for €8 somewhere:

I personally also like the Bronica SQ(A) series; quite an affordable system, recent, versatile and no cult-camera prices on their excellent lenses.
I thought I managed to get out of MF almost completely years ago, but I do have relapses, buying a nice 6×6 Agfa-folder to keep in my pocket and if, like me, you’re really bored on a rainy Sunday, you can always make your own, like e.g. this one, which is now my “Hasselblad SWC replacement” :

[The Fine Print]

September 18, 2012 at 8:49 am

you’re right, digital negatives do get done and it is an interesting angle on saving, archiving and reproducing important images, or just for using photosensitive paper to print digital images. Anyway, a simplified approach, if you’re keen on making digital negatives yourself is e.g. described here:
http://www.digital-negatives.com/” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;

best wishes,
TFP

[The Fine Print]

September 11, 2012 at 10:12 am

if the battery contacts are all clean and the new batteries ARE good (that is not guaranteed) sounds like a failed capacitor, or such in the camera’s lightmeter. A replacement board can be found e.g. here:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Original-Nikon-FE-Main-Flex-Circuit-Board-/290543849172?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a5c34ed4″ onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
Since s/h FEs are cheap it’d be more economical to shoot in Manual mode and get yourself a 2nd body.

[The Fine Print]

September 11, 2012 at 9:58 am

I’d also crop it to he top left 3/4 perhaps. (And I have to agree: That blur tool job was baaaaaad :) )

[The Fine Print]

September 7, 2012 at 5:40 am

The 24-50 AF-D is quite nice and cheap, or I’d get 1-2 wide primes instead. Augment that with a 50mm and a 80-200 zoom perhaps. But a fast tele is nice, too. Classic outfit. For years I had the 20, 35, 50, 80-200 and 105 as my basic kit (with FE2 bodies) and that was a great line-up. As late as 2006 I shot a wedding entirely with the 20, 24-50, a 50 and a 105.