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Lambster Bisque posted:Got a link to these sellers? I'm pretty interested. Hartblei does (you can order from their website), there's also a seller in NY on eBay that sells Hartblei's refurbs in the States.
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Mar 19, 2009 03:35
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Gnomad posted:The various flavors of Bronica might also be useful. They aren't as tidy as a Yashica 124, but not folder type huge, and the Bronicas are going realy cheap these days. I fished a ETRC out of the bay with a speedgrip and two lenses, 75mm and 150mm, and a prism finder, for $136 shipped. KEH has ETR family bodies cheap, like under $50 for an ETRC, which I'm considering picking up so I can have a couple different kinds of film going, load one with color, one with BW, or whatnot. My Seagull came with a mask you can drop in it to give you 6x4.5, I'd think most manufacturers would have that option. HPL posted:Every review of the RZ and RB makes a big deal about how heavy they are. I want something I can take on long walks and trips. Like the size of a human head. They're definitely studio cameras. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 17:53 on Apr 11, 2009 |
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Apr 11, 2009 17:45
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Gnomad posted:Does the mask then let you get 16 pictures to a roll or do you end up with really big spaces between pictures? 16 per roll. There's a second little red window that lets you see the markings for 4.5x6.
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Apr 11, 2009 22:26
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Gnomad posted:Ahhhh, so the Seagull doesn't have a set winding distance, you line the numbers up yourself then. IIRC, my Yashica 124 wound the same distance per shutter cocking. For $30 I'm very satisfied (when I was in Beijing I actually picked up some other variants made under a different name for $12-15 a pop), it produces decent images and of course you've got full manual control. Most people in here will recommend an entry level Yasch for $100, but I'm fine with the Seagull. Granted, I've never printed any big pictures or looked at the negatives on a loupe or anything but nothing from what I've seen makes me run away screaming. Couple examples of B&W and cross processed film (no tinkering in PS except for resize/straightening):     (sorry, the last one is a lovely "scan" I took with my old DSLR and taping the print up to a window) Goddamn I love 6x6. Some people complain about vignetting but it doesn't seem to be a problem, on my 'Gull at least. With the longish minimum focusing distance and f/3.5 lens you'll never really get a great background blur, that backpack/bicycle one is basically as extreme as you can manage. Not sure if that's a general TLR thing or specific to the Seagull. I love having the TLR viewfinder as an option, but sadly had to pretty much put it away completely when I lost my tripod on a trip last summer. Still have 6 rolls of 120 that I need to develop :-\
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Apr 12, 2009 03:39
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Gnomad posted:It costs less than $5 and change per roll, basically. What brand? I used to shoot Lucky 100 on my TLR when I was in China. It was less than a dollar a roll  They used to make an ASA 400 B&W film, but I think they phased it out.
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Apr 20, 2009 14:11
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dunno posted:Sounds like a decent price, the wallet raiding Lomographic Society is trying to sell them for $250 USD. (BTW, if you didn't get the hint already, I don't much like the Lomographic Society and their abuse of trend-making and general ignorance to sell cameras at horribly inflated prices) I don't think anyone who knows anything about photography likes them. On the other hand, they're a textbook example of the usefulness of marketing (IIRC it was started by a bunch of European marketing students). I finally sent my two Olympus XA's off for repair... one of them apparently just had some old plastic in the take-up mechanism, but the tech says he's having trouble fixing the other (wonky shutter times). I hope the little guy pulls through 
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Apr 23, 2009 12:40
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MrMeowMeow posted:I'm thinking of heading to Central/South America to travel for several months. How feasible would it be for me to travel with a film SLR if I mainly plan on backpacking, couch surfing and hitchhiking? I'm thinking it would be a hassle to lug around the camera + film all the time, not to mention the fact that I could be identified as a tourist from miles away with a big backpack + big camera around the neck. Then there's the issue of developing film and mailing it home or whatever. I missed this one the first time, I primarily shoot digital but almost always have a film camera or two along for the ride. Print film is still widely available (think Kodak Gold rather than Porta or Neopan 1600 though) and you can get it processed just about anywhere; B&W and slide film are generally harder to come by (and get developed) but can be found in most major cities. If there's anything you really like to shoot, you should probably bring it with you. Not sure of its availability overseas, but Kodak's C-41 B&W film is pretty decent if you still want ubiquitous processing available. If you ask the processing place not to cut the negs, you can fit a couple rolls worth inside of an empty film canister. If you look white and/or don't speak the language fluently you're probably already marked as a tourist; a camera or big backpack likely isn't going to make a huge difference. When I left my stuff in my room, I'd put it at the bottom of my dirty laundry bag, and put that inside of a locked backpack. Outright mugging probably isn't as common as you'd think, but it doesn't hurt to take precautions. (My experience was in Southeast Asia, but I think it would probably apply to Central/South America.) Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Apr 26, 2009 |
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Apr 26, 2009 20:41
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I'm looking at a Bronica SQ-Ai w/ speedgrip, ME (metered) prism with some chipping paint, 80mm f/2.8, and a pair of 120 backs for $450 ($260 of it will be a Canon 50mm f/1.4 that I never use). It seems like a pretty okay deal, right?
Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 15:54 on May 1, 2009 |
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May 1, 2009 15:47
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HPL posted:If you want to get into concert photography for cheap, it would be hard to beat a used Canon film EOS, the 50mm f/1.8 and a few rolls of HP5+. Put it in aperture priority at ISO 3200 and you'll be pulling off better photos than a 50D in black and white mode because the film grain looks worlds better than digital grain. Speaking of this, I've got a Rebel 2000 (w/ a pretty slow 35-80 zoom) for sale in the SA-Mart gear thread. Also listed my old man's Minolta X700 w/ 50mm f/1.7, 45mm f/2 pancake, 2X TC and a few other random bits. I just got my Olympus XA back from servicing, had the tech recalibrate the meter to read a stop fast. Now I can finally use ASA 1600 film with that nice 35mm f/2.8 lens and compact body! Running a test roll through it this week.
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May 3, 2009 20:33
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Cryhavoc posted:Oh boy. After only having an APS-C sized viewfinder for so long, finally looking through a real one was a bit of a shock. I had that same reaction, since I got in to photography primarily through digital. It was like going from looking out a door at the end of a hallway to a window right in front of you. Guess we're kinda preaching to the choir here though :p HPL posted:Managed to get my Canonet open and tried to fix the light meter. Alas, all it'll meter at is 800. Looks like I need to pull off the leatherette or something and I'm very, very reluctant to do that. Oh well. On the other hand, I gave the rangefinder a bit of a clean and it's a huge leap forward. If you have a Canonet, I'd recommend the cleaning. It's pretty easy to get in there. Three screws, the flippy film winding thingy, the washer holding the film advance lever down and that's it, you're in. Cleaning the RF won't knock it out of whack? I've always been afraid to do much with mine because of that. You should take a chance on the leatherette, if only as an excuse to drop one of these bad boys on http://www.cameraleather.com/canonet/  Edit: Question about my XA (the original). I had two of them, and noticed one of the rangefinders had a purplish tint (and was easier to use) while another was yellow. Old purple died of some random shutter malady that the Oly tech couldn't fix, so I'm now left with the yellow one. Focusing is a lot harder... I've heard some people use a sharpie and put a dot in the middle of the RF window to increase the contrast, is this a bad idea? Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 13:21 on May 5, 2009 |
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May 5, 2009 13:18
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Twenties Superstar posted:There is a fine line between trolling and a joke. That's cool, are you new to LF? I was taking a look at 4x5 rigs last week right before I decided to go with a Bronica instead, interested to hear your impressions after you get some film back. I figure if the Bronica doesn't do it for me, I can always sell it and try out LF. General question for anyone: do Speed Graphics sacrifice anything in IQ for their portability, or should they be able to put out comparable results if used on a tripod like a more conventional 4x5? Another thing: I was looking for a WLF for my SQAi, and holy poo poo do they seem overpriced for what they are. Am I being a stupid baby, or is there something to this?
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May 6, 2009 20:38
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dorkasaurus_rex posted:Does a relatively cheap panoramic film camera exist, or are they all upwards of $4,000? KEH has BGN Xpan + 45mm for "only" $1500, but yeah, Horizon is probably your best bet. I've seen 202's go for $170-$200ish secondhand, although they don't come up super-often. Here's one on eBay you could try for.
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May 7, 2009 01:09
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Lambster Bisque posted:I wish, I've been looking for years now - and while I've accumulated a mass (almost 30 I think now) of old 35mm and MF cameras I've yet to come across a 4x5 for a nice price. I guess it depends on what you consider a nice price... I don't think they're that bad; the thing that turned me off was the cost of film/developing (especially E-6). Obviously you don't shoot as much with an LF camera as you do in 35mm or even MF, but it definitely would constrain how often I shoot and get things developed.
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May 7, 2009 14:47
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So, I got my SQ-Ai in the mail, and once I figure out the ASA/exposure compensation dial on the film back (anyone have experience with this? The manual is kind of confusing and the pictures aren't good) I'll be ready to start shooting 120 again. I've got a few rolls of C-41 that came with the camera that I'll use to test the meter/other functionality, but I'd like to get in to shooting and developing my own B&W 120 film. From anyone who has experience doing it, any tips? I've seen it mentioned a couple of times that it's a little trickier to load it on the reel, and I'd be using more developing fluids, etc. (Was reading the guide on the first page of the thread, and this one.) Also, how much heavier is a stainless steel tank vs an equivalent-sized plastic one?
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May 10, 2009 15:43
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Brucie Banner posted:Not in any way that's important. I've done all my developing in the university darkroom with stainless steel so that's what I've actually bought. A good metric I've used to prevent agitation marks is whenever you're agitating, usually about 4 "turns" or agitations (flipping the container end over end) per 5 seconds. I never had agitation marks except when I messed up the chemicals or something like that. Sorry, I should have been more clear; probably moving later this year (flying) so if they weigh like 5 pounds or something I'd probably be better off getting plastic. Edit: (or just buying a cheap one when I get there)
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May 10, 2009 16:01
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Kind of stupid, but wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem: I just got another scanned roll back from CVS, the tech said "something was wrong with the spacing on the camera". I check my negs and they're fine, but the scans are basically all split in half (half of one frame and half of the next). This is a problem with their scanner/method, not my camera, right? I was thinking maybe the camera is starting the roll half a frame too soon or too late, but that doesn't seem like it'd matter. I had the same problem with the same lab a few months ago with a test roll from another camera, but the other roll I gave them today (from a third camera) turned out fine. I don't really give a poo poo about the pics; all of these have been test rolls, but I want to know if something is actually wrong with my cameras. On a side note, the Oly tech's modifications to my XA's meter were successful; it can now shoot ASA 1600 film! It's a pretty unique little package now; pocketable rangefinder with Av shooting and a nice 35mm f/2.8 lens for low light. Aside from being cut in half the images from the 1600 turned out surprisingly well, I had accidentally let it go through an airport scanner or two.
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May 20, 2009 23:19
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HPL posted:Were you shooting low light photos? My scanner has problems picking out the photo borders when the photo is mostly blackness. For the most part yeah. It isn't a flatbed though, they feed it in.
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May 21, 2009 00:27
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HPL posted:The scanner was still probably having a tough time finding edges to start the scan. What I usually end up doing is scanning the whole strip and manually picking out the photos in Photoshop. Ah, that makes sense, I'll keep it in mind. Hopefully I'll be able to borrow a scanner from work later this summer; I want to digitize some of my grandfather's Vietnam slides when I go up to visit. Are you still using the T2 for concerts? Just curious, what made you choose it over an SLR for that? Gnomad posted:While I was buying the rest of the outdated (4-09) Plus-X at the local photo pro shop, I saw that they had a 4x5 view camera setup, ready to go, everything you'd need right down to the light meter for $600. I'm not sure the make/whatever of that one, but you can get in to LF for a lot less than $600. Here are some auctions I've watched in the last couple weeks: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260402690914#ht_778wt_907 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=140318712424#ht_500wt_924 (this one especially seems like a pretty  deal)http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=200337742857#ht_702wt_907 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=170328186340#ht_7103wt_907 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=170328992294#ht_500wt_924 (disclaimer: I don't shoot LF but these seem like fairly complete and functional setups) Edit: Sweet! Just snagged a used Pentacon-6 Arsat 30mm fisheye in the States for less than half of what the Ukranian sellers have them priced at! I'd been looking at getting further in to the Bronica system and while most of the lenses are really reasonable, I wanted wide and cheap (and poo poo, I'll never be able to justify paying $100 for a loving WLF), so I'm going to sell it and go Russian. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 04:17 on May 21, 2009 |
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May 21, 2009 04:12
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Hey! posted:As for getting a film SLR and developing my own film, those really aren't options for me right now. I just want to use this film point & shoot for snapshots and my digital SLR for "serious" shooting. What sort snapshots? Different P&S's are good for different things. As far as getting them developed, the quality at drugstore labs varies from OK to poo poo... in general the techs don't really know what they're doing and it's not uncommon to get your negatives back scratched up, lovely scans, etc. It's just a job for them; film goes in one end, comes out another, whatever. A pro lab costs more but will actually do a nice job and treat your film like it's theirs. Developing your own B&W film isn't that expensive, the initial investment is probably $40-50 and that stuff will last you for quite a few rolls. For film, find what you like and then buy that in bulk. One of my favorites is Kodak Elitechrome 400 (slide film) for crossprocessing. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 01:39 on May 27, 2009 |
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May 27, 2009 01:37
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Kind of taking an SA-siesta right now, but thought I'd mention my ASA 1600 modified XA is on eBay. Gotta make room for the R3a on the way  If the Bronica kit I have listed doesn't sell at its current price today I'll probably relist it at $599, for anyone who's interested.
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Jun 7, 2009 19:42
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Rednik posted:Oh hi, I'm currently watching your action. Small world, eh? I have no idea what it's going to go for since I've never heard of it being done, figured I'd just start it at 99 cents and see where it winds up. If you're interested in it, the guy at Midstate Camera Repair will do the mod (plus any necessary repairs, in this one's case a little bit of plastic had fallen in the advance mechanism) for $65. Not bad if you pick up a busted one for $20, although he was unable to fix the shutter mechanism on another one I sent him (did't charge me for it though). Reichstag posted:Zorki 10 drat, that is unusually attractive for a Russian camera. Shame about the full manual only though 
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Jun 10, 2009 22:22
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Rednik posted:Well if I don't win an auction ending today I'll probably be bidding on yours. Considering the unmodded ones are selling for upwards of 80 dollars you'll probably make a pretty penny whoever wins. Yeah, I got my old one (the one that eventually developed the unfixable shutter issue) for $25 maybe 2 years ago, surprised how much they've gone up. They're really nice cameras though, I've been having second thoughts about selling that one all week. Edit: also relisted the Bronica, just decided to do it auction style.
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Jun 10, 2009 23:05
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Mello Clello posted:Would be keen on that, you wouldn't ship to New Zealand by any chance? It looks like I should be able to fit it all in to a medium Flat Rate box, so it'd be about US$40 (uninsured) to anywhere overseas. I'm not sure what NZ's stance on duty is now; apparently Australia closed their "gift" loophole last year. I could undervalue it on the customs form but then you'd be screwed if anything happened to it. (For whatever it's worth I've never had a problem doing it in the past)
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Jun 11, 2009 13:33
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Krispy Kareem posted:On a lark I just bought a Bronica ETR-Si with 220 back and 75mm lens for $101 off eBay. Does anyone have any experience with this brand? I've been wanting a modular SLR MF, but the cheapest thing I've been able to find was a Kiev and that was three times this one's price. I bought an SQ-Ai kit on a whim last month, selling it on eBay now. I'd definitely recommend picking up a Speedgrip (on the SQ system it's the Speedgrip-S), it makes advancing film a lot more convenient. The metering prism on mine seemed pretty accurate but I say that with the caveat that I never even developed anything that I ran through the camera. Kiev's aren't that bad, you just have to wait for a used one to pop up rather than buying one brand new from Ukraine. I paid $130 for a complete Kiev 60 setup (80mm lens, TTL prism, body) although it turned out to be broken and I returned it. They can use both the cheap, decent Russian lenses as well as the nice Zeiss Pentacon-6 mount glass. The system's almost worth it alone for the $200 30mm Arasat fisheye.
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Jun 12, 2009 13:24
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HPL posted:Tried out the Paterson reels today. Oh my lord are they horrible compared to the AP reels. The AP reels are wonderfully beautiful by comparison. With the AP reels, you have a huge tab to rest the film on while getting it into the ball bearing grippy things. The Patersons have almost nothing so there's a lot of trial and error before you can get it to go. Aww man, I just scored a Patterson tank with two reels yesterday. At least it only cost me a shitbid of $12. Question to those with experiencing developing B&W: I generally do most of my shooting when I'm traveling, how feasible would it be to set up a little travel kit for developing when I'm on the road? Are pretty much all the chemicals you need available in concentrated form? Would most of it be able to fit inside an empty developing tank for storage when I'm not using it? My R3a arrived yesterday and I'm so excited... the LTM-M adapter got here earlier in the week but I'm still waiting on a Jupiter-8 from Moldova and a J-9 from Ukraine. If the dweebs on RFF would answer their PMs I might be able to get a Nokton 40mm for my trip to DC next week :-\ Watching some eBay auctions on the Voigtlander glass and checking the classifieds on RFF I've been pleasantly surprised at how affordable the used stuff is (not that the retail price is that bad).
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Jun 19, 2009 04:53
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Snaily posted:While I haven't tried anything else, Paterson tanks are OK to work with, in my opinion. Load it once or twice in the bag with a dummy film or paper cut to size, then you're good to go. D'oh, that's so obvious about the reels being in the tank  You don't need a changing bag if you have a dark room, right? I was figuring bathroom + towl under the door would probably work. On the other hand, I suppose a changing bag isn't super weighty/bulky. I paid $275 for the R3a, which seemed like a steal at the time, although now that I have it I notice that the leatherette is a little peely and the RF needs a smidge of vertical adjustment. Apparently the vertical alignment thing is a common issue with Bessa's, it looks like a fairly simple fix from what I've been able to find online. The J-8 was about $32, and I paid $110 for the J-9 (decided to treat myself to a black one with the accessory finder, since a silver one I ordered earlier in the week came with a ton of scratches and had to be returned). I want something wider now, hoping to score a used Nokton 40mm f/1.4 next, which is sort of the "kit lens" for the R3a's widest framelines. HPL posted:If you're doing some really picky stuff like major push processing or whatever, be careful that the mineral and chemical composition of tap water varies wildly across the continent and may potentially affect your development times. Yeah, I was thinking I'd probably use bottled water to be more consistent (even those will differ a bit I suppose, but probably be more consistent than the tap), would that work? TokenBrit posted:The smallest kit I could imagine using is: That doesn't sound bad, although what's the deal with the pre-mixed fix? Would it make more sense to just mix my own as I go so I'm not toting around a liter of liquid? Thanks for all the helpful replies guys!
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Jun 19, 2009 14:10
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quote:Maybe you guys can help me out with rangefinders. I want something under in the $100-$200 range, easy to use, full manual, and pocket-able for everyday use. I can't seem to Google a good consensus and range finder forum doesn't really help me make decisions, though I am quite certain that I don't have to spend $1000 on a Leica. Unless you're talking cargo pants or a jacket, I don't either the 35RC or QL17 are really "pocketable" cameras. Do you need a light meter? If not, a FED-2 (Russian RF) might be a good choice. The later FED's have light meters, but they aren't terribly reliable and the cameras are fugly as hell. The lack of higher film speeds can be a real drag, a workaround with the Canonnet I've heard of is to use the meter at 800 and then switch to manual, transfer the settings and do the mental calculations for the higher speeds. I just sold an Olympus XA (ASA 25-800 from the factory) that I had a tech modify to meter a stop faster, which opened up ASA 1600 shooting. The XA is definitely pocketable and has a 35mm f/2.8 lens, as well as a nifty clamshell design that does away with the need for a lens cap, although it doesn't have full manual control (just aperture priority). You could pick up a broken one for around $20 on eBay, then send it to a tech to do the light meter mod. I went with Midstate Camera, servicing the XA (including the mod) cost $65 with a pretty reasonable turnaround. The caveat is that not every XA is fixable, he was able to fix one of the ones I sent but not the other. Working ones generally go for around $100.
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Jun 19, 2009 21:24
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HPL posted:Bulk loading is where you buy a 100' roll of film and load it into 35mm cannisters, not where you load the entire roll on a camera. Also, bulk loading is only common for 35mm. Haven't seen anything for 120. Not to be pedantic, but there are bulk film backs for some SLR's. (Although yeah, generally that's not what bulk loading means)
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Jun 21, 2009 19:45
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If you aren't keeping it on your back, wrap it up in your extra clothes in one of the saddlebags. I dunno about something as complicated as a Bronnie, but my Seagull was fine after a month and a half of banging around Laos and Vietnam on the side of my dirtbike.
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Jun 22, 2009 00:07
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dorkasaurus_rex posted:big surprise there. only one place in the entire country develops that stuff. i have an undeveloped roll sitting in my film drawer right now because it'd be such a shlep to send it out there. Same, although mine's a half roll (camera jammed in the middle of the roll, been meaning to shoot the other half and send it and some E-6 120 off to Dwaynes)
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Jun 23, 2009 02:02
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Ugh, gently caress Russian QC. In the last 2 months: Arsat 30mm Fisheye - aperture blades a little sticky, still functional (re-sold) Kiev 60 TTL - rear shutter curtain jammed (returned) Jupiter-11 (from US seller) - elements both internal and external had dozens of tiny scratches (returned) Jupiter-11 (from Ukraine) - fungus, only partially engages rangefinding mechanism (going to be returned. Also, the 85mm viewfinder attachment is pretty lame, it tapers to a little pinhole you squint through) Jupiter-8 - the cheapest/most common, seems to be working Just a piece of advice to anyone else that's considering Russian gear: it's good when you get a working example, but always buy from somewhere with a return policy and preferably that knows how the hell to inspect photo gear :-\
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Jun 26, 2009 02:58
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trueblue posted:I'm watching a Canon QL17 GIII on eBay, the person selling it doesn't seem to know much about it and I don't know heaps about their specific operation. Is there any instructions that I can give her for her to test it out to any degree? Just so I can at least make sure I'm not starting a bidding war on a camera with a broken shutter or sticky aperture blades etc. I'd stay away, personally. The "this was my dad's, he passed away and i don't kno much about cameras so selling as-is" QL17's only sell for like $20 less than one that's been tested and well-described. Edit: Either way, $40-60 seems to be the going rate.
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Jul 17, 2009 15:39
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Reichstag posted:Yeah, the price continuum for current ltm/m lenses goes Cosina Voigtlander (Reasonable) -> Zeiss (Expensive) -> Leica (Absurd), with very little quality difference. Don't forget the old LTM stuff too; Russian (dirt-cheap, nice if you get a good one) and Canon (pretty respectable) Clayton Bigsby posted:I should get an LTM -> M adapter tomorrow, and will be using my 1936 vintage uncoated Summar on it. Eventually I'd like to get a more modern, contrasty lens, but I think the Summar will be right at home even though the camera is a good 43 years younger... Sup M buddy. I'm currently rocking a $30 Jupiter-8 with cheap eBay adapter on my R3a. No problems with it as far as RF alignment or anything; I made sure to do some close-up, wide open shots to check. I've got a Jupiter-9 (85mm f/2) on the way from an RFF member; went through two stinkers on eBay (one heavily scratched, another with fungus and a wonky RF cam) before finding that one. From what I've seen on Flickr it looks like a nice performer. There are some other LTM lenses I want to pick up, but I need to send mine in to get the vertical alignment fixed first. It's usable now but goddamn is it annoying.
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Jul 24, 2009 21:39
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The Affair posted:Is there a medium format SLR modular style camera that you fellas would recommend? Something that's cheap and dependable, and could start me off in that side of medium format, like my thirty dollar Ikoflex TLR did, instead of what a more popular model would have costed? It depends on if you want 6x4.5, 6x6, or a larger format like a 6x9 folder or something. 6x4.5 is the cheapest, although I personally don't care for it; you get some of the PITA of shooting MF (fewer films, slower lenses, more expensive and hard-to-find processing) and the only real benefit is bigger enlargements, which I don't do. Still, if you want to go that route there are some nice bargains, both in bodies and lenses. I like 6x6 because it changes how you compose an image, which is a bit of a challenge. You can grab a Yaschica TLR for $100 or less, which is a fine introduction, although definitely not modular. As far as 6x6 SLRs Bronica is one of the cheaper systems to buy into since it's been discontinued; realistically there are a shitload of them floating around and parts aren't going to run out anytime soon. I wouldn't call them dependable but the Russian Kiev's are cheaper still. They don't seem to break down randomly on their own so much, but it can be hard to find one that came out of the factory in good working order. You can get around the dodgy QC by ordering a more expensive (still cheaper than most other systems) reconditioned model from Hartblei or Arax that's been gone over and brought up to spec. They take Pentacon-6 lenses, which include some very nice and fairly affordable Zeiss glass, as well as a Russian 30mm fisheye which is a screaming bargain at around $200 (price wideangles in other MF systems and you'll see what I mean). Of the Kievs there's the 88CM, which is a Hasselblad clone with interchangeable backs, and the Kiev 66, which is basically a giant SLR without interchangeable backs. The 66 is supposed to be the more reliable of the two. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Jul 25, 2009 |
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Jul 25, 2009 15:57
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Paul MaudDib posted:I was considering making this recommendation, but I decided against mentioning it. The 88 is a gigantic pain in the rear end, with such incredible design as a shutter speed dial that will break if you turn it counter-clockwise or turn it without cocking. This is after the Hartblei repairs. I've also heard of problems with the magazines leaking light, although not as frequently. They do make it with the Hasselblad mount too so you can start collecting faggy German glass. Actually it seems like the used (refurbished) ones go for like half of the cost of the new ones. I just got tired of waiting for another black Kiev 60 with MLU to come up on eBay  I've heard the 88 can be fickle, especially the backs, but the 60 I handled felt quite robust. I definitely would have hung on to it if it hadn't came with a jammed rear curtain. Thing smelled like a gun store. Cheap B&W film: I shot Lucky 100 back when I had my Seagull (another cheap B&W Chinese ASA 100 film, probably comes out of the same factory as the GP3 for all I know), no complaints. Then again it was my first time shooting B&W, so take that as you will. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Jul 27, 2009 |
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Jul 27, 2009 02:25
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Just bought some Arista Premium, D-76, fixer (just went with a Kodak powder), and a film retriever from Freestyle to go with the Patterson tank I picked up, hopefully going to develop my first rolls pretty soon! Also thinking my next purchase will be a film scanner, so I can cut CVS out of the loop. I've heard Walmart's in Florida don't offer the send-out service anymore, anyone got a recommendation for cheap mail-order processing? Of 120 I've 1 roll E6 and 1 roll B&W, as well as two rolls of 35mm B&W. Don't want to risk screwing up the B&W on my own. dorkasaurus_rex posted:I want to get into large format. Probably 4x5. What's a nice, reliable, approachable 4x5 camera to pick up? And what should I know about 4x5 in general before getting into it? I've been wanting to put together a Speed Graphic and Aero-Ektar rig for a while now, but I decided to go with a 35mm rangefinder for the time being. Speed Graphics are somewhat different animals than field cameras; the in-body shutter lets you use old barrel lenses, they've got a built in rangefinder (or two), but don't give you as many movements. A Speed Graphic isn't ideal for landscapes or architecture, but probably easier to use for portraits or something moving. Crown Graphics are lighter and lose the in-body shutter. I thought LF would be more expensive than it actually is; nice Speed Graphics go for around $200, as does a basic 4x5 field camera. I suppose shooting a lot of E6 would add up.
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Jul 27, 2009 22:55
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Clayton Bigsby posted:Yeah, I paid something like $350(?) for my F1 with a Sinaron lens last year. At those prices it's hardly worth looking at the Speed Graphics unless you want something more compact. Or dem cheap barrel lenses HPL posted:You'll be fine. Man up. You've got the tools, now use them. I totally will after a few trial rolls, but in the meantime I'm probably gonna send this stuff out because the film is old (not sure how old) and the stuff on there is irreplacable, versus whatever I shoot noodling around on that Arista that I'm fine with screwing up. Also pretty sure my neg carriers don't do 120, so that one's going out with the slide film. edit: I'm trying to source a cheap Copal or Compur #0 shutter for a project, preferably one with a 1/500s max speed... any suggestions? I see them attached to LF lenses on eBay, but I'm wondering if there are any folders or press cameras that can be picked up for cheap that would have one. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Jul 29, 2009 |
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Jul 29, 2009 06:06
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Clayton Bigsby posted:http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/16847/cat/6/limit/recent/date/1246438753 I didn't think to do a search in the classifieds there, thanks! You're right though, it's probably too slow for what I want it for... for now I think I'm going to try digging up one of the newer 1/400s or 1/500s shutters. I asked in the Folders subforum and apparently most 6x9's use a #0 shutter (makes sense) so I'll be on the lookout for one of those with a high-speed shutter. I sent an e-mail to this folder restorer to see if he's got anything laying around on the workbench I might be able to pick up for cheap. By all accounts he's one of the best places to buy one, if anyone's looking. edit: yesss, got my TBB tag.
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Jul 30, 2009 04:21
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HPL posted:Speaking of which, does anyone know where I can get an Olympus 1-14 focusing screen? I ordered one from KEH but there was a 1-10 screen in the case instead of a 1-14. KEH is weird like that: I was ordering a lens from them yesterday and I noticed the one in the picture was different than the description. I e-mailed a CSR figuring someone had gotten the data entry wrong but no, they apparently just use the closest stock photo they have. Sucks about the screen, are they going to at least refund you shipping for the screwup on their part? They've been okay-ish in the past for me, but I can see how they get a bum rap (check reseller-ratings).
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Jul 30, 2009 23:56
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w_hat posted:Speaking of the OM-2's I just scored one on ebay for $30. I'd really like a pancake for it, does anyone have a recommendation? I'm okay with adapting a different system if I keep infinity focus Zuiko lenses are generally pretty drat small to begin with. I've seen some really nice results from the 40mm f/2 pancake but I don't think it's particularly cheap.
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Jul 31, 2009 02:09
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