John Robison wrote:
>I just can't get used to the plasto-blob
>cameras that resemble Salvador Dali sculptures and need a degree in
>computer science to operate!
I have a PhD in computer science and I have trouble with many of them
actually.
and Mark Hammons queried:
>The lens, is a Vivitar 55mm F2.8 macro. I have NO idea as to the
>quality of this lens but it does go all the way to 1:1. It is also in EX- to
>EX shape but the optics seem to be MINT-. Does anyone on the list
>have any experience with this lens?
very sharp lens. I used one in Canon FD mount years ago. The main
disadvantage is it is big and bulky, particularly compared to Zuikos, but it
is quite well made like most classic vivitars. it flares easily but still
is a sharp lens at or near infinity focus, while being an excellent macro lens.
and Buddy Walters asked about medium format for landscape work:
imho, perspective control, especially tilt, is vital for high quality
landscape work. you can live without it 750f the time with 35mm by just
stopping down, but in larger format, landscapes will suffer in overall
sharpness from diffraction at small f-stops or inadequate depth of field
without it. of course, most cameras with tilt are large format. While
you can find some lighter weight large format cameras, you still are
stuck carrying around a bunch of sheet film holders and it gets a bit bulky.
If you want the convenience of roll film, you still might use such a camera,
but with optics designed for 6x9 (that will be sharper than those for
4x5). Rodenstock makes a line of 6x9 lenses that mount on standard
lens boards for 4x5 or 6x9 view and field cameras. There are many
choices of cameras-- Cambo and Arca Swiss make 6x9 monorails and
Linhof and Horseman make 6x9 field cameras.
when faced with simmilar choices, I decided on Mamiya Press cameras
that support rear tilt and swings. the main limitation is that only
the 90mm and 100mm lenses have retractable mounts for maintaining
infinity focus when rear movements are used. But the cameras are
much cheaper than things with Linhof, Horseman, or Arca-Swiss nameplates,
and image quality is very high. Linhof 6x9 field cameras will give you front
rise and shift, and rear tilt and swing. Arca-Swiss 6x9 monorails have
full view camera movements, and Mamiya Press Deluxe or Super 23 have
the same type of back extension as Linhof's (Mamiya copied it) giving
rear tilt and swing movements. Note that there also is the hasselblad
flex body with rear tilt. It uses leaf shutter hasselblad lenses and
hassleblad backs.
In my own experience, you can get up to about 16x20 without camera movements,
but beyond that, they are a necessity for landscape work. 16x20's are
the marginal case as well, so some folks would insist on tilt for
16x20 landscapes also. I wouldn't use a 6x7 or 6x9 system without
perspective control for landscape work because I'd be pretty much as
happy with 16x20's from 645 or 6x6-- with 645 just be sure to get accurate
composition in the field so you don't need to crop. A 6x7 or 6x9
SLR might enable going up to 20x24, but without tilt movements, it
won't be so useful for 20x24's, as either diffraction or inadequate DOF
will limit sharpness and not render a crisp 20x24.
although I also use a Mamiya TLR because it is inexpensive, I'm not a
big fan of 6x6 for nature photography. since I prefer to shoot slides,
and don't do my own ilfochromes, I like for the transparency to be
the final image, and hence prefer not to have to crop it for the final
image. with negatives, the negative itself is by no means the final
image, and just an intermediate step along the way, so I like 6x6
for this. But when I shoot slides with a TLR I normally strive for
square compositions.
if you don't mind being burdened with sheet film holders and sheet film
or quickload packs, by all means shoot 4x5 for landscapes. if not, there
are some good medium format options.
Denton Taylor wrote:
>Seems to me what you have just described is a Pentax 6x7.
>1. Mechanical with MLU -- check
actually, it is an electronic shutter that draws power throughout a
long B exposure.
just to tie all of this back to Olympus... the camera I'd love to see
Olympus make would be an oversized OM-1 that shot a 6x6 or 645 image
on 120 roll film and had a Pentacon 6 breach lock mount. with such
a mount, the camera would take the current model Schneider lenses that
are currently sold new for Exacta 66 cameras, as well as Kiev 60 lenses
(that are available new and quite cheaply) as well as the old Carl Zeiss Jena
lenses for Pentacon 6 cameras. I think someone could sell alot of
cameras like this if they were reliable (Kievs and Exacta's aren't
so reliable) on account of the plethora of cheap optics available
in this mount. of course, it would drive up the price of all
these lenses if such a camera existed.
Re: Joel Wilcox's question about Fuji 400 and 800 print films...
Superia 400 and 800 are more contrasty and more saturated in colors
than NPH and NHG 800 respectively.
j. albert
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