New list member, finally got signed up to reply to a thread from a week or so ago:
--- I did one wedding with a Minolta 600si which had trouble auto focusing on the bride and dad as they came down the aisle. �It focused on people behind them instead. My own fault, since I had turned off the side focus sensors to avoid it focusing on pews nearer than the couple. I then pondered the merits of manual focus, read 6 books on wedding photography, bought a bunch of used Pentax gear plus strobes and radios, and did a second wedding which turned out MUCH better. See both results at: http://www.soltec.net/~bd --- The Pentax gear is two K1000s and a ZX-M. �I find that the ZX-M is hard to work with because, at a glance, the central split image looks sharp even when it isn't in focus, and I'm aiming at people instead of straight lines. �The K1000s seem to be better for focusing on faces, or focusing quickly. �The ZX-M is quieter to trip the shutter during the ceremony, but has a fierce rewind sound. �The K1000s sound like major head turning KER-PLUNK but can be rewound silently. ---- About digital vs film, the bride chose Wal Mart instead of the pro lab, to save money, and I had Wal Mart make some scans for me. �$3.84 for 25 images and I didn't have to scan them myself. Wal Mart negative scans (Fuji Frontier machines) are not as good as their slide scans. �I think they knock down the resolution to speed the process, even though the end result is still 1200 x 1800. �It just looks blocky when you zoom in, unlike their slide scans at the same resolution. Meanwhile, the prices seem to be $0.33 per image for film, developing, and two sets of prints, CD is $0.14 extra for 1200x1800 scan. If you do the digital thing, and want a full two sets of prints, it is $0.29 each image per set, or $0.58 per image for two sets of prints. �This actually costs more to make two prints from CD than to do film, developing, and two prints from the scan they make after developing. �Probably just a pricing structure thing. You can say that you only print the good images with digital, but in truth they want them all, and I want at least half of them for my own copy to show the next couple. The Wal Mart CD is fine for 4x6 and probably 5x7 reprints. �I charged them for the CDs, and kept the negatives. �The couple says they'll be placing an order for 8x10s. As for the safety of Wal Mart film handling, I did test runs which turned out ok, and dropped off the wedding rolls a few at a time and checked the negatives carefully before dropping off more. �Wal Mart did gash one negative, but everything else seemed ok. �They cut the negatives in a stright line without cutting into any images, and the images look nice although too contrasty. �I asked during testing about their 'all soft' low contrast mode, but they don't know what that means. �Let them do their automatic thing and you get tuxedos which are a little too dark. Other labs: Wolf ( Fuji machines ): Cut negatives on angles, even lower rez prints because they were 4 hours behind and had to catch up, more $, glossy instead of matte finish. Meijer ( Noritsu machines ): wierd colors, and some light leak onto the negatives while in the changing bag. Some outside lab from a photo store: Unbelieveable dust, bad analog prints, strange colors. Another local lab: Analog prints, poor colors. Local pro lab: big $, they promise great colors and film handling. �Their 'high rez' scans are still only 1500 on a side. --- For pricing, I did the first wedding as a gift, and for the second I priced it to pay for film and developing and prints, plus a decent amount for my time. �Next time I'll charge more. --- I'm finding the paperwork to set up an actual business is rather bizzare. �To report a little bit of sales tax I have to set up a registered business name, sign up with the state sales tax people, be harassed four times a year, and also file another form when tax time comes. This is after I figure out all the accounting stuff with fixed asset depreciation and such. �All those lights and radios and stands and backdrop and lenses and such cost some decent money! <update> It turns out I don't have to register with the state sales tax people because services are not taxed, and the prints are sold at such a high mark up, i.e. there is only a couple of dollars of tax per wedding. --- The manual focus Pentaxes did fine, but I handed my wife the auto focus Minolta ( with all autofocus sensors turned on! ) so that she could grab a bunch of candids, which she did a great job with. �I'll be putting her flash onto a bracket next time. --- Amazingly, I didn't notice any other SLR cameras there. �The whole night it was people with lil' ole' point 'n shoots, either throw away or film or digital, with dinky flash units. �I had a Vivitar 285HV (GN120) on a flip bracket, plus a second 285HV on a lightstand, both in auto, and the couple is amazed at how great the pictures are. �You'll see the lighting in the images on my website. �Compare with the first wedding which is only the shoe mounted (but big) MInolta flash and some slow sync. --- One of the K1000's PC connector is flakey, so I don't trust them any more. � The silly hot-shoe to PC adaptors which mount on top of the camera point the PC cable towards your forehead instead of away, which can bump you pretty good just over the eye if you bring the camera up too quickly. Brian Dunn http://www.soltec.net/~bd Email address is on the website, along with some nature, people, and pet photos.
