Re: [Cameramakers] bellows liner sheen
I am not sure this is possible but you can coat the stuff with thin layer of silicone of the sort used for sealing bathtubs, aquariums and... You can thin it with a considerable amount of mineral spirits (it takes a lot if you want to brush the result). Add enough carbon black (I had success with about 10 % printers ink) to make thin layers quite dense. This will fill the pores and also increase the resistance to some kinds of damage (and could be used to bond the fabric to the next layer). If you now uniformly press this mess onto a suitable sheet of polyethylene or other non-stick material which has the surface appearance you desire, you will copy the surface in the silicone! The real problem is finding a non-stick layer of something having the correct surface. Much polyethylene is too shiny and the end result would be worse than you now have! Still, if you can locate the correct stuff, I am quite sure the process will work. There is a second point of view; I cannot think of any reason to worry about the shiny appearance! Yes, it reflects in a specular way, but if the source makes a broad beam, the specular reflection of that beam will be no less well spread out. The main source of light is what bounces back from the film or film holder. Certainly the film scatters light well and probably the black film holder is not too bad either. It can easily be that a flat black surface reflects considerably more total light than your shiny one. It is hard to produce truly dead black. Light traps offer the best hope and flocking is one way to reach this goal. I have seen a bellows with partially flocked inner surface. If you are good, maybe you can flöocking to adhere to the silicone (but hurry, before a skin develops!) Bob At 08:39 26.11.02 -0500, you wrote: Hi, I am in the process of building a 24x24 camera bellows and I found this wonderful material called Emphatex. . It is a 2 ply coated breathable nylon material used to make sports gear..It is extremely thin , light and subtle and is almost 100 percent light tight by itself, however it does pass a very little light.. ... With two layers I am sure it will be completely opaque.. The question or concern I have is that the material has a slight or dull sheen to it and I was wondering how critical do you think it is to have a liner in the bellows that is dead flat black? If it is critical does anyone have any suggestions to dull the sheen.. Also is there any recommendations for liners that are dead flat black.. Thanks, John Cremati
Re: [Cameramakers] converting weird light meter scales?
Argus made a C-3 (the Brick) that had the meter you speak of mounted on top. (The hot shoe? I think). The shutter speed dial and f-stops are only whole numbers and somehow relate to that meter. Perhaps you would take a meter reading and whatever the number was you would use a combination of the shutter/aperture to equal your meter # and you have your setting. This sounds much more complicated than it really is. My Minolta Autocord has the same system (but also has the real f-stops and shutter speeds). I have one of these Argus cameras but I dont have the meter. The camera is pretty much useless without it. For the cost of shipping I will send it to you if you want it. It needs a cleaning and most of these need the rangefinder adjusted, but it works. To answer your question: The Argus #s probably only apply to the system described above. The EVS numbers do mean something. I have an old GE meter that has both EV and f\stops on it. If you cant find a cross reference chart I can make you one. Matt heres a link to one on ebay, this is what mine looks like. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=1940805751 --- Uptown Gallery [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello: I picked up a sack o' Polaroid cameras and an Argus LC-3 mini-meter today. The meter dial has f stop 4.5-22 ASA settings, EVS scale from 3.5 to 16 and shutter setting from 8-4. EVS sounds familiar, but it looks like if one attempts to use the Shutter setting scale, the EVS pointer doesn't end up anywhere near the EVS numbers, and vice versa. Anyone know what these mean or how to translate? (Familiar with this meter?) I think I will scan it and make a new scale and calibrate it with a TTL SLR. Thanks Murray --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.391 / Virus Database: 222 - Release Date: 9/19/02 ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
[Cameramakers] html in postings to Cameramakers
Hello everybody Can people posting messages please turn off the HTML option in their e-mail agent? And also avoid including ALL of the posting they are replying to, especially long ones. The last digest, Vol 1 #553 - 4 msgs, at 31kb, is bloated out of all proportion due to these two factors. Take out the html and the repetition and the size is under 10kb. Brian Swale ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
[Cameramakers] Re: html in postings to Cameramakers
Brian Swale raised the issue of needless HTML in postings to this list. Here's a URL which tells you how to shut off both HTML and MIME in most of the popular email programs. It's not hard. http://support.pinehurst.net/email/nomime.html Cheers! Steve ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
[Cameramakers] Re: Flat Black Bellows Lining
Hi, In the past I've used regular black 100% cotton cloth for bellows lining with good results. Just look for the stuff that looks black enough. Once your eyes are accustomed to the light in the store, the comparison is easier than you might think. Go ahead and trust your eyes, or bring a light meter with you to compare the fabrics. The only problem I ever had with this is having to be very careful when applying adhesive; too much too soon and it'll bleed through to the inside, leaving a mess to clean up before folding the bellows. But even that can be avoided with care; apply two thin coats, letting the first coat dry before applying the second one. If you're very particular you can dye the fabric before using it but this almost certainly is unnecessary; I'd wash it in cold water once before using it to knock off some of the factory sheen and sizing, dull it down a little. It's funny how much light a nice dead black piece of cloth can reflect! Once I was photographing some sculpted glass pieces for some friends. They brought over a really nice deep black piece of velvet to use for background/base. I metered it and all kinds of light was reflecting off that thing! We ended up using black background paper; it reflected close to two stops less light! Even though it didn't appear as deep a black as the velvet. But the velvet had lots of little specular reflections coming off of it. The resulting black and white photos told the tale; those pieces looked like they were just floating there. Hope this helps. 'Bye for now, --Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
[Cameramakers] 1)EV scale is OK, 2) Kodak Safety film notch question
Hello: 1) After more reading and responses from list members - EV scale is pretty nice actually! 2) Someone brought in some old photos to frame today and I sized them up quickly - they looked like proof contact prints from 4 x 5 sheet film. The film says Kodak- Safety 76 I am curious about the age of the negative, whether 76 meant film type or 1976. The notches may clue someone in. Scan is at www.multi-volti.com/KodakSafety76.jpg I scanned the scrap piece of photo paper (someone had already cut the photos up before bringing it in). The image was an old off-road racecar, so it could have been any year. Thanks Murray --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.391 / Virus Database: 222 - Release Date: 9/19/02 ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
[Cameramakers] ELF cameramaker survey
I am curious what those of you out there in Camera-Land interested in Extremely Large format (like the16x20 and 20x24) do with the photos... are some of you studio professionals or in galleries elsewhere and sell them or are you amateurs and populate your own walls? My day job is in a techical field and most of the people (one guy went to photog. school had a Graphic Reflex years ago) there seem absolutely bewildered by my interest in this, or even 4x5 format. I can't explain my interest in it - I hope I can produce something that justifies the effort. I am also curious how much room length those of you with horizontal enlargers need. Thank you Murray ___ Cameramakers mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rmp.opusis.com/mailman/listinfo/cameramakers
