Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
OK, it's late in the thread but I'll chime in. Like most of the previous posters I've experienced little problem with dust in my lenses, even zooms but of course zooms do generally displace more air unless they are of the internal mech versions. What I have experienced problems with is haze forming on the internal lens surfaces (generally each side of the aperture mech) leading to overall reduced contrast, failed aperture lock mechanisms on some of the cheaper lenses, front elements becoming loose and focus helicoids becoming rough and noisy. As I'm fairly competent at repairs I generally do my own lens repairs, it's really not that difficult if you are thorough and patient and prepared to invest in a basic set of good tools. On 25 March 2013 09:58, Mark C pdml-m...@charter.net wrote: I have never had problems with dust accumulating in lenses, and I have several old primes. I guess if I take the brightest LED flashlight I have and shine it in the lens I will see some dust. MOre evidence that this world is not perfect but nothing to get worried about. Lenses *do* wear out. I wore out a an A* 200mm macro - the mechanics just plain wore out after hundreds of thousands of shots. Lenses are mechanical devices and all mechanical devices wear out. Second law of thermodynamics. Personally, I think that sending a lens out to be cleaned is both a waste of money (the net reuslts of the cleaning is likely to be minimal) and probably more damaging to the lens (the additional entropy introduced by taking the lens apart and putting it back together is probably worse that the accumulated entropy of the lens just gathering dust.) I clean my lenses regularly with a microfiber cloth, lens pen, sometimes with lens cleaning fluid. If I do something that causes concern - like dropping the lens a significant distance - I will send it in to get checked out. Cmaera bodies probably benefit more form CLA's than do lenses, but that rule applied more to old film bodies that one could reasonably expect to use for many years. Most digital bodies go obsolete and are replaced well before they need to be CLA'd. but don't expect lenses to last forever. Mechanical components deteriorate. Lens elements separate. The adhesives used in multi-elements fog or get fungus, lots of things happen. When they go, toss em and get new ones. Mark C On 3/23/2013 7:15 PM, Zos Xavius wrote: Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- Rob Studdert (Digital Image Studio) Tel: +61-418-166-870 UTC +10 Hours Gmail, eBay, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Picasa: distudio -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes...
Hello Zos I am a Pentaxian since some 36 years and shoot outdoors pretty frequently. But if you see my gear it will look as good as new. So are my laptops/tablets, the 35 year old brief case 4-in-one stereo system, the 3 or 4 binoculars, even my car. And yes you could sleep in my bathroom - it is so clean and hygienic. Simple, cleanliness and keeping things clean is a way of life, an attitude, and a bit of routine safe brushing and cleaning. So here it is:- a) I have since changed to WR lenses and cameras. These are well sealed and do not suck in dust or moisture. Also these lenses are less prone to fogging and moisture proof. Hopefully fungus and coating deterioration will be a thing of the past - but time will tell. b) The newer lenses have SP coatings, less prone to finger prints and water retention. They are also harder wearing. But that said, I never blow on my lens and the use a hanky to clean them. Blowing leaves acid from your breath on the lens coating and hankys always have fine dust on them - leave fine swirl scratch marks on the lens. I use high quality nylon or squirrel hair brush to clean the lens surface. Then Japanese (NOT China) micro fiber cloth to clean them. c) I always have the best quality Pro Protector Clear Slim Frame Thin Glass SMC Filters on my lens. The hood is always on - indoors or out. And the lens is capped when not in use - learned from my K1000 SE days - uncapped the meter is ON, capped the meter is OFF no battery drain. Also I buy lots of lens caps - keep loosing them - $ 1.70 for a 77mm cap shipped fro China. Can it be any cheaper and safer? d) I avoid changing lenses outdoors. When I must, I check the wind direction, turn my back, hunch forward, keep the 2nd lens ready in the bag with the rear cap loosen'd, point the lens down remove the lens, cap it with the cap from the 2nd lens, the attach this lens with the camera still facing downwards. I always carry a large thin film plastic bag to protect my gear in case of a shower. So in very windy dusty conditions I change lenses inside the look thru plastic bag. f) hey look, I love classical lenses both M42 K - have lots of them - but I don't go overboard on them - they just can't be better than the computer designed stuff with their tuff lens coat sealing - and as a technocrat, a master mechanic and a retired advisor in the world's largest conglomerate, I beg you to believe me. Old lenses will yellow (radio active glass), lens elements will fog and separate (poor balsam glue), single lens coating will deteriorate, looseness between sliding tubes over time will become worse and let dust enter, old grease (not smart synthetic stuff) will break down, others. g) Please don't use a rocket blower ( never canned air) indiscriminately on lenses and inside camera bodies. They will over time cause more dust to accumulate inside. h) When not in use, put the camera in a light neoprene case - $ 7 from China shipped. I just remove mine before shooting and hang it from my waist belt using the velcro on the case. This case (same fabric as a wet suit) is pretty thick - protects your gear against knocks too. i) For classic lenses wrap some thin film plastic on the lens barrels at the overlapping joints held fast by rubber bands. You will have lesser dust inside your lenses - and don't bother if people laugh at you. You will still be able to focus or zoom - just ensure the rubber band is not too tight. I could go on and on, my friend. If this has worked for me for three decades it should work for you. Give them a try - won't you. Bipin - from that far away enchanting land. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Hi Zos I've never had issues with dust inside lenses. I've been using a 30+year old SMC M f2.8 28mm on my Fuji X-Pro. The lens was my dad's and it would have had extensive use in its early days, but has been in a cupboard with front and rear caps on for 20 of its years. It's as clean as the day it was bought. Here's a PESO taken at f8 a couple of weeks ago: http://mitch.myzen.co.uk/PDML/DSCF0649.jpg Chris -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
So how does the 28mm work on the x-pro? do you have to open and close the aperture manually like an m42 lens on a pentax body? 42 On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 4:17 AM, Chris Mitchell chris.mitch...@which.net wrote: My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Hi Zos I've never had issues with dust inside lenses. I've been using a 30+year old SMC M f2.8 28mm on my Fuji X-Pro. The lens was my dad's and it would have had extensive use in its early days, but has been in a cupboard with front and rear caps on for 20 of its years. It's as clean as the day it was bought. Here's a PESO taken at f8 a couple of weeks ago: http://mitch.myzen.co.uk/PDML/DSCF0649.jpg Chris -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes...
Bipin, Perhaps the best response so far. I am very careful and quick about changing lenses outside and generally won't do it if there is wind. I hear you on going for weather sealed lenses. It all comes down to cost. Hopefully I can slowly work my way into some better glass here. I've had good success with some things last year, but then everything started breaking all at once over the past few months. Sometimes I feel like the universe is working against me. Good idea on the neoprene case. See I've read so many good and bad pieces of advice from veterans over the years. Yeah I tried blowing off my 28mm because that's how lensrentals does it and really that was just a bad idea. I should have just brushed it and called it quits. That just pushed fine dust inside of it which was the last thing I wanted. I'll have to see what it does with exposures at night. Both my 50s are pretty clean for being as old and well used as they are. My laptop would likely freak you out lol. its so messy after a year. i keep meaning to clean it, but the dust isn't really hurting much. No comment on my bathroom, but I've certainly slept in worse places. :) Did I mention I'm currently living in mold contaminated environment? Pretty great right? On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 2:19 AM, Bipin Gupta bip...@gmail.com wrote: Hello Zos I am a Pentaxian since some 36 years and shoot outdoors pretty frequently. But if you see my gear it will look as good as new. So are my laptops/tablets, the 35 year old brief case 4-in-one stereo system, the 3 or 4 binoculars, even my car. And yes you could sleep in my bathroom - it is so clean and hygienic. Simple, cleanliness and keeping things clean is a way of life, an attitude, and a bit of routine safe brushing and cleaning. So here it is:- a) I have since changed to WR lenses and cameras. These are well sealed and do not suck in dust or moisture. Also these lenses are less prone to fogging and moisture proof. Hopefully fungus and coating deterioration will be a thing of the past - but time will tell. b) The newer lenses have SP coatings, less prone to finger prints and water retention. They are also harder wearing. But that said, I never blow on my lens and the use a hanky to clean them. Blowing leaves acid from your breath on the lens coating and hankys always have fine dust on them - leave fine swirl scratch marks on the lens. I use high quality nylon or squirrel hair brush to clean the lens surface. Then Japanese (NOT China) micro fiber cloth to clean them. c) I always have the best quality Pro Protector Clear Slim Frame Thin Glass SMC Filters on my lens. The hood is always on - indoors or out. And the lens is capped when not in use - learned from my K1000 SE days - uncapped the meter is ON, capped the meter is OFF no battery drain. Also I buy lots of lens caps - keep loosing them - $ 1.70 for a 77mm cap shipped fro China. Can it be any cheaper and safer? d) I avoid changing lenses outdoors. When I must, I check the wind direction, turn my back, hunch forward, keep the 2nd lens ready in the bag with the rear cap loosen'd, point the lens down remove the lens, cap it with the cap from the 2nd lens, the attach this lens with the camera still facing downwards. I always carry a large thin film plastic bag to protect my gear in case of a shower. So in very windy dusty conditions I change lenses inside the look thru plastic bag. f) hey look, I love classical lenses both M42 K - have lots of them - but I don't go overboard on them - they just can't be better than the computer designed stuff with their tuff lens coat sealing - and as a technocrat, a master mechanic and a retired advisor in the world's largest conglomerate, I beg you to believe me. Old lenses will yellow (radio active glass), lens elements will fog and separate (poor balsam glue), single lens coating will deteriorate, looseness between sliding tubes over time will become worse and let dust enter, old grease (not smart synthetic stuff) will break down, others. g) Please don't use a rocket blower ( never canned air) indiscriminately on lenses and inside camera bodies. They will over time cause more dust to accumulate inside. h) When not in use, put the camera in a light neoprene case - $ 7 from China shipped. I just remove mine before shooting and hang it from my waist belt using the velcro on the case. This case (same fabric as a wet suit) is pretty thick - protects your gear against knocks too. i) For classic lenses wrap some thin film plastic on the lens barrels at the overlapping joints held fast by rubber bands. You will have lesser dust inside your lenses - and don't bother if people laugh at you. You will still be able to focus or zoom - just ensure the rubber band is not too tight. I could go on and on, my friend. If this has worked for me for three decades it should work for you. Give them a try - won't you. Bipin - from that far away enchanting land. -- PDML
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
On 24/03/2013 00:15, Zos Xavius wrote: Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? I suspect you need to move to a less dusty location. -- No fixed Adobe -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
On 24 March 2013 08:32, Zos Xavius zosxav...@gmail.com wrote: So how does the 28mm work on the x-pro? do you have to open and close the aperture manually like an m42 lens on a pentax body? Yes, that's it. For creative stuff, it's wide open focus and stop down to desired aperture and either let the camera choose the shutter speed or use manual metering just like the old days. When walking about and for quick grabs, I set infinity at the f8 hyperfocal point. That gives focus between about 1.5 metres and infinity. I let the camera choose the shutter speed and ISO combination. Chris On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 4:17 AM, Chris Mitchell chris.mitch...@which.net wrote: My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Hi Zos I've never had issues with dust inside lenses. I've been using a 30+year old SMC M f2.8 28mm on my Fuji X-Pro. The lens was my dad's and it would have had extensive use in its early days, but has been in a cupboard with front and rear caps on for 20 of its years. It's as clean as the day it was bought. Here's a PESO taken at f8 a couple of weeks ago: http://mitch.myzen.co.uk/PDML/DSCF0649.jpg Chris -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
You probably shouldn't ask me. I tend to be a bit hard on my equipment... https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1604247/PDML/smcpa24filterring.html On 3/23/2013 7:15 PM, Zos Xavius wrote: I've done some testing and decided that my FA 28-80 was completely decentered to the point of being unusable, especially over 50mm. I'm guessing its likely the sloppiness in the barrelbad, bad, bad design and construction... I have to stop down to f13 to get a usable image that has ok sharpness across the frame. I'm going to retire this one. For a basically free lens I can't really complain. Its been on my camera pretty full time for a while now and I'm guessing I've just knocked it around too much or something. I tend to be pretty hard on gear and carry a camera pretty much full time, so it get exposed to the elements on a daily basis. What I'm getting at is that I'm about to switch to just fully using primes. I may get a 55-300 as that would be useful and I think I still want a 16-45 for city walk around shots and street. I have a 12-24 that I should be fixing soon, and hopefully won't need sent off for realignment. I got the aperture on my M 28mm 3.5 working again and am finding it a joy to use. It still needs sent off for a serious cleaning, but even with some dust and a bit of haze it is still giving nice sharp contrasty images stopped down. I think I might find another nice copy since they go for so cheap. I have an A50 1.7 that is razor sharp and an M 50 1.4 that is right up there with it, but I prefer the contrasty rendering of the A lens for landscape personally. If I could get an 18 and a 24mm prime for a reasonable price, I could have an all prime setup with my 12-24 for wide angles. Unfortunately 18 and 24mm lenses aren't plentiful or cheap for pentax. So I will have to use a zoom to fill in some gaps there until I can get rich and afford a 21 ltd. Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? I have a nice tamron 60-300 sp that I eventually retired due to it becoming a dust pump and it has loads of internal dust just after using it to shoot flowers for a few months. Maybe the seals aren't very good in the lens anymore...too bad, it was a sharp zoom that is unlikely worth the cost of cleaning. I try to keep just keep my normal walk around lenses down to a minimum for this reason. Hence why I was using the cheap fa 28-80 for a while because I rather dislike the old 18-55 lens I have. I'll just be down to a 28mm and a 50mm for a while it looks like, so I'm trying to think about how I can better take care of my lenses or maybe if I should just start accepting that they are going to get dirty with constant use. I know a lot of you shoot in the outdoors and I hate lens swapping outside in the dusty air, but when you shoot outside all the time its kind of unavoidable. Especially with primes. I use a rocket blower a lot and wet clean the sensor as needed. My lack of a gear budget at the moment is really crimping my style. I seriously need to get some focal lengths available again. :( -- There are two kinds of computer users those who've experienced a hard drive failure, and those that will. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
Jesus! I thought I was rough on gear! :) On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 11:54 AM, P.J. Alling webstertwenty...@gmail.com wrote: You probably shouldn't ask me. I tend to be a bit hard on my equipment... https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1604247/PDML/smcpa24filterring.html On 3/23/2013 7:15 PM, Zos Xavius wrote: I've done some testing and decided that my FA 28-80 was completely decentered to the point of being unusable, especially over 50mm. I'm guessing its likely the sloppiness in the barrelbad, bad, bad design and construction... I have to stop down to f13 to get a usable image that has ok sharpness across the frame. I'm going to retire this one. For a basically free lens I can't really complain. Its been on my camera pretty full time for a while now and I'm guessing I've just knocked it around too much or something. I tend to be pretty hard on gear and carry a camera pretty much full time, so it get exposed to the elements on a daily basis. What I'm getting at is that I'm about to switch to just fully using primes. I may get a 55-300 as that would be useful and I think I still want a 16-45 for city walk around shots and street. I have a 12-24 that I should be fixing soon, and hopefully won't need sent off for realignment. I got the aperture on my M 28mm 3.5 working again and am finding it a joy to use. It still needs sent off for a serious cleaning, but even with some dust and a bit of haze it is still giving nice sharp contrasty images stopped down. I think I might find another nice copy since they go for so cheap. I have an A50 1.7 that is razor sharp and an M 50 1.4 that is right up there with it, but I prefer the contrasty rendering of the A lens for landscape personally. If I could get an 18 and a 24mm prime for a reasonable price, I could have an all prime setup with my 12-24 for wide angles. Unfortunately 18 and 24mm lenses aren't plentiful or cheap for pentax. So I will have to use a zoom to fill in some gaps there until I can get rich and afford a 21 ltd. Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? I have a nice tamron 60-300 sp that I eventually retired due to it becoming a dust pump and it has loads of internal dust just after using it to shoot flowers for a few months. Maybe the seals aren't very good in the lens anymore...too bad, it was a sharp zoom that is unlikely worth the cost of cleaning. I try to keep just keep my normal walk around lenses down to a minimum for this reason. Hence why I was using the cheap fa 28-80 for a while because I rather dislike the old 18-55 lens I have. I'll just be down to a 28mm and a 50mm for a while it looks like, so I'm trying to think about how I can better take care of my lenses or maybe if I should just start accepting that they are going to get dirty with constant use. I know a lot of you shoot in the outdoors and I hate lens swapping outside in the dusty air, but when you shoot outside all the time its kind of unavoidable. Especially with primes. I use a rocket blower a lot and wet clean the sensor as needed. My lack of a gear budget at the moment is really crimping my style. I seriously need to get some focal lengths available again. :( -- There are two kinds of computer users those who've experienced a hard drive failure, and those that will. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
I have never had problems with dust accumulating in lenses, and I have several old primes. I guess if I take the brightest LED flashlight I have and shine it in the lens I will see some dust. MOre evidence that this world is not perfect but nothing to get worried about. Lenses *do* wear out. I wore out a an A* 200mm macro - the mechanics just plain wore out after hundreds of thousands of shots. Lenses are mechanical devices and all mechanical devices wear out. Second law of thermodynamics. Personally, I think that sending a lens out to be cleaned is both a waste of money (the net reuslts of the cleaning is likely to be minimal) and probably more damaging to the lens (the additional entropy introduced by taking the lens apart and putting it back together is probably worse that the accumulated entropy of the lens just gathering dust.) I clean my lenses regularly with a microfiber cloth, lens pen, sometimes with lens cleaning fluid. If I do something that causes concern - like dropping the lens a significant distance - I will send it in to get checked out. Cmaera bodies probably benefit more form CLA's than do lenses, but that rule applied more to old film bodies that one could reasonably expect to use for many years. Most digital bodies go obsolete and are replaced well before they need to be CLA'd. but don't expect lenses to last forever. Mechanical components deteriorate. Lens elements separate. The adhesives used in multi-elements fog or get fungus, lots of things happen. When they go, toss em and get new ones. Mark C On 3/23/2013 7:15 PM, Zos Xavius wrote: Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
I've done some testing and decided that my FA 28-80 was completely decentered to the point of being unusable, especially over 50mm. I'm guessing its likely the sloppiness in the barrelbad, bad, bad design and construction... I have to stop down to f13 to get a usable image that has ok sharpness across the frame. I'm going to retire this one. For a basically free lens I can't really complain. Its been on my camera pretty full time for a while now and I'm guessing I've just knocked it around too much or something. I tend to be pretty hard on gear and carry a camera pretty much full time, so it get exposed to the elements on a daily basis. What I'm getting at is that I'm about to switch to just fully using primes. I may get a 55-300 as that would be useful and I think I still want a 16-45 for city walk around shots and street. I have a 12-24 that I should be fixing soon, and hopefully won't need sent off for realignment. I got the aperture on my M 28mm 3.5 working again and am finding it a joy to use. It still needs sent off for a serious cleaning, but even with some dust and a bit of haze it is still giving nice sharp contrasty images stopped down. I think I might find another nice copy since they go for so cheap. I have an A50 1.7 that is razor sharp and an M 50 1.4 that is right up there with it, but I prefer the contrasty rendering of the A lens for landscape personally. If I could get an 18 and a 24mm prime for a reasonable price, I could have an all prime setup with my 12-24 for wide angles. Unfortunately 18 and 24mm lenses aren't plentiful or cheap for pentax. So I will have to use a zoom to fill in some gaps there until I can get rich and afford a 21 ltd. Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? I have a nice tamron 60-300 sp that I eventually retired due to it becoming a dust pump and it has loads of internal dust just after using it to shoot flowers for a few months. Maybe the seals aren't very good in the lens anymore...too bad, it was a sharp zoom that is unlikely worth the cost of cleaning. I try to keep just keep my normal walk around lenses down to a minimum for this reason. Hence why I was using the cheap fa 28-80 for a while because I rather dislike the old 18-55 lens I have. I'll just be down to a 28mm and a 50mm for a while it looks like, so I'm trying to think about how I can better take care of my lenses or maybe if I should just start accepting that they are going to get dirty with constant use. I know a lot of you shoot in the outdoors and I hate lens swapping outside in the dusty air, but when you shoot outside all the time its kind of unavoidable. Especially with primes. I use a rocket blower a lot and wet clean the sensor as needed. My lack of a gear budget at the moment is really crimping my style. I seriously need to get some focal lengths available again. :( -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
I shoot outdoors almost exclusively. Back when I first started shooting for publications, some forty years ago, I didn't make much effort to take care of my equipment. I stored lenses in socks and wiped them with my t-shirt. Some of those lenses were ruined. Today, I'm cautious. I still shoot outdoors a lot but never touch the glass unless i've brushed it or blown it off first, and then I use lens cleaner and a microfiber rag. I use a lens cap whenever I won't be shooting for a while. And I don't' drop lenses. Ever. That's because I use a neck strap or sling. I find that I don't have to clean the sensor more than once every couple of years as long as I keep the camera upside down when changing lenses and avoid doing so in really bad environments. Taking good care of equipment is much less expensive than replacing lenses. Paul On Mar 23, 2013, at 7:15 PM, Zos Xavius zosxav...@gmail.com wrote: I've done some testing and decided that my FA 28-80 was completely decentered to the point of being unusable, especially over 50mm. I'm guessing its likely the sloppiness in the barrelbad, bad, bad design and construction... I have to stop down to f13 to get a usable image that has ok sharpness across the frame. I'm going to retire this one. For a basically free lens I can't really complain. Its been on my camera pretty full time for a while now and I'm guessing I've just knocked it around too much or something. I tend to be pretty hard on gear and carry a camera pretty much full time, so it get exposed to the elements on a daily basis. What I'm getting at is that I'm about to switch to just fully using primes. I may get a 55-300 as that would be useful and I think I still want a 16-45 for city walk around shots and street. I have a 12-24 that I should be fixing soon, and hopefully won't need sent off for realignment. I got the aperture on my M 28mm 3.5 working again and am finding it a joy to use. It still needs sent off for a serious cleaning, but even with some dust and a bit of haze it is still giving nice sharp contrasty images stopped down. I think I might find another nice copy since they go for so cheap. I have an A50 1.7 that is razor sharp and an M 50 1.4 that is right up there with it, but I prefer the contrasty rendering of the A lens for landscape personally. If I could get an 18 and a 24mm prime for a reasonable price, I could have an all prime setup with my 12-24 for wide angles. Unfortunately 18 and 24mm lenses aren't plentiful or cheap for pentax. So I will have to use a zoom to fill in some gaps there until I can get rich and afford a 21 ltd. Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? I have a nice tamron 60-300 sp that I eventually retired due to it becoming a dust pump and it has loads of internal dust just after using it to shoot flowers for a few months. Maybe the seals aren't very good in the lens anymore...too bad, it was a sharp zoom that is unlikely worth the cost of cleaning. I try to keep just keep my normal walk around lenses down to a minimum for this reason. Hence why I was using the cheap fa 28-80 for a while because I rather dislike the old 18-55 lens I have. I'll just be down to a 28mm and a 50mm for a while it looks like, so I'm trying to think about how I can better take care of my lenses or maybe if I should just start accepting that they are going to get dirty with constant use. I know a lot of you shoot in the outdoors and I hate lens swapping outside in the dusty air, but when you shoot outside all the time its kind of unavoidable. Especially with primes. I use a rocket blower a lot and wet clean the sensor as needed. My lack of a gear budget at the moment is really crimping my style. I seriously need to get some focal lengths available again. :( -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
Well noted Paul. I do need to protect my lenses more from the elements. I also used socks for a brief moment, but realized they were just leaving fiber everywhere pretty quickly so gave up on that idea. I always used a neck strap. The first tumble, something happened where I thought the camera was slung over my shoulder, but was instead sitting on just my shoulder bag. Next thing I know I hear the gut wrenching of a camera hitting asphalt. It was mostly ok, but I think in hindsight that is when my lens mount was actually bent. Yeah, bad move. The next time was when in the dark I hit the quick release on my tripod which is very conveniently located next to the ball release due to a brilliant design decision. I've been able to fix most of my problems myself, but I've been somewhat lucky in a way. BTW, I took some test shots with my 28mm and the internal dust seems to make no difference at all. Neither did all the crud on the front element I now need to clean off. This lens is SHARP too. It was my favorite for the better part of a year. I generally just use soft cloth and breath. For oil buildup I will use eclipse and microfiber wipes. Doesn't seem to hurt the coatings one bit. Pentax coatings seem fairly robust. Still I try to at least be gentle on the glass. These all metal primes are very tank-like. That's part of why I love them. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
RE: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
I used a lot of K series primes which are now nearly 40 years old. They dont have much or any dust and have excellent contrast and sharpness. I dont change lenses outdoors a lot but I dont think its as much of a problem as you are thinking it is. - J.C.O'Connell hifis...@gate.net - -Original Message- From: PDML [mailto:pdml-boun...@pdml.net] On Behalf Of Zos Xavius Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 7:16 PM To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List Subject: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes I've done some testing and decided that my FA 28-80 was completely decentered to the point of being unusable, especially over 50mm. I'm guessing its likely the sloppiness in the barrelbad, bad, bad design and construction... I have to stop down to f13 to get a usable image that has ok sharpness across the frame. I'm going to retire this one. For a basically free lens I can't really complain. Its been on my camera pretty full time for a while now and I'm guessing I've just knocked it around too much or something. I tend to be pretty hard on gear and carry a camera pretty much full time, so it get exposed to the elements on a daily basis. What I'm getting at is that I'm about to switch to just fully using primes. I may get a 55-300 as that would be useful and I think I still want a 16-45 for city walk around shots and street. I have a 12-24 that I should be fixing soon, and hopefully won't need sent off for realignment. I got the aperture on my M 28mm 3.5 working again and am finding it a joy to use. It still needs sent off for a serious cleaning, but even with some dust and a bit of haze it is still giving nice sharp contrasty images stopped down. I think I might find another nice copy since they go for so cheap. I have an A50 1.7 that is razor sharp and an M 50 1.4 that is right up there with it, but I prefer the contrasty rendering of the A lens for landscape personally. If I could get an 18 and a 24mm prime for a reasonable price, I could have an all prime setup with my 12-24 for wide angles. Unfortunately 18 and 24mm lenses aren't plentiful or cheap for pentax. So I will have to use a zoom to fill in some gaps there until I can get rich and afford a 21 ltd. Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? I have a nice tamron 60-300 sp that I eventually retired due to it becoming a dust pump and it has loads of internal dust just after using it to shoot flowers for a few months. Maybe the seals aren't very good in the lens anymore...too bad, it was a sharp zoom that is unlikely worth the cost of cleaning. I try to keep just keep my normal walk around lenses down to a minimum for this reason. Hence why I was using the cheap fa 28-80 for a while because I rather dislike the old 18-55 lens I have. I'll just be down to a 28mm and a 50mm for a while it looks like, so I'm trying to think about how I can better take care of my lenses or maybe if I should just start accepting that they are going to get dirty with constant use. I know a lot of you shoot in the outdoors and I hate lens swapping outside in the dusty air, but when you shoot outside all the time its kind of unavoidable. Especially with primes. I use a rocket blower a lot and wet clean the sensor as needed. My lack of a gear budget at the moment is really crimping my style. I seriously need to get some focal lengths available again. :( -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes....
My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? FWIW - I've shot changed lenses in rain, snow, sleet, in wind storms, in the desert on boats, still have most of the same lenses for the last 24 year haven't had major dust issues. I simply always keep caps on lenses when not on a body; I keep removed lenses in a camera bag. Except for my 600, the lenses all have UV filters on them. Occasionally I use a 'Lenspen' and/or lens cloth to remove specs. As to the camera body, I always change lenses with the camera pointed down to minimize dust on the mirror. Dust is not an issue if you spend a little time to minimize it IMO. Kenneth Waller http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller - Original Message - From: Zos Xavius zosxav...@gmail.com Subject: A few questions about lenses for those that shoot old primes I've done some testing and decided that my FA 28-80 was completely decentered to the point of being unusable, especially over 50mm. I'm guessing its likely the sloppiness in the barrelbad, bad, bad design and construction... I have to stop down to f13 to get a usable image that has ok sharpness across the frame. I'm going to retire this one. For a basically free lens I can't really complain. Its been on my camera pretty full time for a while now and I'm guessing I've just knocked it around too much or something. I tend to be pretty hard on gear and carry a camera pretty much full time, so it get exposed to the elements on a daily basis. What I'm getting at is that I'm about to switch to just fully using primes. I may get a 55-300 as that would be useful and I think I still want a 16-45 for city walk around shots and street. I have a 12-24 that I should be fixing soon, and hopefully won't need sent off for realignment. I got the aperture on my M 28mm 3.5 working again and am finding it a joy to use. It still needs sent off for a serious cleaning, but even with some dust and a bit of haze it is still giving nice sharp contrasty images stopped down. I think I might find another nice copy since they go for so cheap. I have an A50 1.7 that is razor sharp and an M 50 1.4 that is right up there with it, but I prefer the contrasty rendering of the A lens for landscape personally. If I could get an 18 and a 24mm prime for a reasonable price, I could have an all prime setup with my 12-24 for wide angles. Unfortunately 18 and 24mm lenses aren't plentiful or cheap for pentax. So I will have to use a zoom to fill in some gaps there until I can get rich and afford a 21 ltd. Ok, sorry this is turning into a long ramble. My question is that how do I deal with constant dust accumulating in my primes? Is this something that's just to be expected and I should look at sending lenses out every few years for cleanings? I have a nice tamron 60-300 sp that I eventually retired due to it becoming a dust pump and it has loads of internal dust just after using it to shoot flowers for a few months. Maybe the seals aren't very good in the lens anymore...too bad, it was a sharp zoom that is unlikely worth the cost of cleaning. I try to keep just keep my normal walk around lenses down to a minimum for this reason. Hence why I was using the cheap fa 28-80 for a while because I rather dislike the old 18-55 lens I have. I'll just be down to a 28mm and a 50mm for a while it looks like, so I'm trying to think about how I can better take care of my lenses or maybe if I should just start accepting that they are going to get dirty with constant use. I know a lot of you shoot in the outdoors and I hate lens swapping outside in the dusty air, but when you shoot outside all the time its kind of unavoidable. Especially with primes. I use a rocket blower a lot and wet clean the sensor as needed. My lack of a gear budget at the moment is really crimping my style. I seriously need to get some focal lengths available again. :( -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
The sweet Pentax K10D calendar 2008 deal and a few questions
Hi Pentaxians as some of you may know, I'm still using film only and mostly on a Pentax ME Super and a SFXn. Yesterday I made my friend from the tourist travel business in Switzerland an offer to photograph 12 panoramic views from her tours during all the season in 2007 to produce a nice wide panorama format calendar 2008 for her clients. That would include traveling again to all the mountain destinations and includes taking photographs of the city of Zurich too. I would soon start with the last autumn shots in Appenzell and on Mt. Santis and then make myself familiar with the new ***digital*** SLR on strolls in Zurich taking winter shots. My prepayment will be the coming Pentax K10D body since using film for such a big project does not make sense anymore cost wise. Now I would be glad for any advice for the best way to build such a calendar. Should I do it all by myself, for example with Indesign and maybe a free template and then give it to print or use a preprinted calendar from a photo service and only supply the photographs and the company logo? Do you know of any Websites with Samples (of suitable wide calendar formats) or have you already made such as project? AnnSan do you hear me? She will print around 300-500 ex. depending on mass discounts and she has paid for the last normal sized preprinted calendar just with her company logo around $12 a piece (300 ex). thanks for any ideas and hints. greetings Markus -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
What about Rodinal 1:50 for 12 minutes? On the other hand if you over develop -- say 20 minutes -- a ferri-cyanide solution could be used to reduce the density. What do you think might be on the film -- something valuable? In that case I'd cut off a short piece and try it first. Don P. J. Alling wrote: Lasse Karlsson wrote: Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. At the following adress there are a few pictures. They are self explanatory. I got a few questions regarding what's in them. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=627921 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? It's for using F or M sync flashbulbs. (M is the same as X IIRC). 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? No Idea about the film. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Looks like a connection for a standard 9 volt battery. Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- Dr E D F Williams www.kolumbus.fi/mimosa/ http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams/ 41660 TOIVAKKA – Finland - +358400706616 -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
From: Paul Sorenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 2006/08/04 Fri AM 01:24:54 GMT To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace 1) The F and M are to match the shutter timing to the peak output of flashbulbs. F bulbs peak 5 milliseconds after ignition, while M bulbs peak at 20 milliseconds. Each is of a relatively short duration, but not as short as electronic flash. FP (focal plane)bulbs are a horse of another color as they peak after about 5ms, but have a long duration so a focal plane shutter can be used at higher speeds. I don't think it can be peak, as that point will vary from bulb to bulb. It's start - the bulbs need more time to get lit and start outputting light, so they have more lead time. Electronic flash fires much quicker and can be started once the shutter is open. 3) This looks like it takes a standard 9V battery. I don't know of any other batteries that match the terminal configuration of the 9V. -P Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net - Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
On Aug 3, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? This is the flash synch setting. I believe M is for bulbs and F for electronic flash. 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? I think this is the infrared film Agfa used to make some years ago. Judging from the type of cassette, it could not be any later than late 70s. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Standard 9volt battery. Bob -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
- Original Message - From: mike wilson Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon,an old film and a studio lighting peace From: Paul Sorenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace 1) The F and M are to match the shutter timing to the peak output of flashbulbs. F bulbs peak 5 milliseconds after ignition, while M bulbs peak at 20 milliseconds. Each is of a relatively short duration, but not as short as electronic flash. FP (focal plane)bulbs are a horse of another color as they peak after about 5ms, but have a long duration so a focal plane shutter can be used at higher speeds. I don't think it can be peak, as that point will vary from bulb to bulb. It's start - the bulbs need more time to get lit and start outputting light, so they have more lead time. Electronic flash fires much quicker and can be started once the shutter is open. Paul is correct on this one. William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
From: Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 2006/08/04 Fri PM 01:12:46 GMT To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace On Aug 3, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? This is the flash synch setting. I believe M is for bulbs and F for electronic flash. That's three opinions from three answers. If we can get five from four, we all qualify for Polish citizenship. 8-))) 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? I think this is the infrared film Agfa used to make some years ago. Judging from the type of cassette, it could not be any later than late 70s. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Standard 9volt battery. Bob -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net - Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
Actually F is fast sync and M is medium sync. Fast sync bulbs need to be fired about 5 milliseconds (not sure of the exact figure on F) after the shutter is triggered, and medium sync fires at 20 milliseconds. These delays allow the shutter to be fully opened at the time the M type sync bulb fires. F type bulbs have a longer flash duration and were intended to be used at lower shutter speeds only (longer than 1/30 second). Bulbs for focal-plane type shutters are FP type and have a very long duration. You can usually get away with using F type bulbs with 35mm focal-plane shutters, the FP type are needed for the big old press camera focal-plane shutters like on the Speed Graphic. -- graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- mike wilson wrote: Lasse Karlsson wrote: Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. At the following adress there are a few pictures. They are self explanatory. I got a few questions regarding what's in them. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=627921 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? It's a flash selector. F for Focal plane, meaning flash bulbs, and M for, er, Modern [8-)))], meaning electronic flash. 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? Certainly 1970s or older. The number down the right hand side of the label might give you a clue. Why not ask Agfa? Best option would be a clip test in BW chemistry. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Probably not - looks like a standard 9volt (PP9 or whatever the modern equivalent is) connector. Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: mike wilson Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon,an old film and a studio lighting peace From: Paul Sorenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace 1) The F and M are to match the shutter timing to the peak output of flashbulbs. F bulbs peak 5 milliseconds after ignition, while M bulbs peak at 20 milliseconds. Each is of a relatively short duration, but not as short as electronic flash. FP (focal plane)bulbs are a horse of another color as they peak after about 5ms, but have a long duration so a focal plane shutter can be used at higher speeds. I don't think it can be peak, as that point will vary from bulb to bulb. It's start - the bulbs need more time to get lit and start outputting light, so they have more lead time. Electronic flash fires much quicker and can be started once the shutter is open. Paul is correct on this one. William Robb I'd like to have a buck (even a Canadian buck :] ) for each Press 25 or GE #5 I burned up. -P -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
X is not the same as M. Although both can be used at low shutter speeds. X fires the flash when the shutter is fully open, the others fire the flash before the shutter is fully open. The idea with M sync is that the flashbulb fires, the shutter opens, the shutter closes, the flashbulb burns out. Because the bulb burns longer than the shutter is open is why exposure varies somewhat with shutter speed when using flashbulbs. With X sync the shutter opens, the very bright short duration flash fires, the shutter closes. Duration of the flash varies from long to short in this order FP, M, F, X, and the bulb has to fire closer to fully open as the duration gets shorter. FP bulbs firing before the shutter starts to open, and X firing only when it is already fully open, with the others being in between. Nothing like playing with an old press camera and flashbulbs to learn this stuff. OTOH, if you do not use flashbulbs all you have to do is set the camera to X. Most current cameras have no other option. -- graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- P. J. Alling wrote: Lasse Karlsson wrote: Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. At the following adress there are a few pictures. They are self explanatory. I got a few questions regarding what's in them. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=627921 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? It's for using F or M sync flashbulbs. (M is the same as X IIRC). 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? No Idea about the film. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Looks like a connection for a standard 9 volt battery. Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
So, who, besides me*, uses flashbulbs any more? But it would be nice if people would not present their guesses as authoritative fact, but that is the Internet for you grin. *Aways accepting donations of large flashbulbs. -- graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- mike wilson wrote: From: Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 2006/08/04 Fri PM 01:12:46 GMT To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace On Aug 3, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? This is the flash synch setting. I believe M is for bulbs and F for electronic flash. That's three opinions from three answers. If we can get five from four, we all qualify for Polish citizenship. 8-))) 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? I think this is the infrared film Agfa used to make some years ago. Judging from the type of cassette, it could not be any later than late 70s. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Standard 9volt battery. Bob -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net - Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
This talk of Flash sync got me interested in using photo flash with digital, so I googled it. This page turned up. Yes I was wrong M and X sync aren't necessarily the same. But all this seems to be dependent on the manufacture. I'm sure there were standards but they were probably honored in the breach. Well the page. It's about using digital cameras and flash bulbs. Some sample photos, some technical information, some testing, not a lot of math for those who don't want to do any heavy lifting. Warning. The page contains a tasteful nude photo. http://bstorage.com/speleo/bulbs/ I thought it was an interesting read. (Now where can I find a cave, some old FP flash bulbs, a good flashgun, and oh yea, the most important part, a nude woman...) graywolf wrote: X is not the same as M. Although both can be used at low shutter speeds. X fires the flash when the shutter is fully open, the others fire the flash before the shutter is fully open. The idea with M sync is that the flashbulb fires, the shutter opens, the shutter closes, the flashbulb burns out. Because the bulb burns longer than the shutter is open is why exposure varies somewhat with shutter speed when using flashbulbs. With X sync the shutter opens, the very bright short duration flash fires, the shutter closes. Duration of the flash varies from long to short in this order FP, M, F, X, and the bulb has to fire closer to fully open as the duration gets shorter. FP bulbs firing before the shutter starts to open, and X firing only when it is already fully open, with the others being in between. Nothing like playing with an old press camera and flashbulbs to learn this stuff. OTOH, if you do not use flashbulbs all you have to do is set the camera to X. Most current cameras have no other option. -- When you're worried or in doubt, Run in circles, (scream and shout). -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
The problem is with the terminology. It is spoken of as delay, because the shutter is tripped and a gear train delays the firing of the bulb until the right point. But that point is before fully open. M bulbs are normally fired 20ms before the shutter is fully open, F bulbs 5ms. So it is actually lead time, but spoken of as delay. Confusing isn't it? -- graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: mike wilson Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon,an old film and a studio lighting peace From: Paul Sorenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace 1) The F and M are to match the shutter timing to the peak output of flashbulbs. F bulbs peak 5 milliseconds after ignition, while M bulbs peak at 20 milliseconds. Each is of a relatively short duration, but not as short as electronic flash. FP (focal plane)bulbs are a horse of another color as they peak after about 5ms, but have a long duration so a focal plane shutter can be used at higher speeds. I don't think it can be peak, as that point will vary from bulb to bulb. It's start - the bulbs need more time to get lit and start outputting light, so they have more lead time. Electronic flash fires much quicker and can be started once the shutter is open. Paul is correct on this one. William Robb -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lightingpeace
I have a box of FP flash bulbs in my basement somewhere. -Aaron -Original Message- From: P. J. Alling [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lightingpeace Date: Fri Aug 4, 2006 11:20 am Size: 1K To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net This talk of Flash sync got me interested in using photo flash with digital, so I googled it. This page turned up. Yes I was wrong M and X sync aren't necessarily the same. But all this seems to be dependent on the manufacture. I'm sure there were standards but they were probably honored in the breach. Well the page. It's about using digital cameras and flash bulbs. Some sample photos, some technical information, some testing, not a lot of math for those who don't want to do any heavy lifting. Warning. The page contains a tasteful nude photo. http://bstorage.com/speleo/bulbs/ I thought it was an interesting read. (Now where can I find a cave, some old FP flash bulbs, a good flashgun, and oh yea, the most important part, a nude woman...) graywolf wrote: X is not the same as M. Although both can be used at low shutter speeds. X fires the flash when the shutter is fully open, the others fire the flash before the shutter is fully open. The idea with M sync is that the flashbulb fires, the shutter opens, the shutter closes, the flashbulb burns out. Because the bulb burns longer than the shutter is open is why exposure varies somewhat with shutter speed when using flashbulbs. With X sync the shutter opens, the very bright short duration flash fires, the shutter closes. Duration of the flash varies from long to short in this order FP, M, F, X, and the bulb has to fire closer to fully open as the duration gets shorter. FP bulbs firing before the shutter starts to open, and X firing only when it is already fully open, with the others being in between. Nothing like playing with an old press camera and flashbulbs to learn this stuff. OTOH, if you do not use flashbulbs all you have to do is set the camera to X. Most current cameras have no other option. -- When you're worried or in doubt, Run in circles, (scream and shout). -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
That is about what they go for today (old stock), so you would just break even at that rate grin. I understand they still make 5's in China, but no one seems to be importing them. They make the big ones in Ireland and some folks import those, but they are more like $10 each. -- graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- Paul Sorenson wrote: William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: mike wilson Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon,an old film and a studio lighting peace From: Paul Sorenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace 1) The F and M are to match the shutter timing to the peak output of flashbulbs. F bulbs peak 5 milliseconds after ignition, while M bulbs peak at 20 milliseconds. Each is of a relatively short duration, but not as short as electronic flash. FP (focal plane)bulbs are a horse of another color as they peak after about 5ms, but have a long duration so a focal plane shutter can be used at higher speeds. I don't think it can be peak, as that point will vary from bulb to bulb. It's start - the bulbs need more time to get lit and start outputting light, so they have more lead time. Electronic flash fires much quicker and can be started once the shutter is open. Paul is correct on this one. William Robb I'd like to have a buck (even a Canadian buck :] ) for each Press 25 or GE #5 I burned up. -P -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
On Fri, Aug 04, 2006 at 09:12:46AM -0400, Bob Shell wrote: On Aug 3, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? This is the flash synch setting. I believe M is for bulbs and F for electronic flash. I don't know enough about flash bulbs to know which is which, but I do know these are for two different types of flash bulbs. Electronic flash sync is shown as X. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
On Aug 4, 2006, at 9:52 AM, mike wilson wrote: On Aug 3, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? This is the flash synch setting. I believe M is for bulbs and F for electronic flash. That's three opinions from three answers. If we can get five from four, we all qualify for Polish citizenship. 8-))) I'm wrong. One of the other guys got it right. Bob -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
One could use M with electronic flash as long as one uses a shutter speed of 1/30 second or less. At slow speeds the shutter is open long enough that 20ms makes no difference. -- graywolf http://www.graywolfphoto.com http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf Idiot Proof == Expert Proof --- John Francis wrote: On Fri, Aug 04, 2006 at 09:12:46AM -0400, Bob Shell wrote: On Aug 3, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? This is the flash synch setting. I believe M is for bulbs and F for electronic flash. I don't know enough about flash bulbs to know which is which, but I do know these are for two different types of flash bulbs. Electronic flash sync is shown as X. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. At the following adress there are a few pictures. They are self explanatory. I got a few questions regarding what's in them. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=627921 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
Lasse Karlsson wrote: Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. At the following adress there are a few pictures. They are self explanatory. I got a few questions regarding what's in them. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=627921 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? It's a flash selector. F for Focal plane, meaning flash bulbs, and M for, er, Modern [8-)))], meaning electronic flash. 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? Certainly 1970s or older. The number down the right hand side of the label might give you a clue. Why not ask Agfa? Best option would be a clip test in BW chemistry. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Probably not - looks like a standard 9volt (PP9 or whatever the modern equivalent is) connector. Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
On 8/3/06, Lasse Karlsson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? It's Isopan F. There's a thread at photodotnet about processing this film: http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CUF8 -- Scott Loveless http://www.twosixteen.com Shoot more film! -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
Lasse Karlsson wrote: Hi all, I would appreciate some help on a few things. At the following adress there are a few pictures. They are self explanatory. I got a few questions regarding what's in them. http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=627921 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? It's for using F or M sync flashbulbs. (M is the same as X IIRC). 2) You'll see two pictures of one very old (exposed) film canister. a) Can anybody estimate some dates for it's production? b) Any suggestions on what process might get any pictures out of it? No Idea about the film. 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Looks like a connection for a standard 9 volt battery. Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- When you're worried or in doubt, Run in circles, (scream and shout). -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: A few questions on a Zeiss Ikon, an old film and a studio lighting peace
1) The F and M are to match the shutter timing to the peak output of flashbulbs. F bulbs peak 5 milliseconds after ignition, while M bulbs peak at 20 milliseconds. Each is of a relatively short duration, but not as short as electronic flash. FP (focal plane)bulbs are a horse of another color as they peak after about 5ms, but have a long duration so a focal plane shutter can be used at higher speeds. 3) This looks like it takes a standard 9V battery. I don't know of any other batteries that match the terminal configuration of the 9V. -P Lasse Karlsson wrote: 1) Regarding the Zeiss Ikon Nettar front piece: You can see this red little thingy set at F. Now what does this red thing do there? What does F and M mean? 3) You'll see another thingy, which is a (infrared?) sender which will trigger some Godard studio lights that I will start learning how to use. It obviously needs a battery. Does anybody know of what voltage this battery would be? (Or is this evident? There are batteries of different voltages that will physically fit, right?) Many thanks in advance for any answers or good clues. Lasse -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
A few questions about istDS istD
Just checked dpreview and saw that the istds has picture modes. What is a picture mode? Is that like landscape, portrait, macro, bowling, and the like? Also, the istds has one user memory while its big brother has three. What exactly is a user memory? Does it mean that only one person can enter various info into the camera vs three for the istD? Under Program lines the istds has none while the istd has four: Normal Hi-S Depth of field MTF So, what's a program line? How meaningful or important is it to have such things? The istd has a bar graph. Does that show the various places Frank stopped off for a beer on his way home, or is it something less meaningful? Shel
Re: A few questions about istDS istD
Just checked dpreview and saw that the istds has picture modes. What is a picture mode? Is that like landscape, portrait, macro, bowling, and the like? Yes, such kind of things. Also, the istds has one user memory while its big brother has three. What exactly is a user memory? Does it mean that only one person can enter various info into the camera vs three for the istD? A user memory is a combination of settings. You can enter three different combinations for different purposes. It can be usefule for when different people use the camera too. Under Program lines the istds has none while the istd has four: Normal Hi-S Depth of field MTF So, what's a program line? How meaningful or important is it to have such things? A program line is how a program manages changing shutter speeds and apertures for different light levels. The *istDs has Picture modes, which are even more specialized programs, setting not only shutter speed and aperture values, but also color rendition (optimized for skin tones in portrait, optimized of greens and blues in landscape, and so on) and more settings. The istd has a bar graph. Does that show the various places Frank stopped off for a beer on his way home, or is it something less meaningful? A bar graph is a way to read under/overexposure in an analog readout when doing manual exposure. The longer the lit bar graph, the more off from metered exposure level. Dario
RE: A few questions about istDS istD
Yes. Thes modes are aimed at users, who don't (want to) undserstand how to use a camera in different situations. Not many Pentax SLR's are featuring such custom settings. These modes are often accompanied by pictograms for Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Slow Flash, Action etc. Jens Bladt mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hjem.get2net.dk/bladt -Oprindelig meddelelse- Fra: Dario Bonazza [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 23. oktober 2004 19:38 Til: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Emne: Re: A few questions about istDS istD Just checked dpreview and saw that the istds has picture modes. What is a picture mode? Is that like landscape, portrait, macro, bowling, and the like? Yes, such kind of things. Also, the istds has one user memory while its big brother has three. What exactly is a user memory? Does it mean that only one person can enter various info into the camera vs three for the istD? A user memory is a combination of settings. You can enter three different combinations for different purposes. It can be usefule for when different people use the camera too. Under Program lines the istds has none while the istd has four: Normal Hi-S Depth of field MTF So, what's a program line? How meaningful or important is it to have such things? A program line is how a program manages changing shutter speeds and apertures for different light levels. The *istDs has Picture modes, which are even more specialized programs, setting not only shutter speed and aperture values, but also color rendition (optimized for skin tones in portrait, optimized of greens and blues in landscape, and so on) and more settings. The istd has a bar graph. Does that show the various places Frank stopped off for a beer on his way home, or is it something less meaningful? A bar graph is a way to read under/overexposure in an analog readout when doing manual exposure. The longer the lit bar graph, the more off from metered exposure level. Dario
Re: A few questions about istDS istD
Does picture mode do that when shooting RAW? Can one shoot RAW with picture modes? Can the bar graph be interpreted so the photog knows by how much s/he's over or under the exposure recommended by the camera? Is the graph segmented (something like this: III) or is it just a solid line? Does the graph replace any readouts in the viewfinder, or is there more than one option to determine over/under exposure? Thanks, Dario very helpful ;-)) Shel [Original Message] From: Dario Bonazza [EMAIL PROTECTED] The *istDs has Picture modes, which are even more specialized programs, setting not only shutter speed and aperture values, but also color rendition (optimized for skin tones in portrait, optimized of greens and blues in landscape, and so on) and more settings. A bar graph is a way to read under/overexposure in an analog readout when doing manual exposure. The longer the lit bar graph, the more off from metered exposure level.
Re: A few questions about istDS istD
Shel Belinkoff wrote: Does picture mode do that when shooting RAW? Can one shoot RAW with picture modes? I believe that picture modes can only save in JPEG format, because they set conversion settings too. However, if you shoot RAW using an applicable shooting mode, you can then use picture modes during RAW conversion in PhotoLab 2.0 on PC. Can the bar graph be interpreted so the photog knows by how much s/he's over or under the exposure recommended by the camera? Is the graph segmented (something like this: III) or is it just a solid line? It is segmented, so that you know how much over or underexposure you're setting. Does the graph replace any readouts in the viewfinder, or is there more than one option to determine over/under exposure? The bar graph is the only readout for over/under exposure, both in manual mode and when compensating auto exposure. Dario
Re: A few questions
I hope you got this right, graywolf. I thought of it too, but Jasmine's original post made me think of other things, too. graywolf wrote: Frank answered most of these for you, so I will just speculate on item 4. If I am understanding you correctly I would guess that you did not get the end of the film properly onto the take up spool. The fillm rather than winding on was just flopping around and the end eventually popped between the shutter curtains jamming the camera. Now, if this is the case, what you will have to do is open the back of the camera and slowly and gently, very gently, pull the end of the film out of the shutter. Then inspect the shutter closely. If nothing looks damaged, you can try advaning the film wind and firing the shutter. If that works then you can reload the film, being careful that end is properly into takeup spool. You can varify that by winding it on a couple of frames before closing the back. If that did not work then you probably will have to have a repair guy look at the camera. If I did not understand you correctly, then the above probably won't apply to the situation. -- Jasmine wrote: 4. I was taking some pics and suddenly the camera went dark. I read something about the mirrors sticking sometimes on these types of cameras so I took the lens off to check it out (like I even know what the mirror looks like or where it is!). There was a piece of film in there. The end piece that goes in first on a new role of film. Does this mean my whole role is ruined? Could it have scratched anything? Is this an odd occurrence?
A few questions
Hello! Thanks again to everybody for the warm welcome and the great information. Ok. Here are a couple questions: 1. I'll hold off, as suggested, on getting a flash-thingy until I learn to use light better, but don't I need one for night-time photos? Sometimes my little wiener dog does some real cute things at night! Also, my friends have been known to put themselves in some drunken situations - if I got a good photo - hello! BLACKMAIL! :-) 2. Do I need the light meter? It's not working and I'm going to get a new battery for it. But if that doesn't work, do I absolutely need the meter? 3. Two of my lenses have an auto/manual option. Does that have something to do with lighting? 4. I was taking some pics and suddenly the camera went dark. I read something about the mirrors sticking sometimes on these types of cameras so I took the lens off to check it out (like I even know what the mirror looks like or where it is!). There was a piece of film in there. The end piece that goes in first on a new role of film. Does this mean my whole role is ruined? Could it have scratched anything? Is this an odd occurrence? OK. That's it for now. Thank you! jasmine
RE: A few questions
Hi, Jasmine, Answering your questions in order: 1. I think that getting a real cheap, basic flash would not be a bad thing. As you say, taking pictures of things in the dead of night, like your cute dog, or your stoned/drunk/orgiastic friends for blackmail purposes will be greatly assisted if you have light. As I said before, Vivitar makes a cheap and basic flash that would serve your needs of the odd snapshot: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=2975280505category=15221 I don't think it would hurt to pick one up. I'm sure your local camera store has cheap used flashes that will do the trick as well. 2. I don't think you ~need~ a lightmeter, especially if it turns out that the meter in the camera works with a new battery. If it doesn't, a handheld would be helpful, but as I said before, the Sunny 16 rule will work outside as well. If you lost the link I posted before, just Google Sunny 16, and you'll get pages of stuff to look at, so I won't bother repeating it here. But, as good as Sunny 16 is, a meter might be helpful for those difficult situations, like deep shadows and the like. Helpful, but you might be able to live without one, at least for now. 3. (Sorry if I get too basic again) Lenses (well most lenses) have an aperture inside of them. It's like the iris of your eye. It opens and closes (not all the way) to let more or less light through the lens into the camera. That, plus the shutter speed determine the exposre. If you put the switch you found to M (stands for manual) and look through the lens as you move the aperture ring, you'll see the aperture open and close. Cool, eh? Now, look through the viewfinder while the lens is on the camera and switched to M. See how it gets lighter and darker as you twist the aperture ring? Now, if you move that switch to A (for automatic), and move the ring, nothing happens. BUT, when you move the meter switch (the square one to the left of the lens, on the body of the camera) up, the aperture should open and close. That way, once your meter is working (if you get it fixed), the viewfinder will stay bright even though you've got the aperture set for the exposure you want. Once you hit the shutter release, a mechanical connection between the body and the lens momentarily closes the aperture to whatever f-stop you selected, while the photo is being taken. Back in the 60's, that was automation! g So, that's what the M/A switch is for. You may take photos with it in either position, but if it's on M, you'll sometimes find the viewfinder very dark. 4. I'm at a loss on this one! Maybe someone else can help. Do you mean to say that the piece of film was ~in front~ of the mirror? I can't explain how it might have gotten there. I'd have thought that if it somehow broke off from the winding spool, it would have stayed in the back of the camera. Anyway, did you get it out? Have you taken any exposures since this happened? Does mirror appear to go up and down? If so, likely everything's okay. Even if there are slight scratches on the mirror from this, they'll be nothing more than a minor annoyance, and more likely, not visible at all. They will not affect photo quality, as the mirror jumps up out of the way when the photo is taken. I don't know if the whole roll is ruined. It may actually be the the roll wasn't winding onto the spool. Or, somehow, the piece broke off, but the film was still being wound, in which case, you should be alright. Take the rewind knob (top plate, on the left of the prism) and lift the little crank (careful not to lift the knob, or you'll open the back - but you know that already if you've opened it g). Turn the crank. If it eventually stops, that means the film is likely winding properly on the spool. If it suddenly feels slack, or if it just keeps turning and turning, that means the film is already in the cannister. You'll have to get it developed to see how many (if any) shots got taken. Whew! Any more questions, let us know. Some others may offer a few things that I forgot. cheers, frank From: Jasmine [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: A few questions Date: Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:32:15 -0800 Hello! Thanks again to everybody for the warm welcome and the great information. Ok. Here are a couple questions: 1. I'll hold off, as suggested, on getting a flash-thingy until I learn to use light better, but don't I need one for night-time photos? Sometimes my little wiener dog does some real cute things at night! Also, my friends have been known to put themselves in some drunken situations - if I got a good photo - hello! BLACKMAIL! :-) 2. Do I need the light meter? It's not working and I'm going to get a new battery for it. But if that doesn't work, do I absolutely need the meter? 3. Two of my lenses have an auto/manual option. Does that have something to do with lighting? 4. I
Re: A few questions....
On Sunday, March 24, 2002, at 03:01 PM, William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Pål Jensen My Gitzo is dented so that one of it's leg won't retract. My Manfrotto has one bent leg so it suffers from the same problem as my Gitzo... Glad to hear I am not the only one that lives life to the fullest. Were you boys out kicking your tripods again? You'll break a toe that way. -Mother Aaron - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
On Mon, 25 Mar 2002, Aaron Reynolds wrote: -Mother Aaron One post says brother, one says mother.. you Canadians got some funny family structures up there. :) -- http://www.infotainment.org The destructive character is cheerful. - Walter Benjamin - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
William wrote: Seconded. I have a great love for my wood tripod. They don't ring, they are much stronger, and they are much harder to damage. If you ding the leg of a metal tripod, you can run into some problems with legs that no longer close, or in a worst case scenario, a leg that can fold under a heavy lens/camera system. If you damage a wood tripod leg, you get out the sandpaper and varnish. I keep forgetting about Berlebach tripods. My Gitzo is dented so that one of it's leg won't retract. My Manfrotto has one bent leg so it suffers from the same problem as my Gitzo... Pål - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
- Original Message - From: Pål Jensen Subject: Re: A few questions My Gitzo is dented so that one of it's leg won't retract. My Manfrotto has one bent leg so it suffers from the same problem as my Gitzo... Glad to hear I am not the only one that lives life to the fullest. William Robb - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
I just picked up a seven foot wood monopod at my local lumber store. I can't figure how to attach the camea though. Ciao, Graywolf http://pages.prodigy.net/graywolfphoto - Original Message - From: Pål Jensen [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 10:33 AM Subject: Re: A few questions William wrote: Seconded. I have a great love for my wood tripod. They don't ring, they are much stronger, and they are much harder to damage. If you ding the leg of a metal tripod, you can run into some problems with legs that no longer close, or in a worst case scenario, a leg that can fold under a heavy lens/camera system. If you damage a wood tripod leg, you get out the sandpaper and varnish. I keep forgetting about Berlebach tripods. My Gitzo is dented so that one of it's leg won't retract. My Manfrotto has one bent leg so it suffers from the same problem as my Gitzo... Pål - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....
As always I recommend Berlebach tripods. www.berlebach.de Seconded. I have a great love for my wood tripod. They don't ring, they are much stronger, and they are much harder to damage. If you ding the leg of a metal tripod, you can run into some problems with legs that no longer close, or in a worst case scenario, a leg that can fold under a heavy lens/camera system. If you damage a wood tripod leg, you get out the sandpaper and varnish. I keep forgetting about Berlebach tripods. William Robb Noted. My first one was hollow aluminium, even more easy to damage. Malcolm - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
On 24 Mar 2002 at 14:01, William Robb wrote: - Original Message - From: Pål Jensen Subject: Re: A few questions My Gitzo is dented so that one of it's leg won't retract. My Manfrotto has one bent leg so it suffers from the same problem as my Gitzo... Glad to hear I am not the only one that lives life to the fullest. I have a Gitzo with all the bottom sections removed because I bent one of them about 45 degrees. tv - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....
1. Am I being unrealistic, in hoping that Pentax might produce a digital body, that I can use my 35mm lenses with? Has any manufacturer done this? Yes you are being unrealistic. Pentax would rather commit suicide than commit to potential customers. Nikon and Canon are both producing digital SLR's and are selling them as fast as they can crank them out. I suspected that was the answer - a great shame - probably lots of sales in it, but Pentax don't push their products too well. 2. I need to replace my el-cheapo tripod. Bearing in mind I used it with a 500mm lens quite often and will use it in the future with a 67II I want quite a sturdy beast. I don't want to pay much more than £100, but I don't care if it is heavy! How my current flimsy effort lasted so long is a mystery! Monfrotto offers pretty good bang for the buck. The 028/029 leg/ head combination is very sturdy, and quite tall. It might be a bit more expensive than £100 though. A tripod is a bad place to econimize. OK, maybe I need to stretch my budget there. I have sailed close to the wind for too long, and the potential cost of equipment being damaged + emotional upset is best not to compromise on. 3. I know of a charity auction coming up, where one of the boxes of bits contain camera bits and bobs. I can't view them - it is all unseen - a real lucky dip and I will bid on the basis that it is money to charity. Does anyone have any strong objections to me posting any non-Pentax items (?) here at cost + postage (assuming any of it is worth passing on) - I only use Pentax. Objections are irrelevant. The worst case is someone will get uppity, and we will have more bandwidth wasted by the objectors than the original post. It is considered better form to post the list to a web page, and inform the list about the URL. That way, anyone interested can go look, and those who aren't don't have to bother. Well, in part thanks to Greywolf, I'm going to start on a website, so fair enough. Thanks for your comments, I just want to pass items on which other PDMLers might use - not a money issue (which you never suggested) I'll pass it on, on cost + postage. Malcolm - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....
Hi Dave, Thanks for your comments. I am starting to find out about digital photography, because it is going to be the major player (one day). So other manufacturers have offered a body which supports their lenses, hmm... a bit short sighted of Pentax. For tripods the name Manfrotto comes up a lot - I will check that out, great. If my website plans don't develop (no pun intended) as quickly as I would like, I will post an OT comment in front of the subject, and folk can delete if they wish, without reading it. Malcolm - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....
I think Pentax will demo a DSLR by the end of the year. Obviously they intend to do so, as shown by the demo of the MZ-D and the press release announcing it's withdrawal. I'd look for a 3 or 4 meg SLR at Photokina. BTW, I need one. I've seen decent 8x10's and passable 11x14's from the D30. I think the next generation will have the resolution, and the generation after that will have the sensitivity that I'm looking for. Lately I've had some none-wedding jobs where digital would be perfect, and I suspect at some point I'll have to take a close look at digital for weddings and portraits. I'm not at the point where I *have* to do it for weddings...but I suspect that day is coming. Thanks, some really interesting points being made. I hope I can grasp this new technology! Malcolm - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....(re-sent - not seen this end)
1. Am I being unrealistic, in hoping that Pentax might produce a digital body, that I can use my 35mm lenses with? Has any manufacturer done this? Yes you are being unrealistic. Pentax would rather commit suicide than commit to potential customers. Nikon and Canon are both producing digital SLR's and are selling them as fast as they can crank them out. I suspected that was the answer - a great shame - probably lots of sales in it, but Pentax don't push their products too well. 2. I need to replace my el-cheapo tripod. Bearing in mind I used it with a 500mm lens quite often and will use it in the future with a 67II I want quite a sturdy beast. I don't want to pay much more than £100, but I don't care if it is heavy! How my current flimsy effort lasted so long is a mystery! Monfrotto offers pretty good bang for the buck. The 028/029 leg/ head combination is very sturdy, and quite tall. It might be a bit more expensive than £100 though. A tripod is a bad place to econimize. OK, maybe I need to stretch my budget there. I have sailed close to the wind for too long, and the potential cost of equipment being damaged + emotional upset is best not to compromise on. 3. I know of a charity auction coming up, where one of the boxes of bits contain camera bits and bobs. I can't view them - it is all unseen - a real lucky dip and I will bid on the basis that it is money to charity. Does anyone have any strong objections to me posting any non-Pentax items (?) here at cost + postage (assuming any of it is worth passing on) - I only use Pentax. Objections are irrelevant. The worst case is someone will get uppity, and we will have more bandwidth wasted by the objectors than the original post. It is considered better form to post the list to a web page, and inform the list about the URL. That way, anyone interested can go look, and those who aren't don't have to bother. Well, in part thanks to Greywolf, I'm going to start on a website, so fair enough. Thanks for your comments, I just want to pass items on which other PDMLers might use - not a money issue (which you never suggested) I'll pass it on, on cost + postage. Malcolm - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
A few questions....
1. Am I being unrealistic, in hoping that Pentax might produce a digital body, that I can use my 35mm lenses with? Has any manufacturer done this? Hi Malc, I'll answer the above point to the best of my ability. No. And no. As Pal points out quite frequently, on the news of the demise of the 'high end' MZ-D, Pentax said that they would be developing a less-costlier digital SLR camera that would be compatible with existing K mount lenses. There was no release date given. This is not speculation, this is fact: Pentax announced it. Of course, this doesn't mean that Pentax will ever actually produce a K-mount DSLR, it just means that they intend to. They can change their mind for any reason at any time. I for one, am convinced that they will produce it. Not only am I convinced, I am sure that working models are being road-tested as you read this. I am also convinced that it will be released before Christmas 2002. I won't go into the why's and wherefore's regarding whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. Other's are far better qualified, and have already put their points of view across, better than I could. Like you, I'm just a guy on the list who would buy one, and as such I can only say that I don't care whether or not it's a good thing or a bad thing. I will buy one - within limits. It must not be any more expensive than the competition - I'm guessing Nikon D100 and Canon D60/30 territory. It must not be too far away in 'spec' territory from this competition, either. Personally, if the K mount DSLR turns out to be a 2 MP £1199 job, I'm not interested. 2MP at any price and I'm not interested. 4 MP at £1699 and I'll bite. 4MP at £2299 and I won't. 6 MP at £1999 and I'll bite. 6 MP at £2699 and I won't. I don't think it's unrealistic to hope that Pentax will bring out the successor to the MZ-D at all. In fact I would say that it's not only very realistic, but will happen, and within a few short months. AFAIK, though I may be wring on this, the K mount design is licensed by Pentax, and certainly there is no other manufacturer who has produced a K mount DSLR body for sale publicly. Of course, that doesn't mean they don't exist ;-) If I were Pentax, and working on the MZ-Dn, I certainly wouldn't want Fuji or anyone else stealing my thunder... Thood for fought. Cotty ___ Personal email traffic to [EMAIL PROTECTED] MacAds traffic to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Check out the UK Macintosh ads http://www.macads.co.uk - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....
Hi Cotty, Thank you for your reply, which is most informative, but baffling at the same time, as no one knows Pentax's future true plan of action. What will happen, is guesswork, until they say, it will be released on...date.. If it happens, I will be a happy person...for a change. The prices you mention are not conducive to my future health! Malcolm P.S. I think you are a subscriber to a weekly photo mag: could I discuss page 13? - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Pentax would rather commit suicide than commit to potential customers (WAS: Re: A few questions....)
William wrote: Yes you are being unrealistic. Pentax would rather commit suicide than commit to potential customers. I don't think so. Having been around on this list since it's beginning I've noticed that Pentax have put out exactly those higher end products most of us asked for. The MZ-S is almost a blueprint of the MZ-1 we wanted: a metal bodied, small MZ-style camera. I can also remember my own and others whining about plasticky AF lenses and that we wanted compact, metal lenses back. JCO even said that the lenses need to have metal focus rings as well in order to make him happy; no rubber. Thats exactly what we got with the Lmited lenses. Pål - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
William wrote: Yes you are being unrealistic. Pentax would rather commit suicide than commit to potential customers. Pentax will make a digital slr and have stated so in press release. Nikon and Canon are both producing digital SLR's and are selling them as fast as they can crank them out. Really? The combined total sales of Nikon and Canon digital slr's to date is less than a year production run of the MZ-S. Pål - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: A few questions....
- Original Message - From: Pål Jensen Subject: Re: A few questions Malcolm wrote: 2. I need to replace my el-cheapo tripod. Bearing in mind I used it with a 500mm lens quite often and will use it in the future with a 67II I want quite a sturdy beast. I don't want to pay much more than £100, but I don't care if it is heavy! As always I recommend Berlebach tripods. www.berlebach.de Seconded. I have a great love for my wood tripod. They don't ring, they are much stronger, and they are much harder to damage. If you ding the leg of a metal tripod, you can run into some problems with legs that no longer close, or in a worst case scenario, a leg that can fold under a heavy lens/camera system. If you damage a wood tripod leg, you get out the sandpaper and varnish. I keep forgetting about Berlebach tripods. William Robb - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: A few questions....
As always I recommend Berlebach tripods. www.berlebach.de Pål - Pål, Thanks for the link, interesting to note only two tripod manufacturers recommended! I won't look at anything else as I prefer recommendation. Malcolm - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Introducing myself and a few questions about ZX-5n
Hi! I was reading this list for almost a year now (not in full, of cause), but this is my first post, so let me introduce myself briefly. Photography is my hobby for a long time already. I used mostly Russian cameras before until I moved to US 3.5 years ago. First I bought two Tokina lens (28-105 and 19-35 both f/3.5-4.5) and used them on my Zenit AM for half a year. I bought them, because I knew, I'll get a Pentax body soon. I waited till MZ-S appeared, realized, that I'm not ready to spend that amount of money yet, so, I bought ZX-5n. really nice camera. (I considered Z-1p as well, but got 5n because of some reasons people mention on this list frequently... you know what they are ;) And, now, of cause, I have some questions: 1. I have battery grip for it. What about using those new lithium AA cells in it? Is it OK? They are about 40% lighter then regular ones, last longer... I hope they will balance the body better with my lens. 2. I don't have any Pentax lens (I'm planning to buy some, more on this later), and question is regarding flash indicator in viewfinder (when using built-in flash). If my 28-105 is in position less then 35 mm, it blinks rapidly. I assume, it tells that there may be a shadow from the lens... (The same goes for 19-35 as well, but I don't remember focal distance...) What's funny, manual does not mention it. 3. And, finally... What happens, if I remove batteries when film is loaded? Will frame counter reset? I know, this list is crowded, but I'll post other questions as separate post later. Thanks for your help! Dmitry Gromov New Jersey - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: Introducing myself and a few questions about ZX-5n
First off, Dmitry, welcome to the PDML, On Tue, 17 Jul 2001 19:02:08 -0400, Dmitry Gromov wrote: 1. I have battery grip for it. What about using those new lithium AA cells in it? Is it OK? They are about 40% lighter then regular ones, last longer... I hope they will balance the body better with my lens. The lithiums should be OK, but I've never tried them. They have higher voltage per cell than the NiCds (1.45 VDC or so compared to 1.2 VDC or so) and they don't have the ultra-low internal resistance of NiCds, so they don't provide as much current. They do, however, provide enough current to burn skin as well as circuits when they're dead shorted. 2. [...] question is regarding flash indicator [...] Sorry, can't help with this one. 3. And, finally... What happens, if I remove batteries when film is loaded? Will frame counter reset? No, I don't think the frame counter will reset, as long as you put new batteries in within three to six months. I've never tested just how long it takes, but I'm guessing they're using some semi-volatile memory for it. TTYL, DougF - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: Introducing myself and a few questions about ZX-5n
Hi! - Original Message - From: Juan J. Buhler [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: PDML [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 8:13 PM Subject: Re: Introducing myself and a few questions about ZX-5n 2. I don't have any Pentax lens (I'm planning to buy some, more on this later), and question is regarding flash indicator in viewfinder (when using built-in flash). If my 28-105 is in position less then 35 mm, it blinks rapidly. I assume, it tells that there may be a shadow from the lens... (The same goes for 19-35 as well, but I don't remember focal distance...) What's funny, manual does not mention it. No, I think it's indicating you that the flash won't cover the entire frame. The field of coverage of the ZX5n's flash is 35mm, iirc. Ok. That's what I meant actually. Just checked with manual and it says that flash angle of coverage if 28mm... Wonder if this is just specs inflation... On the other hand, this flash is seriously underpowered... 3. And, finally... What happens, if I remove batteries when film is loaded? Will frame counter reset? No it won't. Great. That means that I can mount/dismount battery grip whenewer I want! Thank you very much. Dmitry Gromov New Jersey - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
