[PRCo] Re: Film tricks

[Edward H. Lybarger]

The lenses I disliked were current manual focus zooms made by Pentax.  But I
wonder how much of the glass was really polycarbonate.  The earlier 35mm
lens had been dispatched some years before.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred
W. Schneider III
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2001 10:02 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Film tricks





"Edward H. Lybarger" wrote:
>
> I, too, was a strong adherent to the "I want to make my own mistakes"
school
> of cameras for many years, and I made plenty while I also got some nice
> stuff.  Then I bought a cheap semi-automatic Pentax and used it for maybe
a
> year.  While I hated the particular lenses that I used, I found that the
> automatic features were kind of nice for an aging gentleman.
>
> When I couldn't stand the glass any more,

That was pretty dismal glass, wasn't it...  Especially one aftermarket
lens you used in Manchester, I think it was a 35 mm lens.  - fws

> I went for the Nikon N90s, but not
> before consulting Fred Schnieder...I was originally considering the N80,
and
> he explained why it wasn't perfect for my needs (my son has one and it
> serves him well, but Fred was right), and I procured the N90.  Fred told
me
> to turn off the autofocus (but I ignored him and am immensely pleased with
> this feature)

The autofocus, especially when working with moving objects and when
panning a camera to follow that moving object, is apt to cycle in and
out when you least want it too.  I had several instances on this last
trip when it cycled in the middle of an exposure.  But for the most
part, I've learned to either turn it off, or let it focus and then hold
the focus lock button with one finger and work the shutter with
another.  Isn't automation great?  - fws

> and let the camera work for me.  And it has.  I love the
> automatic film rewind, just as I love the autofocus and automatic exposure
> (I also love the exposure lock that lets me expose for the subject, then
> include some sky).  And best of all, I can turn it all off if I need to.
>
> I think it's the knowing what you need to do that's the education Bob's
> saying you need...don't buy one of these critters and think that the
camera
> makes you a good photographer.  Learn some photography and then buy a
device
> that makes it easier for you.

That's a good way to phrase it.  Another that I read years ago was "A
professional with a box camera will take much better pictures than an
amateur with a quality camera." - fws
>
> I still chide Fred on occasion about the need for a bearer to haul the N90
> around.

The price we pay for sophistication.  I doubt that anyone makes a
folding 35mm camera anymore, sans exposure meter and range finder.  But
by the time you carried the light meter and the separate range finder or
a 50 foot tape measure, the 1950 era TLR was lighter.  We just
discovered that we want all sorts of lenses, motor drives, and other
capabilities we really don't need.  And of course, with the lowered
relative cost of color films (compared to 1940) and the motor drive, we
now need to carry a cubic foot of film in a lead bag which weights three
times as much as the 1940 camera.

Somehow, didn't the fun disappear?

What are our heirs going to do with a quarter million slides?  -fws
>
> Ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Bob
> Rathke
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 7:50 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Film tricks
>
> Fred,
>
> I use Nikon equipment, but I wouldn't own a camera that was so automated
> that it has automatic rewind :-).  All of my lenses are manual, and
> fortunately you can always find more Nikkor lenses on the used market at
> good prices.  When my daughter enrolled in photography classes at college
in
> 1994, they would only approve students' use of fully manual cameras.  And
> right now I'm helping a neighbor learn how to use his super-expensive
Canon
> camera in the manual mode.
>
> Bob 10/18/01
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Fred W. Schneider III" <fschnei at supernet.com>
> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 6:24 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Film tricks
>
> >
> > You primitive being.  I'm not so lucky.  The motorized rewind on my
> > Nikon simply winds it back into the cassette.
> >
> > Bob Rathke wrote:
> > >
> > > I don't usually perform the tight-wound-take-up trick, but when I
think
> of
> > > it, I try to watch the rewind knob to be sure it's turning.  However,
I
> > > sometimes switch film among cameras, especially if it's a 36-exposure
> roll
> > > of special film with only a few exposures on it, and I need to put a
> > > different roll of film in that camera.  I note the exposure number on
> the
> > > counter, then rewind the film until I hear the leader slip off the
> take-up
> > > reel; when I reload that roll later, I advance it to the exposure
number
> > > where it was last exposed, and then give it 2-3 extra advances to be
> safe
> > > (this is all done in a dark area, lens cap on, and shutter set at
1/1000
> > > second).  However, if the roll of film is near the end of the reel,
I'll
> > > simply rewind it, forget about the lost exposures, and get it
processed.
> > >
> > > For most B&W exposures, unaided I can't differentiate among similar
> > > negatives of the same view, so I use an 8X loupe for that chore.
> > >
> > > Bob 10/18/01