[PRCo] Re: Film tricks

[Edward H. Lybarger]

I don't have a problem with plastic itself...just how it's utilized.  I've
seen some amazing stuff in the field, not just in optics.  We used a lot of
plastics very early in hearing aids and they didn't always behave the way
you'd expect.

-----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 12:17 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Film tricks



A lot of the inner elements of today's lenses are plastics.  Often only
the front and rear elements, which are subject to user abuse, are
glass.  Nikon makes a really nice 35 - 80 zoom which is surprisingly
sharp and yet almost all plastic.  Don't sell the plastics short.

"Edward H. Lybarger" wrote:
>
> 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