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Author Topic: Wanting to learn MF equipment  (Read 14544 times)

jn

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #60 on: March 05, 2011, 08:49:17 am »

Frank and Fred many thanks for your messages. Your informations are very usefull.
I see that resolution in a picture is a difficult concept, that cannot only be evaluated by a number of Pixels.

Concerning the availability of films, I feel reasured.

What I loved in my Silvestri: it has a large field of versatility. Particularly, this camera can be used  free hand (in this cas, I feel it is unobstrusive for people). Moreover it is compatible with films or digitals back.
Alpa seems also an interesting feature ... but it is more expensive.
Jean
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fredjeang

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #61 on: March 05, 2011, 12:34:50 pm »

Jean, I think you're in France. Watch that link: http://www.galerie-photo.com/
It's a good french site on large format. I think they have a forum.

They are located in Nîmes and organise workshops. One of the guy was probably the Burkhard teacher's assistant when I was in fine arts.(I'm french)

There is knowledgable info in it.
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jn

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #62 on: March 05, 2011, 01:37:03 pm »

Indeed, Fred, I am french and I know Galerie-Photo. I bought my Silvestri and some lenses and accessories in their store from Nice. In each case,  they was  very serious deals (but I have understood that the store in Nice is now independ, the store of Galerie Photo presenting  now essentially 35mmm SLR camera). Clearly, your suggestion is good: I shall inquire into "Gallerie Photos" forum.
By contacting "Luminous Landscape", my goal is also to receive opinions from people of other countries than France.
I must confess that, presently, I take pictures by making use of a small numeric camera, namely Canon G10,  and that I am very surprised by the quality of the results compared to those from 35mm analogic cameras (G10 costed less than 500 euros). Indeed, with G10, I obtain  sharp A3 printings. However, I hate to spend a lot of time for correcting geometric distorsion (with not satisfying results, most of the time). Moreover, from the point of view of shooting pictures, shift movement and large field of SWA lenses are often missing for me.
Jean
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fredjeang

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #63 on: March 05, 2011, 02:12:47 pm »

Yeah, I think those guys are linked in a way or another to the supports-surfaces movement, very strong in Nice and Nîmes and they have the Arles circus just on the corner. I studdied with Viallat for awhile.
Saw some of his tarpaulins in a Madrid gallery and they are still stunning.

Luminous Landscape is IMO one of the best place to be. You also find very valuable info and many Lu-La members in GetDPI runned by Guy Mancuso and Jack Flesher.
I have the sensation that GetDPI has more large format users but I would not bet on that (or they are more active).

Lu-La is a great forum, full of knowledgable members and open so in fact it's always a rich experience.  

Cheers.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2011, 11:09:18 pm by fredjeang »
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jn

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #64 on: March 05, 2011, 03:54:12 pm »

Support-surface movement. Some years ago, I saw trapaulins from Viallat in Cateau Cambresis Museum. Impressionistic. Beautiful. However, it corresponded to  the end of my ten years painting period (amateur) path. I was returning to photography. Your advisements are very precious:  I shall contact Lu-La members in GetDPI forum.
Many thanks, Jean
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ondebanks

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #65 on: March 05, 2011, 07:11:40 pm »

Right, first of all. If I knew the technical language of what to type into google to get my answers then I would have.

I assumed that someone with serious photographic investment (a 5DII kit), and who'd spent some time looking around this forum, would have enough background to do some simple searches. There's no special technical language required. As several people have already said, photography is essentially the same regardless of different formats.

Secondly, if you answered the question without looking down upon those you see below your superior knowledge then I would have picked up something from your answer and followed the trail.

Now let's get one thing straight. The only thing I looked down on was your attitude. I never play any sort of "I know more than you so I'm superior" card. That just isn't me. I couldn't possibly do my job (lecturer in physics and astronomy), if that was how I view my students! None of us start life with any knowledge, but we are all capable of acquiring it. We all come out of the womb with zero knowledge, other than how to cry and how to suckle milk. So if right now you know less than me about something, that doesn't in any way reflect badly on you, or reflect well on me. I would fully expect you to join me in this knowledge if you wished. And I would gladly help to get you there if your attitude and approach were different.

Lastly, if you are going to talk down on people who are new to the field then you have done the exact opposite of reaching out and guiding them.

You have no idea how many such new people I have reached out to down the years. I never talked down to them either. But they had made, or were making, the effort themselves as well. I enjoy helping, in part because I too have greatly benefited from the expertise and helpfulness of others. Anyway, I think it's fair to say that my contributions in this thread have been guidance to you - although not in the form that you were expecting. I could have just ignored your posts, but I did reach out; and told you not what you wanted to hear, but what I think you needed to hear.

This little spat will blow over, you'll soon start to find your bearings in MF, and I'm sure I'll be there to lend a hand then.

Ray
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Professional

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #66 on: March 13, 2011, 04:24:19 pm »

What is your questions?

I started with digital and just started to shoot with film in 2010 [last year], and this year [2011] i started to shoot with large format, i don't have 35mm film, only MF digital and film and now LF.

I scan with Epson V750, i agree that i prefer my digital file over film scans, and that is why i feel or say i think to get a drum scanner to have maximum quality out of the film, and i may prefer B&W film over digital, but colors i like digital more, there are films that give me different colors look that i can't get with digital, so i can't judge that film beats digital or digital surpass film, i have both and use both.

About the focal length why that CAnon has widest 17mm, in fact 17mm is not the widest lens with Canon, and MF sensor or film/sensor size is larger so the equivalent is bigger number, so 40mm on MF 6x6 is equivalent to about 24mm on 35mm format, the lens 43mm on Mamiya 7[6x7] is equivalent about 21mm on 35mm format, to me i am fine with 20-25mm focal length on MF, it will not be a big deal for me to have wider, also Lf has lenses that are coming equivalent at about 14-18mm on 35mm format [depends on what LF size].

Use film or digital for what you want, don't ask others to tell you which one is better or highest quality, not all can go with highest quality or want highest quality, i have 60mp camera and i really feel idiot if i want to have 80mp or even 100mp and don't use moor mp for what is worthy.
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jn

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Re: Wanting to learn MF equipment
« Reply #67 on: March 14, 2011, 07:30:50 am »

Many thanks for your mail. Please, excuse me for this late response: yesterday and the day before, I travelled from Rouen, France, to Düsseldorf, Germany for visiting the exhibition
which was devoted Thomas Ruth's pictures.(I have kept some time for shooting in Ruhr ...using  my canon G10 and its optical defects).
As  matter of fact, since 2008 I take pictures from landscapes (city, industry or nature).

I must admit that my questions have been rather confusely formulated.
Despite of this, I received very constructive answers. Thanks to the contibutors:

- My first question concerned  the availibility of negative film.
Fred has given a clear answer in #61:
"Film availability is guarantee at least for enough years, there is a market (and a slightly growing market)."

- Concerning the quality of the scaned pictures, Frank give also a very useful technical information in #60.

- Your message is also very helpful: The true question consists in evaluating what pictures I want to obtain.
Therefore, there is no universal answer in the choice of any technic of photography.

I must confess that I shall never have enough money to buy any MF digital sensor, thus, for me,
MF format would be uniquely analogic.

In another way, concerning the use of 35mm numeric camera, I would greatly appreciate
whether you can relate your own experience concerning the pictures that you have obtained with such a camera.
May be the best solution for me would be to work with both the two systems:
an MF analogic format in a first hand, and a 35mm digital SLR in another hand.

Jean
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