Difference between revisions of "Photography"

Revision as of 16:52, 23 June 2011

I used to shoot a fair amount of black & white and color reversal (slide) for a hobbyist (depending entirely, of course, on one's definitions of "hobbyist" and "fair amount"), but when I left the Army in 1993, I lost my access to a dark room and gave up for a while. Of course, I still shot color negative and later digital, but really just travel and family photos. I'm just getting back to it and hoping to shortly start shooting medium format color reversal and B&W. I just picked up an old Argus Argoflex E on eBay - it needs a little work though; and I purchased a Yashicamat 12 that I hope to have soon. I'm also hoping to get a decent old 35mm rangefinder (RF) camera, such as a Yashica Electro 35GSN, or maybe just dig out my old Chinon 35EE with which I shot all my Fujichrome in Korea in 1989-1990 and most of my color negative before that.

I've done quite a bit of research lately, so for now, here are some links that I've found particularly useful:

Link Farm

Useful Stores

• Amazon
• eBay
• KEH Used Cameras
• Adorama Ken Rockwell recommends them but they don't have much in the way of film cameras, they do have film however - possibly cheaper than Amazon.

Information sites

Lots of great info on these sites (many of these people are artists too but the links here are more for knowledge than inspiration):

• Camerapedia - an open wikia wiki regarding cameras
• Camera-wiki.org - another one and one of them copies the other sometimes
• Ken Rockwell - a pro who posts lots of information on cameras, photography, and using ebay
  • This is particularly interesting on what he scans his slides with
  • Composition
  • Exposure
    • The Zone System explained
    • Light Meters
    • Using a Digital Camera as a Light Meter
  • White Balance
  • Sharpness
  • Camera Adjustments - General discussion
  • Photographic Philosophy
  • Basics of getting better
    • More on this
  • Medium Format
  • Ken's Method
  • How to Win at eBay - some really good information and hints
  • Why your camera doesn't matter
  • Why Film
  • Film vs. Digital
  • though he apparently didn't know that this was meant as humor!
• Karen Nakamura's Photoethnography.com - lot's of great info on classic cameras
  • Classic Camera Buying Guide
  • Equipment Recommendations
  • Collecting and Using Classic Cameras - An index of Karen's complete collection
  • Repairing and Maintaining Classic Cameras
  • Light Meters for Classic Cameras
  • Classic Light Meters
• Matt Denton Photography
  • Matt Denton's Classic Camera Collection - lot's of valuable information on classic cameras and some tips on buying and on repair, as well as great links of his own.
    • TLR and Box Cameras
    • Rangefinders
  • Matt Denton's eBay tips - no where near as comprehensive or good as Ken Rockwell's but still worth the read
• Rick Oleson - Great technical info on many old cameras, including some I have. This is where I found the diagrams for both the Argoflex and the Yashica-Mat, many thanks to Matt Denton for linking me here.
• The Luminous Landscape
  • [1]
    • but Rockwell doesn't like his science [
  • [2]
• ClarkVision.com
• Tom Blackwell's Art through Luck - Art uses some very cheap cameras, including Holgas for art. He's got images and little info on each of the cameras, too.
• [3]
  • Silver Gelatin Dry Plate Process
• Guide to Film Photography
  • Camera Buyer's Guide
  • Lens Buyer's Guide
• Antique & Classic Cameras - lots of information on appraisal, purchase, etc.
• CollectiBlend Price Guide - generally out of date and frequently overpriced for low end stuff
• Camera Instruction Manuals
• eBay lens guide
• [http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~jwfoltz/Courses/WFB493PH/subjects/medium/medium.htm An Introduction to

Medium Format Photography]

• Lens Buying Guide
• Cameras.co.uk - digital camera focus - reviews and pricing
  • Camera Lens Brands
• Information on Easels
• Argus Collectors Group - TLRs
• Christopher Perez
• Repair Manuals - Manuals for a few popular classic cameras
• Camera Collecting and Restoration - great general information and few specifics including tool improvisation
• James Surprenant Photography - seems to have been abandoned for another site and then that completely abandoned.

Miscellaneous

• [4] table of Argoflex models

Blogs and Fora

• The Online Photographer
• Photo.net
  • Interesting Galleries:
    • Wilson Tsoi
    • Top Photographers
  • Equipment Guide - kinda high-end digital
  • Techniques
    • Photographing Architecture
  • MF Beginner
    • Getting started in MF
    • MF for Architecture
    • TLR recommendations
    • Ideal 6x6
  • Digital Workflow - Art
  • Tri-X vs T-Max - one of many
• Analog Photography Users Group (APUG)
• Digital Photography Review
• Clayton Studio Architectural Photographer
  • Clayton Studio Blog
    • Perfect Camera for Architectural Photography - digital
• Adobe Forums - useful info even though I use the Gimp
  • Gimp vs Photoshop - speaking of the Gimp
• [5] - not sure where to put this so putting it here - nice e-bay preview, I need to figure out how to do that
• Rangefinderforum.com
  • Yashicamat 124G Help
• The Photo Forum
  • Argoflex E
• Darkroom Materials.info blog
  • Product lists with eBay current auctions summarized
• ChooseFilm.com
• PhotoSIG

Artists on the Web

• Ansel Adams
• Henri Cartier-Bresson
• David LaChapelle
• Dykinga Photography
• Ian Porteous
• Chase Jarvis - Master of the iPhone
  • 5 tips for making great iphone photos
• Arizona Highways

Software

• Aperture

Online Critics

• DeleteMe proving their worth - an unwitting critique of master showing the pointlessness of technical criticism, particularly by amateurs who don't even know art history.
• Great Photographers on the Internet - a satire on internet photo criticism.

Scanners

Review of the V600 - has some helpful information on how to get a good result

Cameras

Cameras I own

Medium Format

6x6

• Argus Argoflex E (TLR - uses Kodak 620 or 120) - needs work
  • My Argoflex E Repair Project
• Yashica Yashicamat-12 (TLR) - waiting for this to arrive

35mm (Kodak 135 format)

• Chinon 35EE (Range Finder)
• Yashica FX-3 Super (SLR)

Digital

• Fujifilm FinePix S50000
• iPhone 3GS32

Cameras I would like to add to my collection

• Arette IA

35

• Canon EOS Rebel G w/ 28-135 IS lens (KR)

• Leica M3 and Leicameter MR-4 - in my dreams - Ken Rockwell calls this the "World's best 35mm" and I don't think he's the only one

(KR, PE agrees on the M3 or M2 and mentions the MR-4 elsewhere) KR recommends w/ 50mm f/2 Summicron mit close-focus range

• Contax G2 w/ Zeiss 28mm f/2.8

• Nikon FM3a w/ Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AI-s

• Nikon FE (or FE2 or FM - per PE)

• Nikon S2 (PE)

• Canon AE-1 Program w/ Canon FD 50mm f/1.8

• Yashica Electro 35 (RF) - esp 35 GSN (KR and PE) and GX (PE)

• Canon A530

• Canon Canonet (PE)

• Olympus XA (PE)

• FED 3 or Zorki 4K (PE)

• Kiev 4 (mentioned by PE)

• Canon P, Canon IV, Canon VI, other old canon RF (PE)

• Pentax Spotmatics (PE)

• Minolta SRTs (PE)

• Yashica J7 (PE)

• Kodak Retina IIIc

• Also look out for (PE):

• • Voigtländer Bessa R2
  • Minolta CLE
  • Olympus 35SP (what's the difference btw this an the 35RC?)

MF

• Mamiya 7 or Mamiya 6 - in my dream's dreams - world's best camera
• Mamiya C series TLRs
• Mamiya RB67

LF

• Tachihara 4x5

• maybe: Toyo Field 45CF

Digital

• Canon SD880

Meters

• Gossen Digisix Lightmeter (PE)
• Pentax Digital Spotmeter (KR)
• Pentax Spotmeter V (KR)
• Voitlander VC Meter (PE)
• Minolta Auto Meter IVf
• Sekonic L-408
• Sekonic L-208
• Vivitar 43
• Sekon L-348
• Minolta Color Meter II

Extinction Meters

• Drem Instoscope (PE)
• Expophot (PE)

Selenium Meters

• GE DW-68 Exposure Meter (PE)
• Sears Tower (PE)
• Walz Direct f:Stop Meter (PE)
• Sekonic L-VI Meter (PE)
• Sekonic 21b Meter (PE)
• Weston Direct Read Meter (PE)

Sekonic L-398M