Good luck with your RB. I am sure you will fall in love with it once you get a few rolls through it. I won't part with mine, I love em so much I even reapir them.
Instead of getting a prism finder that will add another 3 pounds to that beast, get a chimney finder. They are so much lighter (made of plastic) adn have an adjustable diopter, as well as some do have built in meters. The Chimney will block out external light making the screen seem brighter for that critical focusing.
ANother good piece of equipment is a good sturdy shoulder strap. I like to sling mine over my head n shoulder with the strap adjusted so when I swing it up, it's at my perfect eye level. It will hang on under your arm, well protected and with the lens down.
Enjoy your new toy and don't worry so much about which film you use, just take lots of pice with different films and find one that meets your taste.
Enjoy!
__________________ Anyone can make a Digital print, but only a photographer can make a photograph.
I recommend getting the left hand grip for the RB67 if you intend to hand hold it at all. I much prefer using it like that with the standard waist level finder than trying to hold it at eye level with a prism.
"So I decided to finally make the big jump from digital to film…"
It is certainly much more of a jump than going the other way! Good luck. You will need a healthy work ethic and lots of patience. Laziness must be left behind if you want it to be worth your while.
"That’s right, I’m going old school."
Be careful of this attitude. It is part of what's killing film IMO! It's a viable medium now, in the modern day, if you just let it be. There is no reason to reject either digital or film, or to view one as old or new. They are both simply tools at your disposal. In my opinion, the working differences between the two are slim at best. (The quality difference is obscene, however, IMO.) I would not want to give up either one.
"I have been using a Canon 40D for the most part (had a Rebel XTI and a backup) but I wanted to switch to medium format so I could make larger prints. I also wanted to give film a try because I want to slow down my photography and not just shoot a lot of photos at different exposures and different compositions."
Film will not do that. Personal discipline will. As for image quality, you are right on the money. Medium format will kick your 40D in the shorts *IF* (BIG if) you learn to master it.
"A friend sold me his Mamiya RB67 Pro S with a 6x7 120 film back and waist level viewfinder. He also included 5 Mamiya Sekor C lenses (50mm f/4.5, 65mm f/4.5, 90mm f/3.8, 127mm f/3.8 and 180mm f/4.5) and a cable release. I also recently bought a Polaris SPD500 Dual 5 Flash Meter – so I think I am good there."
Sweet kit! That was (is?) one the axes of choice among commercial and editorial photographers for decades.
"I am totally new to film and I need some advice – the last film camera I had was a 35mm point and shoot."
Being new to film is not scary. Everything you know about photography will still hold true, with only minor working differences. Do not fear film. Attack it the same way you attack your projects with digital. Don't obsess over the medium. Obsess over the result. The technical aspects are extremely similar. A camera is a camera is a camera.
"What type of film would you recommend? I will mainly be using this for landscapes, cityscapes and outdoor portraits – some might be nighttime, but they would be long exposures."
I would suggest anything from Kodak, Fuji, or Ilford to start. All have a great line of products. For long exposures, I find Fuji films to be the most linear in their reciprocity characteristics...that is, they don't lose speed as badly as the exposure gets longer.
"I saw that there focusing screens are among the accessories? What are they? Should I get one? Which one(s)?"
I would pick the one that gives you your preferred center focusing aid (or lack thereof). The one that is in there will be fine for now, though.
"Would you suggest a prism viewfinder? Or will the waist level viewfinder suffice?"
Depends on lots of things. You have to make this decision. Personally, I use both the chimney and the prism on my Mamiya C33.
"Would I want a Polaroid back as well? What would be its use?"
It's gives you 7x7cm instant prints on Fuji instant film. If this is useful to you for any number of reasons, the back is worth getting, IMO. IMO, it is good for checking lighting ratios, composition, etc., but pretty useless for exposure and color.
"Can anyone recommend a good backpack that would fit all of that?"
Sorry, but I don't know about backpacks.
"Is there anything else you would recommend for my medium format kit?"
A high-quality tripod, a high-quality light meter, and a high-quality monopod. An enlarger. A developing tank and reels, trays, etc.
"I’m sure I will have more questions as I work with this camera (like where is a good gym because this thing is a beast!) but I think that is all for now."
You'll get used to it quickly. It won't seem bad at all when you make your first gorgeous print!
"f course any other advice would be great."
Be patient. Work hard. Don't be lazy. Learn to accept failure and learn something helpful from it. Few things that are easy are truly worth while!
"Thanks in advance!"
Good luck. It is a great camera you have. If you treat it right, it will amaze you and the viewers of your prints for years to come.
__________________
2F/2F
Last edited by 2F/2F; 08-03-2008 at 09:27 PM.
Sponsored Ad. (Subscribers to APUG
have the option to remove this ad.)
In many areas, you're asking others as to what your preferences are.
That's certainly sounding true.
DO you intend to process b&w yourself, or send it out? There's nothing like the satisfaction of TOTAL control of the image, and you don't need a darkroom just to process film.
But then we get into film stock and chemistry stock. All generally swear by what they personally use.
After nearly 40 years doing this, my film (now that Agfa is no more) is as follows:
Rollei Ortho25
Efke 25
Efke 100
Plus-X
Fomapan 200
Fomapan 400
Tri-X
Neopan 400
Neopan 1600 (35mm only, which I no longer shoot).
Portra 160VC
Portra 400NC
Portra 400VC
Ultra 100
Ultra 400 (these last 2 have been discontinued in 120, becoming harder to find)
Ektachrome 100VS
Ektachrome 100G
Fujichrome 400
CHEMISTRY FOR PROCESSING B&W:
Rodinal 1:50 10min
HC-110 1:50 10min
ATM 49 (haven't opened the package yet, gives vintage look to similar films)
Each choice depends on how I want the finished image to look. I wet print my b&w negs, so how they scan is not important to me. The color I get professionally scanned, then fix flaws in Aperture or just iPhoto, and print that way.
My 2˘
__________________
If the lens doesn't read "ZEISS", then it just isn't.
I don't process my own film (mostly color negative film), but I do my own RA4 color printing. With drum processing, you don't need a large dark room. It just has to be large enough to expose the print on the enlarger and put it in the processing drum. Once in the drum, it can be processed in daylight. I expose prints in the dark room and my wife processes them in the kitchen. I also have a 17" commercial ink jet printer, and with the cost of ink and photo paper for the printer vs the cost of paper and chemicals, I can actually make prints cheaper using the enlarger and chemical process than I can with the ink jet printer.
I dont think i'm going to be developing my own film... at least not yet.
I want to first get a handle on the new camera and shooting film. That should take me a few years... then we can talk developing
I would straight away quit focusing on the fact that it is film. It is a camera; a high-quality camera. You have it because it can give you better quality for less money than your digital, and that is it. If you are good with the basics of photography in general, it should take you effectively no time at all to adapt to the new camera...and the fact that it takes film instead of CF cards will have almost nothing to do with this learning curve.
If you have a lot of money and want to trust your creative control to the hands of lab technicians, have at it as you plan. If you want fine control over what you are doing, you will do it yourself. Do you have a lab do all your digital editing for you? No, because they wouldn't do it *just right*, the way you would do it. That is the digital equivalent of processing and printing.
I can only hope that you will embrace the challenges and difficulties of the craft, and give up the fear and plans of laziness! One thing is true, in my experience: You only get out what you put in. If you are unwilling to work hard, do things that are difficult, try things, take chances, etc. you will get work that looks just like it!
If it just becomes too much hassle, I will buy your kit!
Yup, it takes some practice n patience. Burn a lot of film and you'll improve much faster than you think.
Not really. It all depends on the capabilities of the individual.
But you should pick 1 film, shoot it for 1 year, learning what it can & can't do.
Purchase a spiral binder and take notes everytime you go out, and every frame you take.
But during testing is not the time for 1-time only shots. Try shooting your house, in various light throughout the day. This will teach you faster than any other method I've taught.
__________________
If the lens doesn't read "ZEISS", then it just isn't.
Linear Mode
